The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Obama Admin CAUGHT Deliberately Pushing Fake Russia Attack, CA Fights TX on Redistricting plus Google Suppresses GOP & Sandwich-gate!
Date: August 15, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Co-host: Senator Ted Cruz

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on new revelations about the Obama administration allegedly orchestrating a rushed and manufactured intelligence assessment to damage Donald Trump, ongoing partisan battles over redistricting in California and Texas, recent evidence of Google’s anti-GOP bias, and a viral “Sandwich-gate” incident involving a DOJ employee. Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz break down the political implications and provide commentary on these issues, delivering a mix of outrage, analysis, and humor in a tone sharply critical of Democrats and the so-called deep state.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Obama Admin's Alleged "Manufactured" Russia Assessment

(03:16–19:35)

• Bombshell Email Released:
  Ben and Ted dissect declassified emails released by DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard, which suggest Obama administration intelligence officials, led by James Clapper, intentionally rushed a joint intelligence report about Russia’s actions in the 2016 election.

  • Tulsi Gabbard's summary:

    “The decision to compromise standards and violate protocols in the creation of the 2017 manufactured intelligence assessment was deliberate and came from the very top.”
    —[08:12] Ben Ferguson (quoting Tulsi Gabbard)

• NSA Director’s Concerns:

  • Mike Rogers, then NSA Director, wrote to Clapper, Brennan, and Comey on Dec 22, 2016, raising concerns that the process was rushed and that staff did not have adequate access or time to ensure reliable analysis.
  • Rogers warned of needing to be “100% comfortable” before presenting to the President.

• Clapper’s Reply:

  • James Clapper responded saying, “We must all be on the same page because as he puts it, that's our story and we're sticking to it... more time is not negotiable... we may have to compromise on our, quote, normal modalities since we must do this on such a compressed schedule.”
    —[12:23–14:14] Ben Ferguson, Ted Cruz

• Analysis on Motives:

  • Cruz and Ferguson argue the urgency was driven by politics, not national security. The outgoing administration wanted to release the report before Trump took office, suggesting a partisan aim to damage Trump.

  • Ted Cruz:

    “There wasn’t an intelligence mandate. There wasn’t an intelligence reason why they had to have this put out within days. There was a political reason.”
    —[14:14]

  • Ben Ferguson:

    “If you are a hardcore partisan leftist... then you have a very clear time clock, which is January 20th, because once January 20th comes, you’re out of a job.”
    —[16:27]

• Prior Assessments Contradict Final Report:

  • The hosts highlight prior intelligence assessments (from early December 2016) stating Russia likely did not influence the election via cyber attacks; the abrupt reversal, they say, supports claims of a “manufactured” assessment.

2. California vs. Texas Redistricting Showdown

(25:21–35:37)

• Gavin Newsom’s Threat:

  • In response to Texas potentially increasing GOP House seats through redistricting, CA Governor Gavin Newsom vows to redraw California’s already heavily Democratic maps to squeeze out the remaining Republicans.

  • Ferguson quips:

    “If any of you, God forbid, find yourself in the vicinity of Gavin Newsom, under no circumstances should you place your body between Governor Newsom and a TV camera. He will run you over.”
    —[26:57]

• Pointing Out Gerrymandering Reality:

  • Cruz details how blue states like CA, NY, IL, and MA already massively over-represent Democrats through gerrymandered maps:
    • CA: 58% Dem voters, 83% Dem House members
    • MA: 36% of the state votes GOP, “zero” Republicans in Congress
    • TX by comparison: 56% GOP voters, 63% GOP House seats (nearly proportional)

• Political Calculus:

  • Cruz notes that Democrats, having maximized their advantage, can’t gerrymander much further, but GOP states still have room to maneuver if the “arms race” continues.

  • Ted Cruz:

    “If this becomes an escalation, the Democrats lose. Because the Democrats have already gerrymandered the hell out of their states... Massachusetts is already 100% Democrat. They have gerrymandered to the maximum extent possible.”
    —[33:09]

• Newsom’s Political Play:

  • The hosts argue Newsom is playing to national Democrats, not sincerely trying to win structural change in CA, since most voters prefer independent redistricting panels.

