BONUS POD: Rand Paul goes after Fauci on GoF Research & Pardon plus SCOTUS Greenlights Trump’s Plan to Dismantle DoE

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz: Bonus Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Rand Paul goes after Fauci on GoF Research & Pardon plus SCOTUS Greenlights Trump’s Plan to Dismantle DoE
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Host/Author: Premiere Networks
Description: Join Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson as they dissect the pivotal news stories shaping the nation, offering in-depth analysis and insights into the political debates that matter most.

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In this bonus episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," co-host Ben Ferguson and guest analysts delve into two major political developments: Senator Rand Paul's intensified efforts to indict Dr. Anthony Fauci over gain-of-function (GoF) research and the Supreme Court's pivotal decision to approve President Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education (DoE). The hosts provide comprehensive coverage, blending factual reporting with insightful commentary to unpack the implications of these events for the American public.

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2. Senator Rand Paul's Criminal Referral Against Dr. Anthony Fauci

Timestamp: 01:14 - 08:12

Overview:

Senator Rand Paul has officially reissued a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ) targeting Dr. Anthony Fauci. This move is intricately linked to recent controversies surrounding President Joe Biden's use of an auto pen (autopen) to sign pardon documents, which included Fauci. Senator Paul alleges that Fauci committed perjury during his May 2021 Senate testimony concerning U.S.-funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

Key Points:

• Auto Pen Controversy:
  Senator Paul asserts that if Biden's auto pen pardons are deemed invalid by the courts, the DOJ retains the authority to prosecute Fauci for perjury. Fauci had previously testified that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) did not fund gain-of-function research at WIV. However, later-emerged emails suggest otherwise, leading to accusations that Fauci lied under oath.

• Legal Implications:
  Perjury before Congress is a serious offense, carrying potential penalties of up to five years in prison and substantial fines. Senator Paul’s referral is contingent upon the court's decision regarding the validity of the auto pen pardons.

• Senator Paul's Confidence:
  At [01:33], Ben Ferguson introduces the segment, highlighting the gravity of the situation. By [07:48], it's emphasized that Senator Paul's reissuance of the referral is a direct response to new evidence from the House Coronavirus Committee, which revealed internal emails indicating Fauci's awareness of risky virus research.

Notable Quotes:

• Guest Analyst at 05:24:
  "Under Secretary Kennedy, under Jay Bhattacharya, the records are beginning to flow. And what we're discovering is, yes, they did debate over whether or not it was gain of function."

• Host 2 at 06:52:
  "President Trump signing an executive order ending all present and all future federal funding of gain of function research in foreign nations like China, Iran."

Analysis and Insights:

Guest Analyst emphasizes the Trump administration's commitment to transparency and accountability, contrasting it with the previous Biden administration's alleged obstruction. The discussion underscores the potential for significant political and legal repercussions: if Fauci is found guilty of perjury, it could reshape public trust in federal health institutions and influence future funding and oversight of biomedical research.

Senator Paul's collaboration with the Trump administration is highlighted as a strategic move to reinforce the credibility of the referral. The episode suggests that this storyline is evolving and will continue to be a focal point as more information becomes available.

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3. Supreme Court Approves Trump's Plan to Dismantle the Department of Education

Timestamp: 08:12 - 13:25

Overview:

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of President Trump's executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. This ruling effectively overrides lower court injunctions that had previously blocked the administration's efforts to lay off approximately 1,400 DoE employees, constituting nearly one-third of its workforce.

Key Points:

• Executive Order and Layoffs:
  On March 11, the DoE announced a reduction of force, leading to significant layoffs. President Trump responded with an executive order on March 20, directing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to close the department to the fullest extent possible through administrative actions.

• Supreme Court Decision:
  The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling lifts the lower court injunction, allowing the layoffs to proceed while litigation continues. The decision was met with dissent from Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson, who argued that the ruling undermines the separation of powers and enables executive overreach.

• Implications for Education Policy:
  The administration aims to return educational control to states and local municipalities, empowering parents to choose the best education for their children. The Supreme Court's decision is hailed by supporters as a victory for educational reform and efficiency.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump on Truth Social at 13:25:
  "The United States Supreme Court has handed a major victory to parents and students across the country by declaring the Trump administration may proceed on returning the functions of the Department of Education back to the states."

• Linda McMahon on X at 13:25:
  "Today the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious. The President of the United States of America, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization and day to day operations of federal agencies."

Analysis and Insights:

The hosts discuss the broader implications of the Supreme Court's decision, suggesting it marks a significant shift in federal education policy. By reducing the bureaucracy of the DoE, the administration seeks to foster a more localized and efficient educational system. However, dissenting opinions highlight concerns about the erosion of checks and balances, warning against potential executive overreach.

