BONUS POD: Hegseth Denies Claims of Security Breach plus WINNING! Hyundai's $5.8 Billion Steel Plant

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz: BONUS POD – Hegseth Denies Claims of Security Breach plus WINNING! Hyundai's $5.8 Billion Steel Plant

Release Date: March 25, 2025

In this bonus episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," co-host Ben Ferguson and Balk delve into three pivotal stories shaping the political and economic landscape of the United States. Skipping over the promotional segments, the hosts engage in robust discussions about alleged security breaches within the Trump administration, the resurgence of American manufacturing through significant investments like Hyundai's new steel plant, and the orchestrated media attacks against tech magnate Elon Musk. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the episode's key points, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for deeper insight.

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1. Alleged Security Breach in the Trump Administration

Overview: The episode opens with a bombshell report alleging that senior officials from former President Donald Trump's administration included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in a confidential group chat discussing secret U.S. military plans against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. This revelation, purportedly made on the encrypted messaging app Signal, has spurred bipartisan outrage and raised serious concerns about national security protocols.

Key Points:

• Accusation Details: Jeffrey Goldberg, a journalist from The Atlantic, was reportedly added to a Signal group chat featuring high-level officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hedge Seth, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The chat allegedly contained sensitive information regarding military targets, weaponry, and operational timing against the Houthis.

• Defense Secretary's Rebuttal: Pete Hedge Seth vehemently denies the claims. Addressing the allegations during an official visit to Hawaii, he stated:

  "Nobody was texting war plans. And that's all I have to say about that." (04:12)

• Characterization of Jeffrey Goldberg: Balk casts doubt on Goldberg's credibility by referencing his past controversial reporting, suggesting a pattern of unreliable journalism:

  "This is the same person who is now claiming to be on these text messages getting top secret information, who famously wrote a story claiming that Donald Trump had called American troops who died In World War II suckers and losers, something that also never happened." (05:33)

Insights: The hosts highlight the importance of scrutinizing the sources of such explosive claims, emphasizing Goldberg's history of disputed reports. They caution listeners to approach the story with skepticism, given the Defense Secretary's outright denial and Goldberg's questionable track record.

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2. Revival of American Manufacturing: Hyundai's $5.8 Billion Steel Plant

Overview: Transitioning to economic developments, Clinton and Balk celebrate former President Trump's efforts to rejuvenate American manufacturing. Trump's administration reports an influx of approximately $4 trillion worth of companies relocating or expanding their operations back to the United States, spurred by his administration's tariff policies.

Key Points:

• Trump's Assertions: During a cabinet meeting, Trump expressed optimism about the mass repatriation of businesses, attributing this movement to the strategic imposition of tariffs on foreign manufacturers:

  "We have probably identified maybe $4 trillion worth of companies moving back or going to move back." (06:48)

• Hyundai's Investment:

  • Financial Commitment: South Korean automaker Hyundai announced a substantial $5.8 billion investment in a new steel plant in Louisiana.
  • Production and Employment: The plant is projected to produce 2.7 million metric tons of steel annually and create over 1,400 high-paying jobs.
  • Strategic Importance: This facility marks Hyundai's first steel production venture on U.S. soil, supporting its automotive manufacturing operations in Alabama and Georgia.

• Additional Investments: Beyond Hyundai, other major companies like Honda and General Motors are revitalizing or expanding their manufacturing bases in states like Indiana, contributing to local economies and job markets.

Notable Quote: Balk underscores the magnitude of these investments and their positive impact on the American workforce:

"It's ridiculous. You had to go to Mexico, you had to go to Canada... Now what's happening is the numbers are beyond our wildest expectations." (08:57)

Insights: The hosts attribute the success of these economic initiatives to Trump's strategic use of tariffs, which incentivizes companies to establish and maintain operations within the United States. They argue that such policies not only bolster the manufacturing sector but also ensure sustained job growth and economic stability.

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3. Media's Coordinated Attacks on Elon Musk

Overview: The final segment addresses the ongoing media campaign against Elon Musk, critiquing what the hosts perceive as a systematic effort to undermine his influence and destabilize his ventures. They argue that the corporate media, in tandem with Democratic lawmakers, is orchestrating attacks to diminish Musk's standing and disrupt his contributions to technology and governance.

