Latest / The Ben Ferguson Podcast / Tehran Teetering on the Edge plus Grand Jury Targets Jerome Powell

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Tehran Teetering on the Edge plus Grand Jury Targets Jerome Powell · The Ben Ferguson Podcast

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  Speaker 1: Wouldn't you say that they probably do it this way
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  Speaker 1: after going through it for years with me being hit
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  Speaker 1: salivaty out back Daddy, the red nuclear threat wept out,
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  Speaker 1: don't you think? And then you just had Venezuela. Don't
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  Speaker 1: you think? She says CNN, do you think they take
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  Speaker 1: you a threat? Seriously? Wouldn't you say they do after
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  Speaker 1: all of the things we have done? What a stupid question.
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  Speaker 2: You're listening to the forty seven Morning Update with Ben ferguson.
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  Speaker 3: Good Monday morning. Nice to have you with us on
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  Speaker 3: the forty seven Morning Updating. We've got two major stories
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  Speaker 3: for you. First up, anarchy and chaos in the streets
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  Speaker 3: in Iran the present, making it clear as the depth
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  Speaker 3: toll is rising that America may step in and we
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  Speaker 3: also may have Israel get involved as well. So what
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  Speaker 3: happens next? We've got it all for you in just
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  Speaker 3: a moment. Also, in a shocking news event on Sunday night,
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  Speaker 3: the FED Chair Jerome Powell says he's under criminal investigation
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  Speaker 3: and also out an unprecedented video from the FED saying
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  Speaker 3: he will not bow to the Trump administration and his intimidation.
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  Speaker 3: It's the forty seven Morning update and it starts right now.
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  Speaker 2: Story number one.
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  Speaker 3: Anti government demonstrations have been ongoing now for more than
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  Speaker 3: two weeks in Iran, driven by the economic hardship and
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  Speaker 3: the opposition to the regime. There have been widespread classes
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  Speaker 3: and heavy repression by security forces. President Donald Trump has
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  Speaker 3: publicly expressed support for the people protesting in Iran. He
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  Speaker 3: wrote that Iran is looking for freedom, perhaps like never before,
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  Speaker 3: and said the US stands ready to help those seeking
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  Speaker 3: that freedom. The Trump administration has signaled that it is
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  Speaker 3: considering helping the protesters, including exploring a range of responses
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  Speaker 3: from cyber options to military or diplomatic pressure to protect
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  Speaker 3: the citizens and oppose the violent crackdown from the aetola.
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  Speaker 3: Trump and his national security team, we also know, have
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  Speaker 3: declared that Iran would pay hell, quote unquote and face
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  Speaker 3: serious consequences if the regime violently suppresses the protesters. This
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  Speaker 3: strong stance is meant to deter further brutality and also
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  Speaker 3: show US resolve. Iran has also made it clear they're
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  Speaker 3: wanting to silence information getting out of their country, shutting
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  Speaker 3: down all landlines as well as the Internet. Now, in
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  Speaker 3: response to President Trump's pointed in clear warnings about a crackdown.
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  Speaker 3: Iran has reportedly shown some willingness were being told to
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  Speaker 3: negotiate with the United States of America, indicating that the
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  Speaker 3: pressure could be opening diplomatic avenues. But the reality is
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  Speaker 3: we're now learning that people are dying in the streets.
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  Speaker 3: The White House we also being told this hour has
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  Speaker 3: been briefed on a very strong option or options related
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  Speaker 3: to Iran, suggesting that the US is taking decisive steps
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  Speaker 3: to protect human rights and respond robustly if the regime
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  Speaker 3: crosses Trump's declared red line. This is being framed as
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  Speaker 3: Trump actively considering how to best support freedom and respond
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  Speaker 3: to the violence that is happening right now. Trump's leadership
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  Speaker 3: on this issue has become a center part of his
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  Speaker 3: international diplomacy and discussions. We saw this with Venezuela. We're
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  Speaker 3: also seeing it now with Mexico and the cartels there well.