Secretary McMahon's statements underscore the administration's commitment to enhancing educational outcomes by reallocating resources to where they are most needed. The episode frames this development as a critical step towards revitalizing American education, positioning it as a fulfillment of voter expectations and a move away from what supporters perceive as a failing federal system.

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4. Conclusion and Future Outlook

Timestamp: 13:25 - End

As the episode wraps up, Ben Ferguson reiterates the significance of these developments, encouraging listeners to stay informed and engaged with the ongoing political landscape. The hosts emphasize their dedication to providing in-depth news coverage and analysis, inviting the audience to subscribe for more updates.

Final Thoughts:

The episode effectively captures two major political maneuvers with far-reaching consequences: the potential criminal prosecution of a leading public health figure and a transformative overhaul of federal education policy. By intertwining detailed reporting with strategic analysis, "Verdict with Ted Cruz" offers listeners a nuanced understanding of these events, preparing them to navigate the evolving political terrain.

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Note: This summary intentionally omits advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive discussions of the podcast episode.

Transcript

[Host 1]

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[Host 2]

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[Host 1]

I got it. No, I got it. Seriously, I insist. I insisted first. Don't be silly. You don't be silly.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Host 1]

Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it.

[Co-Host 1]

Rock, paper, scissors. Shoot.

[Host 2]

No.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Guest 1]

The auto pen, I think, is maybe one of the biggest scandals that we've had in 50 to 100 years. This is a tremendous scandal. The people on the other side of the Resolute desk, I know them. Lisa saw a whole group and they're no good. I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing. I guarantee it.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

[Co-Host 1]

Good Tuesday morning. It's nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And here are the big stories that we're talking about. First up, Senator Rand Paul has formally relaunched efforts to bring criminal charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci, connecting the initiative to the auto pin questions around Biden's pardons, and that included Anthony Fauci. This all relating to gain of function, research, testimony and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. We'll give you the latest on that in just a second. Also, in a major move, the Supreme Court has stepped in. Okay. The president's plan to shut down the Department of Education, returning educations back to the states. And the left has gone completely unhinged. It's the 47 Morning Update, and it starts right now.

[Ben Ferguson]

Story number one.

[Co-Host 1]

It is a major move that many of you listening will be very excited about. Senator Rand Paul, the Republican from Kentucky, has now reissued a criminal referral to the Department of Justice concerning Dr. Anthony Fauci. And it was prompted by recent revelations about President Joe Biden's use of an auto pen to sign pardon documents, including Dr. Anthony Fauci's. What we know is that Senator Paul went to X and said this today, I reissue my criminal referral of Dr. Anthony Fauci to Trump's DOJ. Perjury is a crime and Fauci must be held accountable. Paul's argument is simple. If Biden's auto pin pardon is Invalid, then the DOJ can still pursue Fauci for perjury relating to his May 2021 Senate testimony about U. S funded gain of function research in Wuhan. Now, Fauci originally testified that the NIH never funded gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. However, later emails surfaced suggesting otherwise, leading Sen. Paul to accuse Fauci of lying to Congress and lying on under oath. So what are the legal implications? Well, if a pardon is invalidated by courts due to auto pin concerns, Fauci could theoretically be prosecuted. Perjury before Congress carries penalties of up to five years in prison plus fines. There's also another point here. Paul originally referred Fauci the DOJ in July of 2023. That's how confident he was in the case. After the House Coronavirus Committee was released the internal email suggesting Fauci knew about the risky virus research being done in Wuhan and our dollars going to that institute. Now, Biden issued what was described as a quote, preemptive pardon of Fauci and other officials at the end of his term, a move potentially undermined if courts rule that the auto pen signatures are in fact invalid. So the bottom line is this. Sen. Paul has formally relaunched efforts to bring the criminal charges against Fauci, connecting the initiative to the auto pen questions around Biden's pardons overall. And the key is this. Whether or not these auto pin signed pardons hold up legally, Fauci's legal accountability now rests partially on potential court challenges to those pardons and on interpretations of what gain of function definitions are. Now here's one other thing you need to know. Senator Paul says it's nice that he actually is getting to work with the Trump administration on this as the criminal referral over Fauci is ongoing.

[Host 1]

Hey, Trump administration 2.0 is back in charge. Are you hopeful that they actually get to the bottom of COVID 19?

