Trump’s Economy Defies Critics plus Polls Show Voters Back POTUS on Crime

Summary

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The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Trump’s Economy Defies Critics plus Polls Show Voters Back POTUS on Crime
Date: August 29, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson (Premiere Networks)

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on recent positive economic data under President Donald Trump’s administration, contradicting previous media and Democratic forecasts of doom. Ben Ferguson also delves into new polling numbers indicating strong public support for Trump’s approach to crime, particularly in response to federal crackdowns in Washington, D.C. The show critiques mainstream narratives and Democratic politicians, highlighting what Ferguson frames as widespread support for the President’s policies and a shift in public sentiment on crime and the economy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Booming” Trump Economy

[03:49 - 08:45]

• Media Criticism vs. Economic Reality

  • Ben calls out the media and Democrats for their negative predictions about Trump’s economic policies, asserting:

    “They said that Donald Trump was going to destroy the economy... Well, guess what? They lied to you. The US Economy is surging past expectations as spending and investments are soaring.” (Ben Ferguson, 03:52)

  • He highlights revised government data showing the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose at a 3.3% annualized rate in the second quarter, beating both initial estimates and economists' forecasts.

• Drivers of Growth

  • Ferguson attributes growth to increased household spending on health care, pharmaceuticals, and dining out, as well as business investments in equipment and intellectual property (software, R&D, commercial structures).
  • He interprets these trends as signals of broad economic confidence under Trump:

    “…people are expanding. You don't do these things unless you have confidence in an economy.” (Ben Ferguson, 05:43)

• Trade Wars Controversy

  • Counters claims that Trump’s tariff policies would stifle economic growth:

    “We also know that the media lied to you about Trump's trade wars and the tariffs… Guess what? They lied to you again. In fact, trade flows also contributed to the growth.” (Ben Ferguson, 06:06)

• Inflation & Government Spending

  • Notes that personal consumption and Federal Reserve inflation measures remain in check (2.0% annual rate).
  • Government spending was “revised lower,” which Ben emphasizes as remarkable:

    “Let me just say that again. Government spending was revised lower.” (Ben Ferguson, 07:52)

• Business Income & Corporate Profits

  • Real gross domestic income climbed by 4.8%, with corporate profits rebounding after a first-quarter dip.

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2. Crime, Public Safety, and Polling

[08:45 - 15:28]

• D.C. Crime Crackdown & Political Shift

  • The episode features discussion about Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s public acknowledgment that a federal law enforcement surge has reduced carjackings by 87% in just 20 days:

    “Mayor Bowser cited an 87% reduction in carjackings during the 20 day federal law enforcement deployment.” (Ben Ferguson, 08:49)

  • Ben highlights this change in tone as Democrats “reversing course” and indirectly crediting Trump’s policies.

• Resident Comments and Community Impact

  • Clips from D.C. residents and local news underscore improved safety and public spaces:

    “Before all the, you know, additional security. It was a little dicey at times, especially at the later times in the hour... But now it's a lot more quiet.”
    (Navy Yard Resident, 09:56) “I have noticed that they have been cleaning some of the graffiti off in some of the areas, like on the highways…”
    (Local Resident, 10:13)

• Poll Data on Crime and Presidential Approval

  • A political analyst summarizes new polling:

    “81% of people think that crime is a problem in major, major problem in urban areas. Trump's approval rating on crime was 54% in that poll. In the Harvard Harris poll, it was 51%, his highest rating of any of the issues that they, they question voters about.”
    (Political Analyst, 10:26)

• Democrats on the Defensive

  • Ferguson frames Democrats as out of touch on this “80/20 issue,” citing their historical retreat from tough-on-crime stances:

    “Democrats have managed to box themselves in on another 80, 20 issue and are trying to find a way out.”
    (Political Analyst, 10:39)
    “Yet again here, Democrats on the wrong side of the issue. This is an issue where the majority of Americans say that they want to feel safe.”
    (Ben Ferguson, 11:10)

• Why Are City Leaders Opposed?

