Dems DO give Money to Illegals & say Trump is "crazy" for causing Shutdown

Summary

Podcast Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Dems DO give Money to Illegals & say Trump is "crazy" for causing Shutdown
Date: October 3, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Duration: ~18 minutes

---

Episode Overview

This episode of The 47 Morning Update centers on two intertwined political controversies: Democratic support for federal funds allegedly benefiting illegal immigrants, and the ongoing government shutdown, which Democrats, according to Ben Ferguson, wrongly blame on President Trump. Ferguson aims to debunk claims made by Democrats and the media regarding federal spending on non-citizens, critique demands made by Democratic leaders during shutdown negotiations, and refute the narrative that Trump is the cause and catalyst for the shutdown.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Dollars Going to Illegal Immigrants

(05:55 - 08:24)

• Debunking Democratic Denials:
  Ben recalls the 2020 Democratic presidential debate where "every single" Democratic candidate supported taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants.

  "Did they follow through on that promise? Yeah, they absolutely did. Joe Biden used executive orders and he expanded benefits, health care to illegal aliens." (00:30)

• Two Ways Federal Funds Go to Illegal Immigrants:

  • Emergency Medicaid:
    Billions annually go to ER and maternity care—a "legal carve out" covering illegal immigrants.
    • “That's one way that they're funneling money to illegal immigrant care.” (05:57)
  • Improper State Claims:
    California repaid $52.7M for wrongful federal billing—a single audit, indicating larger scale misallocations.
    • “That is just one state, one audit. And it's likely there's a lot more out there.” (06:18)
  • Summary:
    Ferguson: "The receipts don't lie. The money is clearly going to illegal immigrants in the hospital." (06:27)

---

2. Democratic Shutdown Demands

(06:32 - 08:23)

• Ben lists the demands he claims Democrats attached to avert a government shutdown:
  • Free health care for illegals
  • Restore NPR and PBS funding (“propaganda machines” allegedly favoring Democrats)

    “They desperately need NPR and PBS to be propped back up because otherwise they lose their juice, they lose their influence.” (07:07)

  • Revoke rural hospital funding (to redirect funds to urban/sanctuary cities)

    “They don't care about rural America. They don't care about the farmers... They say, the hell with you guys.” (07:38)

  • Increase climate and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) funding for foreign nations, not Americans

    “They want your tax dollars to go for diversity, equity, inclusion, advocacy, training. Foreign nations, not America, foreign nations.” (08:01)

  • Continue Obamacare subsidies
    Ben rehashes Democratic campaign promises and the result of the last election:

    “All of the things that they're shutting the government down over, their biggest issues, are things that were on the ballot.” (08:19)

---

3. Democrats Attack Trump, Blame for Shutdown

(08:26 - 10:58)

• New “Conspiracy”: Trump Is Unfit
  Democrats accuse Trump of immaturity and purposely harming Americans via a shutdown. Ferguson plays a clip and attributes statements to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer:

  “Donald Trump, instead of acting like an adult, he's the most immature president we have ever had...” – Chuck Schumer (09:16) “He is using the American people as pawns, threatening pain on the country as blackmail...” – Chuck Schumer (09:46)

• Ferguson’s Take:
  He argues this is political misdirection:

  “Chuck Schumer is trying to Jedi mind trick the American people into believing... that this shutdown is the fault of Donald Trump. I think everyone knows very clearly that is a lie.” (10:20)

• Historical Context:
  Ferguson recounts a 2018 Oval Office exchange:

  “We do not want to shut down the government because you can't get your way.” – Nancy Pelosi, 2018 (10:59)

  • He contrasts past Democratic opposition to shutdowns with their current role.

---

4. Critique of Shutdown Strategies and Media Coverage

(11:15 - 13:54)

• Scott Jennings on Democrats’ Unrealistic Demands:

  “It’s pretty reprehensible that the Democrats have taken us to the brink of a shutdown with a list of demands that frankly are just not even within the realm of the realistic right now.” – Scott Jennings (12:10)

• Ferguson’s Summary:
  He concludes Democrats are “lying” about the shutdown and reiterates that American taxpayers oppose funding care for illegal immigrants.

  "Elections have consequences. We all know it." (12:58)

• Media Critique:
  He criticizes mainstream media ("state-sponsored media") for underplaying positive economic news:

  “If a Democrat was in office, would they be just going berserk on the nightly news tonight? Yeah. Did they? No. Because the state sponsored media... are scumbags.” (14:21)

---

5. Highlight on Democratic Party Figures & Social Media Moments

(13:55 - 14:14)

• Ferguson cites left-wing leaders like Mandani (publicly refusing to apologize for anti-police statements) as examples of what he sees as radical Democratic priorities.

