Bonus Pod: Trump Pushes for Keystone Pipeline & Backs Elon's Email to Government Workers

Summary

Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz – Bonus Pod: Trump Pushes for Keystone Pipeline & Backs Elon's Email to Government Workers

Episode Information:

• Title: Verdict with Ted Cruz
• Host: Premiere Networks
• Episode: Bonus Pod: Trump Pushes for Keystone Pipeline & Backs Elon's Email to Government Workers
• Release Date: February 25, 2025

In this bonus episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson delve into three pivotal news stories shaping the political landscape: former President Donald Trump's initiative to revive the Keystone XL Pipeline, his support for Elon Musk's directive to federal employees, and the United States' stance at the United Nations regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The hosts provide in-depth analysis, unveil behind-the-scenes insights, and address media portrayals of these issues.

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1. Elon Musk’s Directive to Federal Employees

Overview: The episode opens with a discussion on Elon Musk, appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), and his recent controversial email to federal employees.

Key Points:

• Email Directive: On a Saturday, Elon Musk sent an email titled "What did you do last week?" to all federal employees, requesting a list of five accomplishments from the previous week by 11:59 PM on Monday. Non-responses were deemed as resignations.

• Agency Response: This directive caused widespread confusion, with various federal agencies resisting and attempting to find faults within Musk and Trump to spark conflict between them.

• Trump’s Defense: President Trump lauds Musk's approach as "ingenious," emphasizing the need to identify genuinely working government employees and root out fraud and inefficiency.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump [01:04]: “Are we paying other people that aren't working? ... We have found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud so far and we're just starting.”

• Donald Trump [04:06]: “We're trying to find out who's working for the government, are we paying other people that aren't working? And you know, where is the money going?”

• Ben Ferguson [05:07]: Discusses a Harvard poll showcasing strong public support for Trump’s actions, reinforcing his stance against media narratives.

Analysis: Cruz and Ferguson highlight Trump's strategic move to enhance government accountability through Musk's directive. They argue that this initiative not only exposes inefficiencies but also reinstates public trust in governmental operations. The hosts criticize the media's portrayal of internal conflicts, suggesting a deliberate attempt to undermine Trump's efforts.

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2. Revival of the Keystone XL Pipeline

Overview: The conversation transitions to Trump's long-standing commitment to the Keystone XL Pipeline, a project aimed at enhancing energy independence and lowering costs for American families.

Key Points:

• Historical Context: Seven years prior, Trump promised the completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline to boost energy independence and create jobs. However, Democratic opposition stalled the project, leading to significant job losses.

• Current Initiative: Trump reiterates his determination to revive the pipeline, criticizing former President Biden's administration for halting progress and emphasizing the necessity of energy independence for economic stability.

• Economic Impact: The hosts discuss how the pipeline's completion would alleviate gas prices and support American families by ensuring a steady supply of natural gas.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump [06:26]: “Canada will finally be allowed to complete this long overdue project with efficiency and with speed... It’s going to be an incredible pipeline.”

• Ben Ferguson [07:57]: Highlights Trump’s focus on energy independence as a cornerstone for reducing inflation and supporting American families.

• Marco Rubio [08:45]: “We want the Keystone EXO pipeline built,” emphasizing bipartisan support within the administration.

Analysis: Cruz and Ferguson commend Trump's unwavering commitment to energy policies that prioritize American economic interests over environmental activism. They argue that reviving the Keystone XL Pipeline is essential for job creation, energy security, and reducing the financial burden on citizens. The hosts also point out the administration's streamlined approval processes, contrasting it with previous delays.

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3. United States' Stance at the United Nations on Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Overview: The final segment addresses the United States' recent actions at the United Nations, specifically voting against a resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent media backlash.

Key Points:

• UN Vote: The US voted against a Europe-led resolution condemning Russia, leading to accusations that President Trump is siding with Russia.

• Trump’s Peace Initiative: Trump positions himself as a peace president seeking to end the costly and prolonged conflict, contrary to media claims of antagonism towards either side.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Statements: Rubio criticizes the United Nations as "warmongers" and emphasizes the administration's efforts to mediate peace, highlighting meetings with Russian officials to negotiate an end to the war.

