The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Trump DEI Spending Win, Cracker Barrel Pulls the Plug on Rebrand & Panama Canal at Risk by Far Reaching China | Week In Review
Date: August 30, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Featured Guest: Senator Ted Cruz

Episode Overview

This week-in-review episode of The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson spotlights three major stories missed or under-discussed in mainstream media. The core topics cover a pivotal Supreme Court decision letting the Trump administration halt funding for DEI-focused NIH grants, Cracker Barrel’s rebranding reversal after backlash, and escalating concerns about Chinese influence in the Panama Canal as experienced by Senator Ted Cruz during his Latin America CODEL (Congressional Delegation). The conversations are honest, unfiltered, and sharply critical of what the hosts label as “woke” corporate and governmental overreach.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Terminate DEI-Related NIH Grants

[00:04–11:43]

• The Supreme Court's Decision:

  • The Court, in a 5–4 decision, sided with the Trump administration, allowing it to cancel $783 million in NIH grants tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
  • The ruling came down not on the merits of DEI, but on jurisdictional grounds: plaintiffs sued in the wrong court (district court instead of the Court of Federal Claims).

• Senator Cruz’s Perspective:

  • Cruz calls this "a big victory" for conservative fiscal values and criticizes grants awarded “because of the researcher's race” and for “ideological objectives."
  • Example of “wasteful expenditures” cited: “funding transgender education in Guatemala.”
  • “$783 million in NIH grants, that is not actually going to disease and curing disease and helping people…but instead are granted based on ideology. That is an absolute waste and it is wrong.” (Ted Cruz, [03:49])

• Court Lineup and Legal Nuance:

  • Four liberals (Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson, and Chief Justice Roberts) dissented.
  • Amy Coney Barrett joined conservatives on the core financial decision but not on reversing DEI guidance.

• Implications and Precedent:

  • Ben Ferguson asks if this deters future “lawfare” against the president; Cruz says left-wing litigation will persist.
  • Cruz highlights Gorsuch & Kavanaugh’s concurring opinion: criticizing lower courts for openly defying Supreme Court precedent.
  • “If you are citing a dissent, you are saying right on the front of it, I don't care what the majority held. I agree with the dissenters. No lower court judge has the authority to do that. That is the definition of lawlessness.” (Ted Cruz, [10:53])

2. Cracker Barrel Rebranding – Corporate “Wokeness” and Market Backlash

[12:31–18:29]

• Cracker Barrel’s “Woke” Rebrand:

  • Cruz describes Cracker Barrel's failed attempt to modernize its identity by removing its iconic logo and distancing from Americana, calling it a move by “woke leadership” who “didn't like their customers.”
  • Compares situation to Bud Light and Target, companies whose marketing alienated core customers.

• Consumer & Investor Pushback:

  • Shares plummeted; within 24 hours of public calls from Trump and Cruz to reverse the changes, Cracker Barrel restored its original branding.
  • “...the beatings are really hurting, so we're going to stop. But it is striking that it took the reaction of the market for them to figure it out.” (Ted Cruz, [14:26])

• Shareholder Warning:

  • Investor Sardar Biglari warned in 2024 that the transformation was “a mistake of misguided executives falling into a textbook trap of overspending on cosmetic remodeling.”
  • “They vaporized roughly 15% of the market cap of the company because they were more interested in listening to woke marketing executives…” (Ted Cruz, [17:26])

• Celebration of Market Correction:

  • The hosts see this as a cultural victory: “We're starting to finally, I think, see the pendulum swing back the other way, which is really, really cool.” (Ben Ferguson, [15:29])

3. Panama Canal Risks: China’s Encroachment & US Security

[18:29–30:06]

• Senator Cruz’s CODEL to Latin America:

  • Cruz shares details from El Salvador, where tough anti-gang policies have led to safer streets, increased desire for citizens abroad to return, and a positive economic outlook.
  • “Suddenly people are eager to be police officers because it's making a difference, because they're making their community safe…Now people are lining up to be police officers because they see the difference." (Ted Cruz, [19:33])
  • "President Bukhali told me roughly half of those Salvadorans in America, about one and a half million, have said they want to come back to El Salvador." (Ted Cruz, [20:14])

• Critical Visit to Panama Canal:

  • Cruz spends a day and a half in Panama, meeting with multiple officials, including the head of the canal.
  • Gives detailed description of Panama Canal’s operation, marveling at its engineering.

