Legal AF by MeidasTouch: "The Intersection with Michael Popok"

Full Episode: 12/2/2025
Release Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Michael Popok (with context mentions of Ben Meiselas & Karen Friedman Agnifilo)

Episode Overview

This special "travel edition" of Legal AF's "The Intersection" is helmed by Michael Popok, who, despite celebrating his birthday, delves into the week’s biggest legal stories at the nexus of law and politics. The episode’s major threads include Donald Trump’s public behavior and legal jeopardy, fallout from controversial U.S. attorney appointments, the potential war crimes implicating Trump administration figures, and significant updates in the cases involving James Comey, Letitia James, and the Mar-a-Lago investigation. Popok’s tone is direct, occasionally biting, and often laced with a call for accountability—aimed at both political actors and the institutions tasked with holding them to account.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Donald Trump’s Public Meltdowns and Legal Exposure

• Escalating Rhetoric and Behavior

  • Popok criticizes Trump for recent offensive remarks targeting Somali and Afghan immigrants, calling it a “racist dog whistle” designed to activate his base.
    • “So you can pick on the Somalis and say, oh, they just committed food stamp fraud or whatever you want to call it... this is just Donald Trump’s racist dog whistle to go after a downtrodden black or brown community...” (06:04)
  • Trump’s cognitive health comes under scrutiny due to his own admission of having taken a cognitive test, and for allegedly minimizing the importance of “affordability” in policy discussions.
    • “He’s already admitted he just took a cognitive test. For what reason? At 79, you don’t just take random cognitive tests. Who, who told you to take it?” (08:15)
    • “This is a president who is in the throes of some cognitive decline that he doesn’t want to admit.” (12:21)

• Personal Attacks on Reporters

  • Popok condemns Trump's pattern of misogynistic, sexist insults towards female reporters, critiquing both Trump's conduct and the inadequate response from the press corps.
    • “Where are [the male counterparts]? They should be... when that happens, the female reporter should say, ‘Mr. President, that’s inappropriate...’” (14:53)

• Economic Self-Dealing

  • Trump and his family are reported to be on track to personally profit by $50–100 billion from government policy and contracts before his term ends.
    • “They’ve already made billions of dollars and they’re well on their way to making between 50 and 100 billion dollars before Donald Trump leaves office in one term... all tailor made to benefit Trump, Trump family and his cronies.” (10:53)

2. Trump’s Inner Circle Under Fire: Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel, and Others

• War Crimes Allegations Against Pete Hegseth

  • Popok discusses serious allegations that Pete Hegseth ordered a drone strike (“double tap”) resulting in the deaths of civilians, an action being probed as a potential war crime.
    • “On September 2nd, Pete Hegseth gave the command to fire a fourth or fifth missile from a drone and to hit two men clinging to the side of a fishing boat... he ordered the code red.” (19:14)
  • Military and Congressional investigations could make Hegseth a scapegoat despite OLC memos claimed as legal cover.
    • “The Joint Chiefs of Staff are now looking into whether a war crime and a murder was committed by you... It’s not okay.” (22:31)

• Kash Patel’s Leak and Career Jeopardy

  • An anonymous FBI memo critical of Patel has been strategically leaked (to Miranda Devine, a Trump-friendly reporter), creating political cover for his firing.
    • “The report was done to give Donald Trump cover to fire Kash Patel.” (29:10)
  • Patel’s personal conduct (including apparent misuse of government resources) gets highlighted as a further liability.

• Predictions of Staff Changes

  • Popok forecasts upcoming dismissals and reshuffles among Trump’s key figures (Bondi, Patel, Hegseth, Noem), as legal fire intensifies.
    • “I would not be surprised if over the next six months we don’t see a changeover. Pam Bondi may lose her job... Kash Patel loses his job... Pete Hegseth loses his job...” (24:15)

3. Bombshell Developments: James Comey & Letitia James Prosecutions

• Procedural Wrangling Over Indictments

  • Judge Curry dismissed without prejudice the indictments against Comey and Letitia James, tied to the illegal appointment of prosecutor Lindsey Halligan—but grand juries are reportedly working to re-indict them.
    • “Judge Curry dismissed without prejudice... the indictments against James Comey and Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, because she found... Lindsey Halligan is illegally appointed.” (39:50)

• Vindictive Prosecution Concerns

  • Popok argues these prosecutions are political retaliation, notably against Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump’s business.
    • “I’m hoping that a grand jury will see through this charade, will see the weaponization of the Department of Justice and the vindictive prosecution and not indict.” (42:13)

