Dems Panic as Trump Downsizes Government & Shuts Down Border

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson: Episode Summary

Episode Title: Dems Panic as Trump Downsizes Government & Shuts Down Border
Release Date: February 17, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Publisher: Premiere Networks

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Introduction

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, host Ben Ferguson delves into three pivotal developments under the Trump administration: the mass downsizing of federal government agencies, significant strides in border security, and diplomatic endeavors to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Through unfiltered insights, Ferguson provides a comprehensive analysis of these topics, enriched with direct quotes and detailed statistics from the latest transcript.

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I. Mass Layoffs and Government Downsizing

Overview: President Donald Trump has initiated widespread layoffs across multiple federal agencies, aiming to streamline government operations, enhance efficiency, and reduce taxpayer spending. This move targets probationary employees and recent hires from the last one to two years, reflecting the administration's commitment to cutting what it deems a "bloated" government workforce.

Affected Agencies:

• Department of Education
• Consumer Finance Protection Bureau
• Office of Personnel Management
• Environmental Protection Agency
• General Services Administration
• Small Business Administration

Impact and Rationale: The Trump administration asserts that these layoffs will lead to substantial cost savings and foster a performance-driven federal workforce. Employees offered deferred resignations receive eight months of pay and benefits, facilitating their transition while ensuring that only the most competent individuals remain.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump [00:00]: "If people aren't coming to work, if they're not going to come into the office and report, then they're going to be terminated."
• Reporter [00:06]: "You're not concerned, though, that if many people take that offer, there could be shortages that..."
• Donald Trump [00:08]: "They'll be replaced with very competent people. We have a lot of competent people in this country."

Ferguson's Analysis: Ben Ferguson emphasizes the media's tendency to politicize tragedies, such as the plane crash at Reagan National Airport, to criticize Trump's policies. He highlights Trump's strategy to eliminate government waste by cutting foreign aid allocations, thereby saving American taxpayers money.

Key Save Points: Ferguson lists significant cuts to foreign projects, including:

• $10 million for Mozambique (medical circumcision)
• $9.7 million for US Berkeley (Cambodian youth skills)
• $486 million for the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening
• $47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia
• Totaling various cuts aimed at reducing unnecessary expenditures both domestically and internationally.

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II. Border Security Achievements

Overview: Under Trump's administration, the U.S. has witnessed a dramatic reduction in illegal border crossings, achieving the lowest monthly figures in over 25 years. This success is attributed to stringent enforcement policies and the administration's unwavering commitment to securing the border.

Statistics:

• February Average: 359 illegal migrants per day (down >90% from February of the previous year)
• Potential Low: Levels not seen since 1968

Notable Quotes:

• Tom Homan [07:28]: "Border numbers are down over 90% in three weeks... President Trump's executive orders. That was a game changer."
• Ben Ferguson [02:15]: "If people aren't coming work, if they're not going to come into the office and report... then they're going to be terminated."

Reactions: Democrats have strongly opposed these measures, accusing the administration of endangering lives. Ferguson references specific cases where sanctuary cities failed to detain dangerous criminals, leading to public safety concerns.

Case Highlights:

• Massachusetts: Guatemalan illegal alien charged with aggravated child rape released due to sanctuary policies.
• Colorado & Los Angeles: Arrests of illegal immigrants involved in severe crimes, including sexual assault and fentanyl trafficking.
• Dana Perino [08:43]: Highlights the repercussions of sanctuary policies allowing dangerous individuals to remain free.

Ferguson's Commentary: Ferguson underscores the administration's dedication to protecting American citizens by prioritizing law enforcement over political correctness. He criticizes liberal states for compromising public safety through their sanctuary policies.

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III. Diplomatic Efforts to End the Russia-Ukraine War

Overview: President Trump is making significant strides toward ending the protracted conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Reports suggest a potential face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling a possible thaw in relations and a bid to conclude the war.