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  Speaker 3: We also know as Iranian authorities have also reacted to
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  Speaker 3: Trump's warnings, suggesting his statements are having a real impact
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  Speaker 3: on how Tehran calculates its next moves. Now, while all
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  Speaker 3: this is happening, we also know that Russia is now
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  Speaker 3: involved with aircraft on the ground being reported in Tehran
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  Speaker 3: at the airport on the military side of that airport,
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  Speaker 3: waiting if they have to put the leadership into exile
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  Speaker 3: and give them freedom in Russia. Now, Trump has publicly
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  Speaker 3: said he supports the Iranian protesters who are seeking greater freedom.
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  Speaker 3: He has issued forceful warnings against the crackdowns. And we
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  Speaker 3: also know that Israel may be involved in attacks as well,
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  Speaker 3: even going after the leadership. The administration is exploring concrete
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  Speaker 3: action options and Donald Trump has made it clear he's
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  Speaker 3: not bluffing now and the last public appearance that the
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  Speaker 3: President has made talking about Iran, this is what he
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  Speaker 3: had to say.
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  Speaker 4: Are you following the protesting that is taking place all
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  Speaker 4: over the country of Iran? And have you read that
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  Speaker 4: the Ayatola Ali Kamani is now as a plan B
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  Speaker 4: to go to Russia.
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  Speaker 5: He's looking to go see you.
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  Speaker 4: Believe you think the country is on the verge of collapsing, Well,
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  Speaker 4: it could be. I mean, what they've done is they
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  Speaker 4: start in the past, they've started shooting the hell out
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  Speaker 4: of people, and all of a sudden, people without any
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  Speaker 4: weapons whatsoever is standing there in your machine guns gunning
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  Speaker 4: them down, or they take them to prisons and then
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  Speaker 4: hang them.
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  Speaker 5: And kill them. So they played rough and I said,
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  Speaker 5: if they do that, we're going to hit them very hard. Well,
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  Speaker 5: we're gonna hit them up. We're ready to do it.
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  Speaker 5: If they do that, we're gonna hit them mart And
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  Speaker 5: so far, for the most part, there's been some of it,
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  Speaker 5: but for the most part they haven't. There have been
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  Speaker 5: people killed, some of them. The crowds are so big
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  Speaker 5: that some of them have had really like we're stomped
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  Speaker 5: on them. Literally, it was. It was terrible. The crowds
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  Speaker 5: are just they're massive. The enthusiasm to overturn that regime
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  Speaker 5: is incredible. But there's been people killed, but it's more
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  Speaker 5: from death by it's literally stomping. It's people running in
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  Speaker 5: a certain direction. So we'll see what happens. We'll see
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  Speaker 5: what happens over They know though, that it's a stampede.
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  Speaker 5: Is I guess the best words they have, like a stampede.
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  Speaker 5: You talk about stampede for cattle, but the people are
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  Speaker 5: stampeding and you're losing a lot of people with the stampede.
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  Speaker 5: There's so many there's so many people protesting. Nobody's ever
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  Speaker 5: seen anything like what's happening right now. But I have
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  Speaker 5: put Rano noticed that if they start shooting at them.
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  Speaker 5: These people are totally unarmed people, and they love their country.
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  Speaker 5: They want something to happen. Look at their country. They've gone,
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  Speaker 5: They've gone back one hundred and fifty years. But I've
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  Speaker 5: feld them that if they do anything bad to these people,
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  Speaker 5: We're going to hit them very hard.
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  Speaker 3: President Trump again warning around that if they start shooting
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  Speaker 3: at the protesters, were going to hit them very hard.
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  Speaker 3: We allso are learning that Israel has again said that
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  Speaker 3: they may be willing to take out the leadership in Iran.
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  Speaker 3: We know they took out the entire leadership of the
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  Speaker 3: military not that long ago, but they did not hit
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  Speaker 3: the civilian part of the government. That would include the Ayatola.
