Latest / The Ben Ferguson Podcast / Nearly Every Taxpayer Gets a Break—Where’s the Media Buzz?

Transcript

Nearly Every Taxpayer Gets a Break—Where’s the Media Buzz? · The Ben Ferguson Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let's start with some really exciting news. And I'm probably
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: the first place that you've actually heard this information, which
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: tells you just how much the media actually hates conservatives
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: and the values that we represent and the bills and
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the policies that we get passed. Now, you would think
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: that if you turned on the news, you would hear
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: exactly what I'm about to tell you, because this is
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: amazing news for all Americans. Like, not just rich people
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: or middle class or only Republicans. This is for everyone.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Almost every US tax filer, we have now learned, got
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: a cut this year. That's right, coming to eighty two
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: billion dollars in relief the Treasury Department has announced. Now,
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: if you are in the media, you would think that
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: would be a lead story, right, Like, that doesn't get
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: any better than that. You have almost everybody that does
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: their taxes and they're getting relief. Why would you not
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: want to celebrate that moment, Because if you're in the media,
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: that means nearly every person who watches your show that
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: filed taxes received a tax cut, and eighty two billion
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: dollars in relief is something you should be excited about.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: In fact, the data released on Tuesday show that ninety
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: seven percent of tax filers scored a cut courtesy of
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was passed last year.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: And that explains exactly why they don't want to celebrate
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: this moment, because that means that the One Big Beautiful
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: Bill actually work for the American people instead of working
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: to take more of your money, which is exactly what
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: the Democratic Party wants to do. Now. Without the new law,
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: those taxpayers would have been hit with a ready, a
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: five trillion dollar tax hike. Now, let's just go back
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: to that number again. Without the new law, taxpayers would
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: have been hit with a five trillion dollar tax hike
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: from the expiration of Trump's landmark twenty seventeen law that
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: slash payments to the irs, according to the Treasury Department.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: The Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen sounded a triumphant note on
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: the outcome, saying, under President Trump, our federal tax code
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: and system reflects the American people's mandate to reject policies
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: that punish success with tax hikes and embrace those that
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: restore fairness, reward work, respect hard earned paychecks, and reignite
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: the American dream. The Treasury officials said filers making between
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand who tapped the
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: new brakes pocket on an average cut topping one two
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: hundred and fifty dollars now, while those with the incomes
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: between fifteen one hundred thousand grab more than eight hundred
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: and fifteen dollars on average. I want to just take
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: a moment and talk to you a little bit about
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: what's happening in Israel right now. When you hear about
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: Israel in the news, it's easy to think of headlines politics,
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: or another far away, But for families in Israel and
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: Jews around the world, this is incredibly personal. Anti Semitic
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: attacks in the Holy Land and across the globe are
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: happening right now. Elderly Holocaust survivors who endure so much
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: already again fear for their lives. Jewish families are praying
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: for the freedom to worship in safety, and in moments
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: like these, your voice matters, because your voice can remind
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: them that they're not alone. The International Fellowship of Christians
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: and Jews and inviting you to leave a personal prayer
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: or message of encouragement that will be delivered directly to
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: someone in Israel who needs hope right now, not filtered
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: through the media, not lost online, but personally delivered. A
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: simple prayer, a few heartfelt words they can lift the
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: spirit of someone facing fear, uncertainty, and isolation. This is
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: more than support. This is standing with Israel when it
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: matters the most. Go to PREYIFCJ dot org. That prey
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: pr ay IFCJ dot org and you can submit your
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: prayer today. That's prey if CJ dot org. Now what's
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: even cooler than the data I just gave you, is
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: this the president who really pushed hard for no tax
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: on tips. We now know just how many American workers
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: that affected, and how many of them put more money
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: in their pocket than ever before while going to work.
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: It is now more than seven and a half million
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: hard working Americans. They were able to claim the no
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: tax on tips break, a key promise from the President's campaign.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: Another reason why the media does not want to talk
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: about this story. We also know that it wiped an
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: average of about seven thousand dollars off their taxable income
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: on average, some even more than that. Now we also
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: know that over twenty nine million filers deducted no tax
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: on overtime pay. Say that again, twenty nine million tax
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: filers deducted no tax on overtime. Now, these are really
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: hard working Americans that say, I'm going to work longer
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: than forty hours in a week, I'm going to work
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: harder than I've ever worked for my family. I'm going
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: to put my head down and make ends meet and
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: try to better myself. And so here we are, twenty
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: nine million filers, we're able to get the no tax
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: on overtime deduction. Here's what it did. In reality, it
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: trimmed an average of thirty one hundred dollars from their bills.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: Three quarters earned under one hundred thousand dollars. So if
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: you think this is helping out the rich guy, you're wrong.
