VICTORY! Hegseth Confirmed plus Trump Stands w Victims in NC and CA

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz – Episode Summary: VICTORY! Hegseth Confirmed plus Trump Stands with Victims in NC and CA
Release Date: January 25, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Produced by: Premiere Networks

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," co-host Ben Ferguson delves into three pivotal stories shaping the political landscape. From a significant confirmation at the Pentagon to President Trump's proactive stance during natural disasters, and Vice President J.D. Vance's fervent support for pro-life initiatives, this episode offers a thorough analysis of the current administration's actions and their implications for American citizens.

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1. Pete Headseth Confirmed as Secretary of Defense

Victory for MAGA:
Ben Ferguson opens the episode with the triumphant confirmation of Pete Headseth as the new Secretary of Defense. Despite fierce opposition from Democrats—who employed tactics ranging from slander to the use of anonymous sources to derail his nomination—Headseth's appointment stands firm.

Key Points:

• Senate Confirmation: The Senate vote was intensely close, ending in a 50-50 tie. The decisive moment came when Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote, ensuring Headseth's confirmation.

  Quote:
  J.D. Vance (02:04): "If not on this vote, the yeas are 50 and the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed."

• Strategic Appointments: Headseth is assembling a formidable team aimed at critical issues such as securing the southern border. Recent actions include dispatching military personnel to support border security efforts, underscoring a commitment to "making America safe again."

• Broader Responsibilities: Beyond border security, Headseth will navigate complex international challenges, including tensions in the Middle East involving Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Conclusion:
Ben Ferguson commends both Headseth and President Trump for their unwavering dedication to national security, emphasizing that Democratic attempts to undermine the nomination were unsuccessful.

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2. President Trump Stands with Disaster Victims in North Carolina and California

Proactive Leadership Amidst Crisis:
President Trump demonstrates decisive leadership in addressing devastating natural disasters, positioning himself as a commander-in-chief who prioritizes American lives over political agendas.

Key Points:

• Visits to Affected Areas: Trump, accompanied by the First Lady, visits North Carolina and California to assess the aftermath of hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires. His hands-on approach contrasts sharply with previous administrations.

• Critique of FEMA: The President openly criticizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for its inefficiency and bureaucratic delays in disaster response.

  Quote:
  Donald Trump (05:20): "FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic. It's very slow. Other than that, we're very happy with them."

• Call for Reforms: Trump advocates for state-level management of disasters, suggesting an overhaul or complete dissolution of FEMA. He emphasizes the need for immediate action and reduced red tape to facilitate faster rebuilding efforts.

  Exchange Highlight:
  (08:02)
  Donald Trump: "FEMA has a standard that's so slow. They want permit on permit on permit and then they want permits on top of that. If you use FEMA, you'll be here for a long time."
  Reporter: "What are people going to do if they can't rebuild due to lack of funds?"
  Donald Trump: "You're going to have a big percentage, I would assume, ..."

• Insurance Woes in California: Trump addresses the alarming exodus of insurance companies from California, attributing it to state regulations that have made it untenable for insurers to operate effectively.

  Quote:
  Donald Trump (09:05): "You lost your insurance companies six months ago because the state wouldn't give them what they had to have."

Public Reception:
The President's visits are met with gratitude from affected communities, as evidenced by local officials expressing appreciation for his presence and support.

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3. Vice President J.D. Vance Champions Pro-Life Initiatives at March for Life

Advocacy for the Unborn:
In a powerful and underreported event, Vice President J.D. Vance delivers a stirring speech at the annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., reinforcing the administration's commitment to pro-life values.

Key Points:

• Call for Increased Birth Rates: Vance emphasizes the need for more babies in the United States, highlighting the importance of supporting young families to foster a thriving population.

  Quote:
  J.D. Vance (12:34): "So let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America."

• Critique of Abortion Culture: He passionately criticizes the prevailing culture of "abortion on demand," advocating for societal shifts that prioritize and celebrate life at all stages.

• Support for Families: Vance underscores the necessity of assisting young couples in raising healthy families, aligning with broader pro-life initiatives aimed at creating a supportive environment for life.

• Administration's Actions: Celebrating recent decisions by the Department of Justice to limit prosecutions of pro-life activists, whom he refers to as "prayer warriors," Vance lauds the administration for protecting those who stand against abortion.

Conclusion:
Ben Ferguson highlights the significance of Vance's speech, noting its alignment with President Trump's pro-life agenda and the administration's efforts to support and protect unborn children and families.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Ben Ferguson adeptly navigates through three major developments: the successful confirmation of Pete Headseth as Secretary of Defense, President Trump's robust response to natural disasters and criticism of FEMA, and Vice President J.D. Vance's fervent support for pro-life initiatives. Through insightful analysis and notable quotes, the episode underscores the administration's focus on national security, efficient disaster response, and the sanctity of life, painting a comprehensive picture of the current political climate for listeners.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• J.D. Vance:
  02:04 – "If not on this vote, the yeas are 50 and the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed."
  12:34 – "So let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America."