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  Speaker 3: Now apparently that is absolutely on the table. So at
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  Speaker 3: this hour, what we know, and this could change very quickly,
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  Speaker 3: is that there are Russian planes on the tarmac spun
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  Speaker 3: up in Tehran, on the military side of the airport,
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  Speaker 3: waiting to get out the leadership if in fact the
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  Speaker 3: country falls. We also know at the very same time
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  Speaker 3: the military is killing innocent people in the streets in Iran,
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  Speaker 3: and we also been told that at least one city
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  Speaker 3: has now officially overthrown the Iranian government and now it
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  Speaker 3: is in the hands of the people. It is a
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  Speaker 3: city by the border that is significant. So as we
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  Speaker 3: move forward, much can change. But in the last couple
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  Speaker 3: of hours there's one thing that seems to be clear.
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  Speaker 3: There could either be incredible freedom in Iran or there
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  Speaker 3: could be a significant loss of life, and that could
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  Speaker 3: happen in the next few hours. The President is obviously
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  Speaker 3: standing firm, making it clear he is not flinching, and
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  Speaker 3: he's willing to take out those in leadership in Iran.
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  Speaker 3: And there's a very good chance that a large part
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  Speaker 3: of that plan could come at the hands of Israel.
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  Speaker 3: Israel is more than willing to act the same way
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  Speaker 3: they were heavily involved in taking out Iranian's leadership in
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  Speaker 3: the military and helping us with taking out the Iran
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  Speaker 3: nuclear sites. So this will play out quickly. One thing's
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  Speaker 3: for sure, it's time that we all stand with the
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  Speaker 3: people in Iran as they are standing up and risking,
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  Speaker 3: and many of them are losing their lives for their freedom.
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  Speaker 2: Now story number two, we.
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  Speaker 3: Are now learning President Trump's administration has opened a criminal
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  Speaker 3: pro into the FED chair Jerome Powell, the Central Bank
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  Speaker 3: chair has condemned what he's describing as intimidation following grand
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  Speaker 3: jury subpoenas. President Trump's administration opening the criminal investigation into
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  Speaker 3: the Federal Reserve chairman in a development set to heighten
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  Speaker 3: concerns about the quote independence of the US monetary policy.
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  Speaker 3: That is, how the left in the media are spending
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  Speaker 3: it already. Powell said on Sunday that the Central Bank
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  Speaker 3: has been served with grand jury subpoenas related to his
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  Speaker 3: own testimony about the renovations to the Fed's headquarters in Washington,
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  Speaker 3: d c. Quote. The threat of criminal charges is a
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  Speaker 3: consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on
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  Speaker 3: our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather
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  Speaker 3: than following the preferences of the President, Powell said in
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  Speaker 3: a rare video message. He said, this is about whether
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  Speaker 3: the FED will be able to continue to set interest
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  Speaker 3: rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether instead
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  Speaker 3: monetary policy will be directed by political pressure and intimidation.
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  Speaker 3: That is again the FED Chairman's own words. Now the
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  Speaker 3: federal prosecutors opening the criminal investigation confirming it Sunday evening
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  Speaker 3: as well, Powell said that the probe was the result
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  Speaker 3: of just what he said basically a political attack on him.
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  Speaker 3: Powell said that on Friday, the Department of Justice served
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  Speaker 3: the Federal Reserve with the grand jury subpoenas threatening the
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  Speaker 3: criminal indictment related to my testimony. In fact, here is
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  Speaker 3: Jerome Powell in his own words in a shocking video
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  Speaker 3: he released on Friday.
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  Speaker 6: The Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand
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  Speaker 6: jury subpoenas threatening a criminal indictment related to my testimony
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  Speaker 6: before the Senate Banking Committee last June. That testimony concerned,
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  Speaker 6: in part, a multi year project to renovate historic Federal
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  Speaker 6: Reserve office buildings. I have deep respect for the rule
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  Speaker 6: of law and for accountability in our democracy. No one,
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  Speaker 6: certainly not the Chair of the Federal Reserve, is above
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  Speaker 6: the law. But this unprecedented action should be seen in
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  Speaker 6: the broader context of the administration's threats and ongoing pressure.