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: Ninety six percent also made below two hundred thousand, again,
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: meaning these are really hard working people working longer than
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: forty hours in a week, and they deserve to keep
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: more of their hard earned money. Another reason why you
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: notice the media not touching this subject. Now, the doubled
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: standard deduction simplify life. We also have learned for one
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: hundred and twenty seven million tax filers, that is the
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: equivalent of ninety percent of all returns filed in this country.
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: Treasury officials believe the relief will swell further as stragglers
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: with extensions file their taxes as well. Now, all of
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: this data arrives as Americans feel the first full impact
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: of the sweeping tax cut overhaul that Republicans got through
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: Congress last year. The legislation included bigger breaks for seniors
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: and families, incentives to buy American made automobiles, and the
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: setting up of the Trump accounts that will fundamentally change
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: this country with young people. The simple savings plans created
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: by Trump's new tax law was simple. It aimed to
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: help families put away more of their own money for
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: their kids' futures. Now, Treasury Department said Tuesday that more
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: than five point five million Trump accounts have already been open,
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: and one point four million kids eligible for the pilot
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: one thousand dollar contributions have been opened. Eighty six percent,
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: they say, are tied to families that are earning less
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: than two hundred thousand dollars a year, which is exactly
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: what the Trump accounts were designed to do. We also
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: know that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: massive domestic policy package. It was crammed with Trump's second
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: term priorities, and it's working. The House and Senate passed
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: it in July of last year, with every Democrat and
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: two Republicans saying no to it. The Senate majority leader
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: John Thune South Dakota Republicans steered it through the upper
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: chamber on July one. Trump signed that into law on
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: July fourth. Now what's amazing is if you look at
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: the numbers and you look at the growth effects, especially
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: to lower marginal tax rates on working class Americans. This
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: allows them to have more for savings, more for investments,
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: and more for them to be able to buy and
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: expand their small businesses if they are growing them. We
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: also know that this information that we have from Treasury
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: estimates that all of this legislation often called the OBBBA,
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: is increasing GDP by one point two percent in twenty
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: twenty six, one point four percent they expect in twenty
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: twenty seven, and one point five percent in twenty twenty eight.
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: That is incredible. So almost every US tax filer got
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: a cut this year, coming in an eighty two billion
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: in relief. That is something that every American should celebrate.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: And when if you look at what the Democrats wanted
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: to do, that is where the real story is, and
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: that is what so many Americans should also be terrified of,
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: is what Democrats say they'll do if they get back
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: control and power. They wanted you to pay a five
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: trillion dollar tax hike this tax season. That was their plan. Instead,
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: the Republican and said, no, Americans deserve more of their money,
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: while Democrats said, we want to take another five trillion
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: from the average American. Now, I hope you'll take everything
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: I just told you, and I hope you'll share it
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: wherever you can, because I promise you what I just
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: told you is not going to be reported on by
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: the media, and they're not going to talk about just
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: how much money the Democratic Party wanted to take from
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: you either, because most Americans, when they hear that the
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: Democrats wanted five trillion more of your dollars in this
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: last tax year, they would say that's insane. Well, that's
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: exactly what their plan was, and that is what they
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: voted for. Every Democrat said no to giving you more
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: of your money back. So if you want to know
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: what the midterms are about, this is it right here.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: And I promise you the president and other conservatives should
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: be running on this issue. There's an old saying in
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: politics that when your campaign is having a great week,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: you stay home and you talk to voters. But when
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: your campaign is facing really tough questions like we're seeing
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: in Maine by Platner, well apparently you end up spending
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: a lot of time talking to party leaders not in
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: the state where you're running. That's exactly where the main
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: Democratic Senate candidate, Graham Platner finds himself as we speak.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: He traveled to DC and why to try to save everything,
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: meeting with Democratic centers and donors and party officials as
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: his campaign attempts to navigate a growing list of major
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: controversies that have dominated the headlines in Maine and really
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: all over the country now. According to multiple reports, the
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: trip includes meetings with Senate Democrats and fundraising events as
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: party leaders weigh both the political risks and political realities
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: surrounding his candidacy. Now, the timing couldn't be more significant either.
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: Democrats view Maine as one of the most important Senate
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: battlegrounds in the country. They truly believe they should win
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: this easily against Susan Collins. And how important is it.
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: We're literally talking about the control of the Senate could
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: very well come down to a handful of races, and
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: Maine sits near the top of that list. That reality
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: is now creating an uncomfortable situation for many Democrats who
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: have major concerns about Platner, but also recognize that abandoning
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: their nominee could hand Republicans the victory. And that's why
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: they're not willing to kick them to the curb just yet.