• Media Criticism: The hosts argue that the media is misrepresenting Trump's intentions, portraying his actions as pro-Russia when they are aimed at achieving peace.

Notable Quotes:

• Marco Rubio [10:45]: Discusses President Trump's commitment to ending the war and the United Nations' failure to facilitate peace.

• Donald Trump [12:42]: “We have a president that wants to end wars, not start new ones. He wants to end human suffering, not exacerbate or extend it.”

• Ben Ferguson [14:04]: Emphasizes the importance of disseminating accurate information to counteract media misinformation.

Analysis: Cruz and Ferguson defend Trump's approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, portraying it as a strategic move to end unnecessary loss of life and economic strain. They contend that the administration's efforts to negotiate peace are being misconstrued by the media, which instead opts to label Trump as supportive of Russia. The hosts advocate for a reevaluation of media narratives, urging listeners to seek the truth behind governmental actions.

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Conclusion: In this episode, "Verdict with Ted Cruz" underscores President Trump's initiatives to enhance governmental efficiency, reclaim energy independence, and pursue peace in international conflicts. Cruz and Ferguson present these actions as proactive measures benefiting American citizens, while critiquing media portrayals that seek to undermine the administration's efforts. Through detailed analysis and direct quotations, the hosts provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of these critical issues, encouraging informed discourse beyond mainstream media narratives.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Donald Trump]

Are we paying other people that aren't working? And you know, where is all that? Where's the money going? We have found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud so far and we've just started. We're actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there because maybe somebody stole the gold. Tons of gold.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

Good Tuesday morning, it's Ben Ferguson with you. It's nice to have you on the 47 Morning Update. The big stories we're talking about today. First up, Donald Trump not taking the bait from the media backing Elon Musk. Email to government employees asked him, what did you do in the last week at work? I'll have the details on that in a moment. Also, you may remember the Keystone pipeline. Democrats did everything they could do to shut it down and it cost countless people their jobs in this country. Well, now Donald Trump has a plan to bring the Keystone pipeline back. And finally, Marco Rubio says enough already. Ripping the United nations and many of the war hawks that are obsessed with keeping the war going between Russia and Ukraine. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. On Saturday, Elon Musk, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, known as doge, issued an email to all federal employees with the subject line, what did you do last week? Now, the email requested that employees submit a list of five accomplishments from the previous week by 11:59pm on Monday night. Musk stated that non responses would be considered resignations. This directive led to, quote, widespread confusion, the media, states and resistance across various federal agencies trying to find a crack in the armor with Donald Trump and Elon Musk to start a war between the two men. Well, the president made it pretty clear he wants to know who's even reading their emails. Well, I'm pushing back on you, not on Elon Musk or his email.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Doge, sir, do you think that Doge could benefit from more streamlined communications? There was that email telling employees to give five things that they've done last week. Agency heads then told people to ignore it.

[Donald Trump]

But Elon Musk, the last email that was sent where he wanted to know what you did this week. You know why he wanted that, by the way? I thought it was great because we have people that show up to work and nobody even knows if they work for the government. So by asking the question, tell us what you did this week. What he's doing is saying, are you actually working? And then if you don't answer, like you're sort of semi fired or you're fired because a lot of people are not answering because they don't even exist. They're trying to. That's how badly various parts of our government were run by and especially by this last group. So what they're doing is they're trying to find out who's working for the government, are we paying other people that aren't working? And you know, where is all that, where's the money going?

[Unnamed Reporter]

Some of the agencies.

[Donald Trump]

So I think it was actually there was a lot of genius in sending it. We're trying to find out if people are working. And so we're sending a letter to people, please tell us what you did last week. If people don't respond, it's very possible that there is no such person or they're not working.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Some of the agency heads instructed their employees not to respond because they were waiting on further guidance. But Elon Musk's tweet said a failure to respond would be taken as a resignation. So there's been a disconnect in communications. Are you concerned at all about that?

[Ben Ferguson]

Only.