Notable Developments:

• Potential Meeting: Trump may meet Putin soon to negotiate an end to the war.
• Trump's Statements [10:53]: Believes Putin genuinely wants to stop the conflict and is open to ending it rapidly.
• Marco Rubio's Role: Rubio is leading high-level American delegation discussions in Saudi Arabia aimed at diplomatic resolutions.

Notable Quotes:

• President Trump [12:15]: "I think he wants to end it and they want to end it fast, both of them."
• Ukrainian President Zelensky: Expressed concerns that Russia might wage war against NATO if U.S. support diminishes.
• Ferguson [13:18]: Highlights Trump's confidence in ending the conflict swiftly if reelected, contrasting with ongoing support from war hawks and Democrats.

Ferguson's Analysis: Ferguson emphasizes Trump's determination to resolve the Ukraine conflict efficiently, positioning it as a fiscally responsible decision to halt costly military engagements. He critiques Democratic reluctance to withdraw support, framing Trump's approach as pragmatic and beneficial for American interests.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Ben Ferguson presents a robust defense of President Trump's policies, highlighting significant strides in government efficiency, border security, and international diplomacy. Through detailed analysis and critical insights, Ferguson paints a picture of an administration focused on reducing waste, enhancing national security, and pursuing pragmatic solutions to global conflicts—all aimed at benefiting American taxpayers and safeguarding the nation's interests.

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Transcript

[Donald Trump]

If people aren't coming to work, if they're not going to come into the office and report, then they're going to be terminated.

[Reporter]

You're not concerned, though, that if there.

[Donald Trump]

Could be shortages that will be replaced with very competent people? We have a lot of competent people in this country.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

Good Monday morning. It's Ben Ferguson. Nice to have you with us. And here are the big stories we're covering Today on the 47 Morning Update. First up, congratulations. Your government's getting smaller as the Trump administration has begun mass layoffs across multiple, multiple federal agencies. How much money is it going to save you as a taxpayer? I'll have some of those figures for you coming up. Also, Donald Trump paying off on a massive promise from the campaign, putting the US on track to have the lowest monthly border crossings in more than a quarter of a century. And finally, Donald Trump moves even closer to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. And there's a very good chance he'll be meeting face to face with Vladimir Putin in the coming days. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. Congratulations. Your government just got smaller. The Trump administration has begun mass layoffs of federal workers and the left is losing their mind because of a payoff. Donald Trump said that our government was way too bloated, and he's now proving his point. The administration beginning the mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies, a move that is expected to affect thousands and thousands of employees across the federal government. Now, the firings initially affected probationary employees, recent hires who joined the federal workforce within the last one to two years, depending on the agency, which has fewer protections for those workers. Now, among the agencies experiencing layoffs are the Department of Education, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, the Office of Personnel Management, the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration and the Small Business Administration. This is just the beginning. Now, of course, the left is freaking out, saying that people are going to die if Donald Trump continues this way of doing business. They're now using the tragedy of the plane crash at Reagan National Airport as their springboard to fear monger Americans into believing that Donald Trump should fire no one. Take a listen to this from the Oval Office.

[Reporter]

You've offered over 2 million federal workers the option to resign immediately. There are 50,000 FAA employees. Does this tragedy give you reason to reconsider that option of resignations because of concerns about staffing issues?

[Donald Trump]

If people aren't coming work, if they're not going to come into the office and report as per the date that you know what it is, everybody knows what the date is. It's been very well documented. Then they're going to be terminated.

[Reporter]

You're not going to be, you're not concerned though that if many people take that offer, there could be shortages that.

[Donald Trump]

Could lead to they'll be replaced with very competent people. We have a lot of competent people in this country.

