MAGA Mike Gets Bad News as Bill Blows Up on Live TV

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: "MAGA Mike Gets Bad News as Bill Blows Up on Live TV"

Release Date: May 26, 2025

---

1. Introduction to the Budget Bill and MAGA Republicans’ Opposition

In this episode, the Meiselas brothers delve into the contentious debate surrounding the latest budget bill, highlighting the stark opposition from MAGA Republicans. Ben Miceli sets the stage by critiquing Speaker of the House, MAGA Mike Johnson, for his poor performances on Sunday news shows and his inconsistent stance on the budget bill.

Key Points:

• MAGA Mike Johnson's Struggles: Ben criticizes Johnson's stumbling and mumbling during media appearances, where he attempted to attack the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
• Contradictory Policies: Johnson is accused of undermining his constituents in Louisiana by targeting Medicaid, which supports many vulnerable individuals in his district.
• Republican Senate Stance: The budget bill faces strong resistance from MAGA Republicans in the Senate, who label it as a disaster.

Notable Quote:

Ben Miceli (00:30): "MAGA Mike was mumbling and stumbling when he was asked questions on the Sunday shows... he's attacking his own constituents in Louisiana."

---

2. Senator Rand Paul's Criticism of the Budget Bill

Senator Rand Paul emerges as a vocal critic of the budget bill, accusing it of exacerbating the national deficit and portraying it as un-conservative.

Key Points:

• Deficit Concerns: Paul emphasizes that the bill would add approximately $4 trillion to the deficit, with an annual shortfall of $2 trillion over the next two years.
• Debt Ceiling Issues: He criticizes the inclusion of the debt ceiling increase within the bill, arguing it undermines fiscal responsibility.
• Call for Accountability: Paul urges Republicans to stand against the bill unless significant changes are made.

Notable Quote:

Rand Paul (05:51): "Increasing the debt ceiling 4 to 5 trillion dollars... that's just not conservative. There has to be someone left in Washington who thinks debt is wrong."

---

3. Senator Ron Johnson's Opposition and Concerns

Senator Ron Johnson echoes Paul’s sentiments, labeling the budget bill as immoral and financially reckless.

Key Points:

• Financial Irresponsibility: Johnson argues that the bill will bankrupt America by significantly increasing the debt.
• Government Spending: He highlights the unprecedented rise in government spending since 2019, emphasizing the need to revert to pre-pandemic levels.
• Commitment to Fiscal Prudence: Johnson reaffirms his long-standing commitment to preventing the mortgaging of future generations' financial stability.

Notable Quote:

Ron Johnson (03:56): "President Trump has suggested that the debt is not really top of mind... I guess I'm going to be that guy."

---

4. MAGA Mike Johnson's Defense of the Budget Bill and Economic Policies

Facing criticism, MAGA Mike Johnson defends the budget bill by touting its potential economic benefits and downplaying concerns raised by financial institutions like Goldman Sachs.

Key Points:

• Economic Growth Claims: Johnson asserts that the budget bill will act as "jet fuel" for the U.S. economy, fostering growth and job creation.
• Trade Policies: He highlights President Trump's efforts in renegotiating trade agreements with over 75 countries, aiming to benefit American consumers and businesses.
• Tariff Impact: Johnson contends that the negative impacts of tariffs are diminishing, contrary to Goldman Sachs' predictions.

Notable Quote:

MAGA Mike Johnson (07:06): "This legislation will pass and get the economy going again. People will see it in their pocketbooks and their opportunity."

---

5. Accusations against MAGA Mike Johnson's Handling of Medicaid and SNAP in Louisiana

Johnson's policies on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Louisiana come under fire for potentially harming his own constituents.

Key Points:

• Fraud Reduction Measures: Johnson claims the budget bill aims to reduce fraud in Medicaid and SNAP by introducing a state-sharing component.
• Impact on Constituents: Critics argue that these measures threaten vital support systems for millions in Louisiana, a state heavily reliant on these programs.
• Personal Accountability: Johnson maintains that many beneficiaries of these programs are fraudsters, a stance that has sparked outrage among his constituents.

Notable Quote:

MAGA Mike Johnson (09:13): "Louisiana is like the second largest recipient of food stamps in the country... we're not cutting SNAP. We're reducing fraud."

---

6. Responses from Democratic Congress Members Jim Himes and Jasmine Crockett

Democratic representatives Jim Himes and Jasmine Crockett provide a scathing rebuttal to the budget bill, emphasizing its failures and detrimental effects on American families.

