Deal or No Deal-Trump Turns up the Heat on Tariffs & Judges

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson: Episode Summary Episode Title: Deal or No Deal-Trump Turns up the Heat on Tariffs & Judges
Release Date: April 7, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Published by: Premiere Networks

---

Overview

In the April 7, 2025 episode of The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson, host Ben Ferguson delves into three pivotal stories shaping the current political and economic landscape in the United States. The episode primarily focuses on President Donald Trump's aggressive stance on international tariffs, the historical consistency of his trade policies, and the emerging constitutional crisis involving judicial interventions against his executive actions. Throughout the discussion, Ferguson provides insightful analysis, backed by recent poll data, expert opinions, and direct quotes from key figures, aiming to present an unfiltered perspective often absent from mainstream media narratives.

---

1. Trump's Global Tariff Strategy and Rising Approval

Ben Ferguson opens the episode by addressing the significant international response to President Trump's tariff policies. Contrary to mainstream media portrayals of chaos and economic instability resulting from these tariffs, Ferguson asserts that over 50 nations have proactively reached out to the White House seeking negotiations to mitigate the impact of these measures.

Key Points:

• International Negotiations: Countries like India and Vietnam are among the frontrunners in negotiating with the U.S. to reduce or eliminate tariffs, demonstrating the effectiveness of Trump's strategy.

• Economic Impact: Despite a temporary dip in the U.S. stock market by approximately 10% following the announcement of new global tariffs, Ferguson emphasizes that these measures are strategically designed to protect American workers and industries from unfair foreign competition.

• Public Support: Recent polling data reveals a 4-point increase in Trump's job approval, reaching 53%, contradicting media claims of declining support. Notably, support surged 13 points among voters aged 18-29 and increased by 17 points among Black voters, highlighting broad-based backing for Trump's economic policies.

Notable Quote:

Ben Ferguson [04:58]: "That coming from one of Trump's top economic advisers. So what is actually happening with different countries? India and Vietnam, for example, are making major moves in negotiations."

---

2. Consistency of Trump's Trade Policies Since 1988

Ferguson underscores the argument that President Trump's current tariff policies are not impulsive decisions but are instead rooted in long-standing beliefs about fair trade. By referencing a 1988 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Ferguson illustrates Trump's enduring commitment to combating trade imbalances and protecting American economic interests.

Key Points:

• Historical Consistency: Trump's stance on unfair trade practices and the need for reciprocal tariffs has been consistent since at least 1988, demonstrating a well-thought-out and sustained approach rather than a reactionary measure.

• Strategic Planning: The proactive nature of Trump's tariff policy indicates careful planning and a deep understanding of international trade dynamics, challenging narratives that paint his actions as erratic or short-sighted.

Notable Quotes:

Ben Ferguson [10:04]: "President Donald Trump was on the Oprah Winfrey show talking about countries ripping America off in the trade war."

Donald Trump [10:08]: "I'd make our allies pay their fair share. We're a debtor nation. Something's going to happen over the next number of years with this country because you can't keep going on losing 200 billion."

---

3. Constitutional Crisis: Judicial Pushback Against Executive Actions

The episode takes a critical look at the ongoing constitutional tensions arising from district judges issuing nationwide injunctions to block President Trump's executive actions. Ferguson highlights the Republican response, emphasizing legislative efforts to curb what they perceive as judicial overreach.

Key Points:

• Judicial Challenges: Since January 20th, over 170 lawsuits have been filed challenging Trump's executive actions, with 50 injunctions issued daily aiming to limit presidential authority.

• Republican Legislative Response: Senators Chuck Grassley and Ted Cruz spearhead efforts to introduce bills that would restrict the power of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions. Grassley proposes a measure to ensure that judicial rulings apply solely to the parties involved in individual lawsuits, preventing broad-based injunctions that affect national policy.

• Bipartisan Issues: While the problem of judicial overreach is not exclusive to one political party, Ferguson notes that both Democratic and Republican administrations have faced similar challenges, necessitating bipartisan solutions.

Notable Quotes:

Pam Bonney, Attorney General [13:17]: "We're defending them all. We just got a great win. And we'll continue to fight."

Senator Ted Cruz [15:51]: "Why? Because he agreed with the violent protesters and he wanted to intimidate and threaten those judges."

Ben Ferguson [16:40]: "Senator Cruz is absolutely right. The left has gone totally rogue. Do not care what the law actually says, and it's now time for the Republicans in Congress to reign them in."