---

6. Shutdown Financial Impact & Spending Figures

(15:28 - 17:32)

• Cost of Shutdown:
  Estimated at $400 million/day, per the CBO, attributed to Democratic actions.

  “The CBO, 400 million a day. 400 million a day. This is their doing. They chose to do this.” (15:43)

• Democrats’ Continuing Resolution Subsidy Totals:
  Ferguson claims nearly $200 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants/non-citizens is at stake in Democratic proposals.

  • Breakdown:
    • Ending Medicaid funding for noncitizens: $6.2 million
    • Emergency care for illegal immigrants: $34 million
    • Closing California loophole: $5 million
    • Ending Obamacare funding for noncitizens: $91 million
    • Repealing special rules: $27 million
    • Total: $192 million claimed, then corrects himself to "$200 billion" as cumulative impact (16:39–17:14)

• The Big Takeaway:

  “The Democrats shutting down the government because President Trump and Republicans are not forcing American taxpayers to pay for free health care for illegal immigrants. That is what the president ran on. That is what he said he was going to do. That is what he believes.” (17:19)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They say that we're making this up, this illegal aliens receiving taxpayer benefits. It's a talking point. Well, I'm going to show you how they're lying to you. And we've got the receipts to back it up.” (Ben Ferguson, 00:06)
• “Donald Trump is the most immature president we've ever had. Instead of doing something to stop the health care crisis is threatening to hurt countless hardworking Americans.” (Chuck Schumer, 09:16)
• “Democrats voted against [a clean continuing resolution]... The demands they're making now are just not even within the realm of the realistic right now.” (Scott Jennings, 11:45)
• "Elections have consequences. We all know it." (Ben Ferguson, 12:58)
• “The S&P hit 6700 for the first time ever... But closing just short of a record. Health care once again the best performing sector.” (CNBC clip, 14:41)
• “The CBO, 400 million a day. 400 million a day. This is their doing. They chose to do this.” (Ben Ferguson, 15:43)

---

Important Timestamps

• 00:06 — Democrats’ 2020 pledge & Biden’s follow through
• 05:55 — Two ways federal funds benefit illegal immigrants
• 06:32 — Complete list of Democratic shutdown-averting demands
• 08:26 — Democrats’ narrative: attacking Trump’s fitness and blaming him for shutdown
• 09:16 — Chuck Schumer attacks Trump (audio clip)
• 10:59 — Nancy Pelosi 2018 shutdown stance revisited
• 11:45 — Scott Jennings: Democrats’ "unrealistic" list of demands
• 12:58 — Ferguson’s "elections have consequences" argument
• 14:41 — Economic news: S&P all-time high, downplayed by media
• 15:43 — Shutdown cost: $400 million/day
• 16:39–17:14 — Ferguson details $200 billion claim for illegal immigrant health care subsidies

---

Tone & Style

• Direct, combative, and partisan: Ferguson uses a forceful tone with frequent rhetorical questions, emphatic statements, and sharp critiques of Democratic leadership and mainstream media.
• Populist framing: He positions Republican policies as aligned with “hardworking Americans,” framing Democrats as elitist or out-of-touch with “flyover country.”
• Emphasis on “receipts” and facts: Ferguson repeatedly claims to have factual evidence undermining Democratic narratives, though the episode is heavily opinion-driven.

---

Summary Takeaway

This episode builds a case that Democrats are misleading the public about federal spending on illegal immigrants, using the government shutdown to push through unpopular policies, and wrongly blaming Trump for resulting turmoil. Ferguson supports these claims with selected facts, audio clips, and a clear alignment with Trump administration talking points, ending with the broad message: elections have consequences, and current events are the direct result of Democratic priorities rejected by voters in the last election.

Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

This is an iHeart podcast.

They say that we're making this up, this illegal aliens receiving taxpayer benefits. It's a talking point. They said everybody can remember, I think back to 2020 in the presidential debate. For all the candidates on the Democrat side, raise your hand, they said on the stage if you believe that illegal aliens should receive health care paid for by American taxpayers. Every single one of them raised their hand to great applause in the audience from the Democrats who were there. Now. What did they do? Did they follow through on that promise? Ye, they absolutely did. Joe Biden used executive orders and he expanded benefits, health care to illegal aliens.

