BONUS POD: Newsom’s Gun Grab Backfires plus Day Two of SAA Fight-Republicans Take the Offensive

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: BONUS POD: Newsom’s Gun Grab Backfires plus Day Two of SAA Fight—Republicans Take the Offensive
Date: March 19, 2026
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson
Main Theme: This episode covers two major stories: a decisive legal and financial defeat for California’s anti-gun advertising law (often referred to as “Newsom’s Gun Grab”), and the mounting Republican offensive in the ongoing SAVE Act battle in the U.S. Senate, which centers on election integrity. Both are framed as key victories for conservative principles.

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1. Overview

This bonus episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, led by co-host Ben Ferguson, dives into two headline stories:

• California’s costly defeat and policy backfire over an unconstitutional gun ad ban
• The intensifying fight over the SAVE Act in the Senate, with Republicans pushing measures aimed at protecting election integrity

The episode’s tone is urgent and celebratory, especially regarding conservative wins, and seeks to rally listeners behind ongoing activist and legislative efforts.

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2. Key Discussion Points and Insights

A. California’s Gun Ad Ban Backfires (03:26 – 12:13)

Background:

• California attempted to ban firearm advertising deemed “aimed at minors.”
• The law was promoted by Governor Gavin Newsom and quickly became a flashpoint for Second and First Amendment rights advocates.

Legal Defeat:

• Multiple legal groups, spearheaded by the Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition, challenged the law.
• California agreed to a settlement, paying over $1.3 million in legal fees to plaintiffs following significant defeats in the courts.

Key Judicial Opinion:

• Judge Lee of the Ninth Circuit, September 2023:

  “The marketing firearms to minor law does not directly and materially advance California’s substantial interest in reducing gun violence and the unlawful use of firearms by minors. There was in fact, no evidence in the record that a minor in California has ever unlawfully bought a gun, let alone because of an ad.” (06:47)

Host Commentary & Analysis:

• Ben Ferguson draws a parallel to past tobacco/alcohol advertising crackdowns, but argues California’s ban wildly overreached and had no evidence supporting it.

  “They were clearly marketing with cartoon characters... but they didn’t say you couldn’t advertise in general. Well, California was like, no, no, you just can’t advertise.” (08:06)

• He underscores the precedent this sets for other liberal-leaning states, calling it a “test case” that is now a warning against overreach.

• Detailed financials: $1,381,749.72 to plaintiffs’ fees alone—excluding California Department of Justice costs—with breakdowns to various groups (10:08).

Memorable Moment:

• Ferguson discusses owning kids’ size rifles for his children, underlining the cultural divide in how the law was interpreted:

  “Does that mean I own the gun? Yes, I own it for my kids. My kids don’t own that gun. Is it their present? Of course. Is it my possession? Yes. Is it locked up in my safe? Yes.” (10:56)

Conclusion:

• The hosts frame this as a “victory for the Second Amendment” and for free speech (First Amendment), emphasizing the courage and persistence of advocacy groups.

  “Thank goodness they did. And it’s also, I think, sending a very clear message to any other state... that you will lose and this will be a failure.” (11:33)

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B. The SAVE Act and the Election Integrity Battle (12:13 – 16:37)

Background:

• The SAVE Act (“Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act”) debate is center stage in the Senate, catapulted forward by pressure from President Trump and Republican leadership.
• The bill primarily seeks to require proof of citizenship and voter ID for federal elections.

Current Situation:

• Republicans have managed to bring the issue to lively, public debate on the Senate floor—a rarity, framed as a significant victory in itself.
• President Trump is described as the clear leader, “working the phones” and pressuring party members to unite around the bill.

  “This is our defining moment. This is not just another bill, another issue, another thing that you should talk about and move on from.” (13:31)

Key Talking Point:

• “Only American citizens should decide American elections.” (14:09)—noted as a unifying and overwhelmingly popular stance by polling.

Political Strategy:

• Ferguson highlights that Republicans are now “forcing every Democrat in Washington to take a position on the record,” using the debate to create strong contrasts ahead of midterms.
• Democrats, meanwhile, are described as unified in opposition.

