Summary: The MeidasTouch Podcast – "Fox News Crashes on Air as Trump’s Term Collapses"
Date: November 6, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett & Jordy Meiselas
Theme: An irreverent, incisive look at Fox News’s on-air unraveling in the wake of major Democratic victories and the floundering of Trump’s presidential term. The brothers dissect both Fox News’s coping mechanisms and the increasingly desperate MAGA narrative, mixing sharp critique, fact-checking, and their characteristic humor.
Main Theme
The episode zeroes in on Fox News’s escalating on-air meltdown as its pro-Trump narrative crumbles amidst a “blue tsunami” of Democratic wins and widespread dissatisfaction with Trump’s economic policies. The Meiselas brothers unpack the Fox News talking points, highlight the network’s contradictions and coping mechanisms, and spotlight memorable Fox personalities grasping at explanations for Republican failures.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Fox News's Public Meltdown on Live TV
[00:13–05:21]
- Hosts ridicule Fox commentators (Kayleigh McEnany & others) for rooting against New York City simply to spite liberals.
- Critique of MAGA personalities allegedly wishing for economic and social collapse to "own the libs."
- “They're actually rooting for the destruction of New York City so they can, what, own the libs?... These people are pathetic.” (Political Commentator, 00:25)
- The absurdity of celebrating potential failure in one's own city purely for partisan gain.
Notable Quote:
"They're actually rooting for the destruction of New York City so they can, what, own the libs? ... These people are pathetic."
— Political Commentator (00:25)
2. Fox News’s Increasingly Desperate Economic Spin
[01:14–03:14]
- Fox promotes the odd claim that Trump’s tariffs have made life more affordable, counter to reality.
- Laura Ingraham: “President Trump is focused on affordability ... that's why he's trying to use tariffs...” (Fox News Host, 01:45)
- The brothers and their guests shoot down this narrative, pointing to economic history and Nobel Laureates’ consensus that Trump’s trade policies are disastrous.
- “It's the most disastrous economic policy ever ... it's why inflation is surging right now.” (Political Commentator, 02:09)
Notable Quote:
“It’s the most disastrous economic policy ever. ... it is causing economic calamity.”
— Political Commentator (02:09)
3. Shifting Blame: The Never-Ending ‘Biden’s Fault’
[03:14–04:37]
- Fox anchors maintain that any failures under Trump are due to “managing the detritus left by Biden.”
- Satirical riff on Fox’s refusal to credit Democrats for recovery and their ever-present fallback that “Trump would have done a great job, but it’s Biden’s fault.”
- Parody of over-the-top talking points: “Did ChatGPT write that propaganda for you?”
Notable Quote:
“We're 10 months into the Trump presidency and ... it's still Biden's fault. They're going to still be using this, what, in 2035—Trump would have done a great job, but it was Biden's fault.”
— Political Commentator (03:34)
4. Red Baiting & Exaggeration: Bread Lines in New York
[04:37–06:14]
- MAGA Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis claims New Yorkers will soon have rationed bread due to “socialism,” with references to her mother’s experience in Cuba and the threat of "government run supermarkets".
- Exaggerations about “abolishing private property” and “legalizing prostitution” as economic policy.
Notable Quote:
“New Yorkers are going to learn the hard way what socialism is. It’s communism light ... he's going to tell people how many loaves of bread we can have in New York City. It is ludicrous.”
— Nicole Malliotakis (05:21)
5. Conservative Identity Crisis & Personality Shifts
[06:14–07:47]
- Ben mocks GOP figures like J.D. Vance and Vivek Ramaswamy for inconsistent personas and shifting stances.
- Ramaswamy parrots affordability rhetoric, saying the GOP has the “right solutions” if only they communicate them.
- Satire of Fox’s attempts to claim both economic victory and victimhood.
Notable Quote:
“We’re the party that has the right solutions. We just need to talk about that more vocally.”
