PSYCHO Trump SUFFERS BACKLASH for AWFUL LIE

Summary

Legal AF Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: Legal AF
• Host/Author: MeidasTouch Network
• Description: Hosted by Ben Meiselas, Michael Popak, and Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Legal AF delves into the most compelling legal and political developments each week. Executive produced by Meidas Media Network, new full-length episodes are released every Wednesday and Sunday, supplemented by shorter breaking legal news segments.

Episode Details:

• Episode Title: PSYCHO Trump SUFFERS BACKLASH for AWFUL LIE
• Release Date: February 21, 2025

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1. Overview of the Controversy Surrounding 9/11 Victims Support

Timestamp: [00:32]

The episode opens with Michael Popak addressing a significant political backlash involving former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The core issue revolves around the Trump administration's decision to cut funding and staffing for the World Trade Center (WTC) Victims Fund, which supports 9/11 victims and their families. This move has sparked outrage not only among Democrats but also within Republican ranks.

Key Points:

• Bipartisan Opposition: Both Democratic senators like Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, alongside seven Republican representatives from New York, have publicly condemned the funding cuts.
• Commitment Broken: RFK Jr., during his confirmation, pledged not to undermine support for 9/11 victims, a promise seemingly broken by the administration's actions.

Notable Quote:

"It’s not supposed to go after victims' families in order to save a buck," – Michael Popak ([00:45])

2. Detailed Examination of the Bipartisan Letter

Timestamp: [01:30]

Popak delves into the specifics of a bipartisan letter sent to President Trump on February 19, urging the reinstatement of the WTC Victims Fund's funding and staffing. The letter underscores the moral and humane obligations to support 137,000 responders and survivors reliant on medical monitoring and care.

Key Points:

• Legislative Foundation: The James Zandraga 911 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 established the WTC health program under the CDC's purview.
• Impact of Cuts: The executive order signed by Trump on February 11 reduced the workforce by 20%, jeopardizing critical research and support services.
• Call to Action: The letter implores Trump, a native New Yorker, to reverse these cuts and restore the FDNY research grant, emphasizing the program's mandatory status under federal law.

Notable Excerpt from the Letter:

"To fulfill our moral obligation to 911 survivors and responders, we must ensure that the program not only has the necessary resources but is properly administered." – House Republicans and Democrats ([02:30])

3. Trump's Involvement and Elon Musk’s Role

Timestamp: [05:24]

The discussion transitions to President Trump's controversial decision to place Elon Musk in charge of government efficiency. Popak criticizes this move, highlighting Musk's lack of formal governmental authority and the negative repercussions on 9/11 victims' support.

Key Points:

• Public Statements: Trump publicly credited Musk for saving taxpayers billions and hinted at redistributing savings to American citizens and debt reduction.
• Contradictory Actions: Despite Musk’s purported role in curbing government waste, the administration proceeded with cuts harming 9/11 victims' programs.

Notable Trump Quote:

"I signed an order to the Department of Government Efficiency put a man named Elon Musk in charge. Thank you, Elon Musk, doing a great job." – Donald Trump ([07:58])

4. Critical Analysis of Administration’s Decision-Making

Timestamp: [07:58]

Popak offers a scathing critique of the Trump administration, emphasizing the dissonance between public commitments and actual policy decisions. He highlights the administration's attempts to circumvent legal orders and undermine established support systems for 9/11 victims.

Key Points:

• Broken Promises: Contradiction between RFK Jr.'s assurances during his confirmation and the subsequent funding cuts.
• Legal Evasion: The administration's strategies to navigate around federal orders, including manipulating administrative interpretations to justify budget reductions.
• Moral Implications: Portraying the cuts as not only unlawful but also deeply unethical, affecting those who have already suffered significant losses.

Notable Analysis:

"This is inhumane and immoral. Support those that need support in this country more than the victims of 911 and the first responders." – Michael Popak ([09:06])

5. The Administration’s Evasive Tactics and Future Implications

Timestamp: [10:52]

Furthering his critique, Popak likens the administration’s resilience in the face of legal challenges to the “cockroach theory,” suggesting an unyielding and unethical pursuit to sustain harmful policies despite opposition.

Key Points:

• Avoiding Compliance: Efforts to bypass injunctions and restraining orders by finding administrative loopholes.
• Ethical Deviation: Departing from American values of support and protection for vulnerable groups, notably 9/11 victims and responders.
• Call to Action: Emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and accountability to uphold democratic principles and legal obligations.