Key Points:

• Unified Media Narratives: Balk observes a concerning uniformity in the media's portrayal of Musk, suggesting collusion to tarnish his reputation:

  "The media has tried to put a wedge between Elon Musk and the President... None of it has worked." (10:16)

• Public Incidents: Referencing recent violent acts against Tesla dealerships and supporters, the hosts link these attacks to the media's negative portrayal of Musk and his companies:

  "We've seen dealerships that have been firebombed. We've seen dealerships that have literally been shot up." (12:37)

• Musk's Governance Style: Musk's approach to government efficiency is likened to a "chainsaw attack," symbolizing his aggressive restructuring of federal agencies:

  "Elon Musk continues his chainsaw attack in Washington. Taking a chainsaw, if you will, to the federal government..." (12:17)

Notable Quotes: Balk uses vivid metaphors to describe Musk's impact and the media's response:

"Elon Musk is an unelected man child running around the country with a pretend chainsaw. That is your media, that is your Democratic Party." (12:57)

Insights: The hosts contend that Musk's innovative and disruptive actions are met with unjust and coordinated resistance from the media and political adversaries. They posit that these attacks are efforts to stifle Musk's influence and, by extension, the progressive changes he advocates for within governmental and technological spheres.

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Conclusion

In this bonus episode, Ben Ferguson and Balk provide a critical examination of significant events impacting national security, economic growth, and technological advancement. By dissecting the allegations against the Trump administration, celebrating substantial investments revitalizing American manufacturing, and critiquing media strategies against Elon Musk, the hosts offer listeners a comprehensive analysis grounded in a conservative perspective. The episode underscores themes of accountability, economic patriotism, and resistance against perceived media biases, aligning with the podcast's mission to reveal the implications of political developments for the American public.

Notable Takeaways:

• Skepticism Towards Media Reports: Emphasizing the need for critical evaluation of news sources, especially concerning national security.
• Economic Optimism: Highlighting the positive effects of strategic tariff policies on domestic manufacturing and job creation.
• Advocacy for Technological Leaders: Defending innovators like Elon Musk against what the hosts view as unfounded media attacks.

Listeners seeking an in-depth understanding of these topics will find the episode both informative and engaging, offering a clear perspective on the intersection of politics, economics, and media influence in contemporary America.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Balk]

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[Clay Travis]

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

[Balk]

Those jelly heads in June would be intellectual warriors by August.

[Clay Travis]

Be a lot of fun too. Some Bill and Ted's excellent adventure references thrown in this podcast.

[Balk]

Like a daily dose of that. Minus the campfires, archery and pranking the girls.

[Clay Travis]

The bonafide boot camp for critical thinking. You can get in on it for free at the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search our names, Clay and Balk. Listen and subscribe.

[Ben Ferguson]

Having to do with what? What were they talking about with the Houthis? You mean the attack on the Houthis? Well, it couldn't have been very effective because the attack was very effective. I can tell you that thanks to.

[Donald Trump]

President Trump's directive, we are seeking the death penalty again.

[Balk]

And the drug dealers need to get.

[Donald Trump]

Out of here because we are coming after you.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

[Balk]

Good Tuesday morning. Welcome. It is the 47 Morning Update, Ben Ferguson with you. And here are the big stories that we're covering this morning. First up, there is an accusation of security breach involving senior officials from Donald Trump's administration. Well, the Defense Secretary, Pete Edseth is now fighting back, claiming that the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, who says that he was inadvertently included in a text message group, is not telling the truth. I'll have the details on that in just a second. Also, Donald Trump is doing exactly what he claimed he was going to do, build businesses in America and bring manufacturing back to America. He just secured a $21 billion Hyundai investment and he's not done there. I'll give you the details on that as well. And finally, you may have noticed that the media is all using the same words as Democratic lawmakers to attack Elon Musk over the last week. We have a montage on that to show you just how corrupt the Democratic leadership is and working with the Media. It's the 47 Morning Update and it.

[Ben Ferguson]

Starts right story number one.

[Balk]

There is a bombshell report that is out right now and the media is absolutely loving every minute of it. They're claiming there was a major security breach occurred when the Trump administration officials accidentally included a journalist by the name of Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic in a group chat where they were discussing secret US Military plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen. The chat took place on the encrypted app Signal and involved high level officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hedge Seth, The Vice President J.D. vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They claim that the leak is exposing details like targets, weapons and timing, sparking bipartisan, quote, unquote outrage. There's just one problem with the story. Pete Hedge Seth is saying it's not true. Here is what he said after landing in Hawaii on an official visit. When asked by the media about this new accusation, can you share how your.

