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Michael Popak
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Michael Popak
There's always a personal or political benefit to Donald Trump with every policy or indictment that his administration announces. The latest example, the announced indictment in Miami between the Freedom Tower and the location for Donald Trump's presidential library of the indictment of 94 year old Raul Castro, former defense minister of Cuba. Now, on the surface, it's a good thing to bring people to justice, whether they're aging Nazis or old communists from Cuba, especially when there's death and destruction that's been alleged in the indictment that they're responsible for. Raul Castro in particular, according to the indictment, was behind the shooting down with heat seeking missiles of two planes operated by an organization based in Miami called Brothers to the Rescue, trying to provide aid and assistance to Cubans trying to
get off the island.
Two of the three planes were shot down. Four people, including three Americans were killed in that disaster. It led to a series of policy changes by the United States against Cuba, led by the Clinton administration, including something we call the Helms Burton act and tightening restrictions on Cuba. So to be, to be fair, bringing him to justice is a good thing. But there's a political motivation behind it and I'm going to unpack it for you here from my vantage point where I live in Miami, knowing the community, let me tell you what we're watching. First of all, let's talk about the timing. We're in the middle of a terrible, horrendous news cycle for Donald Trump, from his failed overseas mission to China to his failing and abysmal poll numbers to a failing economy to a likely midterm disaster, every hour, every day gets worse and worse for Donald Trump. And the polls show it. So he likes to time his political and Department of Justice announcements to coincide with with his flailing news cycle and polls. And so out of the blue, after a really bad performance by acting Attorney General Todd Blanch concerning the creation of that $1.8 billion weaponization fund that's going to apparently be used to pay terrorists and insurrectionist organizations to help them get back on their feet, to refund them, if you will. You've got child sex molesters who are
convicted who are lining up to get paid. You've got right wing media outlets like Oan who's lining up to get paid. And while all that's going on there
seems to be, it's like crickets. You see no support for this by the Republicans or voters.
So what happens a day after Todd
Blanche wipes away Donald Trump's and his family's tax liability of up to $100
million, suddenly we've got a planned announcement
in Miami, in the city of Miami, in front of the Freedom Tower, which is a symbol for the Cuban exile community. It's their Ellis Island. It's an amazing Museum, if you're in town, you should visit it. And right next to it is that 2.63 acre parcel of land owned by Miami Dade College or had been owned by Miami Dade College, who transferred it for zero to the state of Florida through DeSantis, who transferred it for zero to the Donald J. Trump Library Convention Center, Casino fund or whatever it's supposed to be.
And there's lawsuits about that in Miami about whether that violates the emoluments clause. So it was no surprise to me to watch Trump put the press conference
right at the epicenter of the Miami Cuban exile community, of which Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, is a part.
This is also if you want to
get to the politics of it all. And I'll show you a clip in a minute with the cheering about the announced indictment.
And again, I'm all about bringing people
to justice who kill other people, especially in circumstances. I don't care if the Nazi is 100 years old brought to justice. Same thing with the Castros. I'm talking about the politics and the timing around it. The city of Miami and the county of Miami Dade are turning blue and it's pissing Donald Trump off and he wants to shore up his base as
he leads into the midterms.
Eileen Higgins, the mayor of Miami, beat her opponent and she's a Democrat beat her opponent by 14 points though handpicked
Trump DeSantis opponent 14 points. She's the first woman to be the mayor of the city of Miami. She's the first Democrat in over 30
years that that started the blue wave or continued the blue wave of special elections and other elections.
I'm Michael Popak and I got some big news for our audience. Most of you know me as the co founder of Midas touches Legal AF and the Legal AF YouTube channel or as a 35 year national trial lawyer now building a what we started together on Legal af. I've launched a new law firm, the Popoc Firm, dedicated to obtaining justice through compassionate and zealous legal representation. At the Popoc firm we are focused on obtaining justice for those who have been injured or damaged by a life altering event by securing the highest dollar recoveries. I've been tirelessly fighting for justice for the last 35 years. So my own law firm, organically building on my Legal AF work just feels right. And I've handpicked a team of top tier trial fighters and settlement Experts throughout all 50 states known as big injury attorneys who have the know how to beat heartless insurance companies, corporations, government entities, and their attorneys. Big Auto's attorneys working with my firm are rock stars in their respective states and collectively responsible for billions of dollars in recoveries. So if you or a loved one have been on the wrong side of a catastrophic auto motor vehicle rideshare or truck accident, suffered a personal injury, or been the victim of medical malpractice, employment harassment or discrimination, or suffered a violation of your civil and constitutional rights, then contact the Popoc firm today at 1-877-popocaf or by visiting my website at www.thepopocfirm.com and fill out a free case evaluation form. And if we determine that you have a case and you sign with us, we don't get paid unless you do. The POPOC Firm fighting for your justice.