Legislative and Political Impact:

• The episode stresses that even before a final vote, Republicans have “already achieved something significant” by making election integrity a dominant, public issue again (15:18).

Memorable Quotes:

• “President Trump has turned the SAVE act into a national showdown. Republicans finally are unified. They’re even energized on the floor of the Senate, and finally on offense.” (16:09)

• On the Democrats’ position:

  “Democrats are being forced to defend their impossible position in front of the American people, that they want people from outside the country who are not American citizens to vote in our elections.” (16:17)

Conclusion:

• Ferguson ends by acknowledging the fight isn’t over, but the ground has shifted:

  “The battle over election integrity is now front and center in America and it’s not going away anytime soon.” (16:32)

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the significance of the court decision:

  “California cannot straight jacket the First Amendment by, on the one hand, allowing minors to possess and use firearms, and then, on the other hand, banning truthful advertisements about the lawful use of a firearm.” (09:21)

• Direct criticism of Governor Newsom:

  "Gavin Newsom getting slapped on the hand hard. This is a victory for the Second Amendment. It’s also a victory for First Amendment right of free speech as well.” (11:57)

• On the purpose of the SAVE Act effort:

  “Only American citizens should decide American elections. It’s not a radical idea at all.” (14:09)

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4. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:26] — California’s gun ad ban lawsuit background
• [06:47] — Judge Lee’s opinion and evidence
• [08:06] — Ferguson on advertising and parallel to tobacco
• [09:21] — First Amendment implications
• [10:08] — Settlement costs and implications for California
• [10:56] — Ferguson’s personal take on junior firearms & family culture
• [11:33] — Broader implications for other states
• [12:13] — Shift to SAVE Act / Election integrity debate in Senate
• [13:31] — Role of President Trump
• [14:09] — Central talking point: “Only American citizens should vote”
• [15:18] — Political impact and visibility of the issue
• [16:17] — Ferguson on Democrats’ position
• [16:32] — Concluding remarks: fight ongoing, stakes rising

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5. Summary Tone and Style

The episode is delivered in a conversational, passionate manner with a heavy emphasis on conservative policy wins. Ferguson’s language is direct, critical of California’s leadership, and celebratory of both grassroots and legal activism. Trump and Republican efforts are lionized, while Democratic opposition is painted as untenable.

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6. Takeaways for Listeners

• California’s attempt to ban gun ads targeted at minors was defeated as unconstitutional, costing taxpayers over $1.3 million and establishing a legal precedent for other states.
• The ongoing SAVE Act debate, thanks to unified Republican action and sustained pressure from President Trump, has brought election integrity to the center of national political debate.
• Both stories are presented as major victories for constitutional rights and conservative activism, reshaping the legal and legislative debate landscape.

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Transcript

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[Ben Ferguson]

reasons why degrading Iran's missile production capabilities that is taking place right now in Operation Epic Fury is so important to our national security.

