BONUS POD: Banning Gain of Function Research plus Trump's $1000 Self-Deportation Plan

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz – Episode Summary

Episode: BONUS POD: Banning Gain of Function Research plus Trump's $1000 Self-Deportation Plan
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Co-host: Senator Ted Cruz
Produced By: Premiere Networks

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1. Executive Order Banning Gain of Function Research

Timestamp: 03:24 – 10:37

In this segment, Senator Ted Cruz delves into President Donald Trump's significant executive order aimed at restricting federal funding for gain of function (GOF) research. GOF research involves manipulating viruses and pathogens to study their potential to cause pandemics, a practice that has been both lauded for its scientific value and criticized for its safety risks.

Key Points Discussed:

• Definition and Risks of GOF Research:
  Sen. Cruz explains that GOF research, also known as dual-use research, can make infectious agents more transmissible or virulent. This type of research has been controversial due to the potential for accidental leaks, which many believe contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Trump Administration’s Rationale:
  The executive order aims to prevent the misuse of taxpayer dollars in funding GOF research, particularly in nations with insufficient research oversight like China and Iran. Cruz emphasizes the administration's intent to bolster national security and public health safety.

• Official Endorsements:
  High-ranking officials support the order, highlighting its necessity. For instance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. lauded President Trump’s "courage and vision" in making this move (04:58).

• Impact on Scientific Community:
  While some scientists argue for the benefits of GOF research in pandemic prevention, the administration counters that the risks outweigh the potential gains, citing the ongoing dangers posed by such experiments.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Marty McCary, FDA Commissioner:
  “It is crazy to think the entire nightmare was probably the result of some scientists messing with Mother Nature in a laboratory with technology.”

• Senator Ted Cruz:
  “The President knew there was a problem. He knew that gain of function research was out of control. He knew that your tax dollars should not be going to adversaries like China and Iran.”

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2. Trump Administration’s $1,000 Self-Deportation Plan

Timestamp: 10:37 – 18:08

Senator Cruz shifts focus to a groundbreaking immigration policy introduced by the Trump administration: offering $1,000 and flight assistance to undocumented immigrants willing to self-deport. This initiative aims to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers while addressing illegal immigration more humanely.

Key Points Discussed:

• Program Mechanics:
  Undocumented immigrants can register via the CBP Home app. Upon confirmed departure from the U.S., they receive a $1,000 stipend and assistance with flight arrangements. This approach contrasts with the traditional, more costly deportation processes.

• Cost Savings:
  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates significant savings, reducing the cost per individual from approximately $17,000 to $4,500 by eliminating the need for extensive detention and procedural expenses.

• Government Strategy:
  The plan not only seeks to decrease illegal immigration but also aims to gather information on migrants, potentially facilitating future legal avenues for those who depart voluntarily.

• Criticism from Advocates:
  Pro-immigration groups condemn the plan, arguing it undermines migrants' rights and pressures vulnerable individuals into leaving. Aaron Rushelin from the Immigration Council describes it as “likely mean a deportation order” and urges migrants to reject the offer (12:28).

Notable Quotes:

• Julia:
  “The Trump administration is using this as a way for migrants to not only register themselves but to self-deport as well. So the government is looking to save some money here.”

• Aaron Rushelin, Immigration Council Advocacy Group:
  “This might be worse for people who take advantage of it, for people illegal immigrants in immigration court, it would likely mean a deportation order.”

• Stephen Miller:
  “The savings are as much as $1 million per illegal alien family given the long-term costs of free welfare and public support.”

• Senator Ted Cruz:
  “We're willing to hold trade negotiations with China, including the president saying on April 8 that we are waiting for the call. It will happen.”

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3. Trade Negotiations with Canada and China

Timestamp: 18:08 – 20:06

In the final segment, Senator Cruz discusses President Trump's proactive trade negotiations with Canada and China, highlighting efforts to secure more favorable terms for American workers and taxpayers.

Key Points Discussed:

• Canada:
  The Trump administration is engaging with Canada’s new leadership to renegotiate the 25% tariff on Canadian goods entering the U.S. The goal is to establish a trade deal that benefits both nations, though challenges remain due to differing economic priorities.

• China:
  Ongoing tensions have led to high tariffs on Chinese goods (up to 145%). The Trump administration is pressing for trade talks to address these tariffs, emphasizing the need for reciprocity and fairness in trade relations. China's Commerce Ministry has indicated openness to negotiations, potentially signaling a busy week ahead for bilateral discussions.

