Trump's Black Tuesday plus Promises Made & Promises Kept as POTUS' Agenda Moves Forward

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson: Episode Summary

Release Date: January 22, 2025

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, host Ben Ferguson delves into three pivotal stories shaping the current political landscape: President Donald Trump's significant reshuffling of federal agencies, a monumental $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure, and the fulfillment of key promises regarding border security. Below is a detailed exploration of each topic, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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1. Black Tuesday: Federal Workers Fired

Overview: On what has been termed "Black Tuesday," President Donald Trump initiated a sweeping overhaul of the federal government. Key figures within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the heads of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Coast Guard, were abruptly dismissed. This move signifies Trump's commitment to restructuring federal agencies to align with his administration's priorities.

Key Points:

• Agency Leadership Changes: Trump fired the heads of the TSA and Coast Guard before the completion of their terms, signaling a direct attempt to reshape DHS.

• Aviation Security Advisory Committee Dissolution: All members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee were removed, effectively halting its operations. Ben Ferguson notes, "The Aviation Security Committee... won't have any members to carry out the work of examining safety issues at airlines and airports" (03:45).

• Impact on Federal Employees: Trump's administration plans to remove over 1,000 Biden appointees, emphasizing a purge of individuals not aligned with the "Make America Great Again" vision. Ferguson highlights Trump's assertion: "I'm not keeping any of them, Joe Biden's appointees from their government positions. Yeah, you're gone." (04:15)

• Immediate Dismissals: Among the first to be fired were celebrity chef Jose Andres and former top general Mark Milley. Trump announced these dismissals via his True Social platform with a straightforward message: "You're fired." (04:50)

• Elimination of DEI Roles: In a significant policy shift, all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) employees were placed on paid leave, and related programs were disbanded. This action reflects Trump's stance on reducing government focus on DEI initiatives. Ferguson explains, "Agencies prepare to close all diversity, equity and inclusion related offices and programs" (05:00).

Notable Quote:

Donald Trump: "I'm not keeping any of them, Joe Biden's appointees from their government positions. Yeah, you're gone." (04:15)

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2. Stargate Project: $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Investment

Overview: In a landmark announcement from the Oval Office, President Trump unveiled the Stargate Project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at propelling the United States to the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) development. This $500 billion investment is poised to catalyze technological advancements and create substantial employment opportunities.

Key Points:

• Formation of Stargate: The project brings together leading technology CEOs, including Oracle’s Larry Ellison, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, underscoring a powerful collaboration between the government and the private sector.

• Economic Impact: The initiative is expected to generate over 100,000 high-quality American jobs, significantly boosting the national economy and reducing unemployment rates.

• Technological Advancements: Emphasis is placed on AI applications in critical sectors such as healthcare, where early disease detection and personalized treatments can revolutionize patient care.

• Competitive Edge: By investing domestically, the U.S. aims to outpace global competitors, particularly China, in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Ben Ferguson notes, "This massive project is going to create... over 100,000 high quality jobs and it will catapult America in front of China in the AI race." (06:00)

• Private Sector Leadership: The collaboration with top tech leaders highlights Trump's belief in leveraging private sector innovation to address national challenges. Ferguson remarks, "Proof yet again, as Donald Trump has put it, that if we want to fix the biggest problems in the world, we should be looking to the private sector and not the U.S government to do it." (07:00)

Notable Quote:

Donald Trump: "It's the largest AI infrastructure project by far in history and it's all taking place right here in America." (06:06)

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3. Promises Made & Promises Kept: Advancing Border Security

Overview: President Trump has fulfilled several campaign promises related to strengthening national security and securing the southern border. These actions demonstrate his administration's commitment to enforcing immigration laws and protecting public safety.

Key Points:

• Executive Orders on Border Security: On January 21, Trump signed multiple executive orders, including declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border to deploy federal troops for enhanced enforcement.

• Reinstatement of "Remain in Mexico" Policy: This policy requires asylum seekers to await immigration proceedings in Mexico, aiming to reduce the influx of illegal immigrants crossing the border.

• Border Wall Construction: Trump has ordered the resumption and acceleration of building the border wall, a central promise from his 2016 campaign, to prevent illegal crossings effectively.

• Termination of Birthright Citizenship: In a controversial move, Trump signed an order to end automatic U.S. citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants. This decision is expected to face legal challenges under the 14th Amendment. Ben Ferguson states, "Donald Trump isn't willing to have that conversation." (10:00)

• Suspension of CBP1 App: The administration suspended the CBP1 app, which allows migrants to schedule legal entry appointments. This suspension has led to thousands of appointment cancellations, reinforcing the administration’s hardline stance on unauthorized border crossings.

