BONUS POD: Trump is like Grandma, he keeps it Real plus FBI has Identified Key Antifa Funding Sources

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode Title: BONUS POD: Trump is like Grandma, he keeps it Real plus FBI has Identified Key Antifa Funding Sources
Date: February 19, 2026
Hosts: Ben Ferguson, Dan Bongino

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Overview

This episode features Ben Ferguson and guest host Dan Bongino discussing two major stories dominating conservative media:

1. A heartfelt moment at the White House during a Black History Month event, where a Washington, D.C. grandmother publicly praised former President Donald Trump for his crime policies.
2. Breaking news that the FBI, under Director Kash Patel, has identified key funding sources for Antifa and is aggressively pursing financial investigations targeting left-wing violence.

Both topics are explored through firsthand quotes, narrative breakdown, and sharp criticism of what the hosts perceive as mainstream media bias and prior Democratic administrations’ failures.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. White House Story: “Grandma” and Trump’s Approach to Crime

Segment: [03:13–08:01]

• Context:
  The episode opens with coverage of a moving Black History Month reception at the White House. Trump brings forth Ms. Cook, a grandmother who lost her grandson in 2017 to violence in D.C.
• Trump’s Position:
  Trump boasts of significant crime reduction in D.C., claiming credit for transforming what he calls “a horror show” into “one of the safest cities anywhere in the country.”
• Ms. Cook Speaks:
  • Praises Trump for “keeping it real, just like Grandma.”
  • Expresses gratitude that the Trump administration took an active interest in her family’s tragedy, in contrast to feeling ignored previously.
  • Advocates for strong law and order and simple, harsh punishments for violent crime.
• Memorable Quote (Ms. Cook):

  “One thing I like about him, he keeps it real. Just like Grandma. I appreciate that because I can trust him. Because he tells exactly how he feel and what he thinks.” ([05:46])

• Host Commentary:
  • Dan Bongino and Ben Ferguson lament that this story isn’t covered by “mainstream media,” suggesting suppression of any narrative favorable to Trump, especially those involving minority community support.
  • Bongino:

    “You will never hear that from the mainstream media. That moment celebrating black history and a grandmother who lost her grandson, praising President Trump... is not on the nightly news. Why? Because it's just too dangerous. It's too much truth and reality about the situation.” ([08:01])

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2. FBI Uncovers Antifa Funding Streams

Segment: [08:01–16:51]

• Announcement:
  The FBI, led by Director Kash Patel under President Trump, has made strides in tracing Antifa’s funding, some of which may originate from overseas and through U.S.-based nonprofits.
• FBI Statement (quoted by Ben Ferguson):

  “What we are doing at the FBI is simple. It does not require rocket science. We are following the money. Money never lies. And that's what it's going to take to bring down this network of organized criminal thugs, gang bangers and yes, domestic terrorists, because that's what they are.” ([08:59])

• Operational Tactics:
  • The new approach is intelligence and financial investigation-driven, modeled on counterterrorism probes.
  • Prioritizes actual unlawful acts over constitutionally protected protest.
  • Several successful prosecutions are referenced: Two dozen federal arrests tied to “Prairie Land”, 19 convictions for Antifa violence (Texas), ongoing federal trials, and cases in Georgia (“Cop City”).
• Host Emphasis:
  • Repeatedly stress that previous FBI leadership “looked the other way” and that only with Trump’s mandate and Patel’s leadership is meaningful enforcement occurring.
  • Suggest Antifa exploited a decentralized “idea” to evade law enforcement, but that is now being overcome (“It’s not an idea when actual action follows the idea”).
• Key Anticipation:
  • Patel teases more concrete donor and organization revelations in the next month or two.