• Economic Implications:
  Cruz underscores the administration’s commitment to protecting American industries from unfair trade practices, ensuring that any agreement prioritizes U.S. economic interests and job security.

Notable Quotes:

• President Donald Trump:
  “We're not going to be taken advantage of and neither will American workers.”

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
  “We are meeting as heads of our government,” acknowledging the complexities but expressing a willingness to negotiate (17:45).

• Senator Ted Cruz:
  “The President is attempting to use the talks to get a better deal for American taxpayers and also so that the world can go back to more of a normal trading capacity.”

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Conclusion

This bonus episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz" provides an in-depth analysis of President Trump's latest policies on gain of function research, immigration, and international trade. Senator Cruz offers a comprehensive overview of how these initiatives aim to enhance national security, reduce taxpayer burdens, and protect American economic interests. Through detailed discussions and notable quotes from key figures, listeners gain a clear understanding of the administration’s strategies and the ensuing debates surrounding these contentious issues.

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For more insights and detailed discussions on current political affairs, subscribe to "Verdict with Ted Cruz" on your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Host 1]

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[Ryan]

It is Ryan here and I have a question for you. What do you do when you win? Like, are you a fist pumper?

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[Host 1]

The things that happened were so bizarre.

[Clay]

And insane, I can't begin to tell you.

[Ryan]

Please do. To hear the whole story, listen to Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host 1]

Hey, Clay, if there was a summer camp for critical thinking, we'd be the chief counselors.

[Ryan]

Those jelly heads in June would be.

[Host 1]

Intellectual warriors by August. Be a lot of fun too. Some Bill and Ted's excellent adventure references thrown in this podcast, like a daily dose of that, minus the campfires, archery and pranking, the girls. The bonafide boot camp for critical thinking you can get in on for free at the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. Just search our names, play in Bach.

[Clay]

Listen and subscribe on our trade policies with Biden. We're losing $5 billion a day. How many, how many groups could lose 5 billion a day? If you lose 5 billion one day, that's the end of that company. You're fired. He says you fired. Get out of here. So we essentially did that and we have it down to a very low number. We're doing really well. Really well.

[Host 1]

