RFK Jr. Shakes Up Vaccine Policy plus Trump’s Approval Climbs as he goes after Biden’s Presidential Coverup

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: RFK Jr. Shakes Up Vaccine Policy plus Trump’s Approval Climbs as he goes after Biden’s Presidential Coverup
Release Date: May 28, 2025

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Introduction

In this edition of The 47 Morning Update, host Ben Ferguson dives into three pivotal stories shaping the political landscape: the recent adjustments in COVID-19 vaccine recommendations led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the rising approval ratings of former President Donald Trump amidst his critiques of the Biden administration, and the Trump administration's aggressive stance against Harvard University. Ferguson provides insightful analysis, expert opinions, and direct quotes to offer listeners a comprehensive understanding of these developments.

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1. RFK Jr. and the Removal of COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations

Timestamp: [00:36] - [07:05]

Ben Ferguson begins by discussing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s significant decision to remove routine COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women from the CDC's immunization schedule. This move aligns the U.S. with several other nations prioritizing high-risk groups and emphasizes data-driven public health strategies.

Key Points:

• Policy Change Details: RFK Jr. clarified that the alteration does not ban COVID-19 vaccines or boosters but removes them from recommendations for specific healthy populations.
• Government Rationale: The administration cites a lack of clinical data supporting the need for repeat boosters in children and aims to optimize resources by focusing on vulnerable groups.
• Public Autonomy: The decision empowers individuals and families to make informed health choices regarding COVID-19 vaccinations.

Notable Quotes:

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. [04:31]:
  “I'm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Your HHS Secretary and I'm here today with NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. I couldn't be more pleased to announce that as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule.”

• Unnamed Reporter [05:12]:
  “There's no evidence healthy kids need it today and most countries have stopped recommending.”

Analysis: Ferguson emphasizes that this policy shift is a fulfillment of Donald Trump’s promise to "make America healthy again," countering media narratives that portray the move as anti-vaccine. He highlights the administration's focus on evidence-based decisions and resource optimization, suggesting a strategic realignment of public health efforts.

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2. Trump’s Approval Ratings Surge Amidst Criticism of Biden’s Administration

Timestamp: [07:05] - [14:50]

The discussion shifts to the impressive rise in Donald Trump’s approval ratings, which have reached a two-month high. Despite relentless negative coverage from mainstream media, Trump's approval remains robust, bolstered by economic stabilization and his assertive posture against the previous administration’s alleged mismanagement.

Key Points:

• Approval Metrics: Recent polls by YouGov and Rasmussen report Trump’s approval at 44% and approximately 50-51%, respectively.
• Economic Factors: Stabilization of the economy and the rollback of unpopular tariffs contribute to increasing public support.
• Critique of Biden Administration: Trump accuses the Biden administration of ineffective governance, highlighting issues like border control, economic decline, and corruption within the White House.

Notable Quotes:

• Unnamed White House Press Secretary [08:48]:
  “Well, that Rasmussen poll you refer to, the percentage of Americans who say the country is on the right track is the highest number that they have surveyed in their 29-year polling history, which I found significant.”

• Unnamed Political Analyst [09:23]:
  “We had a wide open border invasion that this administration is cleaning up every day despite challenging challenges from the courts. We had an economy that was left in the dust.”

• Kamala Harris [13:27]:
  “...remember the 1930s. It is important that we remember that history has taught us that isolation does not equal insulation...”

Analysis: Ferguson critiques the Biden administration by referencing emerging narratives and publications, such as Jake Tapper’s Original Sin, which alleges that Biden’s cognitive abilities were overshadowed by his aides. He connects these claims to Trump’s strategy of seeking transparency and accountability, portraying Biden’s team as manipulative and the administration as a "radical left" cover-up.

Additional Insights:

• Book References: Original Sin by Jake Tapper alleges Biden's cognitive decline was concealed, suggesting his aides were the true decision-makers.
• Legal and Ethical Concerns: Discussions around potential investigations into Biden’s administration actions, including pardons and policy decisions influenced by financial incentives.

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3. Trump Administration’s Moves Against Harvard University

Timestamp: [14:50] - [18:50]

Ferguson outlines the Trump administration's intensified efforts to defund Harvard University, aligning federal funding strategies with national policy objectives and questioning the institution's campus climate and policies.

Key Points:

• Funding Cuts: Federal contracts with Harvard are being canceled or redirected, amounting to approximately $100 million. Additionally, over $2.6 billion in federal research grants have been frozen.
• Administration's Justification: The move aims to promote accountability, adherence to national standards, and the reallocation of funds to institutions that better align with the administration’s educational policies.
• Impact on Education: Redirected funds are intended to support vocational and technological training programs, fostering diverse educational opportunities outside the traditional university pathway.
• Harvard's Response: Harvard’s president attributes the funding cuts to a cultural battle and criticizes the administration’s motives, highlighting concerns over campus dynamics and institutional representation.