    “Wait till, and I know you know, but wait till you see what’s coming in the next month or two on the funding streams related to this. You and I had launched a serious investigation... And guess what, Dan, we found them.” ([11:51])

• Host Analysis:
  • Link this investigation to a Trump executive order labeling Antifa a domestic terrorist organization.
  • Express pride that, in their view, “the American people got exactly what they voted for” in electing Trump and supporting this crackdown ([16:50]).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ms. Cook, on Trump’s honesty:

  “One thing I like about him, he keeps it real. Just like Grandma... I am filled my cup runneth over because he allowed his constituents, his people to come to my house to interview me to talk about the murder of my grandson... They invited me twice before Congress to testify for the beautiful bill. That’s gonna change crime in the District... And grandma said it.” ([05:46–08:00])

• Kash Patel, FBI Director, on following Antifa’s money:

  “What we are doing at the FBI is simple. It does not require rocket science. We are following the money. Money never lies.” ([08:59])

• Dan Bongino, on media silence:

  “You will never hear that from the mainstream media. That moment... is not on the nightly news. Why? Because it's just too dangerous. It's too much truth and reality...” ([08:01])

• Cash Patel, on new indictments and future reveals:

  “We’re in the middle of federal trial. In five of those defendants this week, again in Texas, 19 people have been convicted for acts of violence related to Antifa... And guess what, Dan, we found them.” ([11:51])

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:13 – 08:01: Ms. Cook’s story – Grandmother’s praise for Trump, personal story, and crime policy advocacy
• 08:01 – 13:09: FBI Antifa Funding Investigation Announced – Patel’s statement and initial analysis
• 13:09 – 16:51: Methods and Impact – Details of the financial probe, prosecutions, political context

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Tone & Language

• The tone is direct, combative, and emotionally charged, with frequent assertions that major news organizations suppress positive coverage of Trump.
• Guest voices (like Ms. Cook) are treated with warmth and respect, while criticism of Democratic figures and past officials is harsh.
• Language remains conversational, frequently referencing real-world consequences and political stakes.

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Summary for New Listeners

This episode features two central stories: a powerful, personal moment highlighting Trump’s approach to crime and its impact on communities in Washington D.C., and an update on federal efforts to intercept the money fueling Antifa operations. The hosts and guests frame these as underreported victories and present the stories as validation of conservative governance and law enforcement priorities. With direct quotes, anticipatory statements about upcoming enforcement actions, and a critical stance toward “mainstream media,” the episode is rich with narrative and political energy aimed at engaging its conservative audience.

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Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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Governor Moore in Maryland signed a bill that is ending the law enforcement cooperation with ice.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, first of all, it's another despicable

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action by Governor Wes Moore.

[Ben Ferguson]

Why would you prevent your state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal law enforcement? So the president, of course, continues to always stand on the side of law enforcement. And this is another just horrible and frankly, political action taken by Governor West Moore. And unfortunately, the people of his state are going to reap the consequences of it. You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

[Dan Bongino]

Good Thursday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And we've got two big stories for you. Grandma comes to the White House. A D.C. resident who lost her grandson to violence praises Donald Trump and says she loves him and to get off his back because he's keeping Washington, D.C. safe. It was a touching moment and it's a story you will not hear in the mainstream media. And we'll have it for you in just a second. Also, in a big report, the FBI director, Cash Patel is now saying the FBI has uncovered Antifa's funding sources and some of the money may be coming from overseas. That as well. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. Story number one, there was a really sincere and touching moment at the White House that many of you will never, ever hear about because the media doesn't want you to know that Donald Trump is actually winning and doing what he said he was going to do about keeping people Safe. A Washington, D.C. grandmother who lost her grandson in 2017 due to violence in the city came to the White House to praise Donald Trump, stating that one thing she liked about him was that he keeps it real, just like grandma. During a Black History Month reception on Wednesday, Trump spoke about how prior to his administration's cracking down on crime in the nation's capital, the District of Columbia was a crime capital and a horror show. Trump then introduced D.C. s new favorite grandmother, Ms. Cook, a lifelong Washington resident who tragically lost her grandson to violence in 2017. Quote, we can't provide opportunity for the next generation if we do not also have a thing called law and order. We need law and order, trump said. You know, Washington, D.C. is amazing. It was a crime capital. It was a horror show. A year ago. It was really dangerous. And now it's one of the safest cities anywhere in the country. Trump went on to introduce the grandmother and prior to speaking, Cook asked him for a hug. I want you to listen to this incredible moment of where policy becomes real to the American people. Come on. Yes, you can.