You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Good Tuesday morning. Welcome. It is the 47 Morning Update Ben Ferguson with you. And I want to say first off, for many of you that may be hearing the show for the first time, thank you for joining us. And make sure you hit that subscribe or auto download button so you do not miss a single episode of the 47 Morning Update. Now we've got three big stories for you. And the first one deals with your safety as Donald Trump has issued a major executive order restricting the funding for gain of function research. I'll have all the details on this amazing moment in the Trump presidency on that in just a second. Up next, pro immigration advocates losing their mind as Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security is now offering $1,000 in a free flight for illegal immigrants who self deport. So why are they so against it? We'll have that for you in just a moment as well. And finally, Donald Trump has a big week at the White House meeting with Canada as well as talking with China on trade negotiations. It's the 47 Morning Update and it start right now. Common sense is back in the White House. We all know that. But now we have a president that's making sure that certain things that changed our world forever may never happen again. President Donald Trump issuing a very important executive order restricting federal funding for research that involves a controversial field of scientific study known as gain of function research. Now, the research, which is also known as dual use research, involves experimenting with viruses and other pathogens that have the potential to trigger a pandemic Those studies could discover how infectious agents might become more transmissible or make people even sicker. This field has long been controversial because of fears that scientists could make a more dangerous pathogen in their lab that could get out and cause a pandemic. Well, those concerns became a reality with COVID 19. And those concerns have led to many efforts over the years, years to more tightly monitor and control this type of gain of function research. Many didn't even know about gain of function research and what it actually meant until COVID 19 pandemic hit. One theory for how the pandemic started says that the SARS CoV2 virus, which causes COVID19, spilled out of the Chinese Wuhan institute of virology. Don't worry, our government at the time said, no, no, that didn't happen. And Dr. Fauci was one of those involved. You may also remember that doct. Fauci said that he wasn't funding gain of function research technology when in fact he absolutely was. And when I say he was funding it, it means your tax dollars were going exactly to that quote. Many people believe that gain of function research was one of the key causes of the COVID pandemic that struck us in the last decade. That's what the White House secretary Will Scarf said. That is exactly what this executive order does. First of all, it provides powerful new tools to enforce the ban on federal funding of gain of fun research abroad. It also strengthens other oversight mechanisms related to that issue and creates an overarching strategy to ensure that biomedical research in general is being conducted safely. Many scientists have said, well, hold on a second. We need to weigh the evidence and understand that pandemics can happen and that we can learn from them when they do happen. When the reality is, well, we know where this started, and it wasn't in China in a wet market. It was in the Wuhan Institute of virology where they were doing gain of function research. Now, according to the White House, the executive order would block any US Funding of gain of function research in countries of concern such as China and Iran, as well as other foreign nations deemed to have insufficient research oversight. The order also prohibits u. S. Tax dollars from contributing to foreign research likely to cause another pandemic and also US Dollars in general. The order also empowers American research agencies to identify and end federal funding of other biological research that could pose a threat to American public health, public safety or national security. That according to the White House's own fact sheet on this issue, an executive order. The order will increase the safety and security of biological research without impending US Innovation. The White House also issued statements from several top Trump admin officials who argued the funding restriction is necessary. The Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Put it this way, saying, I commend President Trump for his courage and his vision. This is a historic day is what Dr. J. Bottice, the director of the National Institute of Health, said. The conduct of this research does not protect us against pandemics, as some people might say. It doesn't protect us against other nations. There's always a danger in doing this research. It might leak out just by accident and cause a pandemic. It is crazy to think the entire nightmare was probably the result of some scientists messing with Mother Nature in a laboratory with technology is what the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Dr. Marty McCary, said about Donald Trump's executive order. So at the end of the day, what you need to know is this. The President knew there was a problem. He knew the gang of function research was out of control. He knew that your tax dollars should not be going to adversaries like China and Iran. And he's stopping it once and for all. Next story number two, media going crazy because they're actually having to cover a brilliant idea from the Trump administration. The idea is to save American taxpayers money while also getting deportations underway in a very serious way with a large number of people self deporting. How does it work? We're going to pay them to do it. The Trump administration has now come out saying they are willing to pay $1,000 to an undocumented immigrant who self deports. The Department of Homeland Security announced it will provide travel assistance and $1,000 stipend to those who use the CBP home app to actually leave the United States of America. The Department of Homeland Security says we are intensifying our efforts to persuade unauthorized immigrants to self deport by offering them the thousand dollar stipend and assistance. This will save Americans money. Now the best part about this story is the fact that the media is actually having to cover it and they don't know how to criticize it, but they don't like it. CBS News putting a big story out there and here's how they explained it to their audience. So Willie, how would this actually work?

[Julia]

Hey there Julia. Good to be with you on this Monday afternoon. Well, the Trump administration is looking to deport migrants this way in large part because it would save the government money. That's part of the thinking here. A Department of Homeland Security official explained that it costs about $17,000 to find and apprehend a migrant who is undocumented here in the United States and deport them. So this could potentially save the government thousands of dollars per person. And the president spoke about this earlier today. Listen.

[Clay]

But what we thought we'd do is a self deportation where we're going to pay each one a certain amount of money and we're going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from and they have a period of time. And if they make it, we're going to work with them so that maybe someday with a little work, they can come back in. If they're good people, if they're the kind of people that we want in our company, industrious people that could love our country. And if they're not, they won't.

[Julia]

Now, the way that migrants can sign up for this program is by using the CBP Home app. That is the app that was used under the Biden administration, administration for migrants to register themselves here. So they could be. The government could have information about them and their status here in the United States. But the Trump administration is using this as a way for migrants to not only register themselves, but to self deport as well. So the government looking to save some money here, looking to collect some information from those undocumented migrants. And I'll add that the effort to deport migrants has really been slowed by the courts. We've seen the Trump administration try to deport migrants in different ways, using the Alien Enemies act, for instance, but this way in particular, quite a novel idea that the Trump administration is using, but one that they believe could save the government thousands of dollars per individual.