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: Now the challenge is clear in DC tonight. The headlines
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: aren't going away now. Over the past several months, Platner
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: has faced scrutiny over old social media posts, past comments,
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: a controversial tattoo that is tied to the Nazis and
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: the SS you know, things like that, and it's become
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: a national story. But the most recent reports involving sexually
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: explicit text messages that were sent right after he got married,
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: that didn't help either. Those stories have generated intense attention
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: and raise question from Democratic donors about the viability of
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: their candidate and the general election. Now, even some Democratic
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: senators have acknowledged publicly that they have quote concerns and
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: they're looking for answers. Are they really, of course not.
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: Others are just defending Platner at all costs, saying that
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: he's the best man for the job. But here's the
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: political party, and the reality of it is kicking in.
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: Despite all of this, Democrats, well, they seem to be
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: leaning towards We're going to rally behind him, We're going
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: to take pictures with him, We're going to give them
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: the money he needs, and we brought him to Washington
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: to save him. Now, his primary opponent is the main governor,
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: Janet Mills. She suspended her campaign months ago after trailing
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: badly in the polls and bad fundraising. Since then, much
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: of the Democratic establishment has moved towards supporting Platner, even
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: if some of them are doing it well with major reservations.
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: Because this is how radical the Democratic Party has become.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: And that's why this trip to Washington matters so much.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: It's not just about the fundraising anymore, and it's not
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: just about the donor meetings. It's actually about reassurance to
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: the party and then to the other donors, and then
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: in theory, to the voters in Maine. Party leaders they
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: want to know whether or not there are any more
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: surprises coming. That's part of what the meetings are about
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: and of course Platterns are going to say, there's nothing
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: else out there. You need to know about everything's there.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: They want to know whether the campaign can withstand months
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: of opposition research. They want to know whether Platner can
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: survive the scrutiny that comes with being one of the
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: most closely watched Senate candidates in America. And for Democrats,
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: let's be clear, they're extremely nervous. Some Democratic Senaters that's
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: been reported have essentially said what many in Washington are
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: already thinking. They may have concerns, but they still need
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: to win the seat. The political calculation is straightforward. If
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: Platinum remains a nominee Democrats, they believe they're likely to
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: unite behind him, regardless of any discomfort with the controversies.
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: It doesn't matter that he has a Nazi tattoo. It
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: doesn't matter about the things of his wife. It doesn't
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: matter about the text messages, it doesn't matter about the
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: disparage and comments towards veterans. Right, none of it matters.
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: And if you want to know all the controversies, go
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: back and grab the podcast where you laid out the
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: top fourteen things that has been a problem for Platners
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: so far, and we expect that list to grow. Now,
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: what makes a story even bigger than the candidacy is
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: this is now becoming a test of how much scandal
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: modern political parties are willing to tolerate when major electoral
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: stakes are involved. For years, politicians from both parties argued
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: that certain controversies, when in essence, automatically disqualify a candidate. Yeah,
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: I guess what. That's not happening anymore. What we're now
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: seeing is the Democratic Party saying we'll stick with you
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: if we think you're the best person. And look, if
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: you're Platiner, you've got to be encouraged. Because the Democratic
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: Party literally covered up the cognitive decline of Joe Biden.
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: They lied to the faces of every American voter, They
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: lied to his own staff in the White House saying
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: he was totally fine. They lied on Capitol Hill, they
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: lied on the Sunday shows, and they did everything they
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: could until that debate, and when Joe Biden had the
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: most disastrous debate and political history on stage against Donald Trump.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: That is only when Democrats said we need an exit ramp.
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: So if you're grand Platner right now, you got to
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: be thinking to yourself, I'm gonna be okay. If they'll
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: defend Joe Biden, they're going to defend me, and hey,
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: at least I don't have a cognitive decline, So surely
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: they can get over all of this. And there's a
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: very good chance the Democrats will say yes to this candidate.
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: And they don't really care about the Nazi tattoo. They
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: don't care about any of the stuff going on in
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: his personal life. They don't care about him attacking the
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: military because, let's be honest, they don't really love the
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: military at all. This is where the Democratic Party is.
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: One thing is for sure. If they stick with Platner,
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: get ready for even more extreme and radical candidates to
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: come all over the country because it will inspire them
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: to run based on what they just witnessed. You may
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: know that June is the month of pride. We have
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: been told that you must celebrate Pride month and if
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: you don't, then you are a bigot. You are anti
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: LGBTQIA plus plus and whatever they've decided to change it into. Now, well,
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: there does seem to be a changing in this story.