[Guest 2]

You know, we're excited about the Trump administration actually helping. We've been through several years of the Biden administration actually trying to hide the ball, covering up what had happened, obscuring the truth, and really refusing to give any records concerning this. I've been trying over three years to get non classified records about the decision to fund the research in Wuhan, and it's been denied. But I can tell you, Under Secretary Kennedy, under Jay Bhattacharya, the records are beginning to flow. And what we're discovering is, yes, they did debate over whether or not it was gain of function. Fauci said everybody said it was not gain of function. Well, we're going to get to the bottom of this and ultimately, Dr. Fauci is going to need to come back in and explain why he made this decision. There ultimately will be an interview, either voluntarily or involuntarily. If he won't come, he will have to come back and explain to the American people why he decided to fund this research in China. This may be one of the greatest medical errors in modern history and he bears a large part of the responsibility for this.

[Host 2]

Sure. And it doesn't stop with the dni. President Trump signing an executive order ending all present and all future federal funding of gain of function research in foreign nations like China, Iran. What are your thoughts on this executive order signed by the president?

[Guest 2]

You know, I think it's a great idea. It's going to ultimately need to be followed up by change in the law. I have a bipartisan bill that passed last session unanimously. I'm going to pass it again out of committee as well. And I'm hoping that we can make legislation occur. The reason you need legislation is if one administration fixes it, the next administration just come in and unfixes it or takes away the reform. So really what we need to do is have law. We actually have some bipartisan support for reform legislation. My legislation would let President Trump create a commission or a council of scientists that would oversee this. The reason you need a council to make active decisions is people divine gain of function in different ways. Anthony Fauci said, well, the reason this, the research and we want didn't get extra scrutiny is he defined it as not being gain of function. Now, almost everybody disagrees with him, but that's what he did, is he defined away the problem.

[Co-Host 1]

And that is exactly why he's saying he's going to have to come back before Congress. It's also the reason why he's looking at the pardon and the auto pin use. And Senator Paul making it clear that reissuing his criminal referral to the Department of justice for Dr. Anthony Fauci after his pardon was confirmed to be issued by a late night auto pin is going to be a very interesting story moving forward and we're going to cover it for you.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now.

[Co-Host 1]

Story number two, President Trump campaigned on getting education, public education, back to the states and back to local municipalities, and most importantly, giving the power back to the parents to get their kids the best education possible. He also said he was going to shut down the Department of education. Linda McMahon had the job of doing exactly that, but the left decided to step in with injunctions to stop her from doing that job. Well, now the Supreme Court has come down with their ruling. It was a 6:3 ruling lifting a lower court injunction that had blocked the administration from laying off about 1,400 employees, nearly 1 third of the Department of Education workforce. This ruling temporarily greenlights Donald Trump's March executive order directing the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to, quote, take all necessary steps to close the department to the fullest extent possible via administrative action. Now, six conservative justices allowed the layoffs to proceed while litigation continues in the lower courts. Justice Sotomayor joined Elena Kagan and Jackson, dissenting strongly warning that these decisions enable executive lawlessness, as they described it, and erodes a separation of powers by allowing a de facto dismantling of a congressional agency via unilateral staffing cuts. Yes, the left is all in to try to stop Donald Trump from getting kids a better education. Now the high court paused this preliminary injunction that went into effect by the US District judge, a judge who was a Biden appointee in Boston that ordered the employees be reinstated. Quote, the United States Supreme Court has handed a major victory to parents and students across the country by declaring the Trump administration may proceed on returning the functions of the Department of Education back to the states, is what Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He went on to say, now with this great Supreme Court decision, our Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, may begin the very important process, saying the federal government has been running our education system into the ground, but we are going to turn it all around by giving the power back to the people. Trump went on to say America's students will be the best, be the brightest, and be the most highly educated anywhere in the world. Thank you to the United States Supreme Court. Now, The Supreme Court 6of3 ruling came in that dispute that began shortly after the education department on March 11 announced a reduction of force involving 1,378 employees. 20. McMahon said in a news release that the staff reductions reflected the Department of Education's commitment to efficiency, accountability and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most to the students, to the parents and to the teachers. Trump issued that executive order nine days later that instructed McMahon to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of education. And on March 21, he announced that the programs for students were with special needs and the federal student loan portfolio would be transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration, respectively. That is when a group of 20 states and the District of Columbia, two public school districts and teachers unions filed a federal lawsuit in Massachusetts arguing the staff reductions violated the Constitution and the federal laws governing administrative agencies yet again putting the teachers union ahead of the parents and most importantly, the students. Now Secretary of Education McMahon put this out on X saying quote, Today the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious. The President of the United States of America, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization and day to day operations of federal agencies, which While today's ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by our U.S. constitution. She went on to say, the U.S. department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction of force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most to students, parents and teachers. As we return education to the States, this administration will continue to perform all statutory duties while empowering families and teachers by reducing education bureaucracy yet again. The President United States of America not backing down and making sure that American students have a chance to succeed instead of being in a total failing system with a federal government that has done anything but give them a great education.

[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.

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[Host 1]

This is an iHeart podcast.