[Ben Ferguson]

Thank you.

[Dan Bongino]

So nice.

[Ben Ferguson]

I like her. Please.

[Ms. Cook]

I like him, too. One thing I like about him, he keeps it real. Just like Grandma. I appreciate that because I can trust him. Because he tells exactly how he feel and what he thinks. Thank God for this President. I am filled my cup runneth over because he allowed his constituents, his people to come to my house to interview me to talk about the murder of my grandson. It seemed like nobody cared. I'm an advocate for murder. I marched, I rallied. I pulled out other families in the District of Columbia that had murders and did not have answers. We marched through, re rallied, and nobody heard me. Democrats get mad at me until this Republican send his constituents, his people out there to interview me in my home. Have you ever heard of a thing? Then they invited me twice before Congress to testify for the beautiful bill. That's gonna change crime in the District. If you kill somebody, okay, you take a life, you do life, just that simple. If you do a harsh crime, you do harsh time, Just that simple. And then we need National Guard and which we did years ago. He brought it on. I love him. I don't want to hear nothing you got to say about that racist stuff. And don't be looking at me on the news, hating on me because I'm standing up for somebody that deserves to be standing up for. Get off the man's back. Let him do his job. He doing the right thing. Back up off of it. And grandma said it.

[Dan Bongino]

You will never hear that from the mainstream media. That moment celebrating black history and a grandmother who lost her grandson, praising President Trump for what he's doing to protect the African American community in Washington, D.C. is not on the nightly news. Why? Because it's just too dangerous. It's too much truth and reality about the situation. And Donald Trump yet again, putting all Americans first and their safety, even if they're in a liberal city like Washington, D.C. now, story number two. Cash Patel, the FBI director, is now coming out and saying that the FBI has uncovered antifa funding sources in a major breaking news event. Now, let me remind you of where we were about four months ago when Cash Patel was talking at the White House. When Cash Patel was talking at the White House with President Trump. And this is what he said.

[Ben Ferguson]

What we are doing at the FBI is simple. It does not require rocket science. We are following the money. Money never lies. And that's what it's going to take to bring down this network of organized criminal thugs, gang bangers and yes, domestic terrorists, because that's what they are. They are harming everyday citizens in every single one of our communities. And the folks you see here on the right and left, they're some of the bravest men and women we have today. They're reporting the stories live time because the mainstream media won't cover it. They're putting their lives on the line. They're standing up for the flag. The least we can do is stand up for them. So you have my thanks. I read more of your stories than I do theirs because you guys are putting out the truth and we deserve a country where you are protected as equally as they are. We in this FBI will go after with the criminals with a vengeance. We will not rest until we find every single seed money donor organization and funding mechanism that we have. And I want to echo the Secretary's comments on Scott Bessant who is allowing us to map out these networks through their financial criminal activities which has been going on for decades. And I would like to remind the American public they built this disease temple of corruption over decades and in eight short months, Mr. President, you have crippled their foundation because of your leadership here, because of the interagency, because of people like Deputy Attorney General Blanche and because of Attorney General Pam Bondi's fearless leadership to go after criminals wherever they are, they will not be able to hide. They were able to hide and conspire with prior administrations and we are exposing their corruption from within. And we will go to every single city in this country under Operation Summer Heat and the other operations we are doing at the FBI to bring these criminals to justice. We will arrest every single one of them. From whatever perch you sit in, private or public, no matter how your goal or your ambition is, it will be crushed by the Constitution because the American people deserve law and order. And that's what we're going to give you.