• Time-Barred Charges and 4th Amendment Violations

  • Comey may escape further prosecution as the statute of limitations on certain charges has already passed.
    • “If they’re going to re indict him under the perjury count... the statute of limitations has run.” (44:55)
  • Daniel Richman, a key Comey associate, is now seeking the return of materials seized in a search that violated his Fourth Amendment rights, which could undercut the government’s case.
    • “If the government loses on that motion and they can’t use the Richmond materials, I don’t know how they’re going to ever bring an indictment unless it’s about something completely different...” (51:20)

4. Illegally Appointed U.S. Attorneys: The Alina Haba and John Sarcone Saga

• Unlawful Appointment Schemes

  • Trump’s efforts to circumvent Senate approval by appointing loyalists (e.g., Alina Haba, John Sarcone) to key U.S. Attorney roles have repeatedly failed in court.
    • “He’s picking all these partisan political hacks who he knows will never get confirmed or will be blocked by the senators in blue states... he got his pound of flesh.” (49:11)
  • The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Haba’s appointment violated the Vacancy Reform Act.

• Parallel Legal Maneuvers

  • Letitia James is now challenging subpoenas from John Sarcone, arguing he too was illegally appointed, with more judicial hearings on this issue imminent.

5. Mar-a-Lago Documents Case: Stonewalling and Judicial Bias

• Judge Aileen Cannon’s Role

  • Cannon, appointed by Trump, continues to delay the release of Jack Smith’s full Mar-a-Lago investigative report, citing the purported illegality of Smith’s special counsel appointment.
    • “She doesn’t want to release it. She found that Jack Smith was illegally appointed because he was a special attorney that didn’t go through Senate confirmation.” (60:05)
  • Trump, as an intervenor, is stalling release, while the Eleventh Circuit has imposed a 60-day deadline for Cannon to rule.

• Ongoing Concerns over Recusal

  • Popok voices outrage at Cannon’s refusal to recuse herself, despite open conflicts of interest.
    • “It leaked out before the transition of the new presidency that she was on the short list to be the Attorney General for Donald Trump.” (63:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Donald Trump, how do I put this kindly? He’s losing his shit. There’s no other way to put it.” (04:41, Michael Popok)
• “[Trump’s] misogynistic, sexist way. Sorry. The female reporter for the New York Times that wrote the piece—goes after her, calls her ugly inside and out... Just like a week before he called a female reporter Miss Piggy.” (13:23, Michael Popok)
• “Pete Hegseth, you’ve got bigger problems. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are now looking into whether a war crime and murder was committed by you...” (22:31, Michael Popok)
• “This report was done to give Donald Trump cover to fire Kash Patel. Right. Patel’s already got his own... he’s gotta be on his PJ—it’s not even his private jet. It’s our private jet.” (29:10, Michael Popok)
• “It’s been a bad run for Donald Trump on these U.S. attorney appointments because he’s not picking anybody that can get through the confirmation process with the Senate.” (49:11, Michael Popok)
• “I just don’t understand [Judge Cannon not recusing]. Except that you do the math. You do the math, but it’s wrong. It continues to be wrong.” (63:20, Michael Popok)

Timestamps: Important Segments

• Introduction and Trump’s Latest Outbursts: 04:00–14:00
• Media’s Responsibility & Sexism - Press Corps Response: 14:00–16:00
• Trump Administration Corruption and Personal Gain: 10:40–13:00
• War Crimes Allegations: Pete Hegseth: 19:00–25:00
• Kash Patel Leak & Firing Dynamics: 27:50–31:30
• Comey and Letitia James Indictment Saga: 39:50–53:00
• Alina Haba and John Sarcone’s Legality as US Attorneys: 54:00–59:00
• Mar-a-Lago Report and Judge Cannon Controversy: 60:00–65:00

Final Thoughts & Calls to Action

Popok closes with a reminder about supporting Legal AF via Substack and YouTube and reaffirms his commitment to holding political actors to account—regardless of the distractions of the news cycle or intimidation from the Trump camp.

**“History will tell us which side you were on. If the mainstream... the media is like oxygen. He needs it. And if you stay out of the room and it’s only Fox reporting, that’s not going to be good enough for Donald Trump. Or stand up and turn your back on Caroline Levett.” (16:59)

This summary captures all substantive analysis and major news developments, omitting ad reads and promotional segments.