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: After years of companies bowing down to the woke, radical
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: left and just saying you tell us what we need
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: to celebrate, will do it, Will paint whatever rainbows you
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: want us to paint, will celebrate with special logos and
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: emails and Pride literally paraphernalia in the front of our stores.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: We now may be seeing a course correction. NFL is
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: a great place to start. The social media accounts, for
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: the first time in years, passed on celebrating the first
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: day of Pride Month. They had been one of the
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: lookest organizations with pressure from the LGBTQI plus community, but
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: now the National Football League's official social media accounts looked
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: on a pass when it came to celebrating the first
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: day of Pride Month June first. Yes, it's a month
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: long recognition that we have in this country and in
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: many parts of the world. Now, I also want you
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: to think about in comparing contrast other incredible days that
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: don't get even a week. They get a day. You
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: look get Veterans Day, you look at Memorial Day, you
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: look at Labor Day, you look at any other thing
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: like Christmas. There's just a day. It is not a month.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: But Pride Month has to be an entire month. Well,
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: a lapse is not exactly surprising. While most of its
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: teams and I'm referring to the NFL have gone in
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: the past all in for Pride Month, the league itself
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: has not mentioned it since twenty twenty three, when it
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: launched its Football Is For Everyone campaign. This is coming
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: from the New York Post now. Still, the league did
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: issue a statement to press reassuring its support for LGBT community,
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: saying this Pride Month is recognized throughout June and the
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: NFL will continue to highlight and amplify Pride related content,
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: community and initiatives and celebrations taking place across the league.
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: The NFL went on to say, throughout the month, we
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: look forward to opportunities to showcase the work of the
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: NFL our clubs, players, partners, and community organizations supporting LGBTQ
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: plus communities. Now, last year, twelve NFL teams failed as
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: the liberal media put it to mention Pride Month as
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: June kicked off. By the way, that was by accident.
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: So far this month, only nine teams have not posted
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: a celebratory message for Pride Month, many of them taking
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: so much eat over last year. Now those teams right
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: now include the New York Jets, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: Cleveland Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Tennessee Titans, the Kansas
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: City Chiefs, the Las Vegasa Against Raiders, the Dallas Cowboys,
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: and the New Orleans Saints. Obviously that could change, but
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: if you look at what the NFL is doing here, yes,
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: they're clearly trying to play politics. You could even argue
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: to try to play both sides of this. But what
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: we are seeing is a month seems to be a
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: moment now that people are saying, really, we need an
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: entire month to celebrate this, and if you don't do it,
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: then what happens, Well, maybe not as much as we
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: thought in the past. We also know that some of
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: the pride excitement may be dying down. Another example of
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: that is Phoenix. Phoenix Pride, which is a prominent organzation
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: behind Arizona's largest LGBTQ plus gathering, announced on the eve
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: of Pride Month that it is now filed for bankruptcy.
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: The filing, submitted Thursday in the US Bankruptcy Court in
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  Speaker 1: the District of Arizona showed that Phoenix Pride was seeking
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  Speaker 1: Chapter eleven bankruptcy protection, allowing time they say to continue
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  Speaker 1: operations while restructuring its debt under court supervision. The Tucson
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: Sentinel is reporting the organization's board of directors said in
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: a press release that the decision was not made quote
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: lightly rising. They said, operational costs, economic uncertainty, shifts in
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  Speaker 1: sponsorship again, ships in sponsorship and fundraising, partly due to
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: the current political climate and administration, and increasing demand on
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: nonprofit organizations have created circumstances we can no longer navigate alone.
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  Speaker 1: Like many Pride organizations and LGBTQ plus nonprofits across the country,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: Phoenix Pride is faced mounting financial pressures that threaten our
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  Speaker 1: long term sustainability. Now you look at what they just
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: said in that statement, and what they're telling you is
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: is they're not the only Pride organization in the country
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  Speaker 1: that's struggling right now. The local publication also noted that
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: the Phoenix Pride financial woes come just months after Tucson
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  Speaker 1: Pride shut down, fallowing years of financial strain, and, of course,
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: as they described it, leadership problems. They say the sequence
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: of events raises new questions about the sustainability of some
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: of the state's largest LGBTQ plus organizations, as they navigate
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: what they describe as rising costs, budget issues, internal struggles,
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: and then even community trust. Phoenix Pride said, filing Chapter
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: eleven gives the organization the opportunity to reorganize its finances
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: while continuing to operate. Now, you put all this into perspective,
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: and here's what it really boils down to. These Pride
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: organizations were able to blackmail, in essence, corporations and donors
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: to give to them, and if they didn't, then they
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: were going to out them and say they are anti LGBTQ. Plus,
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: now what we're seeing is maybe many of these organizations
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: are more willing to say, hey, we're not going to
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: be held hostage and we're not going to put our
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: money towards Pride Month the way that you guys expect
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: us to in the past. There is also the politics
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: of this, which is also very very very interesting, which
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: brings me to another story. Now, if you want to
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: understand just how much the culture and political landscape of
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: America's changed, then you really need to look at what's
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: happening right now in Arkansas. The Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: Sanders officially proclaimed June is Fidelity Month. Encouraging people in
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: Arkansas to focus on fidelity to God, family, community, and country.