• Donald Trump:
  05:20 – "FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic. It's very slow. Other than that, we're very happy with them."
  09:05 – "You lost your insurance companies six months ago because the state wouldn't give them what they had to have."

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Transcript

[Donald Trump]

Is incompetently run.

[Commentator]

I guess Biden was thinking about other things, wasn't he? They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic. It's very slow. Other than that, we're very happy with them.

[J.D. Vance]

I want more babies in the United States of America.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

Good morning, it's Ben Ferguson. Nice to have you with us on this Saturday morning. And here are the big stories that we're covering coming out of the White House. First, first up, it's a victory. Pete Het Seth is officially now the man in charge at the Pentagon after Democrats did everything they could, including lie and slander him trying to stop the nomination. It didn't work and it's a big victory for maga. Also, Donald Trump made it very clear on Friday that he was standing with all victims in this country of horrific natural disasters, stopping first in North Carolina, where people had clearly been forgotten by the Biden administration, and then made his way all the way out to California to help the people there that have been dealing with the wildfires. We'll have more on what the president said about that, including saying it's time to overhaul or get rid of FEMA. And finally, Vice President J.D. vance delivered a speech at the annual March for life rally in D.C. making it very clear that even if the media won't cover this event, he is going to stand with the rights of unborn children. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. Story number one, Democrats did everything they could to try to stop Pete Headseth from becoming the secretary of Defense. They slandered him, they lied, and they used, of course, anonymous sources to try to make him look like he was the worst man in the world. Well, the good news is it didn't work. After a 50 to 50 tie vote in the Senate, there was one man that got to show up and vote again. He even laughed about it on social media. As The Vice President J.D. vance said, I thought I was done voting in the Senate. Well, he showed up to cast a vote and here's what he said.

[J.D. Vance]

If not on this vote, the yeas are 50 and the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed.

[Ben Ferguson]

And just like that, it was official. Pete Headseth was confirmed as secretary of Defense. Now, what we're also learning about Pete Headseth is he is bringing in some incredible people around him who are already getting involved in important issues like securing the southern border. How do we know this heavily armed members of our military were seen flying to the southern border on Friday and disembarking major military aircraft, giving aid and support to border security, the Department of Homeland Security, to pay off on the promise of making America safe again at our southern border. This is just one thing that the secretary of defense is going to have to deal with. He will also have to deal with what's happening in the Middle east with Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, and helping to wind down the war between Russia and Ukraine. At the end of the day, Democrats wanted to derail this nomination. They wanted to hurt not only the President of the United States of America, but they wanted to destroy Pete Headset personally. And it did not work. So congratulations to Pete on becoming the Secretary of Defense. And congratulations to President Trump for picking a fabulous nominee to reform the dod.

Now, story number two.

President Donald Trump showing true leadership in the first few days in office, made it very clear that he is going to be a president for all Americans who are suffering, especially when it comes to natural disasters. Donald Trump said politics should not have anything to do with helping Americans after they deal with a disaster. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened under the Biden administration. For the people in Tennessee and North Carolina, they were the forgotten ones. Simply put, Democrats said, who are they going to vote for or who did they vote for in the past? And when they realized it was quote MAGA country, they didn't care about them at all. The complete opposite has happened, however, for Democrats when it comes to those in LA and the surrounding areas that have been affected by the wildfires. Well, Donald Trump said, I'm not going to do it that way. And so he woke up this morning with the first lady and immediately went to North Carolina where he listened to the people who had lost everything from that hurricane and the flooding that happened afterwards. He listened to what was wrong with our government response and how FEMA had failed them in so many different ways. He also promised that he was going to stand by them and help them rebuild quickly and even made sure that there were certain point people within his administration that are going to take the lead in North Carolina. Now, the president was angry about what he saw there and just how bad FEMA's response has been. Before he went to California, the president had this to say about maybe getting rid of FEMA or at the bare minimum, overhauling the agency, getting rid of it.

[Reporter]

Can you say more about signing executive.

[Commentator]

Order to get rid of female. FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic and it's very slow. Other than that, we're very happy with them. Okay. And I think it's, I think when there's a. When there's a problem with the state, I think that that problem should be taken care of by the state. That's what we have states for. They take care of problems. And a governor can handle something very quickly. You know, one of the things I've noticed, because I've been doing this for a while and we had a pretty good fema, but I also noticed that when they come, they end up in arguments. They're fighting all the time over who does what. It's just not a good system. This system is so beautifully designed. Over 250 years, approximately, you know, and we'll soon be celebrating the 250th year. It's going to be a very big celebration, but it's been designed very well and we're going to leave it that way. When North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, when everybody knows the governor of Tennessee, I think everybody. Do you know, everybody here? Pretty much. I never thought of it, but you're right over the ridge, so you're here to help. That's great.

