Latest / The Ben Ferguson Podcast / Iran’s Naval Surge Ends at the Bottom of the Sea plus Liberal Lawmaker’s Talks w Cuba Raise Serious Red Flags

Transcript

Iran’s Naval Surge Ends at the Bottom of the Sea plus Liberal Lawmaker’s Talks w Cuba Raise Serious Red Flags · The Ben Ferguson Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: President Donald Trump, saying the Iranian attackers have been destroyed
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: after firing on US destroyers, the ports were struck, and
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the ceasefire, the President now says, is holding. He was
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: at the White House and he was asked this question.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: After these trice he could be fired with Uran still long. Yeah,
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: it is.
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: It said they trifled with us. Today we blew them away.
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: They trifled. They call that a trifle. I'll let you know.
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: Where there's no season, you won't have to know. If
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: there's no ceasefire, you're not going to have to know.
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: You don't have to look at one big glow coming
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: out of Iran. And they better sign their agreement fast.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: They better sign their agreement fast. President Donald Trump saying
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: that the Iranians attacking forces were completely destroyed after Tehran
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: fired missiles, drones, and fast attack boats on three US
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: Navy destroyers, transiting the straight up WORMUS, prompting US Central
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Command to carry out retaliatory self defense strikes on Iranian
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: military targets imports area, as the fragile ceasefire between Washington
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: and Tehran again has come under some strain now. The
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: US Central Command said its forces intercepted what it described
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: as an unprovoked Iranian attack on several USS ships, and
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: they were there obviously for safe passage. Iranian forces launched
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: multiple missiles, drones, and small boats of the destroyers, Syncom said,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: adding that no US assets were actually struck. Sincom said
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: US forces then eliminated inbound threats before striking and Iranian
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: military sites it said were responsible for the attack, including
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: missile and drone launch positions, command and control facilities, and
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: intelligence and surveillance stations as well. Sinncom does not seek escalation,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces, the
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: statement added. Now Fox News, citing a senior US official,
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: reported that there were taliatory strikes targeted Iran's ports before
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: later also hitting a naval checkpoint as well. A US
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: senior official said it was a US military strike on
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: Iran's port, and moments ago they added to another attack site,
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: saying this is what Iran can expect if they mess
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: with us in the Strait of Hermus. Trump later elaborated
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: on the confrontation in a true social post, saying the
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: destroyer successfully transited the Straight of Hermus under fire before
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: rejoining the US naval blockade around the strategic waterway, along
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: with numerous small boats which are being used to take
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: the place of their fully decapitated navy. The President said,
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: these boats went to the bottom of the sea quickly
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: and efficiently. Missiles were shot at our destroyers and were
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: easily knocked down. Likewise, drones came. They dropped every so
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: beautifully down to the ocean, very much like a butterfly
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: dropping to its grave. A normal country would have allowed
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: these destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal country,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: the President said. They are led by lunatics, and if
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: they had the chance to use a nuclear weapon, they
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: would do it without question. But they'll never have that opportunity.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: And just like we knock them out again today, we'll
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: knock them out a lot harder and a lot more
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: violently in the future if they don't get their deals
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: signed fast. Our three destroyers, with their wonderful crews, will
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: now rejoin our naval blockade, which is truly a wall
• 3:37
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• 3:41
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• 5:25
  Speaker 1: class American destroyers were just transit very successfully out of
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: the straight of war moves under fire, the President also said,
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: saying there were no damage done to the three destroyers,
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: but great damage done to the Iranian attackers. Trump said
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: the Iranian attackers were completely destroyed, along with numerous small boats,
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: and he said that Tehan has increasingly relied upon following
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: the dismantling of its traditional navy. Now, these boats went
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: to the bottom of the sea quickly and efficiently, the
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: President said. Yet again, Trump said missiles fired at the
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: destroyers were easily knocked down, and the President said, we
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: will not put up with this. The President also warned
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: Tehran that if it does not quickly agree to the
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: broader framework deal now under discussion, the United States would
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: respond with far more severe military force than they've seen
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: so far. The president, also talking to the media, sang
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: in a phone call that the retaliatory strike against Iranian
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: targets was quote just a love.