Notable Analogy:

"It's like the cockroach theory. You can't kill a cockroach. They just find another way in, find another way to survive." – Michael Popak ([10:52])

6. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Timestamp: [12:44]

Popak wraps up the episode by reiterating the ongoing crisis and scandal within the Trump administration, stressing the importance of maintaining legal and ethical standards. He encourages listeners to stay informed and engaged through the Legal AF YouTube channel and other platforms.

Key Points:

• Continued Monitoring: Commitment to following the fallout of the administration's actions on 9/11 support programs.
• Community Engagement: Invitation to support and subscribe to the Legal AF channel to foster a pro-democracy dialogue.
• Persistence in Advocacy: Highlighting the necessity of opposing unjust policies to protect and support affected communities.

Closing Remark:

"We're watching a presidency fail in..." – Michael Popak ([12:44])

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Final Notes: This episode of Legal AF provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of the Trump administration's actions affecting 9/11 victims' support. Michael Popak, with deep insights into legal and political dynamics, underscores the bipartisan opposition to funding cuts and exposes the administration's contradictory and unethical strategies. The episode serves as a compelling call to action for listeners to remain vigilant and advocate for justice and support for those affected by the 9/11 tragedy.

Transcript

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[Michael Popak]

Out among Republican leaders who have gone after Donald Trump and Elon Musk because they decided to cut funding and staffing for 911 victims at the World Trade Center. Even though RFK Jr. During his confirmation process said that he would never undermine any support medical care benefits to 911 victims. I'm Michael Popak. You're on the Midas Touch Network in Legal af. It's not just Democrats like the senators from New York, Gillibrand and Schumer who are up in arms. Seven different Republicans from New York have written a letter demanding that the cuts to funding and staffing related to the World Trade Center Victims Fund and administration be restored immediately. Because it's the right thing to do. Because it's the humane thing to do. Because you're not supposed to go after victims families in order to save a buck in order to give it back to somebody else and say there's been a doge dividend. Let me tell you exactly because some people forget because it's over 20 years ago. You know, I find it remarkable that the Trump administration, for instance, would forget about 911 considering not only is Donald Trump from the the state of New York, he calls himself the king of New York, but in addition to it, his commerce secretary is Howard Lutnick. Howard Lutnick who ran Caner Fitzgerald, now his sons run Cantor Fitzgerald who lost 658 employees on the day of 9 11. How do you forget the victims? Why isn't somebody telling Donald Trump to reverse course? Here's the letter on 19 February for from the House of Representatives. Seven different Republicans joining their voice with Democrats. Dear President Trump, we write today to express our grave concerns regarding potential changes to the World Trade center health program. The James Zandraga 911 Health and Compensation act of 2010 established that program. It's under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control. But he and there's 137,000 responders and survivors across America that are that they are obtaining had been obtaining medical monitoring and care and now aren't because of the cuts because as they said in the letter, as you are aware, on February 11th you signed the executive order reforming the federal workforce to better serve Americans, reducing the workforce for the program by 20%. He's they go on to say, we are deeply concerned about the reports that the statutorily required, meaning the congressionally required WTC research grants will be impacted by the recent actions of RFK Jr. As part of that law, from 2010, the program administrator is can is is directed to conduct research on physical and mental health conditions related to the 911 terrorist attack, research on diagnosis, diagnosing World Trade center related health conditions of such individuals in the case of conditions for which there's uncertainty, and research on treating WTC related health conditions for such individuals, including those that that the victims that were in the Fire Department, our offices have been informed, the letter continues, that a fire Department of the City of the New York the FDNY research Grant has been terminated by the CDC within the last few days. It is our understanding now that the now canceled grant was being used as part of FDNY's efforts to compare disease incident rates of FDNY membership with those of three other urban fire departments. In other words, they need this information. They conclude this way to fulfill our moral obligation to 911 survivors and responders, we must ensure that the program not only has the necessary resources, but is properly administered. We urge you, as a native New Yorker who lived in New York City, Trump, as it recovered from the 911 attacks, to reverse these actions, restore the canceled FDNY research grant contract and fence off the program, which was authorized in a statute as mandatory spending from any further staff and funding reductions.

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Signs 7 Members of Congress who are.

[Michael Popak]

Republican that's Representatives Garbarino, Lawler, Tenney, La Loda, Malik, Maliot, Malliotakis, Langworthy and Smith. Republicans all. This is what happens when you put Elon Musk in charge of your government while the Department of Justice for Donald Trump stands in front of courtrooms, in front of judges, barely passing a straight face test and say Elon Musk doesn't have any formal power. He's not even part of Doge.