Key Points:

• Tax Relief and Deficit Control: Himes criticizes the bill for failing to provide tax relief to the middle class and for significantly increasing the national deficit.
• Cuts to Essential Programs: He points out that the bill proposes cutting Medicaid and SNAP benefits while preserving tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
• MoraIty and Economic Stability: Crockett labels the bill as "cruel" and argues that it prioritizes the wealthy over the needs of ordinary Americans, threatening economic stability and national credit ratings.

Notable Quotes:

Jim Himes (14:38): "They're cutting Medicaid and nutritional assistance... adding $3 trillion to the deficit."

Jasmine Crockett (15:54): "If we're going to do all of that, at least have something to show for it... that doesn't work for me and obviously does not work for my constituents."

---

7. Final Remarks and Comparisons to "Don't Look Up"

Ben Miceli concludes the episode by drawing parallels between the current political climate and the movie "Don't Look Up," suggesting that mainstream media and Republican leaders are ignoring imminent crises and disinformation.

Key Points:

• Disinformation Campaigns: Miceli argues that there is a deliberate effort to distract and misinform the public about critical issues, likening it to the movie's portrayal of ignoring an impending asteroid.
• Institutional Failures: He highlights the dismantling of key institutions like FEMA, the National Weather Service, and the FAA under the Trump administration, which exacerbate the country's vulnerability to disasters and systemic issues.
• Economic and Social Risks: Miceli warns of potential economic spirals due to high delinquencies in student loans and auto loans, reminiscent of past financial crises.

Notable Quote:

Ben Miceli (18:50): "We're trying to get ahead... we're trying to explain what's happening with all the disinformation out there. We're the look up network. Look at the asteroid. See what's happening."

---

Conclusion

In this episode, the Meiselas brothers provide a comprehensive analysis of the ongoing budget bill debate, highlighting the internal conflicts within the Republican party and the passionate opposition from Democratic members. Through clips and direct quotes, they showcase the tension between fiscal conservatism and the pragmatic needs of vulnerable populations. Additionally, they caution listeners about broader systemic issues and the pervasive nature of disinformation in today's political landscape.

Listeners are encouraged to stay informed and critically evaluate the narratives presented by mainstream media and political figures, positioning the MeidasTouch Podcast as a critical voice in support of democracy and transparency.

---

Stay Connected: For more in-depth discussions and updates, join the MeidasMighty community by subscribing to the MeidasTouch Podcast and following them on their social media platforms.

Transcript

[Ben Miceli]

This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. Not everyone is careful with your personal information, which might explain why there's a victim of identity theft every five seconds in the US. Fortunately, there's LifeLock. Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a US based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year by visiting lifelock.com podcast terms apply.

[Mike Johnson]

Want to sharpen your aim, save money on ammo and train like the pros off in the comfort of your home. Meet Mantis X, the cutting edge dry fire training system used by the Marine Corps, army and Special Forces to build precision and confidence. 94% of shooters report improved accuracy in just 20 minutes and you could be next. With Mantis X, you train with your own firearm anytime, anywhere without wasting a single round in less than two weeks. The system pays for itself and ammo savings alone. As a proud gun owner, I believe in the second Amendment, but rights come with responsibility. That means refining your accuracy, mastering your skills and staying prepared every time you train. Whether you're a new shooter or an experienced marksman, Mantis X helps you train smarter, shoot better and defend what matters most. Get yours [e-mail] that's mantisx.com yesterday was.

[Ben Miceli]

Catastrophic for speaker of the House Maga Mike Johnson. He had a cataclysmic, awful terrible appearance or appearances when he did the Sunday news shows. But also the MAGA Republicans in the Senate were saying that this budget bill is a disaster and these Republicans in the Senate say said that they were going to block it. So it's going to be interesting to see what MAGA Mike does. Also MAGA Mike was mumbling and stumbling when he was asked question on the Sunday shows. He tried to attack the Congressional Budget Office. But we all showed you here on the Midas Touch Network the literal talking points that he was passing out to other MAGA Republicans earlier in the week. He had to admit that he was just straight up attacking his own constituents in Louisiana. Louisiana has the second most most Americans on food stamps, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and they've got millions of people on Medicaid as well. And there's hundreds of thousands of people on Medicaid in Maga Mike's district who are going to lose their Medicaid. So MAGA Mike had to admit during his appearances that he thinks that the people living in his district mostly we're talking about Republican people cuz it's a safe Republican district Are fraud, are, are fraudsters, are basically all criminals. And that's why they're getting Medicaid and he's going after his own people. Let me break this all down for you, because this was a sight to behold. So you had MAGA Republican Senator Rand Paul saying that somebody's gotta stand up against this atrocious, ridiculous, horrible budget bill. And then he described Donald Trump and MAGA Mike as the emperors with no clothes. Watch this.