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

Good Thursday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update, and we've got two big stories for you. First up, California forced to 1.3 million in legal fees after an unconstitutional gun ad ban. Yet another costly mistake by the Governor Newsom. And in Washington, it's day three of the SAVE act fight. It's underway. And Republicans, well, they're fighting harder than ever for election integrity. But before we get to that, I want to take a moment and ask you to help the people in Israel. With my friends at the IFCJ working right now on the ground for all those in need. Having just come back from Israel, I want to paint you a picture. It's midnight, sirens are blaring, and you have only seconds to grab your child and run. Now imagine you're elderly. Your legs don't work like they used to. Getting downstairs feels impossible. And after all of that, you end up in a bomb shelter for hours, even days, because you can't make the trek again. This is what's happening across Israel as Operation Epic Fury continues. Children are being traumatized, families are just exhausted, and homes have been destroyed. And that's why the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is there on the ground bringing food, emergency equipment, care for those children and help for the elderly, and supplying the bomb shelters and medical centers for critically needed essentials. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to stand for Israel and stand for good against evil. This is it. And that's why I'm asking you to now please act. Give $45 right now to rush life saving essentials to the vulnerables under fire. You can also call 888-488-ICFCJ. That's 888-488-IFCJ. Join me and give and make a real difference [e-mail] that's ifcj.org it's the 47 Morning Update. And number one, with so much happening in Iran and also so much happening with fraud and abuse in America, there have been some stories that have been overlooked that need your attention. One of them was a big victory for the second Amendment in California. Now, this was a case that no one was covering and it should be covered because on Tuesday, California agreed to a settlement with the Second Amendment foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition as well as many other plaintiffs, and they are now going to pay the state of California over 1.3 million to cover the plaintiff's attorney fees alone. Now, this all is from a settlement that came from a lawsuit that was filed against California's marketing firearms to minors law, which crossed into First Amendment territory by banning firearm advertisements. Now, this is something that we were expected to see happen all over the country in liberal states if California would have gotten away with this. What they're trying to do is bankrupt and shut down as many gun stores as possible. And it's a way to ban firearms. And so they said that you can't market your firearm store or your brand in California because they said it was marketing to minors by default. Now, the 9th Circuit judge there, by the last name Lee, September 2023, majority opinion against the law. He wrote, quote, the marketing firearms to minor law does not directly and materially advance California's substantial interest in reducing gun violence and the unlawful use of firearms by miners. There was in fact, no evidence in the record that a minor in California has ever unlawfully bought a gun, let alone because of an ad. Now, translation, what they were saying is they were trying to shut down the second Amendment and, and this, and doing it through advertising is they were saying, well, you're marketing the kids. And a great example of this would be, like, what we saw with alcohol and tobacco when it was clear they were marketing to kids. You remember Joe Camel with, with Camel cigarettes and like, and then you could, like, get points out of the packs and then buy, you know, merchandise that was like Joe Camel. Like, I remember having a Joe Camel hat. And I was not old enough to smoke. I remember it being, like, cool to have that kind of stuff. And they were clearly marketing with cartoon characters. Like, Joe Camel was a cartoon character. They were obviously marketing to kids, so they got rid of that. But they didn't say you couldn't advertise in general. Well, California was like, no, no, you just can't advertise. If we say that your advertisements could have. Could make kids want to buy it. Right? Like, that's insane. And it was a way for them to shut down the Second Amendment and basically get rid of it in gun sales, in essence, in California. When the judge looked at this, he said, look, there's. This is absurd. There is no evidence that a minor in California has ever gone out and unlawfully bought a gun in a gun store. And especially because of an ad they saw for a gun manufacturer or a gun store. We also added this. California cannot straight jacket the First Amendment by, on the one hand, allowing minors to possess and use firearms, and then, on the other hand, banning truthful advertisements about the lawful use of a firearm. The First Amendment Policy Coalition went in and they fought this hard. They fought it. And everybody was talking about this like, well, there. It's California. They're probably gonna lose. Guess what? They announced a settlement on X. Writing this after losing twice at the Ninth Circuit. You know, they're very liberal. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is very, very liberal. California has agreed that its minor firearm advertising ban violates the First Amendment, and they will pay the plaintiffs the $1,381,749.72 for the attorney's fees. The Second Amendment foundation also posted this about the governor, Gavin Newsom, saying, quote, gavin Newsom passed a law to attack the First Amendment because he was mad about a.22 long rifle that was meant for junior shooters. That little stunt has cost California taxpayers over a million dollars, not including whatever California Department of Justice spent on their own lawyers. 350,000 to SAF, 550,000 to CRPA coalition of plaintiffs in the same lawsuit, and another 480,000 to the Safari Club International case on the same issues. So this all stem from Gavin Newsom being angry that there are parents out there that could buy a.22 rifle that is meant for junior shooters. By the way, I. I have one for all three of my kids, if I'm not mistaken. And I got a.22 rifle when I was a kid. It's made smaller for you as a kid. Now. Does that mean I own the gun? Yes, I own it for my kids. My kids don't own that gun. Is it their present? Of course. Is, is it my possession? Yes. Is it my, my, Is it locked up in, in my safe? Yes. Like, if you're a sane human being, you understand kids guns. By the way, a.410 shotgun that my kid has, that, that is mine, it's for him to use when we go hunting. It is not, they're not advertising or marketing to him to go buy by himself. And everyone knows this like this is normal. It's not sane. And what Gavin Newsom did is he decided to lose his ever loving mind and said, oh, you're marketing to these kids and you're, and you're advertising these kids. And so we're going to ban it so that you can't advertise at all in the state of California. Well, that is now backfired massively. It took deep pockets, by the way, by these groups to be able to fight this. Thank goodness they did. And it's also, I think, sending a very clear message to any other state in the country that's, that's thinking about doing the same thing that California did. And California was a test case that you will lose and this will be a failure. So this is one of those stories. I say God bless America and God bless those that have not been getting any media attention that actually did this. Like, this is incredible. All right. And, and I love that there are people that are brave enough to fight these wars the way that they just did. Gavin Newsom getting slapped on the hand hard. This is a victory for the Second Amendment. It's also a victory for First Amendment right of free speech as well. And I wanted you to know about it.

