The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Fox News Collapses on Air as Trump Crashes and Burns
Date: November 19, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

Overview

This episode dives deep into the latest wave of Fox News coverage as Donald Trump and his allies grapple with a disastrous week: job losses, plummeting approval ratings, the surprising bipartisan passage of the Epstein files vote, and the unraveling of dubious claims about foreign investment. The Meiselas brothers break down Fox’s on-air meltdowns, misinformation, and spin, all while maintaining their signature blend of sharp commentary, fact-checking, and brotherly banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fox News' Panic Mode: Coping with Trump's Bad Week

• House and Senate pass Epstein file vote: Fox News is caught off guard as both chambers unexpectedly approve the release of the Epstein files, with MAGA figures left flat-footed.
• "The Trump economy is an absolute disaster":
  • Rising job losses and historically low approval ratings for Trump.
  • Fox struggles to explain away negative economic data.
• How Fox copes: Clips of Fox anchors and commentators spinning or questioning reality, often contradicting their own narratives.

2. Consumer Confidence and Gaslighting Viewers

[02:21]

• Fox News' cognitive dissonance: One host incredulously questions why consumer confidence is down even though "prices are down," demonstrating a break from reality since prices are not down.
  • Quote (@02:22):
    "Consumer confidence... it's down 10% since Trump took office. You have to ask why people feel that way, even though prices are down, gas is down, oil is down, some food prices are down. Why do they feel that way?" — Fox News Reporter
• The brothers point out the disconnect between Fox’s claims and lived experiences, suggesting viewers are waking up to being gaslit, fueling backlash.

3. Trump, the Epstein Files, & Greg Gutfeld’s Bizarre Spin

[03:11]

• Greg Gutfeld theorizes Trump is angry at losing "leverage" offered by Epstein file secrecy—a wild speculation suggesting Trump wanted dirt for personal gain.
  • Quote (@03:11):
    "Now Trump’s pissed off, I think, because he looks at everything as leverage... At least let me look through it to see if we got any stuff on... Prince Andrew." — Greg Gutfeld
• The Meidas brothers mock the idea, highlighting Fox hosts’ desperation to explain Trump’s reactions.

4. Brooke Rollins Pushes the "Everything is Cheaper" Fiction

[04:40]

• Larry Kudlow and Brooke Rollins insist prices and costs are dropping across the board.
  • Quote (@04:40):
    "Almost everything does cost less." — Brooke Rollins
  • Claims eggs are down "86%," painting a rosy but false economic picture.
• The hosts argue Fox is treating viewers as gullible, and predict this line of propaganda will continue to backfire.

5. Saudi and Qatari 'Investment' Tall Tales

[06:14], [11:49], [13:39]

• Reports that Saudi Arabia is pledging $1 trillion in US 'investment' are debunked—the entire GDP of Saudi Arabia is about $1 trillion, making the claim impossible.
• Parallels drawn with similar false claims about Qatar.
  • Quote (@06:14):
    "The Saudis now say their investment pledge in the United States will be increased to $1 trillion over the next several years." — Fox News Reporter
• The Meiselas brothers explain these so-called investments are thinly veiled Trump Organization deals, not nationwide economic boons.

Memorable Moment:

• Hosts exclaim at the ridiculousness of these claims, laughing at their sheer audacity.

6. Lindsey Graham’s Lawsuit Threats over January 6th Investigations

[07:44]

• Lindsey Graham appears on Fox vowing to sue for "tens of millions of dollars" because his phone records were lawfully subpoenaed in the January 6th investigation.
  • Quote (@07:44):
    "I'm going to sue. I'm gonna sue the hell out of my people. How much are you going to sue them for? Tens of millions of dollars." — Lindsey Graham
• Brothers note this is part of a self-serving legislative ploy, passing laws to financially benefit themselves.

7. Charlotte Protest Coverage and Sensationalism

[09:00]

• Fox sends a reporter to Charlotte as protests break out against "Trump's Gestapo" tactics with ICE and Border Patrol.
• Fox frames protests as "dangerous," but the reality is undermined as a person in a frog costume dances in the background.
  • Quote (@09:00):
    "It's turned into an arguably dangerous situation... people have been going around hanging out of their cars... And yeah, there are children here." — Fox News Reporter
• The brothers highlight the gap between Fox's narrative and the on-the-ground reality, mocking the sensationalism.

8. Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Besant: Fantasy Numbers and Trump for Fed Chair?

[11:49], [13:39], [15:29]

• Treasury Secretary Besant is roasted for repeating Trump's invented numbers: purported $1 trillion (Saudi), $20 trillion (global investment), $550 billion (Japan), $350 billion (Korea), and more—numbers the hosts call nonsensical.
  • Quote (@13:39):
    "The President uses the number 20 trillion in terms of total investments. And I think those commitments are real." — Scott Besant
• Besant floats Trump as an ideal Fed Chair, absurdly praising his "understanding" of monetary policy.
  • Quote (@15:29): "I think President Trump would make a great Fed Chair. He understands monetary policy better than a lot of people on the Fed." — Scott Besant
• Bros mock this, citing Trump’s record of bankruptcies and economic mismanagement.

9. Tariff Dividend Checks and Financial Literacy

[15:45], [16:32]

• Besant claims direct $2,000 "tariff dividend" checks would be saved, not spent, by struggling Americans—a notion the brothers ridicule.
• Announces "Trump accounts" for newborns—every child born in three years will have a government-funded investment account—a promise described as a distraction and economic nonsense.

10. Donald Trump Jr.: "I'm a Very Sane Human Being"

[18:02]

• Trump Jr. appears to assert his own sanity, ironically as evidence to the contrary mounts.
  • Quote (@18:05):
    "In fact, I'm a very sane human being. You've known me for what, 25 years now, Martha? Like, yeah, I think, I think you'd say that." — Donald Trump Jr.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• "Consumer confidence... it's down 10% since Trump took office... Why do [people] feel that way, even though prices are down?"
  — Fox News Reporter [02:22]

• "At least let me look through [the Epstein files] to see if we got any stuff on... Prince Andrew."
  — Greg Gutfeld [03:11]

• "One of the great untold stories is in just 10 months, almost everything does cost less."
  — Brooke Rollins [04:40]

• "The Saudis now say their investment pledge in the United States will be increased to $1 trillion..."
  — Fox News Reporter [06:14]

• "I'm going to sue. I'm gonna sue the hell out of my people... Tens of millions of dollars."
  — Lindsey Graham [07:44]

• "It's turned into an arguably dangerous situation... there are children here." — Fox News Reporter in Charlotte [09:00]

• "The President uses the number 20 trillion in terms of total investments... those commitments are real."
  — Scott Besant [13:39]

• "I think President Trump would make a great Fed Chair. He understands monetary policy better than a lot of people on the Fed." — Scott Besant [15:29]

• "In fact, I'm a very sane human being. You've known me for what, 25 years now, Martha? Like, yeah, I think, I think you'd say that." — Donald Trump Jr. [18:05]

Episode Structure / Important Segments

• 00:00-01:05: Ad reads and promotions (skipped)
• 01:05-02:21: Fox News flails over Epstein file vote and bad economic news
• 02:22-04:24: Consumer confidence gaslighting, Gutfeld’s Epstein file leverage theory
• 04:25-06:38: Propaganda on falling prices, Saudi ‘investment’ myths
• 06:39-07:44: False claims about Qatari investments, Lindsey Graham’s lawsuit threats
• 07:45-09:27: Charlotte protests over Trump-ordered ICE raids, Fox sensationalism
• 11:11-16:32: Trump Treasury Secretary interviewed, $1-$20 trillion investment fantasy, Trump-as-Fed-chair claim, $2,000 checks
• 17:47-18:11: Trump Jr.'s “very sane human being” assertion, closing out

Tone & Style

Throughout, the MeidasTouch brothers are incredulous, witty, at times sarcastic, and unapologetically pro-democracy. They use direct quotes from Fox, mocking and fact-checking in real time. There’s a clear theme that Fox is out of touch with reality, and that this narrative may be unraveling as viewers wise up to the propaganda.

Bottom Line

This episode is a sharp, accessible look at right-wing media denial and magical thinking as Trump’s real-world troubles mount—with Fox’s attempts at spin growing ever more desperate, and resistance to the propaganda mounting among the public.