Trump's Firm NO plus Funding Shortfalls means Lights Out at the UN

Summary

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The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Trump's Firm NO plus Funding Shortfalls means Lights Out at the UN
Release Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Ben Ferguson
Network: Premiere Networks

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Episode Overview

This episode of The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson dives into the mounting financial crisis at the United Nations, focusing on the Trump administration’s decisive decision to withhold U.S. funding from the UN and dozens of affiliated organizations. Ferguson explores the latest fallout, the hardline stance of President Trump, and the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy and international relations. The episode is marked by Ferguson’s typical unapologetic and hyperbolic commentary, sharply criticizing the UN and celebrating the administration’s actions as a patriotic move against "globalist" and "anti-American" institutions.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The United Nations' Financial Crisis

• [01:09] Ferguson reveals that the UN is facing “imminent financial collapse,” citing direct pleas from the Secretary-General for member states to pay their dues or overhaul funding rules.
• The Secretary-General (referred to several times as a “former Portuguese Socialist Party leader”) warns that current cash reserves could run out by July, threatening the organization’s ability to operate (e.g., cost-saving measures like turning off escalators and heat at Geneva headquarters).

2. The U.S. Role and Trump Administration Policy

• [02:00–03:45] The United States, the UN’s largest financial contributor, has refused to contribute to the regular and peacekeeping budgets, and is in the process of withdrawing from multiple agencies—moves initiated by President Trump.
  • Ferguson notes, “By the way, you can thank literally Donald Trump for this … a good start, by the way. I couldn’t agree more with that.” [03:10]
• Trump’s administration argues these organizations are a “waste of taxpayer dollars,” especially agencies focused on population and climate.
• The administration’s withdrawal encompasses both organizations within and unaffiliated with the UN, reclaiming “billions of US taxpayer dollars.”
• The host is scathing of UN leadership, deriding the Secretary-General as someone who is “living high on the hog” while expecting others to foot the bill.

3. Critique of the United Nations

• Ferguson refers to the UN as an “unaccountable globalist society” and claims it is run by “Marxist socialists and communists,” directly attacking the organization’s motives and legitimacy.
  • “Literally a former communist is running the organization.” [07:30]
• Accuses the UN of assisting terrorist organizations: “It was the same UN that was busted helping Hamas and Hezbollah. Yes, they were actually helping them.” [05:50]

4. Trump’s Withdrawal from Multilateral Treaties and Initiatives

• [08:00] Highlights the U.S. withdrawal from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Renewable Energy Agency, UN Oceans, UN Water, UNESCO, and the World Health Organization.
• Ferguson contends that international climate agreements, in particular, are “special interests and family members and friends of all the powerful people. And it doesn’t do jack crap. That’s the reality of the situation.” [08:40]

5. Domestic and International Reaction

• Points to critics, like California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the president “brainless” and accused him of “creating a leadership vacuum that China is going to exploit.” Ferguson ridicules these assertions and insists the moves protect American interests. [09:12]

6. Ferguson’s Commentary: Non-Engagement as Policy

• [10:05] Ferguson argues the U.S. should stay in the UN “bare minimum—just to have a seat at the table” and stop funding almost all UN programs:
  • “We should not give any money to the United Nations. In my opinion, like the bare minimum just to have a seat at the table … these are Marxist socialists and communists that are running the organization.”

7. Ferguson Applauds the Administration

• Ends the episode with enthusiastic praise:
  • “Right now you should be extremely proud and extremely happy that we have a President, United States of America, that is doing this and not just like on a little scale, is straight up throwing down on it.” [10:40]
  • “No, no, no, no. Stop it all. Stop every bit of it. Stop it all. And it truly is incredible.” [11:04]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On UN’s Financial Crisis:
  • “The UN is…in theory going broke and needs member nations to step up and send cash and lots of it…‘imminent financial collapse’…” [01:14]
• On U.S. Defunding the UN:
  • “What do you call Donald Trump defunding 66 globalist, anti-American organizations and clawing back billions of taxpayer dollars? A good start, by the way. I couldn’t agree more with that.” [03:10]
• On the Secretary-General:
  • “This dude is like been eating high on the hog…you want to talk about somebody needs to tighten the belt, it’s this guy.” [04:40]
• On UN Programs:
  • “These are Marxist socialists and communists that are running the organization. Literally a former communist is running the organization.” [07:30]
• On Trump’s Action:
  • “This president, Donald Trump, he went in and said Stop it all. Don’t just stop a little bit…Stop every bit of it. Stop it all. And it truly is incredible.” [11:04]