[Rand Paul]

Somebody has to stand up and yell, the emperor has no clothes. And everybody's falling in lockstep on this. Pass the big, beautiful bill. Don't question anything. Well, conservatives do need to stand up and have their voice heard. This is a problem we've been facing for decades now. And if we don't stand up on it, I really fear the direction the country is going.

[Ben Miceli]

Then you had MAGA Republican Johnson from Wisconsin, Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, and he says that the budget bill is immoral, it's going to bankrupt America, that he will derail it in the Senate, which is an interesting point. Here, Play this clip.

[Ron Johnson]

President Trump has suggested that the debt is not really top of mind of his concerns. He wants Republicans to fall in line. He wants Republicans to pass the bill. You told cnn, quote, somebody's got to be the dad that says, I know y' all want to go to Disney World, but we can't afford it. I guess I'm going to be that guy. Unquote. So how determined are you to be that guy if it actually means telling President Trump you are going to vote against the bill and you're going to try to get other Republican senators to join you unless there are major, major changes.

[Mike Johnson]

Well, in 2010, I sprang out of the Tea Party movement and as I did parades, I would shout, this is a fight for freedom. We are mortgaging our children's future. It's wrong, it's immoral. It has to stop. I haven't changed. My campaign promise in 2010 and every campaign after that was to stop mortgaging our children's future. It's immoral. It's wrong. It has to stop. And so he may not be worried about that. I am extremely worried about that. That is my primary goal, running for Congress. This is our moment. We have witnessed an unprecedented level of increased spending. 58% since 2019, other than World War II. This is our only chance to reset that to a reasonable pre pandemic level spending. And again, I think you can do it. And the spending that we would eliminate, people wouldn't even notice. But you have to do the work, which takes time.

[Ben Miceli]

Back to Rand Paul, Rand Paul said, I'll tell you how I MAGA Republican Rand Paul from Kentucky. He goes, let me just make it very easy for all of you know how we know this is going to add at least $4 trillion to the deficit. He goes, they're raising the debt ceiling in the budget bill by $4 trillion. He goes, that means what they're preparing for is to at least have $2 trillion in deficits each year for the next two years. Basically. He goes, that's guaranteed. Here, play this clip.

[Rand Paul]

When March, every Republican, virtually every Republican other than me, voted to continue the Biden spending levels which are going to give us a $2.2 trillion deficit. Now if you increase the debt ceiling 4 to 5 trillion dollars, that means they're planning on 2 trillion this year and more than 2 trillion next year. That's just not conservative. So I've told them if they strip out the debt ceiling, I'll consider, even with the imperfections, voting for the rest of the bill. But I can't vote to raise the debt ceiling 5 trillion. There's got to be someone left in Washington who thinks debt is wrong and deficits are wrong and wants to go in the other direction. The idea that we're going to explode deficits and the projections are now looking at over $3 trillion in deficits over the next 10 years, I think is just, you know, not a serious proposal.

[Ben Miceli]

All right, so now the MAGA Mike Johnson disastrous appearance right here. MAGA Mike Johnson is confronted with the fact that Goldman Sachs, you know, they want to call what Goldman Sachs a lefty organization. He goes that Goldman Sachs says that any potential growth that could come from this budget bill will be eliminated by Trump's disastrous tariff policy and by Trump's disastrous economic policy plans to date. Here, play this clip about the greatest.

[MAGA Mike Johnson]

Economy in the history of the world, not just the US because we did it followed a very simple formula. We cut taxes and we cut regulations. You didn't do it in the middle of a steroids. In the first administration there was sequencing. You got tax reform, the Republicans got tax reform through and held off the tariff war. Goldman Sachs says the hit to growth from tariffs will more than offset the boost to growth from the fiscal package. That's Goldman Sachs. Well, well, I know, I respect Goldman Sachs, but I think what they're discounting here is the growth that will be spurred on by this legislation and the fact that the so called tariff war is beginning to subside already. You've got over 75 countries that are negotiating new, more fair trade agreements for the US right now because of the President's insistence that that be done. And it was decades overdue. That is going to benefit every American. It's going to benefit the consumers. You know, they howled when the first tariffs, reciprocal tariffs policy was announced and they said that prices would skyrocket. That simply hasn't happened. Many of those early estimates were far off and that's being proven now. So what I think will happen is the tariffs, you know, contest will subside. This legislation will pass and get the economy going again. And people will feel that they'll see it in their own pocketbooks and their own opportunity. And every American household is going to benefit by these policies. You know, Walmart has already said that it will have to raise prices. It's not theoretical. And the President on Friday was talking about even more tariffs this time on Apple and others.

