Watchdogs Demand Sanctions on Iran Now, No More Red Acres in America plus LA Erupts Over ICE Raids

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson Episode: "Watchdogs Demand Sanctions on Iran Now, No More Red Acres in America plus LA Erupts Over ICE Raids" Release Date: July 12, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, host Ben Ferguson delves into pressing national and international issues impacting the United States. The episode covers emerging threats from Iran, the strategic clampdown on Chinese ownership of American farmland, and escalating anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. Through detailed analysis, exclusive interviews, and unfiltered commentary, Ferguson provides listeners with a comprehensive overview of the current socio-political landscape.

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1. Iranian Fatwas and Potential Sleeper Cells in the U.S.

A. Iranian Threats Against President Trump

Ben Ferguson opens the episode with alarming news concerning President Donald Trump. Following recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, an Iranian official has issued a threat implying that a drone could target the President while he sunbathes at Mar-a-Lago. At [00:06], Trump responds humorously, downplaying the threat and questioning his current sunbathing habits.

Ferguson highlights a critical report from the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which calls for immediate sanctions on senior Iranian clerics and regime-controlled institutions that have issued fatwas advocating for the torture and assassination of President Trump, American citizens, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He emphasizes the severity of these threats by referencing UANI’s statement:

“Each of these individuals and entities should be sanctioned, indicted and banned from travel along with their families to the United States and its allies.” ([02:00])

B. Potential Iranian Sleeper Cells in the United States

Expanding on the security concerns, Ferguson introduces insights from counterterrorism expert Tom Holman. At [04:45], Holman warns:

“They could even go to the border and say they seek asylum. And the Biden administration... was allowed passage into the United States.”

Holman elaborates on the vulnerabilities posed by deferred asylum processes, allowing potential terrorists to integrate seamlessly into American society with fake IDs and access to firearms. He underscores the difficulty in detecting such threats, noting that terrorism can emerge from both foreign nationals and native-born citizens alike.

Ferguson concludes this segment by stressing the urgent need to address open border policies to safeguard national security and protect key figures like President Trump.

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2. Curtailing Chinese Ownership of U.S. Farmland

A. Nationwide Ban on Foreign Farmland Purchases

Transitioning to domestic concerns, Ferguson discusses the U.S. Government’s intensified efforts to restrict Chinese and adversarial nations’ acquisition of American farmland, particularly those near military bases. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins plays a pivotal role in this initiative, announcing the National Farm Security Act plan. This plan seeks to implement a nationwide ban on farmland sales to Chinese nationals and includes mechanisms to reclaim existing Chinese-owned land.

B. Insights from Secretary Brooke Rollins

In an exclusive interview with Laura Ingraham ([09:38]), Secretary Rollins outlines the comprehensive approach:

“We are saying no more banning the sale of China farmland, working with the states, getting the bills passed through Congress, having an executive order... This is a 100% national security issue.” ([10:03])

She emphasizes the collaboration across various government agencies, including the USDA, Defense Department, Homeland Security, and Treasury Department, to enforce stricter oversight and reduce foreign holdings.

C. President Trump’s Support for American Farmers

Ferguson underscores President Trump’s commitment to protecting American agriculture and national security. He references Trump’s statements on social media, where the President balances the enforcement of border security with support for farmers relying on immigrant labor. For instance, Trump stated:

“There's no amnesty. What we're doing is we're getting rid of criminals... If a farmer is willing to vouch for these people... they'll understand.” ([11:21])

Ferguson praises Trump’s dual strategy of securing borders while ensuring the stability of the agricultural sector, reinforcing that China will no longer dictate terms within the United States.

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3. Anti-ICE Protests Escalate in Los Angeles

A. Protests at the 6th Street Bridge and Boyle Heights

The episode shifts focus to domestic unrest, highlighting intense anti-ICE protests that have taken over Los Angeles, particularly the 6th Street Bridge. Ferguson plays a report from Fox News detailing the widespread rallies against immigration raids. Community activists emphasize solidarity and protection within immigrant communities:

“We're making community. We're reaching out to our neighbors and protecting each other.” ([14:27])

B. Mayor Karen Bass's Controversial Intervention

Ferguson delves into Mayor Karen Bass’s contentious actions during ICE operations at MacArthur Park. Bass publicly confronted ICE agents, demanding their immediate withdrawal and criticizing the raids as “un American.” She controversially highlighted the presence of children in the area to justify her stance:

“There are more than 20 kids playing... Absolutely outrageous.” ([14:42])

C. Public and Political Backlash

The Mayor’s interference has sparked significant backlash from both the public and Republican figures. Critics accuse Bass of prioritizing criminal immigrants over law-abiding Americans. Representative Dara Issa criticized her on social media:

“If only Karen Bass worked as hard as for the fire victims in LA as she does for criminal illegals.” ([17:00])

Additionally, the Border Patrol chief reinforced the administration’s stance, asserting:

“I don't work for Kieran Bass. Better get used to us now because this is going to be very normal.” ([17:45])

Ferguson uses these developments to illustrate the deepening divide between Democratic policies on immigration and Republican calls for stringent enforcement, emphasizing the administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants effectively.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Ben Ferguson provides a thorough examination of critical issues threatening national security and societal stability in the United States. From Iranian threats and potential sleeper cells to the strategic removal of Chinese-owned farmland and the rising tide of anti-ICE protests, Ferguson underscores the administration’s proactive measures to protect American interests. His insightful analysis, backed by expert opinions and firsthand accounts, offers listeners a clear understanding of the challenges and the steps being taken to address them.

For more in-depth coverage, subscribe to The 47 Morning Update on the iHeartRadio app or your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Ben Ferguson]

And now a few weeks after the strikes that you ordered on the nuclear facilities in Iran, there is an Iranian official who says you, President Trump, have done something that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar a Lago. As you lie there with your stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit you in the navel. Do you think that's a real threat? And when is the last time you went sunbathing anyway?

[Donald Trump]

I've been a long time. It's been a long time. I don't know, maybe I was around seven or so. Yeah, I guess it's a threat.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

Good Saturday morning to you. Ben Ferguson with you. And these are some of the stories that you may have missed that we talked about this week on the 47 Morning Update. First up, new threats against Donald Trump's life, this time coming directly out of Iran. And the second part of that story is how many sleeper cells could be active in the United States of America from Iran as we speak. We'll have that as well. Not only that, we also have a huge story that is going to protect American farmland and also make sure that Chinese organizations and those connected the Chinese Communist Party aren't buying up our farmland, especially close to our military bases. And finally, the anti ICE protests that have taken over in LA, taken over the Los Angeles Bridge and the ACLU is now filing a lawsuit. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now.

Story number one.

In a shock shocking story, Donald Trump apparently has been targeted by Iranian death fatwas as watchdog groups are now demanding immediate sanctions response because of the news. A news report by the United Against Nuclear Iran is urging the US Government to impose sanctions on senior Iranian clerics and regime controlled institutions that have issued or promoted Islamic legal rulings known as fatwas, calling for the torture and assassination of President Donald Trump as well as other American citizens and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Now the fatwas invoke the Islamic charge waging war against God, a term in Iran's penal code that mandates brutal punishments including crucifixion and cross assumption under the regime's UN Interpretation of Sharia law. Today, UANI is exposing the individuals and entities in Iran hiding behind religion to forment terrorism abroad. The threats against the president of the United States of America and other Americans are a federal crime. Each of these individuals and entities should be sanctioned, indicted and banned from travel along with their families to the United States and its allies. That is what a joint statement by former governor Jeb Bush, the UANI's chairman and ambassador Mark Wallace, its CEO and former US ambassador to the UN for management and Reform, said in a statement. The latest fatwa against another American citizen, Salman Rushdie, almost cost him his life. With him being stabbed by an Iranian regime sympathizer. It is time to ensure that those who threaten Americans face the full force of the law. Now, the UANI's new list identified not one, not two, not five, not eight, but 11 individuals and two regime aligned entities that have not been sanctioned under US counterterrorism laws. The organization is calling for all of them to be designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Executive Order 13224, which is reserved for those engaged in or supporting terrorism. Among the top targets is the Ayatollah Nassar, a powerful cleric known as the Sultan of Sugar for his denomination of Iran's lucrative sugar trade. There's also calls for others in the government and there are many that are concerned about what this could mean for sleeper cells in the United States of America. Which brings me to part two of the story. Counterterrorism experts are now saying that Iran sleeper cells in the US Might be hiding now in plain sight. Listen to this.

[Tom Holman]

Where they could be located or where these sleeper cells may be is in plain sight. And that's, that's the, the real terrifying part of this is that putting people in place, as we've seen over the past four years, everyone's scrambling because certain amounts of people could come in here and get in here really relatively easy. They could even go to the border and say they seek asylum. And the Biden administration, instead of putting them into DHS housing or ICE housing and holding them there so they could have their first appearance to be vetted and whether or not they get asylum, that was deferred and they were allowed passage into the United States. For some of these ICE agents are finding people who had deferment for four or more years. And Tom Holman talked about that, how they were putting them in hotels and deferring seven to nine years on some of these people. So even if we knew about them, when they get into the United States, they can just disappear. They are working off the books. They can get a fake ID. They can even get weapons with that fake ID in certain states. And when we say fake IDs, it has their picture, but another official driver's license number that nobody checks the details about. So the ability to get these people in here and put them into sales and instruct them on what they are to do if activated, is very simple. But we've seen multiple attacks by people who didn't sneak in and people who were born here, the Sarnoff brothers, you know, for instance, they didn't sneak into the United States and they carried out a massive attack at the, at the Boston Marathon. So this is the hard part about terrorism. It can happen anywhere at any time. And these individuals can, as long as they don't raise a ruckus, they may not even know what they're going to be called to do.