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  Speaker 6: This new threat is not about my testimony last June,
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  Speaker 6: or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings. It
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  Speaker 6: is not about Congress's oversight rule. The Fed, through testimony
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  Speaker 6: and other public disclosures, made every effort to keep Congress
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  Speaker 6: informed about the renovation project. Those are pretexts the threat
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  Speaker 6: of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve
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  Speaker 6: setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what
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  Speaker 6: will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of
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  Speaker 6: the President. This is about whether the Fed will be
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  Speaker 6: able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence
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  Speaker 6: and economic conditions, or whether instead monetary policy will be
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  Speaker 6: directed by political pressure or intimidation. I have served at
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  Speaker 6: the Federal Reserve under four administrations, Republicans and Democrats alike.
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  Speaker 6: In every case, I have carried out my duties without
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  Speaker 6: political fear or favor, focused solely on our mandate of
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  Speaker 6: price stability and maximum employment. Public service sometimes requires standing
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  Speaker 6: firm in the face of threats. I will continue to
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  Speaker 6: do the job the Senate confirmed me to do with
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  Speaker 6: integrity and a commitment to serving the American people.
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  Speaker 5: Thank you.
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  Speaker 3: It is a shocking move for the Federal Reserve to
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  Speaker 3: put out a video like this. A person familiar with
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  Speaker 3: the investigation also telling CNBC that they would not dispute
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  Speaker 3: the idea that the probe of power is related to
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  Speaker 3: the building renovation and tech, similar to Congress saying quote,
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  Speaker 3: I have deep respect for the rule of law and
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  Speaker 3: for accountability in our democracy. But as you heard again,
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  Speaker 3: Pal say, no one, certainly not the Chair of the
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  Speaker 3: Federal Reserves above the law. But this unprecedent action should
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  Speaker 3: be seen in the broader context of the administration's threat
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  Speaker 3: and ongoing pressure. No one, certainly not the chair of
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  Speaker 3: the Federal Reserves above the law. Saying it not once,
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  Speaker 3: but you heard there twice, and he says that this
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  Speaker 3: is a new threat. Now. The New York Times was
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  Speaker 3: the first to report the probe, citing officials briefed on
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  Speaker 3: the matter. The investigation is also being overseen by the
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  Speaker 3: US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. According to
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  Speaker 3: the newspaper, the office is led by the US Attorney
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  Speaker 3: you know, hers, Judge Jannine, a former New York State
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  Speaker 3: prosecutor former Fox News host who was appointed to that
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  Speaker 3: job by President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly blasted Powell
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  Speaker 3: for the FED nine cutting interest rates as much and
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  Speaker 3: as quickly as the president has demanded since the White
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  Speaker 3: House in January of twenty twenty five. The White House,
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  Speaker 3: by the way, not commenting at this moment, referring questions
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  Speaker 3: about the probe to the Department of Justice. But if
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  Speaker 3: you look at the investigation. It does actually just seem
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  Speaker 3: to be about one thing. Did Powell lie to Congress
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  Speaker 3: about the renovations which became a flash point of the
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  Speaker 3: Federal Reserve building and those ongoing well renovations that the
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  Speaker 3: President has criticized. A DOJ spokesperson in a statement to
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  Speaker 3: c NBC, without saying the comment was about Powell said quote,
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  Speaker 3: the Attorney General has instructed her US attorneys to prioritize
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  Speaker 3: investigating any abuse of taxpayer dollars. So maybe to the media,
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  Speaker 3: take a step back. Maybe the media you should look
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: at the facts, and maybe the media you should stop
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: jumping to conclusions and realize this maybe is not about
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  Speaker 3: interest rates. But maybe his own testimony and what he
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: said to Congress will keep covering it. My bet is
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  Speaker 3: the President's probably going to be right on this one yet.
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  Speaker 2: Again, thank you for listening to the forty seven Morning
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe
• 15:22
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