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  Speaker 1: And her proclamation, Sanders pointed to America's founding principles of faith, liberty,
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: and patriotism and encourage residents to renew their commitment to
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: those values. Now, notice she's saying, We're going to have
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: a month for family, a month for God, a month
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: for community, a month for country. What an amazing idea
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: and proclamations specifically highlight the importance of commitment to face,
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: strong families, civic responsibility, and moral virtue. It argues that
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: cultivating fidelity to God, family, community, and country will contribute
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: to a healthy and stable society. Now, clearly this is
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: a one point eighty when it comes to what Pride
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: Month actually is. And let's be honest, this is about
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: much more than a proclamation. What Arkansas is doing is
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: reflecting a much broader trend happening across the country. Many Americans,
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: putting it bluntly, have grown tired of having every institution
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: in their lives become politicized. They want schools focused on education.
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: They want businesses focus on serving customers. They want sports
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: franchises focus on competition, and increasingly they want government leaders
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: focus on strengthening families and our communities and also faith
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: based institutions rather than engaging in cultural war symbolism. And
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: that's why Sara Huckabee Sanders as the governor of Arkansas
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: and having this proclamation is generating so much attention. She
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: essentially is saying that instead of dedicating June to identity politics,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: Arkansas will dedicate June to what she've views as the
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: foundational institutions that hold society together, faith, family, community, and country. Now,
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: whether you agree or disagree with what the message is here,
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: there's no question it represents a dramatic shift from where
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: America was just a few years ago, and Arkansas isn't alone.
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: Other Republican led states are promoting similar themes. Tennessee, where
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: I was born, they have highlighted the importance of the
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: nuclear family, while several governors have emphasized traditional family structures
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: and faith based values as alternatives to the cultural message
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: typically associated with Pride Month. The larger story here isn't
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: simply about Pride Month. It's about a growing movement among
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: millions of Americans who feel that the country drifted too
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: far away from the values that built strong communities in
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: the first place. They believe strong families matter, they believe
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: faith matters, they believe patriotism matters, and they believe that
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: those values deserve public celebration too, and shouldn't be hidden
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: any longer. Governor Sanders' message is essentially an invitation for
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: Arkansas to spend June strengthening their marriages, spending time with
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: their children, serving their communities, and attending church, and reflecting
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: on the responsibility as citizens in the great State of
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: Arkansas and in the United States of America. And to supporters,
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: let me just say this, this is a refreshing change.
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: Of course, critics are going to lose their minds. It's
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: a political statement aimed directly at Pride month. They're going
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: to say that your bigots or racists or homophobes or
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: whatever else they want to call you, but regardless of
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: where you stand, there is one thing that's undeniable. June
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: in twenty twenty six looks very different than June and
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty. Corporate enthusiasm has cooled, the political momentum has shifted,
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: and in states like Arkansas and Tennessee, leaders are openly
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: championing an alternative vision centered on faith, family, and traditional values.
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: Now you put this into perspective with it what President
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: Trump is now doing. We're approaching the incredible two hundred
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: and fiftieth birthday of the greatest country in the world,
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: and what we're witnessing is a major cultural debate unfolding
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: in real time, something that President Trump clearly wanted. One
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: vision emphasizes identity and self expression. The other emphasizes duty, commitment, faith,
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: and family. And if Arkansas is any indication, many Americans
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: are increasingly choosing the latter. And that's why this year's
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: Pride Month story isn't just about Pride. It's about a
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: country that is reassessing its priorities, rediscovering our roots, and
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: asking a fundamental question, what value should define the next
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: chapter of the American story. We'll keep following this story.
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: I can promise you that we've got a lot more
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: that's going to happen the days ahead. So make sure
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: you don't forget. Grab our podcast, the Ben Ferguson Podcast
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts as well, hit that subscriber
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: auto download button so you don't miss any of the
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: breaking news.