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: Tap, Yes, just a love tap.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: When Ascavi means the ceasefire is over, he said, no, No,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: the ceasefire is going.
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: It is in effect now.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: This latest confrontation came as the Trump administration as awaiting
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: Tehran's response to its latest proposed framework agreement. After Trump
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: earlier this week paused Project Freedom, that's the US back
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: defensive maritime operation aimed at helping commercial vessels and stranded
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: vessels safely transit the straight UFOUR moves, citing what he
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: described as towards a broader, complete and final agreement. Iranian
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: state media meanwhile offered conflicting accounts of the strikes, at
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: times blaming the UAE, before later acknowledging what Farce News
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: described as exchanges of fire between Iranian forces, and they
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: described the US as the enemy. A spokesman for the
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: Iranian Central Headquarters said the aggressive, terrace and pirate US
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: military has violated the ceasefire, they said by targeting an
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: Iranian old tanker traveling from Iran's coast of waters near
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: jast towards the Strait of Hormuz. Of course, more propaganda
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: coming out from the Iranians now.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: As the President made it very clear.
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: He is sending a simple message that Marco Rubio, by
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: the way, is to deliver to the Pope today as well,
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: and it deals with Iran.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: Here's what the President said.
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: I just said, tell the Pope very nicely, very respectfully,
• 8:06
  Speaker 3: that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. So when he
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: comes to their defense, Also tell the Pope that Iran
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: killed forty two thousand innocent protesters who didn't have guns,
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: who didn't have weapons.
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: Tell that to the Pope.
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: Now.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: The President had a queer message obviously for the Pope,
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: and the President wasn't done there. He also talked about
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: the United States knocking the hell out of Iran in
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: a decisive moment and making it clear that we're not
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: going to negotiate with terrorists. Here's more of the President's
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: comments at the White House.
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: Worldwide, our military is unbelievable. They're doing an unbelievable job.
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: We're negotiating with the Iranians. We have You probably heard.
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: We took our three destroyers and we rammed them through
• 8:55
  Speaker 3: some pretty big stuff today and we knocked the hell
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: out of them. That would destroyer were hurt in any way.
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: People weren't hurt, but they were firing at it. So
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: we were firing back in them, and our firepower was
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: a hell of a lot stronger than theirs, and they knocked.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: The hell out of them.
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: They took down a lot of small boats. You know,
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: we call them small boats or fast boats. They're both
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: small and they're fast with some weaponry on the front.
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: You know, this is what So they this is now
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: replacing the navy. They had maybe one hundred and fifty
• 9:29
  Speaker 3: nine boats. They have none. Okay, they're all at the
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: bottom of the sea. So they replace that with what
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: they call the fast boat. It's a fast boat, big deal.
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: It's fast, got a machine gunner front. They've been knocked down.
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: They knocked out quite a few of them today. Yesterday
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: they knocked out eight, the average eight a day. It says,
• 9:48
  Speaker 3: some group of people we're dealing with.
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: So, you know, it's very simple.
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: Somebody said, what's your plan? I said, the planet is
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, it cannot
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: have a new clear bomb, and it's not going to
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: have And they're really at the ended line, really are
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: at the end of the line now, unless you guys
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: feel differently. Now, these guys, I think we'll say that
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Would you say, we
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: wouldn't feel very good if they did, because this is
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: what you're doing in all.
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: The work that you do and that we do.
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: It wouldn't look too very good after a while with
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: these characters. We're not going to give them the right
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: to have a nuclear weapon. There's zero chance. And they
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: know that, and they've agreed to that. Let's see if
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: they are willing to sign it.
