The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: What's Next after Kirk's Tragedy, Christians Persecuted in Nigeria & Tucker plus Osama Bin Laden Equals Week In Review
Date: September 13, 2025

Overview

In this emotionally charged week-in-review, Ben Ferguson is joined by Senator Ted Cruz to reflect on three major stories:

1. The aftermath and societal impact of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
2. The underreported, ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria and Senator Cruz’s related legislative efforts.
3. Controversial recent comments by Tucker Carlson regarding Osama bin Laden, Hamas, and American foreign policy.

With candid conversation, personal anecdotes, and pointed critique, the episode navigates the current divides in American politics, religious freedom abroad, and the boundaries of political and moral discourse in media.

1. The Aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

(00:35–06:48)

Key Discussion Points

• Personal Impact:
  Ben recounts the difficulty of explaining Kirk’s murder to his son, reflecting on the fear and tension felt by conservative commentators today.

  “When I put him to bed last night, he knew that daddy's friend had died and he said, ‘daddy, is someone going to shoot you for what you do?’ … I said, buddy, you know Daddy carries a gun. You know, Daddy shoots back and he just started crying.”
  —Ben Ferguson (00:56)

• Broader Societal Divide:
  Both recognize the climate of political hatred, invoking parallels to past high-profile assassinations (JFK, Bobby Kennedy, MLK) and recent attacks (Trump in Butler). Senator Cruz expresses disgust at those celebrating Kirk’s death online:

  “It made me physically sick, the joy at his being murdered.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (03:40)

• A Call for Unity:
  Cruz highlights a conciliatory post from progressive commentator Cenk Uygur as an example of how Americans might respond differently:

  “If you really want to strike back at whoever did this, listen to each other. Instead of hating one another, they want us to hate each other. Treating… as a united America, would be an historic act of defiance.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz, quoting Cenk Uygur (05:20)

• Charlie’s Legacy:
  They recall Kirk’s belief in dialogue and his commitment to liberty, faith, and love.

  “Charlie’s message was one of love. It was one of liberty. It was one of the constitution... It was one of hope. It was one of faith.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (06:22)

2. The Persecution of Christians in Nigeria

(08:06–18:22)

Key Discussion Points

• Scope and Scale of Violence:
  Senator Cruz details the staggering numbers:

  • Over 50,000 Christians murdered by Boko Haram since 2009 (08:54)
  • 18,000+ churches and 2,000+ schools attacked (09:17)
  • 145 priests kidnapped between 2015–2025 (09:40)
  • Recent attacks killing over 200 Christian villagers (10:36)

• Legislative Response:
  Cruz introduces his Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025:

  • Mandates the State Department to classify Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" on religious liberty (11:17)
  • Direct sanctions on Nigerian officials complicit in persecution
  • Continued terrorist organization designation for Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa

• Government Complicity and U.S. Inaction:
  Cruz criticizes the Biden administration for turning a blind eye, contrasting this with his own advocacy and providing an historical example—Miriam Ibrahim’s imprisonment and eventual release due to international pressure (13:10–15:39).

  “Her crime was being a Christian. … She gave birth to a little girl… in that prison cell. … She was in the mud giving birth in leg irons."
  —Senator Ted Cruz (14:19)

  He recalls asking Ibrahim how she kept hope:

  “She looked at me very, very calmly and she just said, ‘Jesus was with me.’”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (17:13)

• Moral and Strategic Leverage:
  Cruz advocates using visa sanctions on Nigerian officials to effect change. (17:57)

  “If you sanction the individual government officials who are complicit... that can have a real and powerful effect.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (17:57)

3. Tucker Carlson, Osama Bin Laden, and the Politics of Condolence

(19:44–32:16)

Key Discussion Points

• Tucker Carlson’s Comments on Bin Laden:
  Carlson’s willingness to express condolences to Bin Laden’s family sparks incredulity:

  “I would be totally comfortable sharing condolences with Osama bin Laden's family. I hate Osama bin Laden. On the other hand, if somebody dies, it's okay to say I'm sorry to his family that he had a toddler.”
  —Tucker Carlson (20:28)

  Cruz reacts sharply:

  “This is a bizarre position… By his same reasoning, he'd be just fine giving condolences to Adolf Hitler's family. Let me tell you right now, I am not remotely sorry that Osama bin Laden is dead… If people are evil, psychotic mass murderers, then society celebrates that they are no longer with us.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (21:13)

• Discussion of Hamas:
  Carlson implies Hamas may be more political than terrorist, a claim Cruz and Ferguson strongly dispute:

  “I don't know if that's true, by the way. It seems more like a political organization, but whatever it is, they're telling us constantly they're Al Qaeda, so it can't also be true that Christians are a member of Al Qaeda.”
  —Tucker Carlson (24:49)

  Cruz retorts:

  “Let me be very clear. Hamas is a terrorist organization... Globally, it's designated as such by the United States… by Australia, by Canada, by Paraguay, by Israel…”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (25:38)

  He provides extensive evidence from the Hamas Charter, Wikipedia, and historical attacks (25:53–27:56).

• Critique of Carlson’s Media Approach:
  Cruz notes Carlson’s pattern:

  • Criticizing U.S. foreign policy
  • Hosting adversarial leaders with soft interviews (Iran, Russia)
  • Targeting then-President Trump’s staff via proxy

  “He doesn't have the courage... to actually attack Trump. So he just attacks everything Trump does.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (30:27)

• Concerns Over Moral Relativism:
  Both hosts stress the dangers of equivocating over obvious acts of evil and aligning rhetoric with figures on the political far-left.

  “If you say something publicly and the words you said are indistinguishable from something said by Ilhan Omar or Rashida Talib, that ought to be a sign you've got a problem.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (31:41)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Ben on Explaining Violence to Children:

  “When I put him to bed last night, he knew that daddy's friend had died and he said, ‘daddy, is someone going to shoot you for what you do?’” (00:56)

• Cruz's Historical Analogy:

  “You and I were not alive when JFK was shot or Bobby Kennedy was shot or Martin Luther King was shot. But I do kind of wonder if that's a little bit what this felt like…” (02:46)

• Miriam Ibrahim’s Faith:

  “‘How did you not lose hope?’ … She just said, ‘Jesus was with me.’” (17:13)

• On Moral Clarity:

  “If people are evil, psychotic mass murderers, then society celebrates that they are no longer with us. There is justice.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz (21:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Charlie Kirk's assassination and aftermath: 00:35–06:48
• Persecution of Christians in Nigeria: 08:06–18:22
• Tucker Carlson, Osama bin Laden, and Hamas: 19:44–32:16

Tone and Style

The episode is direct, impassioned, and unapologetically conservative. Both hosts combine personal reflection, advocacy, and combative criticism of political opponents and perceived moral ambiguity in media. The tone alternates between somber (Kirk’s death, Nigerian persecution) and fiery (responses to Carlson, defense of U.S. positions).

For listeners seeking unvarnished conservative commentary and inside-the-Beltway takes on recent news and political culture wars, this episode offers potent, emotionally resonant analysis and a call to defend American and Christian values at home and abroad.