Now, story number two, day two has

already happened of the SAVE act fight in the United States Senate. And make no mistake about it, it's exactly the fight President Donald Trump wanted. After forcing the bill into the Senate floor, Repub. Republicans have now moved into full debate mode. And that alone is a major victory. Why, you may ask? Well, because for the first time in a long time, election integrity is not being whispered about. It's being debated front and center on the Senate floor, and it is heated. And today the pressure turned up dramatically. President Trump is not sitting on the sidelines either. He is leading this charge. He made it crystal clear to Republicans in Washington, this is our defining moment. This is not just another bill, another issue, another thing that you should talk about and move on from. The president made it clear saying this is about the future of American elections. Now, behind the scenes, we Also know the White House is going into overdrive. In fact, President Trump himself is working the phones, talking to lawmakers, and making it known that this legislation is his first priority. It's not optional, as how it was described by one at the White House who told me the president is willing to sit down with any Republican he needs to to explain to them exactly how important this moment is. Now, the message coming from the White House is simple and also powerful. Only American citizens should decide American elections. It's not a radical idea at all. In fact, the polling numbers show that overwhelmingly the majority of Americans, whether you're Republican, Democrat, or independent, support that exact language that the President used saying only American citizens should decide American elections. And Republicans, they're finally stepping up on day two. GOP leaders are not backing down. Thank goodness. They're even going on offense. And they're using this debate to draw one of the clearest contrasts we've seen in years between the two parties. Republicans are saying this is common sense, requiring proof of citizenship and requiring voter ID to protect the integrity of the ballot box. That's it. The clearest talking points we've seen on an issue in a very long time. And what's happening today is just as important politically as it is legislatively. Republicans are now forcing every Democrat in Washington to take a position on the record in front of the American people. Now, because the Republicans are unified and pushing forward, you guessed it, Democrats are doing the exact same thing. They're lining up in total opposition. Every single Democrat is digging in, trying to block this bill, refusing to support these voter integrity measures altogether. And Republicans are making sure that voters see that contrast loud and clear. Going into the midterms, even before final vote, Republicans have already achieved something significant. They've made election integrity one of the biggest issues in the country. Again. They've taken it out of the shadows and put it right at the center of the national conversation, thanks to President Trump. And that's not by accident. This was President Trump's strategy all along. This is about defining the future of our elections. It's also about defining the next election. And tonight, as day three comes at us, the reality is clear. President Trump has turned the SAVE act into a national showdown. Republicans finally are unified. They're even energized on the floor of the Senate, and finally on offense. And Democrats are being forced to defend their impossible position in front of the American people, that they want people from outside the country who are not American citizens to vote in our elections. Now, to be clear, this fight is far from over. In fact, it's just getting started. But one thing that is already clear, the battle over election integrity is now front and center in America and it's not going away anytime soon.

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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