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[Michael Popak]

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[Michael Popak]

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[Michael Popak]

That's policygenius.com legalaf While Donald Trump is in Miami at a speech in which he says, well, I'll leave it to the clip. Let's give the clip of Donald Trump admitting that Elon Musk is in charge of his government and is in charge of making the decisions that are negatively impacting the victims of 9 11. Let's play the clip.

[Donald Trump]

I signed an order to the Department of Government Efficiency put a man named Elon Musk in charge. Thank you, Elon Musk doing a great job. You could have seen him last night. He's really, you know, he's a very committed person. He's a very serious person. And these are very high IQ people. You know, I like high IQ people. Not all have to be, but you know, it'd be nice to have some people up there that he's a seriously high IQ individual. Now he's got his false also, I will tell you that, but not too many of them, which is now really waging war on government waste abuse. They're curbing inflation and saving taxpayers billions and millions of dollars every single day. There's even under consideration a new concept where we give 20% of the doge savings to American citizens and 20% goes to paying down debt. Because the numbers are incredible, Elon. So many billions, millions, hundreds of billions. And we're thinking about giving 20% back to the American citizens.

[Michael Popak]

And for Donald Trump to have the brass ones the balls to let his Department of Health and human services director, RFK Jr say in his confirmation hearing that he is not going to undermine 911 responders or their victims in any way, in any shape and form, and then let Elon Musk cut the programming and cut 20% impacting these victims over 20 years who have not recovered the ones that survived the first responders who were on the pile is inhumane and immoral. Look, next door, you got somebody in your own cabinet who is a survivor of 9 11. Maybe you should ask him about it. But this is what we have with a government that is unmoored from American principles and values. This is the decision making that gets made as a result of these are the lies that get told in courtrooms. As the president, who is the apex officer of the government, you know, in the unitary president theory of theirs, says, I don't know what my lawyers are saying in court. I mean, he's so tied up in knots. He said in an executive order that only he and Pam Bondi can speak for the government when it relates to interpretation of law. Then his lawyers go in and tell the court in related to Elon Musk. Elon Musk isn't in charge of anything. He's just a senior advisor. And then he goes to Miami on the clip you just saw and says, I don't know what they're talking about. Elon Musk, I put him in charge of everything. He's super bright. I like high IQ people. Yes, we're watching a presidency fail in.

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The first four months.

[Michael Popak]

Yes, we're watching a completely fatigued and gassed and out of it president make statements and he doesn't even know what he's talking about that are inconsistent with everything else. As his administration tries to find ways not to comply with federal orders, orders of injunction, orders of restraining order not to comply with them, to find ways not to comply with them, to have different administrators interpret different sections of the law in a different way, to find a way around injunctions and restraining orders. That's what they're doing now. That's the next phase. You know, it's like the cockroach theory. You can't kill a cockroach. They just find another way in, find another way to survive. If we ever have a nuclear war, the only thing that'll come out of the pile are cockroaches. And that's Donald Trump's theory. His little cockroaches that operate his cabinets have been, have been given and agencies have been given instructions. Here's the judge's order. Find the loophole around it, right? Find another way to block the funding. Find another way to cut off all these employees and fire them illegally. Find another way as opposed to comply with American ethos and values that's supposed to be part of our DNA. Support those that need support. Who needs more support in this country than those the victims of 911 and the first responders, I ask you. They're certainly up there. So we're going to continue to follow the fallout. It seems like there is a crisis and a scandal a day. It's, it's a. We need a scandalometer for the Trump administration. Well, here's one place you can do it. Come here. Midas Touch Legal af Michael Popak. I'm doing it hourly on the Midas Dutch network Full time here now. Since nine. Since the election. Now said something else.

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Since the election, full time Midas Dutch.

[Michael Popak]

Network full time legal a afternoon YouTube channel. Help them get to a million subscribers before our one year anniversary. We're already at almost a half a million with your help, all because of you. So follow me on everything related to legal AF. Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8pm Eastern Time, the podcast right here on the Midas Touch Network and then on audio podcast.

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Platforms of your choice.

[Michael Popak]

So until my next reporting, I'm Michael Popak in collaboration with the Midas Touch Network. We just launched the Legal AF YouTube channel. Help us build this pro democracy channel where I'll be curating the top stories the intersection of law and Politics. Go to YouTube now and free subscribe at Legal AFMTN. That's @legal AFMTN.