[Donald Trump]

Information about war plans against the WHO Houthis in Yemen was shared with a journalist in the Atlantic? And were those details classified?

[H]

So I you're talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so called journalist who's made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again to include the, I don't know, the hoaxes of Russia, Russia, Russia or the fine people on both sides hoax or suckers and losers hoax. So this is the guy that pedals in garbage. This is what he. I would love to comment on the Houthi campaign because of the skill and courage of our troops. I've monitored it very closely from the beginning. And you see we've been managing four years of deferred maintenance under the Trump administration. Our troops, our sailors were getting shot at as targets our ships couldn't sail through. And when they did shoot back, it was purely defensively or at shacks in Yemen. President Trump said no more. We will re establish deterrence. We will open freedom of navigation and we will ultimately decimate the Houthis, which is exactly what we're doing as we speak from the beginning, overwhelmingly.

[Donald Trump]

Why were those details shared on signal? And how did you learn that a journalist was privy to the targets, the types of weapons used?

[H]

I've heard I was characterized. Nobody was texting war plans. And that's all I have to say about that.

[Balk]

One other point of information that you may want to know about Goldberg is this is the same person who is now claiming to be on these text messages getting top secret information, who famously wrote a story claiming that Donald Trump had called American troops who died In World War II suckers and losers, something that also never happened. So just remember, when you see stories like this, you may want to look at who's writing it and go back and read their history of all the stories that they may have gotten wrong in the past.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now, story number two, one of Donald.

[Balk]

Trump's big promises to the American worker was that he was going to bring American jobs back from overseas. Well, President Donald Trump is Now estimating that 4 trillion worth of companies are moving back to the United States of America. That's right. During a Cabinet meeting, the President said he's very excited to let the American people know what all is happening when it comes to bringing companies back to the U.S. specifically, many of them are coming back for one reason, because of the tariffs that he's been putting in overseas. Take a listen. The President, in his own words, had.

[Ben Ferguson]

A very, very good cabinet meeting. We're on our way to some tremendous numbers. I think, first of all, many companies are now moving into the United States are coming back. Some of them left us from many years ago, decades ago. And they're all seems they're all coming back. We have probably identified maybe $4 trillion worth of companies moving back or going to move back. Many of them have announced it's going to be tremendous jobs, high paying jobs, too. And you probably know the chip business not because of the Chips act, which was a disaster. You gave billions of dollars to companies that already have many billions of dollars that just they said, thank you very much. It was no incentive for them to use it. But what is good is the tariffs will make it so that they want to come back. That's why they're coming back. I think they're coming back because of the election that took place on November 5th and because of the fact that they have to come back because the tariffs are forcing them to come back. And remember, there are no tariffs if you build here. And that's a big factor. So we have record numbers. Howard was just Telling me the numbers that we're talking about are crazy, beyond anybody's wildest expectation. So they'll be doing a lot of, a lot of building all sorts of businesses, including the basics of automobiles. We have, as you know, Indiana's Honda is coming in with a massive plant to Indiana. But there are many plants that are happening and literally some are started already. General Motors is already redoing plants that were half abandoned or they have plants that weren't being fully utilized. They're going to be, they and others are going to be making parts and other things in those plants so that it's one stop shopping. Finally. It's ridiculous. You had to go to Mexico, you had to go to Canada, you had to. A car went all over the place. It was like, I don't know how that would have worked, but that's the way it sort of ended up. We had a deal and we have a deal, it's fine. But people took advantage of the deal. They cheated. And when you cheat, the deals are unfortunate. But now what's happening is the numbers are beyond our wildest expectations.

[Balk]

Beyond our wildest expectations. Now this is coming on top of the fact that President Donald Trump's tariff policies have also secured a major investment from the Korean automaker Hyundai. At least 5.8 billion will be invested in a new steel plant in Louisiana. The announcement coming today. And this endeavor is part of a broader commitment by the South Korean automaker, which plans to channel 21 billion in various US projects over the next few years. Now, this new plant is forecast to produce 2.7 million metric tons of steel annually in America. It will also provide over 1,400 high paying jobs, bolstering local employment. This according to President Trump saying the facility marks Hyundai's inaugural steel production venture on US Soil and will support its automotive manufacturing operations not only in Alabama, but also in Georgia. So yet again, the President, United States of America, making it very clear he is standing up for American workers and securing jobs for them by bringing overseas businesses back to the United States of America.