[Ben Ferguson]

There's one thing you can bet on it is that the media is never going to let a tragedy go to waste, including a plane crash, where they're going to then try to politicize it to attack President Trump. I love the way that he handled this, saying if people aren't going to come to work, then they're going to be terminated and they'll be replaced with competent people. Now, why is the president doing this right now? Well, the Trump administration's initiative is clear. They say it's to reduce the federal workforce through mass layoffs and restructuring aimed to enhance government efficiency and reduce spending significantly. They say by streamlining operations and focusing on essential positions, the administration anticipates significant cost savings for taxpayers. Now, the deferred resignation program offers employees eight months of pay and benefits upon resignation, providing financial support during their transition. This approach is expected to foster a more performance driven workforce, something the government knows nothing about, as well as a culture aligning with the administration's goals of modernizing our federal operations. At the end of the day, this is also about saving taxpayers and a significant amount of cash. Now, Doge also came out this last week giving an update on just how much money they are saving Americans. Here is a list that Donald Trump tweeted out telling you where your money was going to be spent, but they stopped it before it could happen. $10 million for Mozambique, voluntary medical male circumcision. 9.7 million for the US Berkeley to develop a cohort of Cambodian youth within enterprise driven skills. 2.3 million for strengthening independent voices in Cambod. 32 million for the Prague Civil Society Center. 40 million for gender equality and women empowerment hub. 14 million for improving public procurement in Serbia. How about 486 million to the consortium for Elections and Political process strengthening, including 22 million for quote, inclusive and participationary political process in Moldova and 21 million for voter turnout in India. Yeah, none of that in America. 29 million for strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh. 20 million for fiscal federalism in Nepal. 19 million for biodiversity conservation in Nepal. 1.5 million for voter confidence in Liberia, 14 million for social cohesion and Mali. 2.5 million for inclusive democracies in South Africa, 47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia, and 2 million to develop sustainable recycling models to increase socioeconomic cohesion among marginalized communities in Kosovo, Roma, and Egypt. These are just some of the things that Doge uncovered in the last five days that have all been cut by Donald Trump and the federal government. So not only are we getting rid of employees, we're also getting rid of government waste.

Now, story number two, when it comes.

To border security, it's very clear right now there are two Americas. The border is being secured before our very eyes. And Democratic jurisdictions are now turning a blind eye to illegal aliens and their activity. The good news is the Trump administration is still willing to go and get the illegal immigrants, even in sanctuary cities. And they're even willing to use the law to go after those that are protecting illegal immigrants. We also now have a major update about just how tight the border has become in less than a month since Trump got into the Oval Office. Illegal border crossings have already hit a record low after Trump's swift crackdown and could be on track for levels not seen in 60 years. So far, in February, about 359 illegal migrants per day have been caught across the entire southern border. That is down more than 90% from February of last year with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had their open border policy on full display. That puts the US on track to have the lowest monthly border crossings in at least a quarter of a century. If the trend continues, the number of illegal migrants coming into the US could hit a level not seen since 1968, nearly 60 years ago. What's even more interesting than that is how Democrats are doing everything in their power to attack Donald Trump and the border czar, Tom Homan. Tom went on Fox and Friends and had this to say about the president's leadership and what it means for the people in America.

[Tom Homan]

President's doing a great job. I want to say this. Look, I work for six presidents. I think President Trump's the greatest president of my lifetime. He proves it every day. Every day, he proves to me why he is the greatest president of my lifetime. Border numbers are down over 90% in three weeks.

[Donald Trump]

Think about that.

[Tom Homan]

You know, I worked hard at it. You know, Kristi Noemi's working hard at it. You know, the border chief of Charlie's working harder. But it was President Trump's executive orders. That was a game changer, right? And we already got over six, almost 16,000 people. We rest in the interior. That's three times more than Joe Biden had a year from now. But it's not enough. We got to do more. But President Trump's leadership, when you, when you get 90% less people coming across the border, how many women aren't being raped by the cartels? How many children are drowning? How many, how many women, children are being sex trapped in this country? President Trump's a game changer. And every day, I'll say, I'll say it 100 times, every day, he proves to me why he's the greatest president.

[Ben Ferguson]

My lifetime, why he's the greatest president of my lifetime. Border numbers are down over 90% in three weeks. It is incredible when you hear these numbers come from the border czar. Now, to be clear, Democrats are not going down without a fight. They're doing everything they can to undermine a secure border, and they're doing everything they can to protect illegal immigrants. Bill Malusian at Fox said this about what some Democrats are doing.