• Designation of Cartels as Terrorist Organizations: In an unprecedented move, Trump designated certain drug cartels and gangs, such as MS-13, as foreign terrorist organizations. This classification permits the use of military force against these groups, significantly escalating efforts to dismantle organized crime networks at the border.

Notable Quote:

Tom Homan: "We've been working up the target list... teams are out there today." (08:39)

Prominent Actions Highlighted:

• National Emergency Declaration
• Reinstatement of Asylum Policies
• Border Wall Expansion
• Termination of Automatic Citizenship
• Suspension of Migrant Scheduling App
• Designation of Drug Cartels as Terrorist Organizations

Ben Ferguson emphasizes that these actions represent a comprehensive approach to border security, fulfilling campaign promises and implementing robust measures to safeguard the nation.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Ben Ferguson provides a thorough analysis of President Trump's aggressive policies and initiatives aimed at restructuring federal agencies, advancing technological leadership through massive AI investments, and fortifying national security at the southern border. Through detailed reporting and inclusion of direct quotes, Ferguson offers listeners an insightful overview of the administration's strategic moves and their potential implications for the future of the United States.

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Timestamp Reference:

• 03:45: Dissolution of Aviation Security Advisory Committee
• 04:15: Trump's announcement on removing Biden appointees
• 04:50: Immediate dismissals of high-profile appointees
• 05:00: Elimination of DEI roles
• 06:00: Impact of Stargate Project
• 06:06: Trump's statement on AI infrastructure
• 07:00: Private sector's role in addressing national challenges
• 08:39: Tom Homan on ICE deportation operations
• 10:00: Termination of birthright citizenship and expected legal challenges

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Transcript

[Donald Trump]

$500 billion in AI infrastructure.

[Tom Homan]

No, it started. It has started. All these teams are out there as of today.

[Donald Trump]

You're fired. Get out of here. You're fired. Get out. Get the hell out of here.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

Good morning, it's Ben Ferguson. It's nice to have you with us. Here are the big stories that we're covering today on the 47 Morning Update. First up, it's Black Tuesday when it comes to federal workers. They're getting pink slips from Donald Trump saying, you're fired. So who all lost their jobs and why? I'll have that for you in a moment. Also, Donald Trump moved America forward with a 500 billion dollar AI investment from the private sector that's happening right here in the US Of A. And finally, promises made and promises kept on border security. Major moves by President Trump to make sure that we have a secure southern border. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now.

Story number one, it was black too.

Tuesday for many in the federal government as the head of the TSA and the Coast Guard were fired on Trump's first full day in office. President Trump moved quickly to remake the Department of Homeland Security, firing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard before their terms were even up and eliminated all members of a key aviation security advisory group as well. Now, Trump's immigration policy changes drew the most attention at Homeland Security, but he's also making changes at the rest of the massive agency. Members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee received a memo Tuesday morning saying that the department is eliminating the membership of all advisory committees as part of a commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security activities prioritize specifically our national security. The Aviation Security Committee, which was mandated by Congress after the 1988 PAMM 103, the bombing over Lock and be Scotland will technically continue to exist, but it won't have any members to carry out the work of examining safety issues at airlines and airports. Liberals are claiming at this hour. But the reality is there are plenty of people that are doing that right now. Who's angry about it. Well, major unions. That's right. Because the airlines and major unions were a member of the group associated with all of this government bureaucracy. This is another example of Donald Trump saying, I'm coming in and I'm cleaning house. Now, that isn't all who lost their jobs in our bloated government. You know, Donald Trump became very famous for being the guy that says you're fired. Well, Donald Trump is telling many Biden appointees you're out of a job. And now it's a he said. She said, no, no, no, you didn't fire me. I already quit. I wish I was joking, but I'm not. Donald Trump says he plans to remove over 1,000 Biden appointees. And there are many that are very angry about President Donald Trump on Tuesday saying, I have these plans because I'm not keeping any of them, Joe Biden's appointees from their government positions. He said, yeah, you're gone. And he had already fired four individuals immediately, including a celebrity chef, Jose Andreas, and a former top general, Mark Milley. You're fired is what Trump wrote in an early morning post on his True Social platform that named Millie and Andreas, as well as his former Iran envoy Brian Hook and the former Atlanta mayor Kea Lance Bottoms, who Biden appointed to an export council. Andreas and Bottom said they, quote, unquote, had already quit their post before Trump's inauguration. Trump's post said his personal office is, quote, actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand presidential appointees from the Biden administration who are, quote, not aligned with our vision to make America great again. Donald Trump wasn't done there when it came to changing things very quickly. He also decided to move to another issue. Trump ordered all federal diversity, equity and inclusion employees placed on paid leave starting on Wednesday. Yes, NBC News reporting that the Trump administration also directed government agencies to drop plans for firing workers in DEI roles. The Trump administration is ordering all federal employees, the White House announced in these roles on paid leave by Wednesday evening at 5:00. That according to a new memo from the Office of Personnel Management. The memo issued Tuesday to heads of departments and government agencies, set that deadline of no later than 5pm Eastern Time Wednesday to inform the employees that they will be put on paid administrative leave as the agencies prepare to close all diversity, equity and inclusion related offices and programs and to also remove all websites and social media accounts for such offices immediately. This is another promise Donald Trump made to the American people and he's seeing it through clearly starting in his very first week in office.