---

Conclusion

Ben Ferguson's comprehensive analysis in this episode of The 47 Morning Update presents a narrative that champions President Trump's tariff policies as strategic and historically grounded efforts to protect American economic interests. By highlighting increased public support and international engagement, Ferguson counters prevailing media narratives of instability and opposition. Additionally, the discussion on the constitutional crisis underscores the ongoing struggle between executive authority and judicial oversight, positioning Republican legislative initiatives as necessary measures to uphold the President's agenda.

Listeners are encouraged to subscribe for more in-depth news and updates, ensuring they remain informed and ahead in the ever-evolving political discourse.

---

References:

• Transcript Timestamps: Selected quotes are attributed with their respective timestamps for clarity and reference.
• Poll Data: Reflecting voter sentiments from polls conducted between March 31 and April 3, as mentioned by Ferguson.
• Historical Context: Trump's 1988 interview with Oprah Winfrey provides foundational insights into his long-term views on trade.

---

This summary is intended to provide an accurate and comprehensive overview of the podcast episode for those who have not listened to it. For the full experience and additional context, subscribing to The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson is recommended.

Transcript

[Health Expert]

It's true that some things change as we get older. But if you're a woman over 40 and you're dealing with insomnia, brain fog, moodiness and weight gain, you don't have to accept it as just another part of aging. And with MITI Health, you can get help and stop pushing through it alone. The experts at MIDI understand that all these symptoms can be connected to the hormonal changes that happen around menopause. And MIDI can help you feel more like yourself again. Many healthcare providers aren't trained to treat or even recognize menopause symptoms. MIDI clinicians are menopause experts. They're dedicated to providing safe, effective, FDA approved solutions for dozens of hormonal symptoms, not just hot flashes. Most importantly, they're covered by insurance. 91% of MDI patients get relief from symptoms within just two months. You deserve to feel great. Book your virtual visit today@join MIDI.com that's join M I D I.com.

[Podcast Host]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Jeremy Scott's Son]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Podcast Host]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Jeremy Scott's Son]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Podcast Host]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I know people have talked to you about whether or not you want to run. Would you? Would you ever?

[Donald Trump]

Probably wouldn't. But I do get tired of seeing what's happening with this country. And if it got so bad, I would never want to rule it out totally. Because I really am tired of seeing what's happening with this country. How we're, how we're really making other people live like kings. And we're not.

[Ben Ferguson]

You're listening to the 42nd morning update with Ben Ferguson. Good Monday morning, Ben Ferguson with you. It's nice to have you on the 47 Morning Update, and here are the three big stories we're covering. You may not hear this from the media, but countries around the world are lining up to do a deal with Donald Trump over tariffs. Now, more than 50 nations have reached out to the White House saying we want to get a deal done. I'll have the latest on that in just a moment. Also, you may have noticed the media is trying to say the president is acting erratically on tariffs. Well, that's just not true. In fact, we've got the audio from all the way back in 1988 where Donald Trump said exactly what he's saying and doing today. And finally, there is a constitutional crisis happening in this country as district judges are doing nationwide injunctions to stop Donald Trump's executive actions. Well, now Senate Republicans are saying and they're getting involved to take away power from some of these activist judges. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. Hang tough. That is the message from President Donald Trump calling on Americans to ride out the tariff storm. Trump's job approval didn't go down, didn't even stay even. In fact, it rose during the tariff week. Another media fail. Trump's job approval rises 4 points as he puts Americans first to 53%. If you were watching the mainstream media, it was Armageddon. As Donald Trump said, I'm going to stand up for American workers, bring back American jobs, and I'm not flinching on tariffs with other countries that are taking advantage of the U.S. this poll that was taken with over a thousand registered voters between March 31 and April 3 show that Donald Trump's four point jump in job approval was not the only rise since March 7. Trump's job approval from young voters between the ages of 18 and 29 has jumped a staggering 13 points as many of them are looking at jobs and manufacturing as a great opportunity for them. Among independent and Democrats, Trump enjoyed a six point increase, meaning that the Democratic talking points aren't even working on their own party. Most telling support from black voters jumped a whopping 17 points in a single week. Why? Because they feel like the President is actually trying to get them a great job. Finally, more people support that opposed Donald Trump's tariffs on foreign countries by a margin of 39% support to 37% that oppose the complete opposite of the story that was being told by those on the left and in the media. Now, with all of that you now knowing that the media is lying to you, here's something else that they're not telling you and that is that the tariffs are actually working. Bringing people to the table outside the White House giving an update on ABC this week. Here is what they said.

[Jeremy Scott's Son]

I got a report from the USCR last night that more than 50 countries have reached out to the President to begin a negotiation. But they're doing that because they understand that they bear a lot of the tariff. And so I don't think that you're going to see a big effect on the consumer in the US Because I do think that the reason why we have a persistent long run trade deficit is these people have very inelastic supply. They've been dumping goods into the country in order to create jobs, say in China.

