The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Ambassador Eisen Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: MeidasTouch Network (Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas)
Guest: Ambassador Norm Eisen, Democracy Defenders Fund

Episode Overview

This episode centers on recent efforts to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the Trump administration, with special focus on the congressional and legal battles required to ensure transparency. The Meiselas brothers and guest Ambassador Norm Eisen dissect MAGA Speaker Mike Johnson’s reversal on the Epstein files, the bipartisan congressional maneuvering to expedite their release, ongoing lawsuits to ensure unredacted documents reach the public, and broader efforts combating Trump-era corruption.

The conversation is rich in both legal and political analysis, with Eisen offering an insider’s look at Democracy Defenders Fund’s litigation strategy and underscoring the critical alliance between legal, political, and grassroots public activism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Congressional Maneuvering for the Epstein Files

(01:12–05:12)

• MAGA Mike Johnson’s Reversal:

  • After public stalling, Speaker Johnson caves and allows the House to pass a resolution requiring the DOJ to release the Epstein files.
  • Dems forced Johnson’s hand with a unanimous consent floor motion, causing political turmoil and public scrutiny.
  • UNANIMOUS passage in the Senate, driven skillfully by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
  • Republicans, including Johnson, express concern over the bill but ultimately fail to block it.

• Clip Excerpt: Johnson appears frazzled, unsure if the bill will be vetoed or if adequate amendments will be added.

  • “I am deeply disappointed in this outcome. ... I just spoke to the president about that. We’ll see what happens.” (02:22–02:45, Speaker Mike Johnson)

2. Skepticism About the Trump Administration’s Transparency

(05:12–07:15)

• Guest Segment – Ambassador Norm Eisen:

  • Eisen hails MeidasTouch for being “fighters” and points out the necessity to remain vigilant even with legislative wins:
    • “The place where we need to be the most truthful is about the biggest corruption scandal of the Trump administration, the cover-up of the Trump Epstein files.” (05:22, Eisen)
  • Describes how court oversight and FOIA lawsuits are essential to ensure nothing important is withheld or redacted under the pretext of national security or legal privilege.

• Sen. Schumer’s Direct Quote:

  • “We gotta make sure we get all of the Epstein files, all. They can’t fuck around with this… I don’t trust this administration… they could screw around with this. It’ll be all of our jobs to be on them and make sure that we get everything.” (07:30–07:53, Sen. Chuck Schumer)

3. Legal Strategy for Full Disclosure

(07:53–10:11)

• Eisen’s Legal Tactics:

  • Using FOIA and judicial oversight to ensure document integrity.
  • Pointing to evidence from public third-party sources (like the 23,000 Epstein estate emails, half involving Trump) to spot missing info or telltale gaps.
  • Pinned down technique: “You start with the documents… look for obvious inconsistencies with what we know from the public record… The most important thing you can do… get the courts involved.” (08:43, Eisen)

• Broader Mission:

  • Eisen asserts: “We must get those Trump Epstein files full, complete and unredacted.” (10:07, Eisen)

4. The Comey Case and Systemic Legal Abuse

(10:11–13:37)

• New Bombshell:
  • Live reporting of federal hearing in Virginia reveals the Trump DOJ didn’t present the operative indictment against James Comey to a grand jury, meaning the prosecution is invalid.
  • Prosecutors refuse to turn over memos recommending against charging Comey—raising major transparency and due process concerns.
  • Eisen’s Take:
    • “It’s exactly as legally effective as if you and I wrote an indictment of Donald Trump right here... She had never been before a grand jury.” (12:18, Eisen)
    • “This is another example where we have filed a legal brief... This is a joke and a new low.” (12:45, Eisen)
  • Eisen: Attempted prosecutions are “another one that I think is doomed because of the incompetence. Who knows how much trouble we would be in if Donald Trump were a competent authoritarian. Instead, it’s the gang that can’t shoot straight.” (13:16, Eisen)

5. Building and Winning Through Legal Resistance

(13:37–17:20)

• Litigation as Resistance:
  • Meiselas notes how Trump’s opponents—often corporations—used to buckle but now, with groups like Democracy Defenders, there’s a broader, coordinated fightback in both courts and public debate.
  • Eisen describes the mission as “rule of law shock and awe”—pursuing more than 225 cases, “pretty much one for every day of the Trump administration.” (14:54, Eisen)
  • Eisen reflects on electoral and legal victories post-Trump, citing “the engine of democracy” is running strong, and independent media (like MeidasTouch) play a crucial complementary role to courtroom battles.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Maga Mike crumbled like a cracker on the steps there… He didn’t know what to say.”
  Ambassador Norm Eisen, 05:29

• “This bill has steamrolled through Congress… Only one vote against it in the House. Unanimous consent in the Senate. Excellent parliamentary legerdemain.”
  Ambassador Eisen, 05:35

• “We must get those Trump Epstein files full, complete and unredacted.”
  Ambassador Eisen, 10:07

• “Who knows how much trouble we would be in if Donald Trump were a competent authoritarian. Instead, it’s the gang that can’t shoot straight.”
  Ambassador Eisen, 13:16

• “With voters having repudiated Trump in the referendum on November 4, a landslide win… the no hands protests have built from three million to five, to seven million… All the pistons of the engine of democracy are really starting to work.”
  Ambassador Eisen, 16:09

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:12 – MAGA Mike Johnson’s reversal on Epstein files
• 05:12 – Ambassador Eisen joins, Trump/Epstein cover-up analysis
• 07:30 – Sen. Schumer’s quote on vigilance over the Trump administration
• 08:43 – Eisen’s approach for vetting document dumps
• 10:07 – Eisen declares need for “full, complete and unredacted” files
• 12:18–13:37 – Breakdown of the Comey indictment farce
• 14:54–17:20 – Eisen on the power and progress of coordinated legal resistance

Conclusion

This episode offers a deep dive into the high-stakes battle for transparency around the Epstein files, highlighting both successful congressional maneuvers and the relentless legal efforts led by Ambassador Norm Eisen’s Democracy Defenders Fund. Combining sharp legal insight, political strategy, and the brothers’ trademark irreverent banter, the episode culminates in a rallying call for ongoing public activism and legal vigilance in the face of authoritarian threats.

Listeners are encouraged to stay informed, support organizations fighting for democracy, and maintain pressure in both the court of law and public opinion.