The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Furious World Leaders Lock Out Trump from Closing Ceremony (Nov 24, 2025)

Main Theme & Overview

This episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast centers on the dramatic exclusion of the United States from the G20 closing ceremony under Donald Trump's leadership. Hosts Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas use their signature blend of news analysis and banter to unpack how Trump's absence sparked global mockery, signaled America's diminished influence, and revealed new dynamics in international cooperation—especially among emerging powers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The G20 Summit: Trump’s Boycott and Global Response

• Background: The G20 closing ceremony, traditionally a time for the outgoing host nation to symbolically pass the leadership gavel to the incoming country, was upended when Trump and the U.S. delegation failed to attend. The U.S. justified its no-show by alleging a “white genocide” in South Africa—a claim summarily dismissed by other world leaders as baseless and inflammatory.
  (02:06 – 05:31)

• Outcome: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa refused to allow any lower-level American official to step in for Trump. Instead, he delivered the gavel address without a U.S. presence, symbolically locking the U.S. out and highlighting global frustration with Trump's approach.

• Visuals: World leaders openly celebrated the U.S.'s absence, perceived as a source of relief allowing more productive multilateral discussions.

  “You saw everybody basically celebrating and mocking Trump and sadly kind of mocking what Trump has turned the United States into.”
  — Ben Meiselas (04:40)

2. International Figures Criticize Trump and U.S. Policy

• Jeffrey Sachs’ Scathing Speech: Sachs, a renowned Columbia economics professor, mocked Trump’s “tantrum” and ridiculed America’s declining credibility, even suggesting CIA sabotage abroad.
  (06:45 – 09:19)

  “Why isn’t Donald Trump coming tomorrow? Because he has a four year old mentality and he’s having a tantrum… The rest of the world says we don’t want a king… He would come here as just one of 20 leaders… He is having a tantrum.”
  — Jeffrey Sachs (07:00) “Today, a major refinery in Venezuela suddenly exploded. That seems a lot like the CIA to me… The United States can hardly go a week at a time without trying to kill somebody. But China actually goes centuries without attacking its neighbors.”
  — Jeffrey Sachs (08:33)

• Sachs on Geopolitics: He described America's persistent interventionism and growing irrelevance in a multipolar world, highlighting shifting power dynamics to BRICS countries.

  “The BRICS… have 46% of the world population, and 41% of world GDP. They can look at the G7 and say, who are you? So this is the new phase of geopolitics.”
  — Jeffrey Sachs (11:39)

3. South African Officials Defend Their Stance

• Explanation of Protocol: Multiple South African officials emphasized the importance of leadership-level participation and rejected the idea of a junior American diplomat replacing Trump at the ceremony.

  “We have indicated that when we're told… ‘We’re not going to participate, we’re not going to be there, nobody’s going to be there,’ we had to make alternative arrangements. The arrangements… is that we have a closing ceremony and we don't have a handover ceremony.”
  — South African government spokesperson (13:21) “We did not deny anyone access… The President of the Republic of South Africa will not be handing over [the gavel] to the charge d’affaires from the U.S.”
  — South African official (14:20)

4. G19: Less Drama, More Cooperation Without U.S.

• Cohesion and Progress: With the U.S. absent, the summit was reportedly more unified, focused on climate change, financial reform, and multilateralism.
  (15:33 – 16:20)
• Swift Consensus: Notably, for the first time, the G20 (now effectively G19) agreed on a declaration at the opening ceremony, expedited by the lack of U.S. disruptions.

  “The message was being sent to Trump and the Trump regime. We don’t need you here. Look how quick we could get things done without you.”
  — Ben Meiselas (18:33)

5. Key World Leaders’ Statements

• President Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa):

  “This G20 leaders summit has a responsibility not to allow the integrity and the credibility of the G20 to be weakened… The adoption of the declaration… sends a message of hope and solidarity across the world.”
  — Ramaphosa (19:08)

• President Lula da Silva (Brazil):
  Lula warned that protectionism, unilateralism, and threats to multilateral fora threaten both the G20 and global stability. He highlighted the ethical and economic crisis of developing world debt and called for climate action.

  “Almost half of the world population lives in countries that spend more on debt service than on health or education… The G20 plays a central role in both [climate and economic reforms].”
  — Lula (23:11)

• Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (Singapore):
  Emphasized reforming the WTO and modernizing the rules-based order to avoid “unraveling” globalization.

  “If every nation goes its own way, the global system will unravel even more quickly… So we do need to reform and update the global system to ensure it addresses the strategic realities of our time.”
  — PM Wong (26:31)

• Prime Minister Carney (Canada):
  Connected climate action to moral and commercial imperatives, calling for stronger global collaboration.

  “We view addressing climate change as a moral duty but also a commercial imperative… Our strategy on reducing emissions is a climate competitiveness strategy because it will make our businesses stronger.”
  — PM Carney (31:33)

6. The Broader Shift: BRICS and Global Power Realignment

• Other countries—particularly BRICS members—are asserting new leadership roles as the U.S. retreats under Trump.
• There’s a marked hunger among world leaders for reliable partners and rules-based cooperation, underscored by repeated attacks on unilateral and imperialist behavior.

7. Reflections on America’s Global Standing

• Comparisons with prior U.S. leadership: Clips of previous handovers and speeches (e.g., Biden at G20 2023) were played to contrast American engagement in the past with current isolation.
  (22:00)
• Call for Reliable Leadership: The hosts and world leaders alike express concern—sometimes with humor, sometimes with solemnity—about the damage done and the urgent need for American democratic renewal on the world stage.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You saw everybody basically celebrating and mocking Trump and sadly kind of mocking what Trump has turned the United States into.”
  — Ben Meiselas (04:40)

• “Why isn’t Donald Trump coming tomorrow? Because he has a four year old mentality and he’s having a tantrum.”
  — Jeffrey Sachs (07:00)

• “The very functioning of the G20 as a forum for dialogue and coordination is under threat. It is necessary to preserve… the capacity of this forum to address the major issues of today.”
  — President Lula da Silva (23:17)

• “So we do need to reform and update the global system to ensure it addresses the strategic realities of our time.”
  — PM Lawrence Wong (26:31)

• “We view addressing climate change as a moral duty but also a commercial imperative.”
  — PM Carney (31:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:06 – Ben covers Trump’s G20 absence, South Africa’s diplomatic stance, and the symbolism of the gavel snub.
• 06:45 – Jeffrey Sachs’ speech mocking Trump and critiquing U.S. foreign policy.
• 13:21-15:33 – South African officials formally explain the rules and reasoning for excluding the U.S. from the handover.
• 18:08-20:42 – Ramaphosa’s opening address and the G19’s quick consensus without U.S. involvement.
• 22:00 – Clips of prior U.S. involvement (Biden, Modi, Lula) for historical contrast.
• 23:11 – Lula’s G20 speech on multilateralism and global debt.
• 26:10 – Singapore PM Wong’s vision for reforming multilateral frameworks.
• 30:23 – Canada’s PM Carney on resilience, climate, and collaboration.

Overall Tone and Final Thoughts

The episode balances sharp humor, exasperation, and a genuine concern for democratic values. The brothers dissect how the U.S.'s self-inflicted diplomatic isolation under Trump is both mocked and regretted worldwide, and they highlight unprecedented unity and progress among the remaining world leaders. Both the content and the speakers’ tone mourn a missed opportunity for American leadership, while also showcasing the adaptability and determination of the global community to move forward, with or without the United States.

For listeners who missed this episode, it offers a front-row seat to international politics at a turning point—and a reminder of why America's role in the world matters, now more than ever.