  • Offers a pointed rhetorical question about politicians in high-crime cities:

    “Why would the leaders of high crime cities like Washington, D.C. or Chicago object to the president helping to make their streets safer?... They're panicked. They're panicked that Donald Trump is succeeding, exposing them as inept, as corrupt…”
    (Ben Ferguson and Kirk Elliott, 11:40)

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3. Trump’s Direct Remarks on Crime Intervention

[12:51 - 14:05]

• President Trump’s Promise to Expand Crime Initiatives
  • Trump (audio clip) vows to bring similar federal interventions to other cities:

    “Chicago's a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent. And we'll straighten that one out probably next. That will be our next one after this and it won't even be tough...”
    (Donald Trump, 12:51)

  • He asserts that citizens, especially African Americans, are seeking federal support for safer communities.

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4. Historical Framing: Democrats’ Evolving Crime Policy

[14:05 - 15:28]

• Points out that Democrats once championed tough anti-crime laws (1994 Crime Bill), but now distance themselves or apologize for those policies.
• Credits a “post-George Floyd” shift for increased crime, citing policies like police defunding and no bail, which Ferguson links to spikes in urban violence.
• Ben concludes:

  “They favored criminals over their citizens... President Trump saying, hey, I'm going to do this. I'm going to save people's lives. We're going to reverse course on this… And what do Democrats say? You're a dictator and a tyrant if you do it.”
  (Ben Ferguson, 15:14)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Economic Narratives:

  “They said that Donald Trump was going to destroy the economy... Well, guess what? They lied to you.”
  (Ben Ferguson, 03:53)

• On Crime and Partisan Reactions:

  “Yet again here, Democrats on the wrong side of the issue. This is an issue where the majority of Americans say that they want to feel safe.”
  (Ben Ferguson, 11:10)

• On Federal Crime Initiatives:

  “Chicago's a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent. And we'll straighten that one out probably next.”
  (Donald Trump, 12:51)

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Timestamps – Important Segments

• 03:49 - Ben Ferguson starts “Story number one”: Economy beats expectations
• 05:43 - Economic indicators discussed: Confidence, business investment
• 06:06 - Debunking “trade war” doomsaying
• 07:52 - Inflation, government spending data
• 08:46 - “Story number two”: D.C. crime crackdown, Mayor Bowser’s reversal
• 09:56 - D.C. resident voices experience with increased safety
• 10:26 - Polling data on crime and Trump's approval rating
• 12:51 - Trump’s direct message about crime and his plan for more cities
• 14:05 - Discussion on Democrats’ shifts on crime policy
• 15:14 - Ferguson’s concluding commentary on crime, citizen safety, and political narratives

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Tone and Style

Ben Ferguson’s delivery is assertive, conversational, and highly critical of Democratic politicians and mainstream media. The tone is combative and clearly aligned with pro-Trump policy positions, aiming to reframe recent news as vindication for the President’s agenda while employing rhetorical questions and direct language to engage listeners.

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Transcript

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[White House Official]

Look, I think if you're doing your job well and if you are executing on the vision and the promises that the president made to the public who elected him back to this office, then you should have no fear about your job. Just do your job. That's what this president wants to see. He wants to see people solving problems. He wants to see the people who have the privilege of serving the American taxpayer and the federal government abiding by the wishes of of the American taxpayers who overwhelmingly reelected him in this cabinet to make America great again. Or in this case, make America healthy again.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

Good Friday morning. So nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update as we lead into a holiday weekend. And we've still got big news for you. First up, the media lied. Yeah, they straight up lied to your face. They said that Donald Trump was going to be a disaster for our economy. Well, guess what, the economy is booming and the statistics are so bad that even the media can't tell you the lie anymore. I'll have you the details on that story in just a second. Also, you know the crime wave that's happened in almost every liberal city in America? Well, Donald Trump is fighting that crime. And the data is now showing the majority of Americans are in favor of what Donald Trump's doing and what's working in Washington, dc. So why are Democrats still fighting it? We'll explain that as well.

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[Ben Ferguson]

And it starts right now.

Story number one, the media and the Democrats.

