The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: DC Police Chief accused of ‘Cooking the Books’ on Crime plus Trump Classifies Fentanyl as a WMD
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson

Overview

This episode, hosted by Ben Ferguson, tackles two major, underreported news stories:

1. The DC Police Chief's alleged manipulation of crime statistics to make the city seem safer than it is—what Ferguson repeatedly calls "cooking the books."
2. President Trump’s new executive action classifying fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD), dramatically expanding presidential powers to target drug traffickers and narco-terrorists.

Ben offers direct commentary, amplifies House Oversight Committee findings, and provides contextual background on both issues, while attributing the failures to Democratic leadership and crediting Trump’s tough-on-crime agenda.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. DC Police Chief Accused of Falsifying Crime Statistics

• Investigations and Findings

  • The U.S. Attorney for D.C., Judge Jeanine Pirro, has investigated the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), uncovering “widespread misclassification” of crime reports that artificially lowered reported crime rates.
  • “D.C. authorities were literally artificially deflating crime stats to manipulate the numbers to make it look like DC was safer than it actually was.” (Ben Ferguson, 05:01)
  • The investigation reviewed nearly 6,000 reports and interviewed more than 50 witnesses, revealing a significant number of reports “misclassified, making crime appear artificially lower than reality.” (05:47)
  • Despite the findings, Pirro notes the conduct didn’t rise to a criminal charge but called for internal reforms.

• House Oversight Committee Report

  • House Republicans allege outgoing Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured commanders to underreport crime statistics.
  • "Chief Pamela Smith coerced staff to report artificially low crime data and cultivated a culture of fear to achieve her agenda." (Chairman James Comer, read at 10:19)
  • Commanders were pushed to:
    • Pursue lesser (unreported) charges for serious crimes.
    • Submit certain cases for review to Smith’s office for reclassification.
    • Endure retaliation—including beratement and punishment—if accurate, higher stats were reported.

• Political Implications

  • Ferguson points out: “The D.C. police chief rigged the data. She didn't actually fight crime. She just lied about the crime stats… Not because she was afraid of what was happening on the streets…but so that she could misclassify them so it wouldn't seem as dangerous.” (10:29)
  • Argues that this manipulation paints President Trump’s crime-fighting record in an even better light, since “President Trump has reduced crime even more than originally thought. Since crimes were actually higher than reported, his crime fighting efforts have delivered even more safety.” (06:16)
  • D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser denies any evidence of falsification:
    • “I don't see any evidence of that...when the committee provides me their backup information, information which they haven't… Highly unusual when you're talking about an audit of numbers.” (13:19)

• Bigger Narrative

  • Ben frames this scandal as representative of Democratic leadership “lying and cooking the books,” which he argues is why Trump won the election and is deploying federal resources to fight crime in Democrat-led cities.
  • “This is the Democratic Party, and it's exactly why Donald Trump won the election.” (14:40)

2. Trump Classifies Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

• Executive Order Details

  • On Monday, President Trump “classified fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, ramping up his administration's campaign against drug cartels in Latin America.” (15:12)
  • Trump’s quote at the signing:
    • “No bomb does what this is doing. 200 to 300,000 people die every year that we know of.” (16:01)
  • Fentanyl now sits in the same legal category as nuclear and chemical weapons, granting expansive new powers to pursue traffickers and cartels.

• Justification and Context

  • Ferguson underlines the devastating toll: “It is killing, in essence, a plane of Americans every single day. No one in this country would stand for a plane crash every day of innocent Americans crashing to the ground. But that's the equivalent of what is happening at the hands of narco terrorists.” (15:14)
  • The executive order notes that “illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic and that it threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere.” (16:22)

• Military Component

  • The Trump administration couples the new classification with a military campaign against drug smuggling vessels—destroying over 20 ships and claiming “each...saves 25,000 American lives.” (17:14)
  • There's a “massive military buildup in the Caribbean” involving major naval assets; U.S. aircraft are conducting flights near Venezuela.
  • Venezuela’s government accuses the U.S. of using drug enforcement as a pretext for regime change. The U.S. offers a $50 million reward for info leading to President Maduro’s capture.

• Political Framing

  • Ferguson positions Democrats as defending “terrorists instead of protecting American citizens.” (17:37)
  • He hails the move as “another campaign promise...turned into reality,” emphasizing Trump’s commitment to tackling the fentanyl crisis “by any means necessary.” (18:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ben Ferguson on the DC Scandal:

  • “What's easier than actually fighting crime? Well, if you're a Democrat, apparently lying about the crime stats to make it look like you're fighting crime is more important than actually saving American lives.” (05:24)

• Judge Jeanine Pirro’s Finding:

  • “A significant number of reports had straight up been misclassified, making crime appear artificially lower than reality.” (05:47)

• Chairman James Comer on Manipulation:

  • “Chief Pamela Smith coerced staff to report artificially low crime data and cultivated a culture of fear to achieve her agenda.” (10:19)

• Ferguson on Fentanyl’s Impact:

  • “No one in this country would stand for a plane crash every day of innocent Americans crashing to the ground. But that's the equivalent of what is happening at the hands of narco terrorists.” (15:15)

• Trump at Executive Order Signing:

  • “No bomb does what this is doing. 200 to 300,000 people die every year that we know of.” (16:01)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Start of Content / Main Stories Begin: 02:57
• Intro to DC Crime Stats Scandal: 05:01
• Details from House Oversight’s Fox News Segment: 09:08
• Further Fox News & U.S. Attorney Reaction: 11:55
• Mayor Bowser Denial: 13:19
• Transition to Fentanyl / Trump Executive Order: 15:12
• Trump’s Quotes, Executive Order Details: 16:00 - 16:30
• U.S. Military Campaign & Political Fallout: 17:00 - 18:18

Tone & Style

• Ben Ferguson delivers the episode in a sharp, combative tone, frequently criticizing Democratic leadership and praising President Trump’s decisive actions.
• The language is direct and loaded: words like “cooking the books,” “culture of fear,” “artificially deflating stats,” and “narco terrorists” are repeated for emphasis.
• Ferguson highlights what he sees as media and Democratic failures, positioning his coverage as truth-telling against mainstream neglect.

Summary prepared for listeners who wish to stay informed on the latest alleged political scandals and policy developments, especially those not widely covered by the mainstream media.