[Dan Bongino]

You listen to Cash Patel there and he made it very clear we're going to go after the funders. The FBI will follow the funds to dismantle Antifa operations. So fast forward just four and a half months later and the FBI director is saying now that investigators have uncovered what he described as major funding streams tied to antifa. The revelations signal possible new enforcement actions as the Bureau is intensifying their scrutiny of left wing violence. According to the report coming out from the Washington Examiner. Caspitel, also speaking on the Dam Bongino show, said the FBI under President Donald Trump has been conducting a financial investigation into how demonstrations linked to the loosely organized far left movement are really supported. Here's part of that interview. There's been actual action to take down and dismantle this entire ring of people.

[Ben Ferguson]

You're right. We set out to actually activate intelligence based operations. This includes Antifa. And Dan, you know this. How many people were arrested related to Prairie Land? We're over two dozen federal arrests. We're in the middle of federal trial. In five of those defendants this week, again in Texas, 19 people have been convicted for acts of violence related to Antifa. It's in the indictment. You don't got to believe me or you. Everybody can go read the public indictment. And it didn't just happen there. It happened in Cop City in Georgia where we had to go rearrest everybody because the state authorities couldn't get their act together to produce the enough, enough information to take that to trial. So we did. And it's not a creation or manufacturing of information. It exists. It's just a willingness that you and I and this building's new leadership took to say we're going to look at the facts that exist. We're not going to try to make up facts that don't. So we can serve a political narrative. And wait till, and I know you know, but wait till you see what's coming in the next month or two on the funding streams related to this. You and I had launched a serious investigation. We had said these organizations don't operate alone, don't operate in silence. They operate with a heavy, heavy stream of funding. And we started looking into it. And guess what, Dan, we found them.

[Dan Bongino]

We found them. Now, to be clear, Patel did not identify specific donors, organizations or financial mechanisms, but said more details could emerge in the coming months. As the investigation continues, the FBI director said agents are examining whether funding has flowed through US Based nonprofit groups. Let me say that again, whether funding has flowed through US Based nonprofit groups, meaning some of this money could actually be coming from overseas. There's also some groups that have tax exempt status as well as possible foreign sources. He emphasized that investigators are focused on tracing financial support tied to acts of violence specifically and not constitutionally protected protest activity. Go back to what Kash Patel said, money doesn't lie. Describing the effort as a strategy to follow the money to determine who may be underwriting unlawful conduct. Patel also pointed to prosecutions the bureau has already brought that he said were connected to antifa related violence, including federal arrests and convictions tied to protest incidents in multiple states. Now under his leadership. He referenced that ongoing federal trial involving nine defendants in Texas. They're accused of ambushing and attempting to murder ice personnel on July 4th of last year. Patel also cited a case from 2023 in Georgia surrounding the proposed Atlanta public safety training facility known as COP City. The director said the FBI has elevated the issue internally by creating what he described as a dedicated program focused on identifying financial backers of protest related violence. Tracking ANTIFA has become so important that the bureau, he said, establish additional resources to investigate the funding behind such activity. Antifa has long been described by participants and many analysts as a decentralized movement rather than a formal organization, a distinction that has complicated past law enforcement efforts. They did this on purpose. Why? Because it's hard to pursue conspiracy style cases. Patel points to antifa's organizational structures, including conferences and a national network for local chapters. Bongino also criticized past FBI leadership under Democratic President Barack Obama and Joe Biden for describing ANTIFA as they said, an idea. It's not an idea when actual action follows the idea. In September of 25, Trump also signed that executive order declaring Antifa a domestic terrorist organization after first raising the idea during his first term. Patel said the FBI's current approach relies solely on intelligence and financial investigations similar to those used in other counterterrorism probes. He did not announce new charges tied specifically to the alleged funding networks, but clearly there's a lot more. This story coming very soon and it also goes back to what was said five months ago at the White House. Donald Trump had a clear mandate on this issue and Cash Patel and Dan Bongino made sure to pay off on that mandate. So the American people got exactly what they voted for.

[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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