Fox News Attacks MeidasTouch

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast – "Fox News Attacks MeidasTouch"

Date: June 29, 2026
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
Theme: Responding to Fox News attacks on the MeidasTouch Network and progressive candidates, highlighting the rhetoric and narratives pushed by right-wing media.

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on Fox News’ recent string of attacks against the MeidasTouch Network and its affiliation with progressive Democratic candidates. The brothers dissect Fox News clips and commentary to reveal the escalating rhetoric, targeting policies like rent stabilization, universal healthcare, and multi-party democracy, as well as the demographics of their supporters. Throughout, the Meiselas brothers reaffirm their commitment to championing fighters for democracy and working people, calling out the demonization tactics and misinformation pushed by "state regime media."

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fox News' Direct Attacks on MeidasTouch Network and Progressive Candidates

• [02:13] The hosts open by noting that Fox News recently targeted MeidasTouch for platforming progressive candidates, accusing them of mere grandstanding with policies "they’ll never enact."
  • Quote (Ben): “They would say... these candidates... they’re just going to be on the MeidasTouch network and they’re not actually going to be able to implement their policies. They’ll just appear with Ben. That’s what they were saying.” [02:13]
• [02:50] Hosts express pride in giving a voice to rent stabilization and universal health care advocates, referencing successful efforts like NYC’s rent freeze.

2. Fox News Narratives & Hostility Toward the Left

• [03:42] A Fox News political commentator argues that progressive candidates, like AOC and the “Squad,” are destined for irrelevance, only to be featured "on MSNBC and MeidasTouch and that’s about it," due to lack of real power.
  • Quote (Fox News Contributor): “Nancy Pelosi had to say, little girl, you don’t have the numbers, we do. They will be marginalized. You will see them on MSNBC and Midas Touch and that’s about it.” [03:55]
• [05:02] The MeidasTouch team plays a clip in which Jesse Watters escalates the attack, labeling progressive advocacy as communism and characterizing left-aligned media and candidates as a civilizational threat.
  • Quote (Jesse Watters): “You can’t reason with these guys. You have to crush them. And we will, because we’re not going to let our greatest city get destroyed.” [05:27]

3. Outlining the Progressive/Left Platform (as Presented by Fox)

• [06:41] A Fox analyst recites and critiques policy planks associated with the left: abolishing the electoral college; multi-party democracy; proportional representation; public ownership of big corporations; abolishing ICE; sanctions relief; and abolishing the carceral state.
  • Quote (Fox Analyst): "...Abolish ICE and grant amnesty for all. End sanctions on Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran. Free Palestine… Redirect police and prison funding to public services as steps towards abolishing the carceral forces of the capitalist state…” [07:13]

4. Demonizing and Stereotyping Progressive Voters

• [08:05, 10:26] Hosts spotlight Fox News’ fixation on “liberal women” and young, educated voters, blaming single college-educated women (especially those with “useless” degrees) for leftist political gains and urban problems.
  • Quote (Jesse Watters): “They can’t get jobs with their useless degrees, so they can’t afford rent. And they’re not getting married. So they’re kind of stuck. And they’re angry… So they’re single, alone, and they’re definitely not voting Republican, so they’re voting commie. They want to blow up the system.” [08:20]
  • Quote (Jesse Watters): “Liberal women… get college degrees in like sociology. They move into Manhattan and they can’t get a job—shocking. So they can’t afford rent. A bunch of single women with no jobs and degrees have to shack up in the same apartment in the Bronx…” [10:29]
• [09:18] The MeidasTouch hosts highlight bizarre and inflammatory Fox News claims about child trafficking laws and fertility rates, suggesting a pattern of inflammatory, sometimes conspiratorial rhetoric.

5. Racist Dog-Whistles and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

• [14:18] Fox News segment attacks Haitian immigrants using demeaning and stereotypical language.
  • Quote (Fox Host): “This is an island that is poor. It’s uneducated. It is riddled with violence and disease. Not only that, a lot of them believe in voodoo... They don’t assimilate very well... They’re not right type of people.” [14:24]