In his four year term.

You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

Good Friday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And we've got two big stories for you. Democrats and the media join hands yet again to lie and claim that no federal dollars are going to illegal immigrants. Well, I'm going to show you how they're lying to you. And we've got the receipts to back it up. Also going after Donald Trump saying he's crazy to execute a government shutdown, trying to claim this is Trump's fault. We all know it's the Schumer shutdown and we'll give you the facts to fight back on that as well. But before I get to that, I want to talk to you about my friends at Kirk Elliott Precious Metals. Two days ago I got my new order of silver. Now I'm investing in silver right now because the pricing on it is amaz amazing. And the upside, well, it's real. I actually have a 100 ounce silver bar. It is actually really cool. It's really heavy because it's 100 ounces. But I also know that I bought it at the right price and I wasn't paying massive upcharges on quote, rare or special coins. And then when you go to sell them, you take away all of your earning potential. Why do they do it this way at Kurt Elliott? Because they have transparent pricing up front. It's very simple. You pay 8% when you buy. And here's what matters to you the most. Nothing when you sell. There are no hidden fees ever with Kurt Elliott Precious Metals. This is the reason why I recommend them. It's not just about investing. It's about making sure you get more for your money. And that is exactly why Kurt Elliott helps people all the time. Whether it's gold or silver. You can hold it, be a good steward of it. You can pass it on to future and you can build wealth with it. It's real bullion, never gimmicks, just investment grade gold and silver. No overpriced coins, no flashy markups. And it's a company that I love because they are a faith driven company. There's no pressure, just honest care. They treat every client like family, offering honest answers up front to help you make wise, informed decisions. Now if you're seeking a partner when it comes to gold and silver with an eternity mindset, visit kepm.comBen that's K E P M dot com Ben. You can also call them 720-605-3900. That's 720-605-3900. So let's faithfully steward what God has given so you can experience real peace now and for generations to come. K-E P M.com Ben it's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. There has been a lie that no federal dollars are going to illegal immigrants. All right. I'm going to show you exactly why that is a lie. Federal dollars, your tax dollars in fact, do flow to illegal immigrants. Here are two proven ways that happens. Number one, emergency Medicaid. That equals billions of dollars a year in emergency Medicaid funds that go to ER and maternity care. It is a legal carve out. And are illegal immigrants covered under that? The answer is yes. That's one way that they're funneling money to illegal immigrant care. Number two, improper state claims. California, for example, their audit force repayment of 52.7 million. 52.7 million that was wrongfully billed to the federal government. That is just one state, one audit. And it's likely there's a lot more out there. Now, these are people that are, quote, not eligible for getting money. Well, the receipts tell the truth. The receipts don't lie. The money is clearly going to illegal immigrants in the hospital. So if you want to know why the Democrats decide to shut down the government, number one, it was to cover Chuck Schumer's AWS against aoc. Number two, the Democrat demands tell you everything. This is what they demanded to, quote, avoid a government shutdown. Okay, this is their list, not mine. Free health care for illegals. Number one, restore funding for their propaganda machines. What do I mean by that? Restore money for the National Public Radio and for public broadcasting services. Why would the Democrats shut down the government demanding that the only way we keep it open is if we restore the NPR and PBS funding. I'll tell you exactly why. Because those are two of the state sponsored media arms. No different than China or Russia or South Korea putting out propaganda on behalf of the Democratic Party and attacking the Republican Party. So they desperately need NPR and PBS to be propped back up because otherwise they lose their juice, they lose their influence. They also want to revoke. Listen carefully. Rural hospital funding. Why would the Democratic Party want to revoke rural hospital funding? I'll tell you exactly why. Because they want the money to go to illegal immigrants in their big sanctuary cities and major states. They don't care about rural America. They don't care about the farmers. They don't care about flyover country. They say, the hell with you guys. We want the money in New York City. We want the money in Baltimore. We went the money in Detroit. Right. We want the money in San Francisco and la. We don't want the money in rural America for hospitals. We don't care about actual hardworking Americans minding their own business with their families on their 10 acres. They also demand it to avoid a government shutdown that we have massive expenditures that are reinstated for climate and diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI funding specifically, not for Americans. You ready for this? Here's the best part. Here's the kicker for foreign nations. So they want your tax hours to go to stop climate change in foreign nations. And they want your tax hours to go for diversity, equity, inclusion, advocacy, training. Foreign nations, not America, foreign nations. And then finally, I thought Obamacare was going to be amazing, right? Everybody was going to have health care. You got to keep your doctor if you liked your doctor. Remember that line, you got to keep your plan if you like your plan. Yeah, that was a lie. Well, what are they saying now? Well, one of their demands to avoid the government shutdown was to continue Biden's Obamacare subsidies. Now we had an election that just took place and in the election all of these things were on the ballot. Free health care for illegals. There was a candidate that wanted it, advocated for it and did it. Joe Biden. Then that candidate turned into Kamala Harris and guess what? She was in favor of it too. The other guy, Donald Trump, said no. There was a party and a person, Kamala Harris. It was like, we're going to keep funding these state sponsored media and NPR and pbs. And there was another guy named Donald Trump said, no, we're going to cut it. There was a man that was advocating for rural areas and hospitals and that would be Donald Trump. There was the other Democrats said, screw you guys. Like it was on the ballot, folks. Climate di funding doge is a Great example of that for four nations. Donald Trump ran on saying, no, that's a terrible thing. We're not doing it. Democrats said, no, we want to send more of our money overseas to foreign nations. For DEI woke climate change. And again, the other party, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, their Obamacare subsidies were what they ran on. The American people said, we don't want it. And they voted for who? Donald Trump. All of the things that they're shutting the government down over, their biggest issues are things that were on the ballot. Okay? It just was. It was on the ballot, folks. Every single bit of it was on the ballot.