• China’s Strategic Investments:

  • Notes three major Chinese projects right at the canal: a container port, a bridge, and a tunnel for the metro— all raising red flags for U.S. security.
  • “Right at the entrance, the Pacific entrance of the canal, there is a gigantic port that is owned and controlled by Communist China…China is building a bridge…There’s a Chinese company digging a tunnel under the canal for a metro train.” (Ted Cruz, [24:08-25:06])

• National Security Concerns:

  • Cruz warns that Chinese control poses a grave risk should U.S.–China conflict erupt:
    • Chinese shutdown of the canal would cripple U.S. military and economic operations.
    • “If China is in an active military conflict with the United States, I think the risk is unacceptable that China would try to shut down the Panama Canal…It would massively delay moving those ships.” (Ted Cruz, [27:04-27:38])
  • As chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Cruz pressed Panamanian officials to finalize a deal selling the ports to American interests and “get the Chinese the hell out of here.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On DEI NIH Grants:

  • “This really should have been 9–0. But I'm glad it was at least 5–4 the right way because that means that this money doesn't have to go out the door.” (Ted Cruz, [05:58])

• On Judicial Precedent:

  • “Judges are duty bound to respect the hierarchy of the federal court system...No lower court judge has the authority to...agree with the dissenters. That is the definition of lawlessness.” (Ted Cruz, [10:39–10:58])

• On Cracker Barrel Rebranding:

  • “Cracker Barrel is a terrific institution, particularly in the South. And their woke leadership decided that everything the company was built on, they didn't like.” (Ted Cruz, [12:34])
  • “The beatings are really hurting, so we're going to stop. But it is striking...it took the reaction of the market.” (Ted Cruz, [14:26])

• On China and the Panama Canal:

  • “There is a gigantic port that is owned and controlled by Communist China. And it's right there…If China is in an active military conflict with the United States...the risk is unacceptable that China would try to shut down the Panama Canal.” (Ted Cruz, [24:08–27:04])
  • “You need to get the Chinese the hell out of here.” (Ted Cruz, [28:16])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:04 — Show opens, Ben Ferguson introduces main stories
• 01:06 — Supreme Court decision on DEI NIH grants, Cruz explains legal background
• 03:30 — Cruz on purpose of NIH research grants and ideological spending
• 06:25 — Implications for future litigation and lawfare
• 09:20 — Justice Gorsuch’s concurring opinion on judicial defiance
• 12:34 — Cracker Barrel’s failed rebranding campaign
• 15:44 — Trump and Cruz’s public intervention, investor comments
• 18:42 — Cruz recounts experiences in El Salvador
• 20:14 — Reverse migration and safety improvements in El Salvador
• 22:12 — Cruz’s tour of the Panama Canal
• 24:08 — Detail of Chinese holdings and projects at the canal
• 27:04 — Strategic and military risk, push for US action
• 30:06 — Closing remarks and plugs

Summary

This episode provides a sharp, energetic, and outspoken review of three major stories: a significant Supreme Court victory for Trump over DEI spending, Cracker Barrel’s corporate woes after a failed ‘woke’ shift, and the growing threat posed by China’s grip on the Panama Canal. Rich with direct quotes, firsthand CODEL insights, and a strong conservative editorial voice, the discussion pairs legal detail with pointed cultural commentary, making it a revealing resource for listeners wanting unfiltered conservative perspectives on government action, business, and international affairs.