[Local Official]

The people in this region, including Tennessee, the people of Appalachia, are grateful that you are here and that you haven't forgotten them and that there are other disasters, but this one was enormous for both North Carolina and Tennessee. So thank you.

[Commentator]

You know, I've seen a lot of disasters. This, when I came, I came here right after, the day after. And when I came here, I couldn't believe it, actually. I couldn't believe the damage.

[Donald Trump]

And I've seen a lot of them.

[Commentator]

This was, this was more like a tornado than it was what we witnessed. So we're going to get it very much, very much taken care of. Good job.

[Donald Trump]

That's nice that you can you hear.

[Ben Ferguson]

The president saying a good job. And we're glad that you came and we're here to help and get things fixed. This was very different type of conversation in North Carolina than the president had when he went out to California. Donald Trump had a press conference that went off the rails as Democrats tried to defend their incompetency. When it comes to having no water in the fire hydrants and not actually collecting rainwater in their reservoirs. What did Donald Trump have to say to them? Take a listen.

[Donald Trump]

Is incompetently run and it costs about three times more than it should cost. I'm hoping we can spend money on schools instead of giving money to Bureaucracy. It takes you so much longer.

[Reporter]

Mr. President. So much for helping our people.

[Donald Trump]

FEMA has a standard, Brad. And I'm a builder. I built, I was a very good builder. FEMA has a standard that's so slow. They want permit on permit on permit and then they want permits on top of that. If you use fema, you'll be here for a long time. What I'm saying is get the city, get the, the state to give you immediate 24 hour permits. These people are going to build their own homes. They're going to get them built fast. How many of the people. Could I ask you one question? How many of the people, what are people going to do for financing? What are people going to do? How many people can build a home a percentage wise, like where they don't have to go out and get funds? Some people are just not going to be able to rebuild their home because they have a beautiful home but they don't have cash. Right. So what are, what are people looking to do in that case? You're going to have a big percentage, I would assume, Brad, like that. What are they going to do?

[Reporter]

Go ahead, Mr. President, without your help, they're only going to get $43,000 from the federal government even if they have a half.

[Donald Trump]

Well, you know, you did something, Brad, where every insurance company in the country left California. That's why you have no insurance because you made it so impossible. People that think like you made it so impossible and me, every insurance company.

[Reporter]

I don't know, I don't know what I'll tell you about my thinking.

[Commentator]

I've never seen a state where almost nobody has insurance.

[Donald Trump]

And I said, what happened? And they said like six months ago they all left. And two years ago they had different, you know, quadrants, but they left. And you have very little insurance here. I mean, I've never seen anything like it.

[Reporter]

We had a lot of insurance companies pull out, but I have no idea.

[Donald Trump]

Insurance companies actually have been warning you. Now I'm not a big fan of insurance companies, okay? They have their big drawbacks too. But the insurance company, I've been reading, I read the papers very well and you know, they've been warning California for a long time. They've also been saying, we want water. You don't have water. You know, you're supposed to get fire insurance. And the insurance company goes, you don't have any water in your fire hydrants. So it's a tough situation. I'm not a big fan of insurance companies. I get that.

[Reporter]

They're, they're pulling out of Florida.

[Donald Trump]

You lost your insurance companies six months ago because the state wouldn't give them what they had to have.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is why so many Americans voted for Donald Trump. He is staring the people in California in the face that created this disaster and he's calling them out for their incompetency. The media, by the way, was saying, oh, the president came here to chastise people that were in need. If you notice the people clapping, the audience were the homeowners. They were thankful that Donald Trump was there. Don't buy the media narrative on this one. Donald Trump is speaking truth to the incompetent leaders in California and the citizens were cheering him on today.

And lastly, story number three.

There was a major story on Friday that happened. It's a story that the media did not cover. You will not see or read what I'm about to tell you in 99% of the media coverage of what happened on Friday in America. That's why I do this show for you every day. Vice President J.D. vance delivered a speech, an important speech, at the annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. where he emphasized his desire for more babies in the United States of America. What a novel idea. He also criticized the nation's culture of abortion on demand. He advocated for a society that supports families and values life at all stages, highlighting the importance of assisting young couples in raising thriving and healthy families. Vance also celebrated the administration's recent decision to limit the prosecution of anti abortion activists is what the left will call them when in reality they were prayer warriors. They were by the entrances of reproductive health clinics. And what did the Department of Justice do? They went after them like they were terrorists and many of them received pardons from the president this week as well. In his address, Vance underscored the administration's commitment to protecting unborn children and fostering what he described as a culture that celebrates life, aligning with President Trump's message to the rally, which reaffirms support for pro life initiatives and the protection of women and children. Simply put, the vice president said this.

[J.D. Vance]

So let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America.

[Ben Ferguson]

Sometimes simple lines like that can state so much about what an administration values. This administration values life and they're willing to stand up for life and protect it and also pardon those that were persecuted for standing up for life. Praying at abortion clinics. Another job well done in the first week of President Trump 47's administration.

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.