Every step of the way, Trump and
his people around him knows he has a Miami problem. The county of Miami Dade is led by a Democrat, a moderate. And so in order to win Florida, a Republican has to, for instance, has to win and run a big vote
totals in the north of Florida, in
the west of Florida. But as you come down from Orlando down the I4 corridor and you come down the coast, that's where the Democrat has to ring up lots of, lots of votes, including in Miami Dade and
in the city of Miami.
When Obama won in Florida twice, he rang up big vote totals in Miami Dade County. The Democrats want Miami Dade county back. Trump wants to oppose it. He wants to get Spanish language radio, which is very, very powerful and active down here in Miami, to just be talking good things about Donald Trump and MAGA and the Republicans at or around this time. So I wanted to bring it from a perspective of what's the politics going on here.
Let me show you a clip of
the cheering that was going on when the indictment was announced. Not at the U.S. attorney's office in Miami, not in Washington, but right next
to the location Trump wants to put up his Trump library. Play the clip.
U.S. Attorney or Official
Today we are announcing an indictment charging Raul Castro and several others with conspiracy to kill US Nationals. Just.
Michael Popak
This is also part of the plan that Marco Rubio has to take over
his ancestral home and do to Cuba what he did to Venezuela.
Right Again, not America.
First, it's Marco Rubio.
First, it's taken over an island that his family fleed when the elder Castro, Fidel took over. So there's always a politics and a
personal gain for anything Donald Trump does
create a weaponization fund for people who have been damaged. Only if I get my $100 million potential tax liability wiped out by Todd Blanche the next the very next day. That's the only reason he does these things. Indict Raul. He didn't indict Raul Castro in the
first term when the guy was 80 something.
He waited till now, when Trump is on his political last legs and on
thin ice to pander in Curry favor
with a very powerful economic and demographic group and political group in Miami. Okay, you've got to ring up the votes with the Cuban American exile community who vote if you're going to win. And there's a series of congresspeople in and around Miami. Republican hall hasn't been a Democrat since Donna Shalala and a friend of mine, Debbie Mercasal Powell, there hasn't been a Democrat in that region. It's red, red, red. And so that is what's going on when you watch this. And people that you know living in Idaho, Oklahoma, you know, Maine, they're like,
why are we just getting around to indicting Raul Castro now? This is the backstory you need to know.
And I wanted to bring it to you here on Legal AF and on the Midas Touch Network. I'm Michael Popak. Take a minute, come over to Legal AF YouTube channel 12 videos every day, fresh videos every day. Hit that free subscribe button and join me every day at around noon for a live report. I do a POPOC pop up on substack for Legal af.
Until my next report, this is Michael Popak.
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Michael Popak
Me neither.
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That's why we formed the Legal AF substack. Every time we mention something in a hot take, whether it's a court filing or a oral argument, come over to the substack. You'll find the court filing and the oral argument there, including a daily roundup that I do called Wait for it Morning af.
Michael Popak
What else?
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Episode: Trump Panics as Key Voter Base Collapses in Florida
Date: May 22, 2026
Host: Michael Popok (with context on Ben Meiselas and Karen Friedman Agnifilo)
This Legal AF episode, primarily hosted by Michael Popok, dives into the recent indictment of former Cuban Defense Minister Raul Castro and how this move is more than a quest for justice—it’s a calculated political maneuver by Donald Trump to shore up his collapsing base in Florida, particularly within the crucial Miami Cuban exile community. Popok contextualizes the timing, the optics, and the deeper political implications against the backdrop of Trump’s failing poll numbers and a shifting political tide in Miami-Dade.
Michael Popok:
Announcement Clip (U.S. Official):
Popok’s Summary:
| Time | Segment/Point | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:18 | Popok begins discussing Raul Castro’s indictment and the political benefits | | 03:27 | The death of Brothers to the Rescue pilots and policy changes | | 06:43 | Trump holds press conference at Freedom Tower | | 07:53 | The Miami “blue wave” and Democratic victories | | 10:28 | Spanish-language media’s role in Miami politics | | 11:03 | Play of the cheering clip at indictment announcement | | 12:24 | Alleged quid pro quo and personal political gain | | 13:50 | Why Miami and the Raul Castro indictment matter nationally |
This episode unpacks how the indictment of Raul Castro is less about late justice than about Donald Trump’s desperate attempt to reverse political losses in a rapidly changing Miami. Michael Popok delivers incisive, on-the-ground analysis mixing law, politics, and Florida’s unique electoral intricacies, exposing the orchestration behind Trump's latest moves as his core voter base shows signs of collapse.