Now, story number two.

We have a new conspiracy theory from the Democrats. It is now to say that Donald Trump is unwell, he's unfit for office, that Donald Trump is the most immature president we've ever had. Democrats thinking this, I don't know, sleight of hand will work during the government shutdown to confuse the American people. And somehow instead of blaming Chuck Schumer for the problem of the government being shut down, that you'll think this is Donald Trump being crazy. How do we know this is an orchestrated plan? Well, let me let you hear what Chuck Schumer said from the floor of the Senate. Listen carefully the words he uses when.

Democrats say, we want to work with Republicans to lower premiums, to strengthen health care. All we are doing is reflecting what the American people already want. Nothing more, nothing less. They want us to sit down and negotiate something real that takes this huge, huge burden off their shoulders. And Donald Trump, instead of acting like an adult, he's the most immature president we have ever had. Instead of doing something to stop the health care crisis is threatening to hurt countless hardworking Americans. Let me repeat the quote Donald Trump said yesterday. We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible. They're bad for them and irreversible. Like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things they like. Cutting programs they like. Donald Trump says it loud and clear. That's one thing about him. He is using the American people as pawns, threatening pain on the country as blackmail. Well, that's not going to work. The American people, it's so easy to see through those tactics. They know this is the Trump shutdown. They know Republicans control the presidency, the Senate, and the House. And what is done during a shutdown will fall squarely on the Republicans back. Donald Trump even says it. He says he is going to close down all these things people want.

Donald Trump is the most immature president we've ever had. Donald Trump, instead of acting like an adult, now Chuck Schumer is trying to Jedi mind trick the American people into believing somehow right now that this shutdown is the fault of Donald Trump. I think everyone knows very clearly that is a lie. And if that's not working, let me just go back and remind you what Chuck Schumer used to say about government shutdowns and what Nancy Pelosi used to say about government shutdowns. December 11, 2018 in the Oval Office with President Trump as Trump hosted a last ditch talk to avoid a government shutdown when Democrats were in charge of in Congress. And here is what he had to say about shutdown shutdowns back then.

We do not want to shut down the government because you can't get your way. Let me say something, Mr. President, North Dakota, most unfortunate thing, we came in here in good faith and, and, and we entering into a, this kind of a discussion in the public.

But it's not bad, Nancy.

No, no. It's called transparency. I know it's not transparency when we're not stipulating to a set of facts.

I love it when we're not stipulating to a set of facts. We are not here, we are not here to shut down the government. Well, now Democrats are under fire for these clips showing them slamming government shutdown tactics, the same ones that they're literally using as we speak right now. My good friend Scott Jennings saying this to Democrats on CNN about the government shutdown as well.