— Vivek Ramaswamy (Republican Strategist, 07:21)
6. Trump’s “Dangerous” Statements: The Volume Gets Turned Up
[07:47–09:07]
- Fox’s Brett Baier interviews Trump, grilling him on Mamdani’s “turn the volume up” slogan.
- Trump labels it “very dangerous,” pivoting quickly to self-interest and suggesting the new NYC leadership should be the ones reaching out.
Memorable Exchange:
“Turn the volume up.” (Casual Conversationalist, 08:14)
“Very dangerous statement for him to make.” (Donald Trump, 08:32)
7. Fantastical Economic Claims: The “Big Beautiful Bill”
[10:50–12:54]
- Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, described satirically as living in a "Barbie’s Malibu Playhouse" mansion, claims 2026 will be “gangbusters” for the economy, likened to Ponzi-scheme promises.
- Details absurd “extract and educate” plan for slow-rolling legislative explanations.
Notable Quote:
“At Treasury, we are going to start an every-other-week cadence. We call it extract and educate.”
— Scott Besant (11:53)
8. Calls to End the Filibuster
[12:54–13:41]
- Laura Ingraham, still spinning, suggests Republicans must “do it first” and end the filibuster before Democrats do, or risk being overrun.
Notable Quote:
“Until one Republican can convince me ... that the Democrats won’t dump the filibuster ... I think they need to seriously consider listening to Trump and doing it first.”
— Laura Ingraham (13:16)
9. GOP In-Fighting and Excuses: Bad Candidates, Not Trump?
[13:41–18:33]
- Trey Gowdy lampoons his own party for infighting, referencing “an apoplectic congresswoman having a psychotic episode in Charleston.”
- Jesse Watters desperately tries to claim Trump “perfectly” fixed inflation and should bring in insurance execs to solve more problems.
- Jessica Tarlov quickly fact-checks: 3% inflation is not a new low, costs remain high, and struggles persist.
- Greg Gutfeld concludes losses come down to "lousy candidates," not Trump, advising the party to "stick to the dance" that got them here: focusing on the economy and immigration.
Notable Excerpt:
“Look, this isn’t a rebuke of Trump. It’s a consequence of an absent Republican party, lousy candidates ... stick to what got you to this dance, which is economy and immigration.”
— Greg Gutfeld (17:48)
Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)
- Owning the Libs at All Costs:
"They're actually rooting for the destruction of New York City so they can, what, own the libs? ... These people are pathetic." (00:25) - Tariffs Spin:
“President Trump is focused on affordability ... that's why he's trying to use tariffs...” (01:45) - Red-Baiting Paranoia:
“New Yorkers are going to learn the hard way what socialism is. … he's going to tell people how many loaves of bread we can have in New York City.” (05:21) - Dangerous Sloganeering:
“A dangerous statement for him to make, actually. ... He has to be a little respectful of Washington because if he's not, he doesn't have a chance of succeeding.” (Donald Trump, 08:32) - Comedy Gold:
“Chef’s kiss. Thanks for watching New Midas merch.” (18:33)
Key Segment Timestamps
- [00:13–01:17] Fox meltdown and rooting against their own city
- [01:45–03:14] Economic spin: tariffs, affordability
- [05:21–06:14] Malliotakis’s hyperbolic “bread lines” remarks
- [07:47–09:07] Trump interviewed by Baier; “dangerous” remarks
- [10:50–12:54] Scott Besant’s “extract and educate” and economic “gangbusters” promise for 2026
- [13:41–15:06] Trey Gowdy’s in-party criticisms and Republican deflections
- [16:07–17:48] Jesse Watters’s false claims on inflation and Tarlov’s fact-check
- [17:48–18:33] Gutfeld's “bad candidates” excuse and wrap-up
Tone & Style
The Meiselas brothers maintain their signature blend of acerbic satire, rapid-fire critique, and brotherly banter to strip the gloss off Fox’s narratives. Segments alternate between biting fact-checks, comedic exaggeration, and pointed analysis of the right’s increasingly untenable talking points.
A must-listen if you want a front-row seat to Fox News’s public unraveling and the wild contortions necessary to defend a collapsing Trump agenda.