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: Let's see if they're willing to sign it. That is
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: where we are at this hour. But the President confirming
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: Iran tried to attack three US naval vessels in the
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Straight of Hormus and it was a failure. Our destroyers
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: took zero damage. And then we went after a RAN's
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: attack boats and they're now at the bottom of the sea.
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: It's not every day that you see them Democrats come
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: out and just publicly say they're trying to help the
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: communist regime. But then again, the Democratic Party is changing
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: very quickly. Representative Jaypou now admitting on tape that she
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: has been actually as a United States congresswoman, conspiring against
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: the United States of America to bring oil tankers to
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: Cuba to help the communist regime. This is a United
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: States Center again in her own words, saying this.
• 11:35
  Speaker 4: Only one Russian tanker of oil has made it to Cuba.
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: In fact, at landed just a couple of days before
• 11:42
  Speaker 4: I landed, and one tanker has enough oil basically for
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: ten to fourteen days of Cuba's oil needs. So it's
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: a very limited amount of time. Now Russia said they're
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: going to send another tanker. I was in conversations with
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: the ambassadors from Mexico and some other places, and I
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: know other countries in Latin America, trying to figure out
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: how to get oiled there.
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: Did you notice she said, they're trying to figure out
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: how to get oil there.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: This is not a joke.
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: You now have a sitting member of the United States
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: Congress admitting to working with Mexico to sneak oil into
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: Cuba despite the blockade, the lawmaker drawing backlash after saying
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: she spoke with foreign ambassadors as well. Now is this
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: what she's supposed to be doing as an American congresswoman.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: The answer is obviously no.
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: But making these remarks during this recent Seattle briefing following
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: a congressional delegation trip to Cuba, We're exactly what you
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: should expect from the radical socialist, communist Marxist Democratic Party.
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: And not only did she discuss the island's worsting fuel
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: shortages and US policy towards the communist regime, she then said,
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: I'm working with the ambassadors Mexico and some other places
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: trying to figure out how to get oil there, jeff
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: l said during that briefing, calling the situation on the
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: island of crisis beyond imagination. Jeff Ll said the event
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: was part of a broader briefing on the humanitarian situation
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: in Cuba following her recent visit, saying, quote, as many
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: of you know, I traveled to Cuba as part of
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: a congressional delegation last month. It is in my role
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: to see how US foreign policy is actually affecting the
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: people in the countries that policy is being implemented.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: She said.
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: She met with the Cuban President and senior government officials,
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: political dissidents, civil society groups, and foreign diplomats during her trip.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: Video of the remarks have now gone viral, users criticizing
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: the progressive allmakers' comments and now asking real questions about
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: the legal concerns which brings us to the bigger question,
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: did we just hear a congresswoman actually saying publicly that
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: she is conspiring against the United States of America, the
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: country that she represents, and many are now asking should
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: her actions constitute a federal felony. One example of exactly
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: this would be the Logan Act. The Logan Act is
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: pretty simple. Any citizen of the United States, whether he
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: or indirectly, commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: with the intent to influence the measures or conduct of
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: any foreign government, or of any officer or agent thereof,
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: in retaliation to any disputes or controversies within the United States,
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: be fined under the title or imprisoned. Now, if you
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: look at the Logan Act, it seems pretty clear listening
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: to her own words there, that she's got a real
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: problem now. Jemp Out responded to the backlash, writing this
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: breaking news. Members of Congress meet with ambassadors of other
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: countries every day. That's literally our right and responsibility. But
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: that's not what actually got her in trouble meeting is
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: one thing. Openly saying you're trying to go around America's
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: foreign policy and trying to give oil to a communist
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: regime is something very different. Her remarks also came as
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: she sharply criticized you as sanctions on Cuba, describing them
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: as an economic bombing of the infrastructure, saying it is illegal,
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: it is against the law. This is essentially doing the
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: same thing. It is bombing the infrastructure Cuba with economic sanctions,
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: essentially ensure that the infrastructure collapses, which goes back to
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: the interesting argument over intent. It's pretty clear that she
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: is stating her intent, which is to undermine America's foreign policy. Now,
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: the controversy has also promoted a discussion of the Logan Act,
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: a rarely used federal law that bars unauthorized individuals from
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: negotiating with foreign governments and disputes involving the United States
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: of America. What I just read you a moment ago
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: is exactly what it says, Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor,
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: even telling Fox News the statute has never resulted in
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: a conviction and has been only used sparingly in US history.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: There has never been a conviction under it. In fact,
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: there have only been two indictments, the last one about
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: one hundred and seventy four years ago. McCarthy added that
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: any potential legal exposure would depend on whether a lawmaker
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: took concrete action that violated an actual US sanction or sanctions.