[Scott Jennings]

Well, hopefully the Democrats come to their senses here and we'll go to the floor of the respective chambers and pass a clean continuing resolution. The Republicans put that on the floor. No tricks, no funny business, nothing up our sleeves. Just, hey, let's keep the government open for another several weeks while we work this through in a normal process. Democrats voted against that. And so I'm hoping they come out of this meeting thinking that that's a better option than simply shutting down the government. It's just not realistic, the demands they're making now. Donald Trump may get in the room and wheel and deal. He is a deal make. So like Speaker Johnson, I wouldn't want to predict what the president's willing to do on the fly. But I do think it's pretty reprehensible that the Democrats have taken us to the brink of a shutdown with a list of demands that frankly are just not even within the realm of the realistic right now.

[Ben Ferguson]

Not even in the realm of realistic right now. Democrats are lying about shutting down the government. Everyone knows it's a Schumer shutdown. It's not just realistic the demands that they're making. Right. It's insane. And the American people voted on this. The American people voted and said we do not want to fund health care for 1.2 million illegal aliens. The American people did not vote for 1 trillion plus of extra spinning that would bring back NPR and PBS and money for transgendered surgeries. The American people are done with funding. This woke BS with our tax hours that we've been funding for years. Elections have consequences. We all know it. Elections have real consequences and we are witnessing right now what happens when there are real consequences. Democrats are out there and who are they supporting? A communist Mandani, by the way, publicly today refused to apologize for calling the NYPD racists and saying we should abolish them and defund them. He was on the View. So if you want to know who the Democrats are right now, this is one of their leaders of their party.

[Scott Jennings]

Have you formally apologized to the nypd? These are conversations that I'm having individually with officers and I've appreciated that because it's through those conversations with rank and file officers that I've learned more about the difficulties of this job.

[Ben Ferguson]

Have you formally apologized to the nypd? Yeah. No. The answer is no, he is not. Why? Because this is who they are. And while all this is happening, there was some breaking news the media doesn't want to tell you this. The s and P hit 6700 for the first time ever. A new all time closing high for the Dow. You think if a Democrat was in office, would they be just going berserk on the nightly news tonight? Yeah. Did they know? Because the state sponsored media at abc, NBC, CBS are scumbags. So here's a little bit at least from CNBC about the actual news that everyone should be talking about. Stocks shaking off the shutdown, charging higher. The S&P 500 hitting 6700 for the 5 first time ever. A new all time closing high for the Dow as well.

[Scott Jennings]

Fractionally the nasdaq, the best performer today.

[Ben Ferguson]

But closing just short of a record. Health care once again the best performing sector.

[Scott Jennings]

That's thanks to drug stocks, Utilities also a gainer.

[Ben Ferguson]

There you go. 21 seconds of just pure raw reporting. Oh, but no, no, no. We can't cover that. No. What do we have to do? We got to talk about the Democrats and are they willing to care about your feelings? No. Do they care about all the Americans who aren't going to get paychecks in our government, including our military no Democrats cashing in their checks. We know that. Why? Because they were asked about it.

So there's been several members of Congress.

If they shut down exempt.

Do you advise Democratic members now or.

Is it up to them?

Yeah, that's a question that every individual member is going to have to make on their own, as has always been the case in the past. First of all, that question is not even a ripe one because we're anticipating that this shutdown issue will be resolved.

You guys started it. The question is when are you going to resolve it? The Democrat Schumer shutdown will cost Americans, it's now estimated by the CBO, 400 million a day. 400 million a day. This is their doing. They chose to do this. They said this is what we want to do. So it's 400 million a day for these antics that we're witnessing right now. And the Democrats care more about illegal aliens and American citizens. And that's why the Democrats shut down the government. The Democrat continuing resolution, now that we're seeing the real dollars and cents, are you ready for this? The Democrats continuing resolution spends nearly 200 billion on health care subsidies for illegal immigrants and other non citizens. I'm going to go to this to this to the Democrats, CR what they demanded. Ending Medicaid funding for noncitizens. Cost of repeal 6.2 million. 28 million for ending enhanced FMAP for emergency care for illegal immigrants. 34 million. Closing the California loophole. Ending Medicare funding for non citizens, another 5 million. Ending Obamacare funding for non citizens, another 91 million. Repealing the Obamacare special rule for illegal immigrants. 27 million total there 192 million. I'm sorry, I got that wrong billion. The total if you add that all up. So you've got 200 billion on health care subsidies for illegal immigrants. That is what they shut down the government over. And Democrats shutting down the government because President Trump and Republicans are not forcing American taxpayers to pay for free health care for illegal immigrants. That is what the president ran on. That is what he said he was going to do. That is what he believes.

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.

This is an iHeart podcast.