Now story number two in major breaking.

News coming from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced Stargate Project. Now what is that? It is a new new American company which will invest $500 billion over the next four years building a new AI infrastructure specifically in the United States of America. The president also asked Oracle's Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO and open AI Sam Altman to the White House for this major announcement where President Trump explained it this way.

[Donald Trump]

It's my Honor to welcome three of the world's leading technology CEOs and in the case of Larry, Larry Ellison, it's well beyond technology, sort of CEO of everything. He's an amazing man and an amazing businessperson. But to announce the largest AI infrastructure project by far in history and it's all taking place right here in America. As you know, there's great competition for AI and other things and they're coming in at the highest level. We're joined by Oracle Executive Chairman Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO, my friend Mahsa Mahsa Yoshi son and CEO of OpenAI and I would say the by far the leading expert based on everything I read, Sam Altman. So that's great that you're coming in together. That's a massive group of talent and money together. These world leading technology giants are announcing the formation of Stargate. So put that name down in your books because I think you're going to hear a lot about it in the future. A new American company that will invest $500 billion at least in AI infrastructure in the United States and very, very quickly, moving very rapidly, creating over 100,000American jobs almost immediately.

[Ben Ferguson]

This massive project is going to create, as you heard the president just say there, over 100, 000 high quality jobs and it will catapult America in front of China in the AI race. Not only will this create more than a hundred thousand American jobs and significantly advance AI applications particularly, and this is the part that many Americans should be the most excited about in health care such as early disease detection and personalized treatments. Key figures from the private sector putting this all together. Joining President Trump with this announcement at the White House is proof yet again, as Donald Trump has put it, that if we want to fix the biggest problems in the world, we should be looking to the private sector and not the U. S government to do it.

And lastly, story number three, promises made.

Promises kept when it comes to national security and the southern border. The man who's in charge of securing the southern border, Tom Homan, said today that ICE deportation operations have already begun.

[Tom Homan]

Teams are out there as of today. We gave them the direction to prioritize public safety threats that we're looking for. So we've been working up the target list. There was some discussion about Chicago because the Pacific operational plan was released. So we had to look at and reevaluate. Does this raise off our safety concerns? And it does, but we've Addressed that. And teams are all respective today.

[Ben Ferguson]

Teams are out there today. So what exactly has happened since Donald Trump was sworn in? I have the list for you. Now, it is a list that the media is not wanting to talk about because it's actually a very extensive list of promises made and promises kept. So let's go through it so you know exactly where we are in the process of securing the border. On January 21, Donald Trump signed several executive orders aimed at strengthening border security. Number one, a national emergency declaration declaring a national emergency at the U. S. Mexico border enabling the deployment of federal troops to assist in border enforcement. There was another promise that was made and that deal with the remain in Mexico policy. Well, Donald Trump paid off on that promise, reinstating the policy requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico during U.S. immigration proceedings, which will have a massive impact on stopping the flow of illegal immigrants across the border. One of the other major issues Donald Trump talked about back in the campaign in 2016 for president was building a border wall. Well, Donald Trump has ordered the resumpt and now the completion of the border wall along the southern border as fast as humanly possible. Also, in another major move, and the media lost their minds over this, Donald Trump decided to terminate birthright citizenship, Signing an order to end automatic U. S. Citizenship for a child born in the U. S. To an undocumented immigrant. This move is likely going to face major legal challenges due to the 14th Amendment. That doesn't mean that Donald Trump isn't willing to have that conversation. Now. Donald Trump also took a major action which shocked the world, especially those that advocate for illegal immigrants. He decided to suspend the CBP1 app. Now, disabling this app, which allows migrants to schedule legal entry appointments, resulted in cancellations for thousands and thousands of applicants, sending a very clear message that you can't just come across a wide open southern border and think we are going to let you stay here. The app right now does not work. And also in what is being described as the biggest and boldest move of all of these actions is the president's decision to designate cartels as terrorist organizations. Classifying certain drug cartels and gangs such as MS.13 as foreign terrorist organizations would allow for aggressive actions to be taken against them, including using the U.S. military. You combine all of this together and this marks a significant shift in US Immigration policy, reflecting a return to an expansion of measures from President Donald Trump's first term. In translation, Donald Trump made a lot of promises and he is keeping them, especially when it comes to securing the southern border.

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.