3. Google’s Alleged Suppression of GOP Messaging

(35:37–39:08)

• New Evidence of Tech Bias:

  • Reports reveal Google flags Republican fundraising emails as dangerous spam but lets similar Democrat emails through.

• Big Tech Bias as Democracy Threat:

  • Cruz:

    “Big tech censorship and bias poses the single greatest threat we have to free speech in America and the single greatest threat we have to free and fair elections in America.”
    —[36:16]

  • Ferguson (on Google’s political donations):

    “The number one source, not number two, not number three, number one source for campaign contributions, hard money contributions to Hillary Clinton was Google. Actually, technically was Alphabet... but that’s Google.”
    —[37:11]

  • Cruz cites Dr. Robert Epstein’s research showing millions of votes could have shifted via Google’s manipulated search results; Epstein is a Democrat but has testified to the bias’s severity.

• Historical Pattern:

  • The problem is flagged as persistent, not isolated or accidental.

4. “Sandwich-gate” and Law Enforcement in D.C.

(39:08–44:03)

• The Incident:

  • A Department of Justice employee, described as a “leftist,” threw a Subway sandwich at a federal law enforcement officer during a protest, was arrested, and fired.

• Cultural Commentary:

  • The hosts use the incident to riff on the “rage” of the left, the Trump administration’s law-and-order stance, and the perceived contrast with previous Democratic administrations.

  • Ferguson:

    “And this left, they are so radicalized... their worldview is so full of rage and anger that when they see a federal law enforcement officer, there to stop murderers, there to stop crime, this DOJ employee entered into Sandwich Gate.”
    —[41:00]

  • On accountability:

    “Well, under Donald Trump, he's being prosecuted. He's being prosecuted for a felony. It is assault to throw anything at someone. You don't have the right to throw something.”
    —[40:43]

• Memorable Moment:

  • Ferguson on the video:

    “He’s jumping up and down, he’s behaving like a five year old and he’s screaming and screaming... and he just throws as hard as he can the Subway sandwich into the chest of the federal law enforcement officer. And then suddenly he realizes, oh, maybe that was a mistake, and he turns around and runs away.”
    —[41:22]

  • Jeanine Pirro’s joke (quoted by Ferguson):

    “Well, he may have to stick that sandwich somewhere else instead... stick it somewhere the sun don’t shine.”
    —[42:33]

Notable Quotes

On the Obama Admin Russia Narrative:

“We must all be on the same page because as he puts it, that's our story and we're sticking to it... more time is not negotiable... we may have to compromise on our, quote, normal modalities since we must do this on such a compressed schedule.”
—Ben Ferguson, reciting James Clapper’s email [12:23–14:14]

On California Redistricting Threats:

“There are nine congressional seats in Massachusetts. All nine are Democrat, none are Republican. That's a Democrat gerrymander... Texas by comparison... it is much more mild. 63% in Texas, 83% in California. So it is a massive gerrymander in California.”
—Ben Ferguson [29:42]

On Google’s Political Influence:

“The number one source... for campaign contributions, hard money contributions to Hillary Clinton was Google. Actually, technically was Alphabet... but that's Google. They were her number one donor.”
—Ben Ferguson [37:11]

On Sandwich-gate:

“This DOJ employee entered into Sandwich Gate. And I will say I did laugh out loud at Jeanine Pirro when she put out a video saying, well, he may have to stick that sandwich somewhere else instead.”
—Ben Ferguson [42:33]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Obama Admin’s Russia assessment scandal: 03:16–19:35
• California v. Texas redistricting battle: 25:21–35:37
• Google email/spam scandal & tech bias: 35:37–39:08
• Sandwich-gate DOJ employee incident: 39:08–44:03

Conclusion

This episode offers a hard-hitting, Republican-aligned critique of recent political news, with Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz focusing on alleged partisan misconduct by the Obama administration and current Democrats, warnings about Big Tech’s impact on democracy, and colorful cultural commentary on recent viral political news. The tone is urgent, combative, and often humorous, aiming to energize conservative listeners and spotlight stories underplayed by mainstream media.