[Ben Ferguson]

So here we are with another example of what wide open borders have done in this country to our national security. And the terrorism experts are warning us that it's time for us to find these illegal immigrants, specifically those that are staying here from Iran, and make sure that we keep this country safe, including Donald Trump.

Next story number two.

For the last several years, there have been major warning signs about Chinese nationals connected the Chinese Communist Party buying up literally hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. What was even more suspicious about the deals is how much of the farmland was around our top military bases. Well, there is now a move for a nationwide ban on Chinese farmland sales. The Agriculture Secretary Rollins announcing a new National Farm Security act plan which will implement a nationwide ban on sales of US Farmland to Chinese nationals and other, quote, adversarial countries. It also includes mechanisms to claw back existing Chinese owned land, primarily near military installations. Now, the callback of already acquired farmland is obviously not an easy task, but it was a central element of the plan and it is one that is, well led by the Trump administration. And it is a push to reclaim the land already owned by these Chinese entities, leveraging executive action and federal state coordination to reverse past acquisitions. We also know that this is a multi agency US Government effort and they are now demanding stronger oversight. This initiative marks a coordinated effort with the usda, the Defense Department, Homeland Security, the Treasury Department, as well as others, tightening oversight of farmland transactions, specifically near strategic assets and military sites. Rollins also officially joined the CFIUS to ensure security over agricultural investment for national security purposes. And they wanted to reduce foreign holdings already underway. The USDA data indicates now that Chinese farmland ownership has declined, now around 265 to 300,000 acres of US farmland, down from higher levels in prior years. Notably, major players like Smithville Foods, the WH Group have significantly sold land holdings now at about 85,000 acres. But the question is, how do we get to the point where we are allowing the Chinese to own farmlands specifically around our most secretive Bases Secretary Rawlings went on Fox News Channel, the Ingram angle to explain all of this. Listen carefully.

[Laura Ingraham]

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is here to tell us more. Madam Secretary, it's good to see you tonight. So as of 2023, and this is going to shock the viewers, China reportedly owned more than 277,000 acres of agricultural land in the country. Is this the, I mean, is this a goal of ours now to have China own 0%? Could you get that back from China? Tell us what's going to happen.

[Brooke Rollins]

Well, first of all, how great to be with you again. We had a wonderful event this morning announcing this. I had Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Defense Pete Hegseth had AG Pam Bondi. We had three of the country's best governors. We had several people from the Hill. This is an all of government approach.

[Laura Ingraham]

What does that mean?

[Brooke Rollins]

Well, what that means is that if we're going to really ban China from buying our farmland or any foreign adversaries, it's got to be the states have to lean in. The federal government has to step up. We've got to have executive orders out of the White House. A law, there's a law needs to be passed. A lot of bills have been filed, but it hasn't moved. I don't know that America really understands or at least our elected officials.

[Laura Ingraham]

How is this allowed though? China, China owns Smithfield Foods, one of the largest food processing plants in the United States, land near military bases. I've covered this for 20 years.

[Brooke Rollins]

Well, it's now all changes today. I mean, today we for the first time are saying no more banning the sale of China farmland, working with the states, getting the bills passed through Congress, having an executive order. But also, Laura, looking, looking at how to potentially claw some of that back. Especially that's a national security issue, 100% national security issue.

[Laura Ingraham]

Food security, national security. Madam Secretary, earlier today, President Trump made a comment about what to do with illegal immigrant farm workers. Watch.

[Donald Trump]

There's no amnesty. What we're doing is we're getting rid of criminals, but we are doing a work program.

[Laura Ingraham]

But last week the president said something different in Des Moines.

[Donald Trump]

We're going to sort of put the farmers in charge. If a farmer has been with one of these people that work so hard, they bend over all day. We don't have too many people can do that. But they work very hard and they know them very well. If a farmer is willing to vouch for these people in some way, Christi, I think we're going to have to just say that's Going to be good, serious radical right people who I also happen to like a lot. They may not be quite as happy, but they'll understand.

[Laura Ingraham]

Well, I mean, Madam Secretary, which is it? Because first of all, radical right, that's the majority of Americans want every illegal immigrant deported. Four polls, right? Majority of Americans want all legal immigrants. Americans always did their own farming. When you and I were growing up, Americans did their own farming. There were a few foreign workers, but really not that many. What's going on here?