[Dana Perino]

Well, Dana, it's hard to believe there are any jurisdictions out there that wouldn't cooperate with ICE when it comes to illegal aliens charged with forcibly raping children. But in Massachusetts, it's just routine. Take a look at this case. ICE Boston just announcing they arrested this Guatemalan illegal alien charged in Massachusetts with three counts of aggravated child rape and three counts of forcible rape of a child. So the question is, why was he on the streets? Right. Well, ICE says their detainer request on him was ignored by the Essex County Superior Court due to sanctuary policy. The locals released him into the community on bail without any notice to ice. In a statement, the director of ICE Boston says in part, quote, jose Fernando Perez has been charged with some horrific crimes against a minor in our Commonwealth. He is exactly the type of alien we are targeting with our worst first policy. He posed a significant danger to the children of Massachusetts, and we will not tolerate such a threat to our community. IceBoston also announcing the arrest of this Turkish illegal alien charged in Massachusetts with assault and battery against an intellectually disabled person and witness intimidation. But ICE says their detainer on him was also ignored by the sanctuary city of Somerville. He had also been released into the public. Elsewhere around the US iceattle arrested this Salvadoran illegal alien wanted in his home country for aggravated homicide. Here in Los Angeles, ICE arrested this Guatemalan illegal alien charged with sexual assault and rape with a gun. And In Colorado, the DEA announced their top 10 arrests of illegal immigrants in recent days, including several affiliated with Trend Aragua and others with egregious crimes like kidnapping child sexual assault and fentanyl trafficking. And Dana, I was talking to a law enforcement source in Massachusetts about the child rape case that I referenced and I asked like, there's got to be some sort of a catch here, right? Forget about cooperating with ice. How does somebody charge with so many counts of aggravated forcible child rape even get released on bail in the first place? The response I got was, quote, welcome to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

[Ben Ferguson]

It is very clear that these liberal states are willing to put their own citizens and children at risk just to say no to a secure border because it's what Donald Trump and the American people want.

And lastly, story number three.

President Trump made it very clear when he was running for president that if he was elected, he was going to end the senseless war between Russia and Ukraine. Not only is it counting countless innocent people's lives, but it's also costing America billions and billions of dollars. There's many Republican war hawks and Democrats are obsessed with funding this war and with making sure there's no end in sight. Donald Trump has other plans, promising that he would end it. And now we have learned as of Sunday that he could meet, quote, very soon with Vladimir Putin face to face, adding he believes his Russian counterpart genuinely wants to stop fighting in Ukraine. Quote, no time set, but it could be very soon, Trump told reporters, hours after the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio sought to play down expectations of upcoming high level talks and ending the war altogether. Now, with Rubio set to lead this high level American delegation and the discussions with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia's capital in the coming days, a flurry of diplomacy was taking place as the brutal Ukraine war nears its third anniversary. Trump, addressing reporters after a flight on Air Force One, said his team has been speaking long and hard with Russian officials, including his Middle east envoy, whom the president said met with Putin for about three hours recently saying this. I think he wants to stop fighting, trump said of Putin. Ask whether he believes Putin wants to seize the entirety of Ukraine, Trump said. That was my question to him. If he's going to go on, that would have caused me a big problem, trump added. I think he wants to end it and they want to end it fast, both of them, he said, adding Zelinsky wants to end it too. The Ukrainian president Zelensky, meanwhile, said Sunday he believes Russia is preparing to, quote, wage war against a weakened NATO should Trump dilute U.S. support for the alliance. Trump appeared to dismiss Zelensky's remarks, telling reporters that he was not even a little bit concerned about the Ukrainian leader's messaging. President Trump has been very clear and he has constantly insisted that he would end the Ukrainian conflict in a single day if he returned to the White House, Rubio stressing, yes, he believes this could come to an end. At the end of the day, it's all about the money. And Donald Trump is clearly telegraphing to Zelensky in Ukraine that the money and the arms are going to be drying up very soon. So you better get your act together.

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.