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: There would be no criminal case unless it can be
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: shown that she took some action that violated or aided
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: and embedded a violation of the sanctions.
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: He argued.
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: Disputes over engagement with foreign governments are more approperly handled
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: through political accountability rather than criminal law.
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: Now.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: The Trump administration has previously described the Cuban government as
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: a national security concern due to its ties to well
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: countries and actors that have direct relationships with the RAN,
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: and links to terrorist groups like Hezbolah. The Cuban government
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: has also faced long standing criticism over political repression and
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: restrictions on free speech in their country, which brings us
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: back to the Democrats who are the useful idiots that
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: decide to go down to Cuba. The island's economic conditions
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: have contributed to a surgeon migration, with hundreds of thousands
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: of Cubans arriving in the United States of American in
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: recent years, and JPL, who traveled to Cuban April with
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: Representative Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat from Illinois. They argue that
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: US policy is worsening conditions for civilians on the island,
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: while also acknowledging concerns with the Cuban government, saying, quote,
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: I do also have criticisms of the Cuban government in
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: our meetings. I have always raised those, JPL said, referencing
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: issues including political prisoners and limits on dissidents. The Cuban
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: government has sent many signals that this is a new
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: moment for the country, is what JPL said in a
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: statement following the trip, adding that the US restrictions on
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: fuel amounts to cruel collective punishment. She has called for
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: lifting the US embargo and removing Cuba from the state's
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: sponsor of Terrorism list, while backing legislation of block potential
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: US military action against the country as well. So here
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: we are yet again watching the Democratic Party stand up
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: not for America, but instead conspire against the US to
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: bring oil tankers to a communist regime. And the question
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: is did this cross the line and could it be
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: a felony? In the days and weeks ahead. I have
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: a feeling we're going to get an answer to that question.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: The Department of Justice has now launched a federal civil
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: rights investigation to Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano.
• 19:36
  Speaker 2: Now you need to remember that name.
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: This is one of the prized Soros das. And now
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: what we're learning is a Fairfax County DA did everything
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: they could do to protect illegal immigrants. The allegations are
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: truly explosive. Federal investigators now say they're examining whether one
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: of the most powerful progressive prosecutors in Virginia was deliberately
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: giving preferential treatment to illegal immigrants accused of violent crimes
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: against American citizens and the victims, well, you guessed it,
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: they were left behind.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: Now this is.
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: The DOJ's Civil Rights Division that's stepping in and saying
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: they want to determine whether the man's office violated federal
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: law by allegedly offering preferential treatment only to illegal alien
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: criminal defendants. I'm going to say that again an activist DA,
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: and the Civil Rights Division is now looking into Scano's
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: office saying, it looks like you were only offering preferential
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: treatment to illegal immigrants non American citizens, if you are
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: a criminal defendant. This is what happens when you allow
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: activist das to take over. And this is exactly what
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: the Democrats and George Soros wanted and what they paid for. Now,
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: let me go into exactly what's being alleged here. The
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: Justice Department is saying that in Fairfax County it was
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: pretty clear that those that had illegal immigrant status who
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: committed crimes and they were defendants were given preferential treatment.