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------| | 01:06 | Show opens with UN funding crisis headline | | 03:10 | Ferguson cheers Trump’s defunding moves | | 05:50 | Claims UN helped Hamas and Hezbollah | | 07:30 | Critique: UN run by “Marxist socialists” | | 08:00 | U.S. withdrawal from climate treaties detailed | | 09:12 | Response to Gavin Newsom’s criticism | | 10:05 | Ferguson advocates a “bare minimum” UN role | | 11:04 | Ferguson’s impassioned closing praise |

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

Ben Ferguson adopts a combative, energetic, and nationalist tone throughout, unapologetically endorsing Trump’s isolationist approach to multilateral institutions. He frames the defunding of the UN and withdrawal from global initiatives as populist victories over waste and “globalism.” The episode serves as a robust defense of the administration’s foreign policy, while lampooning the UN’s leadership and painting the international body as fundamentally adversarial to American interests.

This summary provides a comprehensive view for listeners interested in U.S.–UN relations, the Trump administration’s “America First” policy shifts, and their domestic and international impacts.

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Transcript

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You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Good Monday morning. So nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And we've got one big story for you. Donald Trump breaking the United Nations. They're now begging for money and angry at the United States of America for not sending them more. How did Donald Trump do it and what does this mean? I explain it all to you. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. Story number one, the United nations is, is in theory going broke and needs member nations to step up and send cash and lots of it. That is the plea from the secretary General who fears that the globalist body is at risk of imminent financial collapse, quote, unquote, due to member states not paying their fees. The former leader of the Portuguese Socialist Party said Friday that the UN Faces a financial crisis which was deepening, threatening program delivery and money could run out as soon as July, leaving the unaccountable globalist society destitute. Doesn't that sound amazing, by the way? Such is the financial drama unfolding at the UN Headquarters in Geneva. Signs warning of the situation have reportedly been put up everywhere in an almost desperate attempt to save cash. The escalators, they say, are regularly turned off and the heating turned down. The BBC is now reporting the man in charge sent a massive email to our cable, or whatever you want to call IT, to all 193 member states, outlining his fears and pleading they had to honor their mandatory payments or overhaul the organization's financial rules to avoid collapse. Now it comes after the UN's largest contributor. Wait. Wait for it. Drumroll, please. You guessed it. The United States of America refused to contribute to its regular and peacekeeping budget and withdrew from several agencies that called a waste of taxpayer dollars. By the way, you can thank literally Donald Trump for this. These include the UN's population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations as the AP reported it, as well as the US also intends to exit dozens of other global organizations or initiatives not affiliated with the un, but still relying on massive UN funding. Here's something that's interesting. One person put on social media question, what do you call Donald Trump defunding 66 globalists, anti American organizations and clawing back billions of US taxpayer dollars? Answer, A good start, by the way. I couldn't agree more with that. He's absolutely right to do it. Now, I'm going to tell you more about that money in a moment, but let me get back to this. The BBC now reports Secretary General wrote that the UN, which officially came into being in October of 1945, had faced financial crisis in the past, but the current situation was categorically, quote, unquote, different decisions not to honor assess contributions that finance a significant share of the approved regular budget have now been formally announced. The Secretary General said, without naming specific members. He said the integrity of the entire system depends on states adhering to their obligation under the UN Charter to pay their assessed contributions, adding that 77% of the total owed have been paid in 2025, leaving a record amount unpaid. By the way, what's also really funny, if you google this guy, this dude is like been eaten high on the hog, okay? Like he's a fat dude and a lot of his pictures show him in luxury situations like a private jet or a private helicopter. That's just one example of like who this dude is. Like, you want to talk about somebody needs to tighten the belt, it's this guy. Now, Gutierrez said a rule that the UN must return unspent money on particular programs to members if it could not implement a budget created a double blow in which it was expected to give back cash that does not exist. Well, hold on a second. You're supposed to give it back if it's not used. Where'd it go? Mr. UN Secretary General, I'm asking for, I don't know, a bunch of taxpayers in America, quote, I cannot overstate the urgency of the situation we now face. We cannot execute budgets with uncollected funds nor return funds we never received. Now the US is the UN's largest