Notable Quotes:

• Harvard President [18:08]:
  “I don't know fully what the motivations are, but I do know that there are people who are fighting a cultural battle. I don't know if that is what is driving the administration. They don't like what's happened to campuses and sometimes they don't like what we represent.”

Additional Developments:

• State Department Actions: The administration is pausing new student visa interviews and developing new guidelines for social media screenings of foreign students, aligning with efforts to ensure that international students support American values.
• Legal Challenges: Harvard and other affected institutions are mounting legal challenges against the funding cuts, arguing against the administration's rationale and defending their academic policies.

Analysis: Ferguson frames the administration’s defunding of Harvard as a strategic move to prioritize educational institutions that foster pro-American values and discourage environments perceived as anti-American or hostile. He underscores the polarization between elite universities and federal policies, suggesting this is part of a broader cultural and ideological battle.

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Conclusion

Ben Ferguson's The 47 Morning Update delivers a potent mix of policy analysis, political critique, and current events commentary. By dissecting the removal of COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, highlighting Trump's surging approval amidst attacks on the Biden administration, and detailing aggressive federal actions against Harvard University, Ferguson offers listeners a narrative of a nation grappling with public health decisions, political rivalries, and cultural conflicts. The episode underscores themes of accountability, resource optimization, and the ongoing struggle for ideological dominance in American politics.

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Note: This summary focuses exclusively on the content-rich segments of the podcast, omitting promotional messages and introductory remarks to provide a clear and concise overview for those who have not listened to the episode.

Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Donald Trump]

Over the past 250 years. We're going to have a big, big celebration. As you know, 250 years. In some ways I'm glad I missed that second term where it was because I wouldn't be your president for that. Most important of all, in addition, we have the World cup and we have the Olympics. Can you imagine I missed that four years and now look what I have. I have everything. Amazing the way things work out.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

Good Wednesday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And here are the three big stories that you need to know about to start your day. First up, the feds have pulled the COVID vaccine from recommendations for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. Don't worry. The media freaking out over this decision and the left saying everyone is anti vax around Donald Trump. We'll give you the actual details of what was said by RFK Jr and others. And you'll be surprised to learn that yet again the media is lying to you. Up next, poll numbers looking great for Donald Trump as he's maintaining a two month high. This is the president also goes on offense and says, remember some of the stuff that they kind of just made go away in the last administration, like who was actually running the country or what was going on with the cocaine at the White House?

What?

Well, the president says it's time to look at all of that again. I'll have those details that will make you smile in just a second. And finally, President Trump yet again proving he wasn't joking when he said he was going to be looking at where your tax dollars are going this time. He says it's time to cut off the funding to Harvard and Harvard is now fighting back. We'll have that and how much money it could save you in just a second. But first, before we get to those stories, I want to tell you about the International Fellowship of Christians and Jew. And we are seeing something truly disturbing. Antisemitism is on the rise not only around the world, but sadly right here in America. Jewish schools are being targeted, synagogues are being threatened, and families living in fear is a real thing in the Jewish community. It's something we hoped we'd never see again in our lifetime. But unfortunately, it's what's happening right now. And that's why it's not an option to be silent. It's a time for us to take a stand. And that's why I want you to stand with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. They're on the front lines providing real help where it's needed the most. They're literally giving food and shelter to Jewish families under threat. They're building bomb shelters for children and helping survivors of hate rebuild their lives. And they don't just respond to crisis, they work every day to prevent it from happening. And that is where your simple gift of only $45 will help support life saving work by helping provide food, shelter and so much more. The Bible is pretty clear. It says I will bless those who bless you. And supporting the IFCJ is a spiritual stand and it's showing up for God's people when it counts. So if you're ready to stand with the people of Israel, call the IFCJ right now, 888-488 IFCJ. That's 888-488-4325 or give securely online at ifcj.org every dollar helps. Don't wait be the difference. Ifcj.org or 888-488 ifcj it's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now.

Story number one, if you want to.

Know how easy it is to get the radical F to lose their minds, all you got to do. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Did yesterday, announcing the removal of routine COVID 19 vaccination recommendations for number one, healthy children and number two, pregnant women from the CDC's immunization schedule. Now, to be clear, he didn't ban the COVID vaccine or booster. He didn't ban any other vaccines either. But the left is saying that is exactly what he decided to do. Take a listen to RFK Jr. In his own words.