6. Response and Rebuttal from MeidasTouch

• [15:08] Ben Meiselas and team push back on Fox News’ framing, stating their mission is not ideological but people-centric—amplifying the struggles of working Americans.
  • Quote (Ben): “I’m not a label person. I’m a fight for the people person…they are psychologically tortured right now, living paycheck to paycheck…” [15:08]
• The brothers underline the real issues affecting Americans—high costs, unaffordable essentials, and political division—countering Fox’s divisive rhetoric:
  • “I don’t think they’re going to buy… all the divisive stuff, trying to just get people divided. I don’t think people are going to fall for it. I hope they don’t fall for it.” [15:40]
• [15:48] They reiterate that opposition to oligarchic interests drives the attacks against their platform.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 02:13 | Ben (Host) | “They would say... these candidates... they’re just going to be on the MeidasTouch network and they’re not actually going to be able to implement their policies. They’ll just appear with Ben.” | | 03:55 | Fox News Contributor | “Nancy Pelosi had to say, little girl, you don’t have the numbers, we do. They will be marginalized. You will see them on MSNBC and Midas Touch and that’s about it.” | | 05:27 | Jesse Watters | “You can’t reason with these guys. You have to crush them. And we will, because we’re not going to let our greatest city get destroyed.” | | 07:13 | Fox Analyst | “…Abolish ICE and grant amnesty for all. End sanctions on Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran. Free Palestine…Redirect police and prison funding to public services as steps towards abolishing the carceral forces of the capitalist state…” | | 08:20 | Jesse Watters | “They can’t get jobs with their useless degrees, so they can’t afford rent. And they’re not getting married... they’re voting commie. They want to blow up the system.” | | 10:29 | Jesse Watters | “Liberal women… get college degrees in like sociology. They move into Manhattan and they can’t get a job—shocking... they get angry and they vote communist to get revenge.” | | 14:24 | Fox Host | “This is an island that is poor. It’s uneducated... They don’t assimilate very well... They’re not right type of people.” | | 15:08 | Ben (Host) | “I’m not a label person. I’m a fight for the people person… They are psychologically tortured right now, living paycheck to paycheck…” |

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Important Timestamps

• [02:13] Opening: Fox News attacks on MeidasTouch
• [03:42] Fox News minimizes leftist influence, predicts irrelevance
• [05:02] Jesse Watters: calling progressivism “communism”; calls to “crush them”
• [06:41] Fox lists progressive policy goals as threatening
• [08:05] Jesse Watters attributes social grievances to “liberal women”
• [09:18] Fox Host raises bizarre claims about child trafficking laws
• [10:26] More stereotyping of women voters by Jesse Watters
• [11:19] Greg Gutfeld compares Trump to Uncle Sam
• [12:03] Rhetoric about NYC as a “communist” city
• [14:21] Racist dog-whistle on Haitian immigrants
• [15:08] Ben’s rebuttal: “I’m a fight for the people person…”

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Tone & Takeaway

The episode is sharp, critical, and laced with the Meiselas brothers’ characteristic humor and urgency—though the content is sobering. Their approach uses “clips and receipts” to demonstrate Fox News' descent into overtly antagonistic and bigoted rhetoric. The brothers position themselves, and their platform, as unapologetic fighters for working people and democracy, and reject divisive labels in favor of real-world concerns facing everyday Americans.

Final Thought (Ben):
“They are tortured by this Trump regime, by ICE and border Patrol Gestapo, by having their health care ripped away...The struggle is real out there right now…I hope [people] don’t fall for [the] divisive stuff.” [15:28-15:47]

Transcript

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[Host of Midas Touch Network]

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[Fox News / Fox One Host]

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[Host of Midas Touch Network]

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[Fox News / Fox One Host]

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[Host of Midas Touch Network]

Sponsored by gsk, State Regime Media, which calls itself Fox News, launched an attack on the Midas Touch Network this week on various segments on state regime media. They would attack the Midas Touch Network as such. They would say, you know these new Democratic candidates who have been winning their primaries talking about affordability and free health care and stopping these data centers from popping up everywhere and actually fighting for the people and workers. They're just going to be on the Midas Touch network and they're not actually going to be able to implement their policies. They'll just appear with Ben. That's what they were saying. Well, I hope they continue to show up on the Midas Touch Network. We champion fighters for the people, fighters for the workers, fighters for Universal Health Care fighters is who we champion here at the Midas Touched Network. But I believe they, just like Mayor Mamdani of New York City, are gonna make massive beneficial change. Look what Mamdani was able to do already. Getting the Rent Stabilization Board to freeze rent hikes for a two year period already. Let me show you what state regime media did during this last segment where they brought in a guest and they were doing this all week who was like, yeah, you know, these candidates, the AOCs and all of the people, like they're just going to show up on the Midas Touch Network. Here, watch for yourself playing this clip party.

[Political Commentator]

So you can't dismiss the Tea Party as though it was not influential. And then tell me these 10 are very influential. But there were 60 of them, not 10, these 10, all the energy. And by the way, this is just a start. We're not even counting the Graham Platners of the world and the others, the James Talaricos. We have a long way to go. We have a long way to go. But look, here's the thing. When AOC came to office, she learned, the squad learned the hard way. Congress is about numbers, it's about math. And Nancy Pelosi had to say, little girl, you don't have the numbers, we do. They will be marginalized. You will see them on MSNBC and Midas Touch and that's about it. Because they won't be doing deals, they won't be involved in legislating. I think the only number they care about is the number.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

And then they showed this clip of AOC where she's like, let's talk about what voters in general are looking for. And this was part of their attack on us. As though what AOC said is conscious, is like controversial.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Here, play this clip right here.