[Ben Ferguson]

And finally, story number three.

[Balk]

I want to take a moment and talk to you about Elon Musk. The corporate media spontaneously over the past couple weeks has come up with the same exact talking points to undermine and attack Elon Musk. Over and over again, the media seems to be saying the same exact thing. In a very clear, coordinated attempt to undermine into hope that Elon Musk will somehow get fired from his job with Doge or quit. The media has tried to put a wedge between Elon Musk and the President on countless occasions now trying to get them into some sort of spat. They've also tried to say that Elon Musk is actually bigger than Donald Trump, trying to play into the ego game so that Donald Trump will kick him out of the Oval Office or maybe take him out of his administration altogether. None of it has worked. In fact, I actually think that Elon Musk and Donald Trump are laughing at the fact that this is what they're trying to do. So now we've seen orchestrated attacks, clearly orchestrated attacks against Tesla, Tesla owners, car dealerships, the threat that if you buy a Tesla, your car is going to be burned or certainly damaged, that people are going to surround your car and hit you or attack you because you own a Tesla. We witnessed that over the weekend in New York City. We've seen dealerships that have been firebombed. We've seen dealerships that have literally been shot up. I thought Democrats were against guns, but apparently not now if it means shooting at a Tesla. So just how coordinated is the media in trying to destroy Elon Musk because of what he's doing to destroy our government, to get rid of the waste, fraud and abuse, the corruption of the Democratic Party, to undo all of that? Well, it looks like now they're going into a full court press where they're colluding with one another, doing everything they can to get rid of Elon Musk. If you don't believe me, take a listen.

[Ben Ferguson]

Elon Musk's so called Department of Government Efficiency is taking a chainsaw to the federal workforce.

[Balk]

Elon Musk continues his chainsaw attack in Washington. Taking a chainsaw, if you will, to the federal government that's, you know, decapitating a lot, a lot. They slashed and hacked with the chainsaw. The slashing and the burning. The chainsaw.

[Ben Ferguson]

Elon Musk, Musk with that chainsaw.

[Balk]

I mean, he's walking around acting like.

[Ben Ferguson]

He'S ahead of Doge.

[Balk]

He's, you know, brandishing the chainsaw. Nine months pregnant with Elon Musk. Chainsaw marauding with a chainsaw. Wait a second, buster, put your chainsaw away.

[Ben Ferguson]

They cannot attack federal agencies with a chainsaw.

He's doing it in a way with.

[Balk]

A chainsaw that alienates people. Right man, right hand chainsaw, man. That has a chainsaw. That's chainsaw stuff. Who used the chainsaw? Elon Musk is an unelected man child running around the country with a pretend chainsaw. That is your media, that is your Democratic Party. That is them. Colluding. Together in a, quote, spontaneous moment that happened time and time and time and time again. All because they don't know how to stop Doge or Elon Musk or Donald Trump. Let me just say the majority of the American people are behind Elon Musk in his chainsaw, no matter what the corporate media tries to tell you.

[Ben Ferguson]

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 Seacrest]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Balk]

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[Donald Trump]

Struggling to get out of bed? It might be time for an upgrade. Leesa makes exceptionally comfortable mattresses designed for every body and budget, but what truly sets them apart is their commitment to giving back. Since 2015, they've donated over 41,000 mattresses nationwide. Elevate your sleep and your space with Leesa. Go to Leesa.com for 20% off their award winning mattresses plus an extra $50 off with promo code iHEART. That's L-E-E-S-A.com promo code iHEART for an extra $50 off.

[Clay Travis]

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

[Balk]

Those jelly heads in June would be intellectual warriors by August.

[Clay Travis]

Be a lot of fun too. Some Bill and Ted's excellent adventure references just thrown in this podcast.

[Balk]

Like a daily dose of that. Minus the campfires, archery and pranking the girls.

[Clay Travis]

The bona fide 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 Clay and Bach. Listen and subscribe.