Trump Draws Red Line on Iran plus “Who’s Paying Them?” WH Targets Dark Money Behind Anti‑ICE Mob
The Ben Ferguson Podcast
iHeartPodcasts
4.8 • 5.4K Ratings
🗓️ 17 January 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
1) Iran protests & potential U.S. response
- White House reportedly weighing airstrikes to deter/stop crackdowns; diplomacy “first option” remains open.
- President Trump’s statements suggest a “red line” on Iranian forces killing unarmed protesters; he warns of hitting Iran “very hard” if that line is crossed.
- Iran’s foreign ministry is said to confirm ongoing communication with the U.S. special envoy despite no formal relations.
2) Anti‑ICE protests & Minneapolis incident
- Anti‑ICE groups are “professional agitators” and claims the administration will identify funding sources.
- Reports of hundreds to 1,000 additional federal officers sent to Minneapolis; DHS leadership frames the incident as self‑defense and domestic‑terrorism‑like; Minneapolis’ mayor disputes this portrayal and argues the city is relatively safe.
- Descriptions include video of crowd‑control tactics (tear gas/pepper balls) near a federal facility and tactics by activists (e.g., blocking vehicles, whistles).
3) Venezuela operation & alleged “sonic weapon”
- An alleged guard at a Caracas base claims U.S. forces used advanced tech: drone swarms, ~20 operators from ~8 helicopters, and a debilitating sound wave causing bleeding and incapacitation.
- The narrative says the White House press secretary amplified the eyewitness interview on social media, but also notes no immediate Pentagon confirmation when asked.
4) Mexico & cartel strategy
- Trump is quoted asserting cartels control parts of Mexico, warning that maritime interdictions will push traffickers to land routes, which the U.S. is prepared to counter.
- Mentions offers to deploy U.S. troops to assist Mexican leadership against trafficking; frames future actions as national security priorities linked to the fentanyl crisis.
5) Cuba’s posture post‑Venezuela
- Cuban regime supporters issued threats should the U.S. attempt similar operations in Cuba; Trump is quoted declaring zero oil/money will flow from Venezuela to Cuba going forward.
6) Minnesota fraud allegations
- Long section features Rep. Kristin Robbins (MN) detailing alleged systemic fraud (childcare assistance, Medicaid‑funded programs, adult day services, assisted living) and claiming the Walz administration downplayed/obstructed criminal probes since 2019.
- Notes whistleblower accounts, a 2018 internal email flagging large‑scale schemes, and a cited estimate up to $9B in fraud by a U.S. attorney; accuses leaders of retaliation and politicized defenses.
- Asserts bipartisan reform attempts (e.g., independent Inspector General) faced resistance; emphasizes culture and controls as core failings.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.3 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:05.2 | U.S. President Donald Trump, we are now being told as considering air strikes on Iran. |
| 0:11.7 | To stop a crackdown on the protesters, the White House has confirmed on Monday, |
| 0:16.9 | adding that people were being killed in the streets. |
| 0:20.4 | A channel for diplomacy, they also made clear, is still open. |
| 0:24.6 | With Iran taking, quote, a far different tone in private discussions with President Trump's special envoy, |
| 0:31.0 | Steve Witskopf and the press secretary Caroline Levick confirming that, saying, quote, |
| 0:35.9 | one thing President Trump is very good at is always keeping |
| 0:39.2 | all of his options on the table. And air strikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the |
| 0:46.0 | table for the commander in chief. Leavitt added that diplomacy is always the first option for this |
| 0:51.9 | president, saying, quote, what you're hearing publicly from the |
| 0:55.3 | Iranian regime is quite different from what the message the administration is receiving privately. |
| 1:00.9 | And I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages. Iran's foreign ministry said |
| 1:07.7 | earlier on Monday that a channel of communication was open between its |
| 1:12.3 | top diplomat and Trump's special envoy, despite a lack of diplomatic relations. |
| 1:19.3 | Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. military was in fact considering a very strong option against |
| 1:25.7 | Iran, saying it looks like Tehran crossed his previously stated |
| 1:29.4 | red line of protesters being killed. |
| 1:32.8 | Now, before we get into even more of what the White House has said, I want you to listen to |
| 1:36.4 | President Trump in his own words in his last conversation he had publicly about Iran with |
| 1:41.4 | Sean Hannity. |
... |
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