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: The DOJ goes on to say it is specifically investigating
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: plea bargains. That's how they were hooking up the illegal immigrants.
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: Charging decisions as well and sentencing recommendations coming out of
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: Descano's office at the center of the controversy as a
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: policy reportedly adopted in twenty twenty directing prosecutors to consider
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: the quote immigration consequences that defendants could face, including deportation,
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: when deciding how aggressively to prosecute cases. So, to be clear,
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: in translation, you had an office that said, Hey, if
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: you're an illegal immigrant, we're going to go easier on
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: you than an American citizen because we don't want you
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: to be deported. We want to make sure that we
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: can go easier on you so that it's well easier
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: for you to stay in the United States of America. Yes,
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: this is absolutely insane, but this is exactly what you
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: should expect from activist Das. Now, the DOJ also is
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: specifically investigating the plea bargains that were given as well,
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: saying that they were clearly given outside the guidelines that
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: other American citizens were having to play by.
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: So imagine you commit a crime. Imagine you're an American citizen.
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: Imagine you get years in jail, and then you find
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: out someone else does the same exact crime, but they're
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: different because they broke into the United States of America.
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: And when they broke in, well, we didn't want to
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: get them out of this country. We didn't want to
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: deport them. So instead we gave them a deal that
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: off than may be even no jail time at all,
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: or a plea bargain that allowed them to walk free
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: that day while you're in jail. That is exactly what
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: the Department of Justice is now saying. Now, let me
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: also be very clear about this as well. Every defendant
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: deserves constitutional protections, every person deserves due process.
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: That's what the DOJ said, but.
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: The question now being raised by the Department of Justice
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: whether Fairfax County crossed a massive line from equal justice
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: under the law into a two tier justice system that
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: held Americans accountable while allowing illegal immigrants to walk free.
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: And that is where Americans should become furious, especially at
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: George Soros and the Democratic Party. If two people commit
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: the same violent crime, the DJ says, but prosecutors intentionally
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: go easier on one defendant because they're in the country
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: illegally and might face deportation. Many Americans hear this and say,
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: wait a second, how is that fair to a citizen?
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: How is that also fair to the victims? The Assistant
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: Attorney General made the administration's position crystal clear when she said, quote,
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: local prosecutors to pick and choose winners based on their
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: immigration status. Now, this is a remarkable statement, by the way,
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: coming from the federal government. And that's what's making this
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: story even more politically explosive. Are the violent crimes that
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: are now being connected to the policies of this activist
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: DA Let me give you an example. One case that
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: you need to know about is the murder of Stephanie Mentor,
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: a Virginia woman. She was stabbed to death at a
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: Fairfax County bus stop earlier this year. The suspect was
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: reportedly in the country illegally also had a lengthy criminal history,
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: including more than thirty arrests. This according to the Department
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: of Homeland Security information that's been cited in the reports. Now,
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: they argue that progressive prosecutors and sanctuary style policies repeatedly
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: allowed this dangerous individual to be arrested more than thirty
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: times and cycled through the system without meaningful consequences until
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: the American paid the ultimate price, being murdered. Another case,
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: by the way, that the DOJ is pointing to as well,
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: that has sparked outrages involved two undocumented migrants that were
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: convicted in the mob killing of Hernandez Gonzales. They ultimately
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: received plea agreements that resulted in just five years behind
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: bars after much of their sentences were suspended. Descano's office
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: defended the deal by citing evidentiary challenges and witness cooperation issues,
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: but critics blasted the punishment is absurd and lenient for
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: such a horrific crime of a mob killing. And those
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: aren't isolated examples either. The DOJ is reportedly examining whether
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: it is a broader pattern or even a practice of
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: discriminatory prosecutor conduct where illegal immigrants always were getting the deal.