[Host 1]

Julia, by the way, not thousands. Tens of thousands of dollars per immigrant. Illegal. Let's just call them what it is. Illegal. Now the left is just losing their mind. Pro immigration advocates are slamming the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration offering this money. They are denouncing it and they're, quote, urging illegal migrants to reject President Donald Trump's offer of a thousand dollars in the free airline ticket to leave the country, quote, this opinion might be worse for people who take advantage of it, claimed Aaron Rushelin, a pro immigration advocate for the Immigration Council advocacy group. Quote, for people illegal immigrants in immigration court, it would likely mean a deportation order. For others not detained for deportation, it would abandon clear options for staying. So they're saying, dig in, don't take the bait. Don't leave America. Stephen Miller putting out a tweet putting it this way, the savings are as much as 1 million per illegal alien family given the long term costs of free welfare and public support. And that is exactly why the Trump administration is now saying we are willing to begin paying for the commercial flights of illegal aliens who self deport from the US we will pay these aliens an additional thousand dollars once they are confirmed have left the country. The Department of Homeland Security telling Fox News it will save American taxpayers 70% as it currently costs DHS on average over 17,000 to arrest, detain and deport someone from the US while paying for self removal flights. And the stipend is protected to cost just 4,500 and also will be safer for ICE and preserve their resources. Illegal aliens. Here's the rules must register on the CBP home app and file their notice to leave the US in order to receive the financial assistance and the stipend will only be paid once the alien is confirmed to have left the United States. And here is story number President Donald Trump is fresh off his 100 days in office and now we are getting word that his administration has no plan to slow down in the coming weeks, months or even years. This week we are celebrating the Most successful first 100 days of any presidential administration in the history of our country, is what Trump had to say as he was addressing the University of Alabama on Thursday at his commencement speech. Fast Forward to Week 16 back in the Oval Office and we now know what's happening when it comes to the issue of trade with the President is meeting with Canada's new leader and having ongoing talks as well between Russia and Ukraine. And trade negotiations with foreign nations are also expected to continue heating up at the White House today. Now the Canadian prime Minister to visit the White House and a major point that they will be speaking about will be how they can work on their trade deal. Now Carney's Liberal Party emerged victorious in the nation's federal elections last week and now they will discuss the 25% tariff imposed on goods from the nation sent to the U.S. and Trump's repeated urging that the U.S. northern neighbor become the 51st state. Yes, it's still kind of a joke. We are meeting as heads of our government, carney said Friday of the upcoming meeting. And I'm not pretending that those discussions will be easy. He Now Trump added during his Cabinet meeting with members on Thursday that he said it was important that America get a fair trade deal with Carney after Canada's elections and predicted they would have a, quote, great working relationship, saying he's going to come to the White House very shortly, within the next week or less. And everything will be on the table. We also are finding out there's some movement with China as Beijing is evaluating trade negotiation offers. Well, in fact, China's Commerce Ministry has now said publicly that they are in negotiations with the US and that officials are evaluating an offer from the Trump administration to hold trade talks on the 145% U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. This is signaling it could be a very busy week of discussions if China accepts the offer. The US has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China. That coming from a new report from Reuters. So what is the president doing? Well, it's the art of the deal. He's attempting to use the talks to get a better deal for American taxpayers and also so that the world can go back to more of a normal trading capacity. Back and forth, Trump and the administration made it clear we're not going to be taken advantage of and neither will American workers. But we're willing to hold trade negotiations with China, including the president saying on April 8 that we are waiting for the call. It will happen. The president said on NBC News Meet the Press on Sunday that he will not drop the tariffs to bring China to the negotiating table. He said that is a non starter. So the president still holding firm but saying we're more than ready to have a real talk about changing the way that America's been taken advantage of. 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.

[Ryan]

This podcast is supported by Talkspace. When my husband came home from his military deployment, readjusting was hard for all of us. Thankfully, I found Talkspace. Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers online. Military members, veterans and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones. I just answered a few questions online and Talkspace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me and I can message her anytime. It was so easy to set up and they accept Tricare. Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couple's therapist through Talkspace too. Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist [e-mail] military go to talkspace.com military to get started today. That's talkspace.com military in the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency. It became known as the Iran Contra Affair.

[Host 1]

The things that happened were so bizarre.

[Clay]

And insane, I can't begin to tell you.

[Ryan]

Please do. To hear the whole story, listen to Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host 1]

Hey Clay, if there was a summer camp for critical thinking, we'd be the chief counselors.

[Ryan]

Those jelly heads in June would be.

[Host 1]

Intellectual warriors by August. Be a lot of fun, too. Some Bill and Ted's excellent adventure record. References thrown in this podcast like a daily dose of that. Minus the campfires, archery and pranking the girls. The bonafide boot camp for critical thinking. You can get in on it for free at the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. Just search our names. Play and Buck.

[Ryan]

Listen and subscribe. You're listening to an I Heart podcast.