[GSK / Shingles Awareness Spokesperson]

Voters in general are looking for a change and they're seeing that progress is not happening in the ways that meets the challenges that they're facing. And so you're going to see, I think people voting for new leadership. There was so much fear around that when I was elected and none of it bore out to be true.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

And then Jesse Waters, you know, said, it's not socialism, guys, it's communism. And all of these, these people out there and the type of people who go on the Midas Touch Network, you know, they were alluding to, they're coming after you, they're coming after you. So we need to crush them. They want to hurt us, so we need to crush them. Watch what Jesse Waters says.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Let's play this clip Power.

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

You're coming for us. You're coming for our money. You're coming for our people, you're coming for our way of life. It's not socialism, guys. This is communism. You can't reason with these guys. You have to crush them. And we will, because we're not going to let our greatest city get destroyed. We're not going to let our civilization get destroyed. These people are going to steal from us. These people want to hurt us.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

I want to show you more of what state regime media is saying, but this is what the MAGA Republicans are going with. This is the talking points that they've got from Trump and MAGA Mike Johnson, like Trump gave a whole speech where he, he was like, we're facing the biggest threat. It's these communists that you see in New York City. It's these communists who want rent stabilized and they want free health care and they want to end the genocide in Gaza. These are the biggest threats to us right now. That was Trump's speech right there. Let me just show you. This is what MAGA Mike said. He goes, do you read what these people are actually saying? Listen to what MAGA Mike says is the biggest threats facing the United States. And I'm going to go back and show you that these are part of the talking points of state regime media.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Here. Play this clip.

[Political Analyst]

This is their platform. Listen, this, this is actually quotes from their platform that they published, I think about a day or two ago. You can find this on the Internet. Okay, here's just a sample of what they're about. They put this on paper, they're saying the quiet things out loud. Abolish the electoral college. Replace the two party system with a multi party democracy. Expand the House of Representatives. Implement proportional representation and ranked choice voting in all elections. Abolish. Well, establish public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries to ensure democratic control and accountability to the people. Abolish ICE and grant amnesty for all. End sanctions on Cuba, Venezuela and Iran. Free Palestine, quote, for a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. End all military and economic aid to Israel. Prosecute US and Israeli leaders responsible for the genocide in Gaza. Abolish the carceral state, quote, Redirect police and prison funding to public services as steps towards abolishing the carceral forces of the capitalist state, y'.

[Ryan Reynolds]

All.

[Political Analyst]

It goes on and on and on. Defund, right?

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

So then you have Jesse Waters saying, you know who the big problem is? It's these young college educated white women. They are the big problem.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Play this clip.

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

So who Put Mandani and these Commies in power. 40% of the city's foreign born, 70% non white. A majority of the city is on some sort of government welfare. But young, college educated white women are a big part of the base. They can't get jobs with their useless degrees, so they can't afford rent. And they're not getting married. So they're kind of stuck. And they're angry at America, at capitalism and at their party. The Democratic Party kind of screwed them, pressured them to take out six figure loans to get dumb degrees, raise the cost of living here with reckless spending and open borders. And then the media told them to act like men. Men don't like that, take it from me. So they're single, alone, and they're definitely not voting Republican, so they're voting commie. They want to blow up the system.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

And then you have one of Fox hosts, Compagno, who says, you know, one of the big problems, there's no law against adopting a child strictly for sex trafficking. Why is that? She's also an attorney. What are you talking about? There's many laws that would prohibit that. What are they even saying on state

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

regime media here, Play this clip right here.

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

Seen, for example, a law against adopting a foster child.

[Shingles Awareness Narrator]

There's no law against adopting a child

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

strictly for sexual trafficking. Why is that? Why is there no law against that?

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

And then very creepily, state regime media talks about like fertile fertilization and young girls or something. Here, play this clip about what they said.

[Political Commentator]

Huh?

[Greg Gutfeld]

What are they.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

What's even going on here?

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Play this clip.

[Political Commentator]

Absolutely. We still have 3.6 million births a year. But the problem is teens and young adults from ages 15 to 19, the fertility rate is down 7% and it's down 70% over the last two decades. Meaning we're telling people that are young not to have babies to wait till they're in a more stable life situation, till they're more financially secure. Maybe they haven't found the right partner.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

Then more from Jesse Waters right here saying, yeah, it's the liberal women. They get college degrees. They move into Manhattan and they can't get a job, so then they can't afford rent. That's the problem.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Here, play this clip.