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: Now it's important language legally because it suggests that federal
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: officials maybe looking beyond one or two controversial plea deals
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: and asking whether this was an institutional policy altogether. Now, politically,
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: the story hits directly at one of the biggest national
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: debates in this country, and that is exactly why Donald
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: Trump was elected. The President made it clear he was
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: going to go after the illegal immigrants. Democrats have made
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: it clear they will protect them at all costs. And
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: over the last decade we've seen a wave of left
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: wing prosecutors that have been backed by activist money that
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: has transformed criminal justice policy in made your jurisdictions across
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: the US. This guy, Steve Disconano, became one of the
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: most recognizable figures in that movement after winning office in
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. He had substantial support from groups tied to
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: the billionaire donor George Soros. Now, the philosophy behind many
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: of these prosecutors focus on reducing incarceration, eliminating cash bell,
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: lowering penalties for certain crimes, and emphasizing quote alternatives to prosecution.
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: Supporters they called it reform. Critics they called it anarchy,
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: and it was surrendering and bowing down to the criminals. Well,
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: now the federal government is effectively saying, did some of
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: these reforms go so far that prosecutors deliberately were discriminating
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: against American citizens? That is the heart of the question
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: of this entire investigation. Now there's also another major political
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: wrinkle here, and it comes as Fairfax officials are preparing
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: to testify before Congress at a hearing that is now
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: titled Fairfax County, Virginia The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies.
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: That means that this story is no longer just local
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: Virginia politics. This is now a national immigration in public
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: safety fight. Republicans are already framing Fairfax County as a
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: symbol of what happens when ideology overrides law enforcement. They
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: argue that local leaders became so obsessed with shielding illegal
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: immigrants from deportation that they compromise public safety in the process.
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: Countless times, and Democrats while they're firing back, of course,
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: accusing the Trump DOJ of weaponizing federal power, they say,
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: against progressive prosecutors for political purpose. Now that's going to
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: become a major national argument moving forward, and this will
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: be a national story. But politically, the optics here are
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: devastating for the Democrats because the THEDJ didn't open this
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: investigation over parking tickets or minor prosecutor disagreements. They opened
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: it over allegations involving violent criminals, homicide cases, assault allegations,
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: and questions about whether prosecutors intentionally deliberately reduced immigration consequences
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: for illegal immigrants accused of major and serious crimes, including murder. Now,
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: for millions of Americans listening to this right now, it's
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: a simple story. Why honors should immigrants and immigration status
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: ever result in lighter treatment for violent offenders just because
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: you're here illegally? Why should American citizens believe the justice
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: system treats them equally if prosecutors deliberately are instructed to
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: weigh deportation concerns before seeking punishment for crimes have been committed,
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: And perhaps more importantly than that, how any tragedies could
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: have been prevented if dangerous repeat offenders had been prosecuted
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: the way the laws said they should have been prosecuted
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: from the very start, or in other words, is the
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: way that American citizens would have been prosecuted from the
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: very beginning. Now, Democrats are going to fight back. They're
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: going to say that these policies were fair and legal
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: and reflect the values of their community. It doesn't mean
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: that you get to give preferential treatment to illegal immigrants,
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: which brings us back to this. The DOJ ultimately concluded
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: that immigration status was used to systematically alter prosecutoral decisions
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: in a discriminatory way against every American citizen. Now, this
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: case could easily become one of the most consequential legal
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: and political fights over immigration and criminal justice in decades.
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: And really, this is why Americans need to pay attention,
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: because what the Trump administration is doing now is saying
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: that Americans shouldn't be put behind illegal immigrants ever, and
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: certainly illegal immigrants shouldn't be able to get away from
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: justice because some woke activist Democrat says, we don't want
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: them to be deported.
• 31:16
  Speaker 2: We'll keep following this story.
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: I can promise you that we've got a lot more
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: that's going to happen the days ahead, so make sure
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: you don't forget. Grab our podcast, The Ben Ferguson Podcasts
• 31:26
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• 31:32
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