[Ben Ferguson]

That coming from one of Trump's top economic advisers. So what is actually happening with different countries? India and Vietnam, for example, are making major moves in negotiations. In other words, buckling and seeking a deal with President Trump on tariffs. As you heard there from the White house, more than 50 countries have reached out to the White House to begin those negotiations. And as President Trump and his team said early on, those that show up first will probably get the best deal. And those that hold out, it's going to hurt your economy more than ours. Now let's talk about what happened with Vietnam. In a major victory that could even be announced sometime this week. Trump saying that Vietnam is now offering to cut tariffs on America to the number of zero. President Donald Trump announcing that Vietnam wants to drop the tariff on US Goods entirely if a deal can be struck between the two countries. Trump revealed the major development following a phone call with the general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party to Lam. I just had a very productive call with the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, trump announced, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their tariffs down to zero if they're able to make an agreement with the U.S. we also know that Vietnam flew with an emergency delegation to Washington, D.C. and arrived on Friday and are staying for 14 days to get the deal done. Now, the call comes days after Trump announced a sweeping worldwide reciprocal in baseline tariffs, which included a hefty 46% discounted reciprocal tariff on Vietnamese goods imported into America. The president sang, quote, I thanked him on behalf of our country and I said I look forward to a meeting in the near future. The reciprocal tariffs Trump imposed on many countries will take effect after midnight on April 9 this coming week, while the 10% baseline tariffs on other nations are set to take effect on Saturday. Nike stock, for example, plunged on Wednesday and into Thursday following Trump's tariff announcement. The company has 130 factories in Vietnam and some 460,000 workers. This is just one example of exactly why Donald Trump is winning on the issue of tariffs. And it's not just Vietnam. There are also other countries that are running to sit down with the president, including India, more than the 50 countries that have reached out the White House to begin their trade talks and top economic advisors saying this on Sunday that we believe this will be, quote, a sweeping new set of tariffs that will be announced at new and different levels because the companies that have come from forward. You look at places like India, and they are eager to sit down and work with the American people and this government. Now, yes, the US stock market has tumbled by around 10% in the two days since Trump's announced a new global tariff around the world. But what we also know is that the president told the American people, hang tough. And based on the poll numbers, the American people understand what Donald Trump is trying to do. They have faith in what he's doing, and they believe that the president has leverage to get it done for the American worker and so that we're not being taken advantage of any longer. Next story number two. There are a lot of people that have said, how did Donald Trump get the idea to do what he's doing with tariffs and the American first policy? There are many that are acting like this is a chaotic plan, a dysfunctional plan, a plan that is radical or extreme, that should never have happened, and it happened on a whim from Donald Trump. There isn't a bigger lie than that coming out of the conversation with tariffs. How do we know that this is a belief that Donald Trump has had for quite some time? Well, you can look back to 1988. President Donald Trump was on the Oprah Winfrey show talking about countries ripping America off in the trade war. She also asked him about running for office. And he said something else that was obviously very clear. He said he didn't think he was going to run for office unless things got really, really, really bad. Those two things came to fruition, and this is all the way back in 1988. So if you think Donald Trump is messing around, he's not. He's believed it and been planning it for more than 30 years.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Last year criticizing US foreign policy. What would you do differently, Donald?

[Donald Trump]

I'd make our allies, forgetting about the enemies, the enemies you can't talk to so easily. I'd make our allies pay their fair share. We're a debtor nation. Something's going to happen over the next number of years with this country because you can't keep going on losing 200 billion. And yet we let Japan come in and dump everything right into our markets and everything. It's not free trade. If you ever go to Japan right now and try to sell something, forget about it, Oprah. Just forget about it. It's almost impossible. They don't have laws against it. They just make it impossible. They come over here, they sell their cars, their VCRs, they knock the hell out of our companies. And, hey, I have tremendous Respect for the Japanese people. I mean, you can respect somebody that's beating the hell out of you, but they are beating the hell out of this country. Kuwait. They live like kings. The poorest person in Kuwait, they live like kings, and yet they're not paying. We make it possible for them to sell their oil. Why aren't they paying us 25% of what they're making? It's a joke.

[Oprah Winfrey]

This sounds like political presidential talk to me. And I know people have talked to you about whether or not you want to run. Would you? Would you ever.

[Donald Trump]

Probably not. But I do get tired of seeing the country rip.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Why would you not?

[Donald Trump]

I just don't think I really have the inclination to do it. I love what I'm doing. I really like it.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Also. It doesn't pay as well.