Yeah, guess what? They lie to you again. They got it wrong again. They said that Donald Trump was going to destroy the economy, that the big beautiful bill was going to send us into a recession, that the president was out of control. Well, guess what? They lied to you. The US Economy is surging past expectations as spending and investments are soaring. The US Economy expanded faster than initially estimated in the spring. Why? Americans spent more freely and businesses stepped up investment in their businesses. According to the revised government data, gross domestic product rose at 3.3% annualized rate in the second quarter. That is up from the Commerce department's initial 3.0% estimate and above the 3.1% pace that economists had forecast. So they beat not one but two expectations. The acceleration followed modest growth in the first quarter. We're being told as well now the upward revision reflects household spending more on a couple different things. Number one, health care, two, pharmaceuticals and three, something completely different than that, dining out. So what does that mean? It means people feel comfortable and confident in their income right now. Now, it also showed us something else with businesses, small businesses, mid sized businesses and large businesses. Companies boosted purchases of number one, equipment. That tells you they feel good about a growing business structure and intellectual property, meaning that they're also these businesses are willing to invest in future expensive intelligence. Right. Intellectual property. Business investment was driven by, quote, stronger outlays on software, on research and development, including things like light trucks and commercial structures. So people are expanding. You don't do these things unless you have confidence in an economy. We also know that the media lied to you about Trump's trade wars and the tariffs. All of this was happening when they said that things were gonna be stopped, that there was gonna be a retraction in because of the instability and the insanity, as they described it, of Donald Trump's trade wars. Guess what? They lied to you again. In fact, trade flows also contributed to the growth. So they just lied with pure propaganda that was anti Trump. Imports, which subtract from GDP calculations, declined after surging in the first quarter ahead of the new tariffs on some goods. We also know the export slip, but not enough to offset the boom and the boost from fewer foreign goods flowing into the country, which is exactly what Donald Trump predicted. A key gauge, by the way, of underlying domestic demand and the real final sales to private domestic purchasers, which is an important category, excludes trade inventories. And government spending also rose. This is like genuine private sector, nothing to do with the government. IT rose at 1.9% rate, up from 1.2% in the earlier estimate. So every virtual metric of what the expectations were, the Trump administration blew them out of the water. Now, price pressures remain in check. What does that mean? Personal consumption expenditure and the price index. The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge increase at a 2.0% annual rate that was matching the central bank's target. Core prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs, advanced at a 2.5% pace as well. Government spending, by the way, was also revised. I never get to say this. Lower. Let me just say that again. Government spending was revised lower.

[Kirk Elliott Precious Metals Advertiser]

Why?

[Ben Ferguson]

It was driven by reduced state and local outlays, which tempered some of their, well, you know, hey, spending.

[Kirk Elliott Precious Metals Advertiser]

That is amazing. The income side, also of national accounts.

[Ben Ferguson]

Painted a similar robust picture. Real gross domestic income climbed at a.

[Kirk Elliott Precious Metals Advertiser]

4.8% rate, while corporate profits rebounded after declining in the first quarter. The Commerce Department is scheduled, by the.

[Ben Ferguson]

Way, to release its third and final estimate of second quarter GDP, along with annual benchmark revisions to historic data on September 25th.

Now, story number two.

So the D.C. mayor has had a major change of her rhetoric when it comes to reversing what crime is doing in her city. Yes, she's totally reversing. Course now admitting that Donald Trump's federal crime crackdown is in fact working. Mayor Bowser cited an 87% reduction in carjackings during the 20 day federal law enforcement deployment. Just take a listen to the conversation that was had on Fox News channel about what she said and also the data.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city. What we know is not working is a break in trust between police and community, especially with new federal partners in our community. We know having masked ICE agents in the community has not worked.

[Donald Trump]

Okay, but let's listen to some residents.

[Navy Yard Resident]

Navy Yard has kind of been a hot area. Before all the, you know, additional security. It was a little dicey at times, especially at the later times in the hour. I would see fights break out whenever I just walking home. But now it's a lot more quiet.

[Local Resident]

I welcome it. I think it's a great idea. And I have noticed that they have been cleaning some of the graffiti off in some of the areas, like on the highways and that kind of stuff.

