The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Congressman Jason Crow Reacts to Trump Forcing Government Shutdown

Date: September 28, 2025
Host(s): Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
Guest: Congressman Jason Crow (CO-6, Democrat)

Overview

This episode dives into the looming government shutdown, orchestrated from the top by Donald Trump, and features an unfiltered, deeply concerned interview with Democratic Congressman Jason Crow. Drawing from his experiences both as a legislator and a decorated military veteran, Crow provides an urgent perspective on the destabilizing impact of Trump’s actions on the federal government, the economy, and American democracy itself. The episode is a mix of brotherly banter, sharp political analysis, and frontline reporting on threats to democratic stability, culminating in a call to action for listeners and voters.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Republican Dysfunction and the Trump Shutdown (03:22 – 07:53)

• Host Ben highlights public Republican in-fighting, citing Sen. Chuck Grassley's complaints about soybean tariffs and his lack of answers regarding Trump’s bailout of Argentina.
• MAGA Republicans, under Trump's direction, refuse to negotiate with Democrats as a shutdown nears.
• Discussion of Trump’s insistence on prosecuting political enemies, with a clip of a Republican congressman demanding James Comey face treason charges.
• Ben points out the GOP’s economic mismanagement and escalating rhetoric.

The Corruption and Weaponization of Power (07:54 – 10:31)

• Jason Crow joins, responding to questions about Trump’s strategies:
  • “Americans’ lives are getting worse in every possible way... This is corruption at its worst.” (Jason Crow, 07:57)
  • Highlights rising inflation, unaffordability in housing, harm to small businesses from tariffs, and ballooning Trump wealth.
  • Emphasizes the erosion of law and the weaponization of government power, warning that even Republicans are not safe if they dissent:
    • “He has crushed dissent when it’s come from right wing commentators, Republican members of Congress as well. If you dare speak up against Trump, you are going to incur his wrath, which is why it’s important that we stop it now.” (Jason Crow, 08:42)

Lack of Ideology and Governance By Grievance (10:32 – 12:37)

• Ben observes the GOP’s shifting positions and hypocrisy on issues like the release of Epstein files, highlighting a total lack of policy consistency.
• Jason Crow underscores that Trump’s only principle is self-interest:
  • “Donald Trump doesn’t believe in fiscal conservatism. … He actually doesn’t believe in anything other than his own personal grievances, who he likes or dislikes on any one day, and his power.” (Jason Crow, 10:35)
  • Warns of governance devolving to pure corruption and ruling by power rather than law.

Attacks on Free Speech and Profiles in Courage (12:38 – 14:26)

• Ben and Crow discuss the shift among self-proclaimed “free speech absolutists” who now champion censorship when it serves Trump’s interests.
• Congressman Crow:
  • “I went to war three times for this country to defend the right of people to say things that I disagree with. There is nothing more important than the ability to speak up against power.” (Jason Crow, 12:39)
  • Warns that rights are being stripped from all Americans, not just liberals or political opponents.
  • Denounces the “cowardice and cowing” of elites, juxtaposed with ordinary Americans acting bravely to protect communities—cites Little League coach Yeoman Wilder as an example of real courage.

Disturbing Military Developments (14:27 – 18:02)

• Ben presses Crow on reports that Trump’s Secretary of Defense (Pete Hegseth) is calling all top military officials to an unscheduled, unexplained meeting.
  • Crow is “hearing about this for the first time” and is deeply troubled given recent purges of senior JAG officers, and the firing of diverse high-ranking military officials:
    • “They fired a lot of the senior JAG officers...They have purged those folks. In addition to that, they have fired without cause some of our senior, most experienced generals and admirals...just because, in some cases...they’re people of color, they’re Black, they’re Hispanic, they’re women. They have fired those folks.” (Jason Crow, 16:18)
  • Asserts that calling all senior military leaders to one location endangers national security and is “unprecedented.”

Trump’s Plummeting Approval and GOP Apathy (18:03 – 20:32)

• Ben cites a new Quinnipiac poll showing Trump’s approval sinking into the high 30s on all major issues.
• Contrasts widespread public disapproval with continued enabling by Republican officials and corporate elites.
• Crow:
  • “They are doing things that are deeply unpopular. Their approval rating continues to go down...and they don’t seem to be worried about it. … What else are they doing or planning to do that allows them not to be worried?” (Jason Crow, 19:16)
  • Warns about ongoing GOP efforts to rig elections via gerrymandering and neutering the FEC.

Mobilizing for the Midterms – Call to Action (20:33 – 21:33)

• Ben asks Crow to outline solutions and actions.
• Congressman Crow describes his focus on recruiting and supporting candidates in swing districts:
  • “We need the best possible candidates that can run local campaigns that can deliver a strong message, that can lead with competence and win in tough places...so we can reestablish a bulwark against this runaway presidency.” (Jason Crow, 21:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jason Crow on corruption:
  “Donald Trump's personal wealth is estimated to have gone up almost $2 billion just since he became president in January. This is corruption at its worst. It is rank corruption.” (07:57)

• On threats to free speech:
  “There is nothing more important than the ability to speak up against power, to have freedom of speech and to dissent … When we lose that, everybody loses it.” (12:40)

• Addressing Trump’s lack of principle:
  “There’s no consistency to any of it because there’s actually no ideology. ...That is the through line to all of this.” (10:32)

• On the military purge:
  “They fired a lot of the senior JAG officers...They have fired without cause some of our senior, most experienced generals and admirals ... In some cases, because they're people of color, they're Black, they're Hispanic, they're women. ... To pull them all at once to one location poses an extreme risk.” (16:18)

• Ben’s summary of public sentiment:
  “Americans hate this. Like, we despise what this guy is doing right now and how he's destroying the very fabric of America. Yet these leaders are the ones capitulating, not the people. ... The people are standing up, the corporate leaders. They're failing in such a big way.” (18:52)

• On vigilance and mobilization:
  “We have to be very diligent and we have to mobilize, frankly. ... That’s why I am recruiting candidates around the country for a massive surge to push back and to retake districts.” (19:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:22 – Grassley, GOP dysfunction and Trump’s anti-negotiation orders
• 05:38 – Republican call to prosecute Comey & MAGA weaponization
• 07:54 – Congressman Crow on corruption, economic harm, and threats to free speech
• 10:32 – Discussion of Trump’s absence of ideology, governance by grievance
• 12:38 – Crow’s defense of dissent and warning against loss of free speech rights
• 14:26 – Military purge and unprecedented meeting of all senior commanders
• 18:02 – Trump’s low approval ratings, corporate/gop elite capitulation
• 20:33 – Crow’s call to action: recruit and elect democratic bulwarks

Conclusion

This episode blends the Meiselas brothers’ signature humor and candor with a sobering interview from Congressman Jason Crow, who warns in blunt terms of the unprecedented threats to democracy and national security posed by the Trump administration and a complicit GOP. Listeners are urged to take action by supporting strong, courageous candidates and mobilizing ahead of the midterms. The conversation is both a snapshot of the current crisis and a rallying cry to defend the pillars of American democracy.