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

And the rest is stolen. Now it's not just foreigners voting commie. These liberal women, you know, they get the college degrees in like sociology. They move into Manhattan and they can't get a job. Shocking. So they can't afford rent. So a bunch of single women with no jobs and degrees have to Shack up in the same apartment in the Bronx and they've been taught in school America's evil. So they get angry and they vote communist to get revenge. They call these women downwardly mobile and they're going to take the whole city down with them. But we're not going to let them do it.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

Then you have Greg Gutfeld say Trump is literally Uncle Sam though he's our savior. I mean isn't this state regime, media some of the weirdest crap you've ever. And dangerous and like racist and hateful.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Here, play this clip.

[GSK / Shingles Awareness Spokesperson]

People are not.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I kind of almost agree with you in the sense that I don't think Trump can help himself being Uncle Sam. He literally is Uncle Sam and he can't help it because he loves his country. Paul, we've talked about this.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

Then you have Jesse Waters saying

[Ryan Reynolds]

New

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

York's been dipping its toes into communism. Think about it. You've got half the city on Medicaid, 20% of the city's on food stamps. One out of every three renters lives in a rent stabilized apartment. As Zaid Jalani says, okay, this stuff also not communism unless every boomer is a communist because they all get Social Security and Medicare and no, they aren't just getting what they paid into. Those programs are redistribution of wealth also.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Here, play this clip.

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

New York's actually been dipping its toes into communism for a while. Nearly half the City's on Medicaid, 20% of the city on food stamps. One out of every three renters lives in a rent stabilized apartment. Like the rent hasn't gone up in 30 years. 5% of New York City lives in the projects. New York City has a bigger budget than the whole state of Florida and we're still in debt. No wonder everything's free and the rest is stolen.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

And then Jesse Waters says and the Democrats, they're the ones destroying the reflecting pool.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Here, play this clip.

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

Dakota, I don't know why anybody can't get down with this. So while that's going on there, the Democrats are ripping up the reflecting pool. Now a couple days ago a lot of people at this table pooh poohed the idea that you guys would vandalize the pool. But now we have hard evidence reported by the New York Times and the park police. Cuz I've looked at all the reports. There was a guy with a pitchfork there the other day. They caught him at midnight doing something dirty. Another guy, 171 foot Razor slashes at the bottom. Someone even got caught pulling up while he videotaped himself ripping up the bottom. That was the canoeist. So, Jessica, I don't know if you can just leave the pool alone. We'll take care of the fair. And I believe the 5 is go.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

And more just hateful rhetoric from Jesse Watters here. You know, I guess attacking people who he says shows up on the Midas Touch Network. New York City, half of the city is on Medicaid. They're on food stamps.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Here, play this clip.

[Political Commentator]

Okay.

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

You don't freeze rent now. No one can afford to keep these places going. And I just found out New York City, half of the city is on Medicaid. 20% of the city is on food stamps. 5% of the city lives in the projects. 70% of the city's not white. 40% of the city wasn't even born in America. We are going down a dangerous road already. And the.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

And he goes on and attacks the Haitian community right here.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

I'll show you what he says. Let's play this clip.

[Fox News / Fox One Host]

And these Haitians, come on. This is an island that is poor. It's uneducated. It is riddled with violence and disease. Not only that, a lot of them believe in voodoo. A lot of them practice polygamy. They don't speak English. They don't assimilate very well. And so God bless them. I mean, they got to get their country together, but not. They're not right type of people now.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

And that's what was going on in state regime media.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Right.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

Well, it's an honor to have those incredible Democratic candidates who are now going to be future members of Congress show up here on the Midas Tips Network. And the reality for me is, you know, I don't. I'm not a label person. I'm a fight for the people person.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

Okay?

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

I'm a listen to what the people say person. I'm a listen to what people are saying. And they're psychologically tortured right now, living paycheck to paycheck, if they're lucky enough to get a paycheck. They are tortured by this Trump regime, by ICE and border Patrol Gestapo, by having their health care ripped away. They can't afford gas.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

They can't afford groceries.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

They can't afford rent. They certainly can't afford to buy a home right now. Struggling. The struggle is real out there right now. I don't think they're gonna buy. You know, this is all the divisive stuff, trying to just get people divided. I don't think people are gonna fall for it. I hope they don't fall for it. I hope they don't fall for it. Shouldn't be a label thing.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

It's these.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

It's the state regime media. Therefore, they're oligarch class. They're just trying to screw us.

[Midas Touch Network Producer/Assistant]

All right, hit subscribe.

[Host of Midas Touch Network]

Let's get to 7 million. Thanks for watching. Let's try to get to 7 million subscribers. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our [e-mail] youm'll get Daily Rec Ron Filipkowski ad free episodes of our podcast and more exclusive content only [e-mail].