[Donald Trump]

No, it doesn't. But, you know, I just probably wouldn't do it, Oprah. I probably wouldn't. But I do get tired of seeing what's happening with this country. And if it got so bad, I would never want to rule it out totally, because I really am tired of seeing what's happening with this country, how we're. How we're really making other people live like kings, and we're not.

[Ben Ferguson]

You listen to Donald Trump then, and there's a couple of things there that are very consistent. He said our allies are ripping us off. They're ripping Americans off in trade, and we start there. He also said it's a little bit tougher with our adversaries. Great example of that is what he's dealing with with Russia right now. There are many in the press trying to attack Donald Trump for not putting major sanctions on Russia. Well, he says he's trying to stop a war between Russia and Ukraine. Why complicate things and make things worse by throwing tariffs on them? But there's also a second point that the media is omitting from the facts. There's not a lot to put tariffs on because we have so many sanctions right now on Russia already. So it's almost like there is, in fact, a set of tariffs. They're tariffs of, we're not doing anything with you. And yet the media is trying to act like there's some sort of Russia collusion, 3.0 or 4.0 or 5.0 when it comes to Russia. This is how they're going to continue to attack Donald Trump. At the end of the day, this is a plan that Donald Trump made clear back in 1988 is something he believed in. He understands leverage, and that's why there's 50 plus countries waiting in line to work a deal with Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States of America. And finally, story number three. There is a real constitutional crisis happening in America right now. Nationwide injunctions coming from many different judges purposely to hamstring President Trump's agenda. Pam Bonney, the Attorney General of the United States, saying this about what is happening with these activist judges and injunctions.

[Pam Bonney]

The president is going to comply with the law. He was overwhelmingly elected by an overwhelming majority of the United States citizens to be our commander in chief. And that's what he's been doing. Shannon, just since January 20th. We've had over 170 lawsuits filed against us. That should be the constitutional crisis right there. 50 injunctions. They're popping up every single, single day. Trying to control his executive power, trying to control where he believes our tax dollars should be allocated. And saying he won by an overwhelming majority is so important because that's what the American people want, what President Trump campaigned on and what he won on. And he's implementing that agenda at a rapid speed. None of us can keep up with him every single day. And so it's just, we're going after all of these lawsuits. We're defending them all. We just got a great win. And we'll continue to fight.

[Ben Ferguson]

We'll continue to fight. Well, now there are people in Congress that are standing with the president over this constitutional crisis. We now know that Senator Grassley is unveiling a bill to boost Donald Trump in court and most importantly, limit the powers of these radical activist judges. Congressional Republicans are now hoping to turn the tide on the legal setbacks of President Trump's executive actions with a bill to weaken the federal judiciary. The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Chuck Grassley introducing a measure to prohibit district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, rulings he believes are unconstitutional and should apply only to a lawsuit's individual parties involved and not an injunction on the entire country. Grassley said. The wave of anti Democratic injunctions against actions taken by the president said that these federal judges have become the favorite tool of those seeking to obstruct President Trump's agenda. Individual district judges who don't even have authority over any of the other 92 district courts are single handedly vetoing policies the American people elected President Trump to implement. Grassley said in a statement from the floor of the Senate. In short, I'm trying to fix a bipartisan problem that has been plaguing both Democratic and Republican administrations alike. Senator Cruz also sounding the alarm at a Judiciary Committee hearing about these activist judges. Take a listen.

[Ted Cruz]

It's long been said that hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue. I have to admit I'm enjoying listening to my Democrat colleagues suddenly discover the virtues of the rule of law after four years where they brazenly supported the most lawless Department of Justice and the most politically weaponized Department of Justice our nation ever seen. We just heard the Senator from Rhode island talk about the imperative of protecting judges and yet not not a single Democrat senator cared about the violent protesters that showed up outside Supreme Court Justices homes. Including, I might note, female justices like Justice Amy Coney Barrett threatening their family and Joe Biden's Attorney General didn't do a damn thing and refused to enforce the law to protect those judges. Why? Because he agreed with the violent protesters and he wanted to intimidate and threaten those judges.

[Ben Ferguson]

Senator Cruz is absolutely right. The left has gone totally rogue. Do not care what the law actually says, and it's now time for the Republicans in Congress to reign them in. Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now and for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow.

[Talkspace Advertiser]

You know, when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code SPACE80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at Talk. Save $80 with code [e-mail].

[Podcast Host]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Jeremy Scott's Son]

Every time I hear about my dad is oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Podcast Host]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Jeremy Scott's Son]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Podcast Host]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.