[Donald Trump]

No, no, no. That was done in a friendly manner. Only things such as perhaps Marco at State Department where they have very confidential things, or the FBI where they're working on confidential things and they don't mean that in any way, combatively with Elon. They're just saying there are some people that you don't want to really have them tell you what they're working on. But other than that, I think everyone thought it was a pretty ingenious idea. We have to find out where these people are, who are they? And we said if you don't respond, we assume you' around.

[Unnamed Reporter]

And that holds, that stands.

[Donald Trump]

And you're not getting paid anymore too. So, you know, we're doing a real job. And we just had a poll come out, I guess the Harvard poll, saying that it's massively popular what we're doing.

[Ben Ferguson]

The polls are saying that Donald Trump has the support of the American people. How do we know this? A new Harvard Harris poll has come out saying that 58% of Americans say that Donald Trump is doing a better job than Biden, 81% say they support deporting criminal aliens, 76% support eliminating fraud, waste and abuse in our government, 76% support closing the u. S. Border, 70% support merit based hiring instead of just government quotas. 61% support reciprocal tariffs, and 60% think that doge is helping tremendously in this country. So if you were thinking the president was going to back down or Elon Musk was going to back down, or.

[Marco Rubio]

There'S some sort of war between the.

[Ben Ferguson]

Two, well, the media keeps lying to you and they keep getting busted lying to you each and every day by this administration.

Now, story number two.

Seven years ago, Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office and promised that the Keystone XL pipeline was going to be built to lower costs for American families.

[Marco Rubio]

And also so that we would have energy independence.

[Ben Ferguson]

Fast forward seven years later and the President is still working on the project. The Democrats have done everything they can do to stop it. So what did the president say seven years ago?

[Marco Rubio]

Here he is, in his own words.

[Donald Trump]

Canada will finally be allowed to complete this long overdue project with efficiency and with speed. We're working out the final details as we speak. It's going to be an incredible pipeline. Greatest technology known to man or woman, and frankly, we're very proud of it. Russ gerling, President of TransCanada is right behind me and I'm going to have to say a few words. I know, Russ, you've been waiting for a long, long time. And I hope you don't pay your consultants anything because they have nothing to do with the approval. In fact, you should ask for the hundreds of millions of dollars back that you paid them because they didn't do a Damn thing except give you a no vote, right? It's a great day for American jobs and a historic moment for North America and energy independence. This announcement is part of a new era of American energy policy that will lower costs for American families.

[Ben Ferguson]

Seven years ago, the president made that statement.

[Marco Rubio]

Democrats did everything they could, as I.

[Ben Ferguson]

Mentioned earlier, to stop it. So what is the President saying now? Donald Trump putting out a statement on Monday that he wants the Keystone XO pipeline, which was opposed for years by activists fighting against climate change, to be built.

[Marco Rubio]

The pipeline, which was proposed in 08 to bring oil from Canada's western tar.

[Ben Ferguson]

Sands to US refiners and was halted in 2021 by the owner, TC Energy Corps, after Democratic President Joe Biden revoked a key permit needed for a US Stretch of the project. Our country's doing really well and today I was just thinking that the company behind the Keystone Exo pipeline that was viciously jettisoned by the incompetent Biden administration should come back to America and get it built. Now, I know they were treated very badly by sleepy Joe Biden, but the.

[Marco Rubio]

Trump administration is very different.

[Ben Ferguson]

Easy approvals, almost immediate start. If not them, perhaps another pipeline company.

[Marco Rubio]

We want the Keystone EXO pipeline built, Trump said on Truth Social.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now, the president has said yet again that he believes that energy independence is.

[Marco Rubio]

One of the most important things to.

[Ben Ferguson]

Lowering inflation and helping the American family.

[Marco Rubio]

Be able to survive day to day.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is something the Democrats didn't care about how much you suffered and they wanted you to pay a lot for.

[Marco Rubio]

Gas at the pump.

[Ben Ferguson]

They wanted you to pay a lot for natural gas. They wanted you to suffer and to.

[Marco Rubio]

Bow to their wishes for a green New Deal.

[Ben Ferguson]

Donald Trump making it clear now America is open for business, including the Keystone XL pipeline.

And finally, story number three.

[Marco Rubio]

One of the things that's really important.

[Ben Ferguson]

That we are going to be covering on this show each and every day is when there is clearly propaganda that.