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]

Hi everybody. I'm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Your HHS Secretary and I'm here today with NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. I couldn't be more pleased to announce that as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule. Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another Covid shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children.

[Ben Ferguson]

That ends today. It's common sense and it's good science.

[Unnamed Reporter]

There's no evidence healthy kids need it today and most countries have stopped recommending.

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]

It for children or now one step closer to realizing President Trump's promise to make America healthy again.

[Ben Ferguson]

Make America healthy again. That was the promise of Donald Trump. Now let's be clear also about the facts in this announcement. The US is now joining several other nations in tailoring COVID 19 vaccination strategies to prioritize high risk groups, potentially streamlining public health efforts. There's also an emphasis on data driven decisions. The FDA commissioner there, you heard, highlighted the lack of evidence supporting the need for routine COVID 19 vaccinations in healthy children, suggesting a move towards more evidence based recommendations. And they also talked about resource optimization. By concentrating vaccination resources on populations most at risk, such as older adults and individuals with underlying health conditions, the health care system may enhance its efficiency and effectiveness in combating COVID 19. Also, because of this move and finally increasing public autonomy, the policy change will empower individuals as well as families to make personalized health decisions regarding COVID 19 vaccinations. Moving forward, the administration says this will foster a sense of autonomy and trust in public health directives again after so many Americans lost faith in the system completely, especially with the mandates and the lack of the effectiveness of the COVID 19 vaccine schedule. RFK Jr. Making it clear this is part of Donald Trump's plan to make America healthy again.

Next story number two, Donald Trump's approval.

Rating is now maintaining a two month high. Yes, the media has done everything they can to bring down Donald Trump's approval rating, but it doesn't seem to be working as the American people seem to be listening to the media like it is white noise. And on Tuesday, the economists and YouGov published their determination of President Donald Trump's approval rating, outlining that among U.S. adults between May 23rd and the 26th, February, 44% approved of the job that Donald Trump is doing as president. And then if you look at Newsweek, the results from the publication reflected also a two month high for its polling. Rasmussen also has Trump at 50 to 51% approval rating from the Memorial Day weekend. The approval rating is inching up because the economy has stabilized and Trump has put a pause on his most draconian tariffs which were unpopular. That is what Delar University professor Robert Collins said in a backhanded compliment to Newsweek about Donald Trump, you can't make it up. Even when his approval rating is up, they still gotta figure out a way to bring him down. So what does this mean for the White House moving forward? Well, the White House press secretary went on Sean Hannity's show on Fox News Channel and had this to say about the president's approval rating and what he's going to do when it comes to moving forward, running the country. And also Looking back at things that happened during the Biden administration and asking basic questions like who is actually running the government, because it wasn't Joe Biden.

[Unnamed White House Press Secretary]

Well, that Rasmussen poll you refer to, the percentage of Americans who say the country is on the right track is the highest number that they have surveyed in their 29 year polling history, which I found significant. Let me ask you about the Trump FBI reopening investigations into the Supreme Court abortion decision leak, the Biden White House cocaine scandal that lasted a whopping, what, 10 days, and the January 6th pipe bomber mystery. It seems like the administration is going back and getting to the bottom of some unfinished business.

[Unnamed Political Analyst]

Yes, all of those announcements coming from the FBI, Cash Patel, and of course, our great Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is committed to the truth, Sean, just like President Trump and his entire administration, and committed to an unprecedented level of access and transparency that is led by President Trump at the White House. Every day he takes questions from the press. He talks directly and honestly and candidly about the problems and the challenges he is solving, not just here at home, but also abroad. And he's demanding answers. And one of the things he is going to continue to push for answers on is who the heck was running the country over the past four years. And you just talked about it in your monologue. And I'm glad to hear it, because this is truly the greatest political scandal our country has ever seen. We had unelected radical left White House staffers who nobody knew their names running the most powerful country in the history of the world. And the Democrat Party was in a complete alliance to cover it up. And the mainstream media was right along with them. They were asking Joe Biden what his favorite ice cream was, rather than asking him whether or not he was suited to run the country. And so we need answers on what took place over the past four years, because look at the consequences of having these unelected, radical left wing staffers in the West Wing running the country. We had a wide open border invasion that this administration is cleaning up every day despite challenging challenges from the courts. We had an economy that was left in the dust.