[Political Analyst]

What about the fallout of all this, Tom? Well, we just had a poll come out yesterday, the AP polls. 81% of people think that crime is a problem in major, major problem in urban areas. Trump's approval rating on crime was 54% in that poll. In the Harvard Harris poll, it was 51%, his highest rating of any of the issues that they, they question voters about. So I think what you saw from the mayor, which you said is a bit surprising, I think that's her responding to her constituents. She's hearing from people who are saying that especially in the areas where crime is the worst, that they feel safer. And that's, that's not a bad thing. Democrats have managed to box themselves in on another 80, 20 issue and are trying to find a way out. And I think the mayor has recognized that. And she's obviously in the middle of.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yet again here, Democrats on the wrong side of the issue. This is an issue where the majority of Americans say that they want to feel safe. In fact, for decades, Democrats have been saying this. And now what is happening? Well, President Donald Trump says, I'm with you. I want to drive down crime in some of our most dangerous cities. And Democrats are angry. Why? They're coming down once again on the wrong side of an issue that affects millions of Americans. And the question you should ask yourself is this.

[Kirk Elliott Precious Metals Advertiser]

Why would the leaders of high crime cities like Washington, D.C. or Chicago object to the president helping to make their streets safer?

[Ben Ferguson]

I'll tell you why.

[Kirk Elliott Precious Metals Advertiser]

They're panicked. They're panicked that Donald Trump is succeeding, exposing them as inept, as corrupt as.

[Ben Ferguson]

Leaders that really just want to control.

[Kirk Elliott Precious Metals Advertiser]

Cities, even if it means they're filled with crime. For decades, by the way, Democrats have Been struggling to overcome the accusations on the facts that they were soft on crime.

[Ben Ferguson]

Go back to 1994.

[Kirk Elliott Precious Metals Advertiser]

Trying to combat that charge. President Bill Clinton signed into law the most sweeping anti crime bill at the.

[Ben Ferguson]

Time in history and funded actually the hiring of a hundred thousand new police officers. It also authorized the construction of new prisons and it introduced that three strikes law mandating lengthy jail terms for repeat offenders. Now Democrats are furious. They are furious that crime is actually going down in D.C. and they're also even more angry that the President said this about, you know, the prospect of places like Chicago getting some extra help.

[Donald Trump]

And after we do this, we'll go to another location and we'll make it safe also. We're going to make our country very safe. We're going to make our cities very, very safe. Chicago's a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent. And we'll straighten that one out probably next. That will be our next one after this and it won't even be tough. And the people in Chicago, Mr. Vice President, are screaming for us to come. They're wearing red hats, just like this one, but they're wearing red hats. African American ladies, beautiful ladies are saying, please, President Trump come to Chicago, please. I did great with the black vote, as you know, and they want something to happen. So I think Chicago will be our next. And then we'll help with New York and we're going to help with, and I think, really, I think a lot of, and a lot of these people that you see on television, they are including the people in this audience, they'll say bad things about me and then they'll say, thank God he's here because half of them got mugged and they don't want to get mugged again. But they're, you know, they work for a ladder. They work for stupid people that are radical left and they're made to do things and say things that they don't want to be saying.

[Ben Ferguson]

This goes back to the real problem. And if you look at the President and what he's saying there, he's absolutely right. You had Democrats that used to be in favor of fighting crime and saving black lives, now they're soft on crime. Democrats literal high water mark for cracking down on crime was in 1994. The party leaders, including former President Joe Biden, are now at a point where they apologize for being tough on crime. They literally apologize for the 1994 crime bill. It is. And then post George Floyd in that area that era, Democrats have adopted policies as openly. We want to defund the police. We want to have no bail. We want to have prison reform. We want to shut down prisons. And that's what made our cities, or especially the cities they run, liberal cities, so dangerous because they favored criminals over their citizens. They also did this on the issue of illegal immigration, flooding these liberal cities with criminals. President Trump saying, hey, I'm going to do this. I'm going to save people's lives. We're going to reverse course on this. I'm going to, I'm going to go wherever I can, and if I can send troops, I'm going to do it for one reason, to stop the violence and to stop the killing. And what do Democrats say? You're a dictator and a tyrant if you do it.

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.

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