[Marco Rubio]

Is being used against the Trump administration. This may be one of the biggest flashpoints so far. In the first six weeks of his administration, the United Nations General assembly adopted.

[Ben Ferguson]

A resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 93 countries voted in favor, 18 against, including the United States and Russia. Now, this immediately turned into propaganda, anti American propaganda, anti Trump propaganda, saying that Donald Trump is now siding with Russia.

[Marco Rubio]

It's easy to buy into that headline if you don't actually understand the story or why the American government decided to.

[Ben Ferguson]

Say no to condemning Russia at the United Nations. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, ripped the United nations as antagonistic and warmongers trying to keep the Ukraine, Russia war continuing.

[Marco Rubio]

On and on forever.

[Ben Ferguson]

I want you to hear what the Secretary of State said about this vote so that you understand the real story behind it.

[Marco Rubio]

Take a listen.

[Unnamed Reporter]

News Today, the United States voted against a Europe led resolution at the United nations to condemn Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. And then later, a US Led resolution passed the Security Council. Talk to us about what happened there.

[Unnamed Official]

Well, on the broader resolution, we think the UN Needs to get, if it's going to be useful in the 21st century, the UN needs to get back to its charter mission, which is the prevention and the ending of war and conflict. And so we felt, everyone knows, you know, you can go back and read newspaper articles over the last three years and figure out what happened in Ukraine. But now, as the President's made very clear, President Trump wants to end this war. He thinks far too many people have died and he wants to bring it to an end. So we didn't feel it was conducive, frankly, to have something out there at the UN that's antagonistic against either side. We're trying to get these guys to the table. And unfortunately, Ukraine didn't agree. They wanted to move forward on theirs. We then went to the Security Council with our compromise, which I think is a very fair language. And it basically says war is a terrible thing. I mean, I'm paraphrasing and I'm being simplistic, but it says war is a terrible thing. Way too many people have died. This war needs to end in a way that's enduring, in essence, echoing President Trump's view of what this conflict needs to be and reminding the United nations that the purpose of the United nations was the prevention of war and the ending of conflicts, not making it harder to end conflicts. So I thought it was good that we got it done at the Security Council. The Russians didn't veto it, which is a good sign. I'm not telling you that that is going to end this conflict. And I can't wait till Elise Stefanik is there because it'd be great to have her leadership, but I certainly think our language is better language and hopefully furthers the cause of peace.

[Unnamed Reporter]

President Trump today, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, said that he hopes that this can be resolved in a matter of weeks, not months, weeks. What are some of the major steps that we need to take to get to that point?

[Unnamed Official]

Well, I think the President would want it to end yesterday, right? He thinks already too many people have died, there's been too much destruction, by the way. I think everybody should be very happy that President Trump is a peace president. We have a president that wants to end wars, not start new ones. He wants to end human suffering, not exacerbated or extended. Now, that said, it's a conflict, it's a war and it's going back and forth. We got to get them both to the table, starting with the Russians. So we met with them last week and the basic question of that meeting was, are you interested in ending this conflict or not? A lot of people don't know the answer to that. If you talk to some in Europe, they'll tell you that Putin is not interested in ending the war. They said they would be under the right conditions. We didn't discuss what those conditions were. So the next step now is to meet with them again at some point with the right group of people in the room and begin to outline what would it take for Russia to stop a war. And obviously we got to ask Ukraine the same question because you can't stop a war unless both sides agree to it. So whether it takes days or weeks or what have you, we're going to begin that process. It may not work out. But why would anybody criticized President Trump for wanting to end a war that's cost billions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of lives and tremendous and ongoing human suffering?

[Marco Rubio]

You listen to what Marco Rubio said there and now you understand exactly why.

[Ben Ferguson]

They decided to not try to antagonize two countries.

[Marco Rubio]

You're wanting to get to the table to end the war.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now the media is not going to.

[Marco Rubio]

Tell you this part of the story.

[Ben Ferguson]

They're not going to play for you what I just played from you, from Marco Rubio. And this is exactly why I say I hope you take the information that I give you every day here and you give it to others that you know. Because without all of us telling the story, the media will continue to lie and win.

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 Ferry Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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