[Ben Ferguson]

You just heard the White House press secretary say Donald Trump is going to push for answers on who is running the country during Biden's presidency. Now, all of this relates back to the numerous books that are now coming out, including the Original Sin, uh, the book by Jake Tapper that alleges that President Biden's cognitive decline was concealed by his inner circle, suggesting that a group of top aides effectively managed the administration's day to day operations. Another way of putting that is they were running the country and they were elected by no one. Tapper even compared this alleged coverup to the Watergate scandal, emphasizing the seriousness of the claims. Now, further reports are also indicating that during Biden's presidency, there were five at senior aides that were primarily responsible for a significant amount of decision making, with Biden serving more as a figurehead than anything else. Now, these revelations have sparked discussions about transparency and accountability within the previous administration of exactly who was really the acting president. Now, while these accounts have led to public debate and scrutiny, this is the first time we're hearing the White House say that they're going to push for answers. Now, is there a formal investigation by the Trump administration into these matters? At the moment, no, but this certainly could lead to one, as the White House is now signaling that the American people deserve to have answers and most importantly, need to know and should know who was running the country. There's also the question of the auto pin and many of the pardons that were given out by Joe Biden. Did he even know that it was happening? Did he have any clue at all what was going on? And we also know that many around Biden that were propping him up were apparently doing it just for the money. That's right. Many of the key advisors around Joe Biden's campaign were making millions of dollars. They didn't want him to end the campaign. They wanted him to keep running so they could keep getting paid. So there were some people that were just making cash. There were others that were getting to literally play president. And what does Kama Harris have to say about all this? Well, she had another word salad and decided to take some swipes at Elon Musk and Donald Trump, saying, remember the 1930s in reference to Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. I wish I was joking. Here she is in her own words.

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]

I do.

[Kamala Harris]

Worry, frankly, about what's happening right now in our world. I do worry that it is important that we remember history. It's important we remember the 1930s. It's important that we remember that history has taught us that isolation does not equal insulation. It is important that we understand and remember history. History which taught us the interdependence and interconnection between nations. History that has taught us the importance of relationships, of trust.

[Ben Ferguson]

So the same woman that helped cover up the massive cognitive decline of the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, the same woman that was elected by no one, who ended up being the party's nominee that no one actually voted for is now saying, don't look at what we were doing. No, no, no. We're gonna tell you that Donald Trump's administration is no different than Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. You remember the 1930s. It is truly amazing to watch the left do everything they can to cover up their corruption at the White House for the last four years.

And finally, story number three.

It's a pretty simple idea. If you hate the United States of America, why should we let you come to America's universities? Especially if you're advocating for violence against Jewish students or even American students? Well, the Trump administration has now intensified its actions against Harvard University by directing federal agencies to cancel or redirect contracts worth approximately a hundred million dollars. Now, this move follows earlier measures, including the freezing of over 2.6 billion in federal research grants, citing concerns over the university's policies and campus climate. Now, the aspects of the policy change are actually very simple. The reallocation of resources is number one. The administration's decision aims to redirect substantial federal funds to institutions that align more closely with with its policy objectives, potentially benefiting trade schools and other educational entities. They also say there's an emphasis on accountability. By scrutinizing Harvard's use of federal funds, the administration underscores the importance of accountability and also adherence to national standards in higher education institutions and then the promotion of diverse educational opportunities. The potential redistribution of funds, the White House say, may enhance vocational and technological training programs, offering countless students alternative pathways to successful careers without the traditional university route and or going to an Ivy League school. There's also the encouragement of institutional self reliance. The funding cuts may prompt elite universities, they say, to seek greater financial independence, fostering innovation, efficiency and management resources. Now these actions are sparking legal challenges as the universities are angry over what's happening. But at the end of the day, the White House also says this comes down to another issue, and that is are we actually encouraging students from around the world to come to the US that love America and that want to be a part of the process? Or are tax dollars going to students that actually hate America? And that brings up the State Department pausing visa interviews as Trump moves to cancel Harvard's last federal contracts. Here's more of that story as CNN freaked out over it news and a.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Major escalation in the Trump administration's fight against America's universities. The State Department pausing all new student visa application interviews. And while that pause is in place, the government is developing new guidance for social media screenings of foreign students. Who want to study in the US this comes as the White House moves to cancel all remaining federal contracts with Harvard. Two senior administration officials tell CNN that those contracts are worth about $100 million. This on top of more than $2 billion in grants that the administration froze last month. And on Monday, the president threatened to give that money to trade schools. Here's Harvard's president in an interview that was taped before news broke about those latest contract cancellations.

[Harvard President]

I don't know fully what the motivations are, but I do know that there are people who are fighting a cultural battle. I don't know if that is what is driving the administration. They don't like what's happened to campuses and sometimes they don't like what we represent.

[Ben Ferguson]

The Harvard president right there going on npr, which the president's also trying to defund, complaining about the motives of the Trump administration. You can't make it up. Donald Trump doesn't care, by the way, and he's moving forward with protecting America's interests and your tax dollars.

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 I heart podcast.