[Brooke Rollins]

Well, I think first of all, and I was glad the president underscored this today. First, no amnesty under Bush, said no amnesty.

[Laura Ingraham]

So to McCain.

[Brooke Rollins]

But you know, I think President Trump hopefully has earned a little more grace, not grace, but a little more confidence than, than those. But no amnesty. Second, mass deportations continue. But he has been fairly specific that we need to make sure that we don't compromise our food supply. So we are going to mass deport, but we have to make sure we focus on the really bad guys first in the inner cities, Louisiana, New York, et cetera. Number three, moving toward more automation, but also moving toward an American based labor supply. You and I have talked about this on screen, off screen. That's the goal. And then finally for Congress, our Secretary of labor and others to really begin to fix this. The President is unequivocal in his support for farmers, but also weighing that with his support for secure borders and mass deportation, ensuring we don't have that illegal population here, he remains committed to that and we're here to effectuate that vision.

[Ben Ferguson]

It is incredible to witness what President Donald Trump is doing, not only making sure that our adversaries don't own our farmland, but also that we can protect our food sources and our crops. And also protecting American farmers. And the President, United States of America. Also making it clear that China is no longer going to be calling the shots in the United States of America.

And here is story number three.

I want to move on to something else. And that is what's happening right now in la. It has not been reported on much and that is the anti ice protests that have taken over in la, taken over the Los Angeles Bridge. And the ACLU is now filing a lawsuit. I want you to hear this coming from FOX News about what's happening there now.

[News Reporter]

Taking over the 6th Street Bridge, one of several rallies in a citywide day of action against immigration raids.

[Ben Ferguson]

This bridge has been the entry point.

[Community Activist]

To Boyle Heights to kidnap community members.

[Ben Ferguson]

And take them who knows where. So that was an inspiration.

[News Reporter]

CHP standing by the freeway off Ramps. The group staying on the bridge for a while, but eventually moving on to Boyle Heights. And in Koreatown, meanwhile, blessings at another rally. A coalition of groups, including the tenants union, marching peacefully with the message, we're.

[Community Activist]

Here to support the vendors and all the immigrants in Los Angeles and making sure that we retake these streets. We protect each other. This is the only way that we're finding our safety. So we're making community. We're reaching out to our neighbors and protecting each other.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now you can hear these protests becoming a reality. And then things got worse with the Los Angeles radical. Democratic mayor Karen. Karen Bass sparking controversy on social media this week after she attempted to interfere with ICE agents conducting immigration raids, calling it outrageous and quote, un American. Yes, the LA mayor saying, it's un American if you don't let people that break in this country and many of them that are criminals stay. Now, she has been a vocal opponent of immigration raids in her city, appeared at the scene and demonstrated to, well, anyone that would film her on camera because she's one of those psycho narcissists. She also demanded to speak with ICE leadership when the agents were conducting an operation at MacArthur park on Monday, saying, they need to leave. They need to leave right now. They need to leave because this is unacceptable, is what Bass said on the scene. Now, Bass claimed on social media there were children playing at the park, which is well known in the area as a hotbed of homelessness crime, even during daylight hours. Minutes before, by the way, there were more than 20 kids playing, she claimed. Then the military came through. The second I heard about this, I went to the park to speak to the person charged and tell them it need to end now. Absolutely outrageous. Well, Bass's actions sparking immediate pushback from critics online, saying this, if only Karen Bass worked as hard as for the fire victims in LA as she does for criminal illegals. That's what Dara Issa, who represents California's 48th congressional district, said on X. Another one saying it this way. Democrats aren't used to seeing the law being enforced. That's what the communications director for the Florida Republican AG saying on X. But luckily, Karen was able to speak to the manager mocking her going into that park, losing her mind for the cameras. Now, the federal government would not have to deploy against foreign invaders if you would just stop harboring them, is what GOP represented, Mike Collins said. And here's another one. If you did your job, these guys wouldn't need to do theirs. Now, MacArthur park is a vile, filthy, drug infested gang blank hole worthy of Kieran Bass is what actor James Wood said saying the commie loser would be happier in Cuba. So this is where we are. Democrats are supporting those that are criminals over Americans right now. Her city, by the way, has managed to issue like 10 rebuilding permits for the victims of the Palisades fire. But what is she doing instead of helping those Americans? Yeah, she's focused like a laser on protecting Ms. 13 gang members. That's another example of just how radical the left has become. And in addition to social media fallout, the Border Patrol chief also sang to Fox News that he was the official that Bass spoke to on the phone at the scene when she demanded the raid to stop saying this. I don't work for Kieran Bass. Better get used to us now because this is going to be very normal. We will go anywhere anytime we want. In Los Angeles, another example of the Trump administration doing what they promised to voters, getting the worst criminals that are illegal immigrants out of this country.

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 on Monday morning.

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