contributor. Donald Trump has said it was not fulfilling its great potential. And then he criticized it for failing to support us led peace efforts, especially in the Middle East. You also have to remember it was the same UN that was busted helping Hamas and Hezbollah. Yes, they were actually helping them. I'll have more on that story in a minute. The US did not pay its contributions the UN's regular budget in 2025 and offered only 30% of its expected funding to UN peacekeeping operations. Why? Because they're pretty much worthless now. In January last year, Trump withdrew it from dozens of international organizations, including 31 UN agencies to quote, end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over US priorities. The President said now the UN's thirst for other people's money appears, well, something that they're not going to stop anytime soon because they're crying out for the rest of the world to give them money and demanding that America sent a huge check. I expect some of the world to like be suckered into this and like, yeah, we'll stand up and, you know, do this. I don't think America should send any of this money. In fact, I actually believe we should just completely get out of the un except for having one person show up so we know what's going on. But like we should not give any money to the United nations. In my opinion, like the bare minimum just to have a seat at the table, like whatever that is. That's all I think any of the other crap. I don't think we should be involved in any of it because these are Marxist socialists and communists that are running the organization. Literally a former communist is running the organization. Now here's the second part of the story which is really interesting. The Trump administration announced it's taking US taxpayer dollars away from. What they have said is 66 globalist organizations, nearly half of them affiliated with the United nations and all of which are identified as, quote, contrary to the interests of the United States. Most notable is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change known as the unfccc, the parent treaty underpin all the major international climate agreements. The treaty was adopted in 1992. It's a global pact by nations to cooperate to drive down planet warming, greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of so called climate change. So they're saying if you don't do this and it's all this money we waste and it goes all these special organizations, interest groups and Family members and friends of all the powerful people. And it doesn't do jack crap. That's the reality of the situation. Okay? Quote, the decision by the world's largest economy and second largest emitter of, of, I guess, greenhouse gases to retreat from its, from this is regrettable and unfortunate. That is what they said at the time when we decided to get out. We will unequivocally support and continue to support international climate research as the foundation of our understanding and work. We will also continue to work on international climate cooperation. Trump, by the way, who has thrown the full weight of his domestic policy behind fossil fuels, has openly scorned speculation of human activity that is warming the planet. And the UN has condemned him for that. Did you hear what I just said? Has condemned him for that. Now, Trump's administration has also sent no representative to the most recent UN Climate summit in Brazil in November, which is held every year under the guidance of the United Nations. Now, Trump is making sure that your tax dollars are no longer spent at the discretion of the UN and its associated global affiliates or entities. Why? Because the President said no more. President's memo also directs the United States to withdraw from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN Body responsible for assessing climate science, alongside other climate related organizations including the International Renewable Energy Agency, the UN Oceans and UN Water. As in his first term, Trump has also withdrawn the United States from the UNESCO, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which Washington had rejoined under, of course, Joe Biden. Trump has likewise pulled the US out of the World Health Organization, sharply reduced foreign aid. California Governor, by the way, Gavin Newsom said the move was made by a brainless president who is surrendering America's leadership on the world stage and weakening our ability to compete in the economy of the future, creating a leadership vacuum that he now says that China is going to exploit. I mean, not kidding. You literally cannot make this crap up. Now, I bring all this to you and I tell you all this because right now you should be extremely proud and extremely happy that we have a President, United States of America, that is doing this and not just like on a little scale, is straight up throwing down on it. He's not waiting. He's not doing it in a very, in a very, like, quick way. Okay? He's not doing it in a, like, in a, in a. Hey, I'll, I'll act like I'm making a difference by cutting some stuff and I'm going to move on really fast. No, no, this, this President Donald Trump, he went in and said Stop it all. Don't. Just stop a little bit. Just don't, don't stop. Like a token program here. Okay. Or a token program there. No, no, no, no. Stop it all. Stop every bit of it. Stop it all. And it truly is incredible. 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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