[Ben Miceli]

And by the way folks, Goldman Sachs, of all of the kind of banks out there, they've been the most kind of bullish and only recently have they really gone bearish. I've been reading their reports. You know, in the morning sometimes I want to read you their reports. Not because I'm like love reading Goldman Sachs reports to you, but it's just important to see, okay, what are like the bankers out there saying. So here MAGA Mike Johnson is confronted with the fact that in his state people depend on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food stamps and that he's gonna destroy his own state. Here, play this clip.

[MAGA Mike Johnson]

We don't want to slash benefits. And again I make this very clear. We are not cutting Medicaid, we are not cutting snap. We're working in the elements of fraud, waste and abuse. SNAP. For example, listen to the statistics. In 20, in 2024, over $11 billion in SNAP payments were erroneous. I mean that's a number that everyone acknowledges is real. It may be much more. Louisiana is like the second largest recipient of food stamps in the country. Sir, let me explain it. Margaret, let me explain it. The states, the states are not properly administering this because they don't have enough skin in the game. So what we've done in the bill is add some just a modest state sharing component so that they'll pay attention to that so that we can reduce fraud. Why? Again, so that it is preserved through for the people that need it the most. This is common sense, Margaret. It's good government and everybody on both sides of the aisle should agree to that.

[Ben Miceli]

We live in an environment that our biology was never designed for EMFs. Artificial light, seed oils, microplastics, endocrine disruptors, chronic stress. Now these modern assaults, they disrupt our cellular signaling, negatively impacting gut health and accelerating aging. Armor Colostrum revives cellular signaling, bolstering our health from within to defend against everyday threats. Colostrum is nature's first whole food with over 400 bioactive nutrients that work at the cellular level to reactivate your body's innate capacity to regenerate and thrive. Are you ready to reclaim your health? Look, I love Armor Colostrum. I know you will too. It has helped me so much. We've worked out a special offer for our audience. Receive 15% off your first order. Go to triarmra.com Midas or enter Midas to get 15% off your first order. That's t R Y A R m r a.com Midas tryarmra.com Midas Next up, you have Magamike Johnson here claiming that he has no knowledge at all about Donald Trump going to that scammy or hosting the scammy Trump Meme Coin dinner where the top 220 holders of Trump's Meme coin got access to Donald Trump, which they said was in Trump's personal time and maga. Mike's like, look, I don't, I don't know anything about it. I've just been too busy here playing this clip.

[Ron Johnson]

President Trump held a closed door event Thursday night for top investors in his private cryptocurrency. We do not know who was there. The list has not been released. We do not know how much of the money came from outside the country. The president has, of course, a huge role to play when it comes to regulation regulating crypto. I really have a difficult time imagining that if this was a Democratic president doing the exact same thing, you wouldn't be outraged.

[MAGA Mike Johnson]

Well, look, I don't know anything about the dinner. I was a little busy this past week, as you know, getting the reconciliation package over the line. And so I'm not going to comment on something I haven't even heard about. I'm not sure who was there or what the purpose was. But I'll say this. President Trump is very active. He's very engaged. He's the greatest dealmaker, one of the greatest dealmakers of all time. He is working on these trade imbalances that we've had and having tremendous success. We've got over 75 countries now renegotiating their trade agreements with America. It's going to make it better for all of us. Everybody in the country. And he is encouraging new technologies, crypto and the advancement of AI. He's, he's appointed a czar. For the first time we have an AI czar in David Sacks, who's an expert in the industry from Silicon Valley. There's a lot of exciting things happening. The President is trying to encourage that along as much as he can. And I think the vast majority of the country is applauding those efforts. So I'm one of them. I think the result of all this is going to be extraordinary for all everybody in the country.

[Ben Miceli]

As Medi Hassan says, ah, top congressional Republicans are back to, I'm pretending not to know about the huge Trump scandal that everyone is talking about. So I don't comment on it. Deflection strategy that they deployed in the first Trump term and I guess our media will let them use it again. Well, Mehdi, you know, you know and I know we're the captains of the ship now. We're the media now. Your independent media company is the media now. And so we're able to point it out to bigger audiences than corporate news. Here's another clip of maga. Mike Johnson here. Let's play this clip right here.

[Ron Johnson]

So 1.4 million people in your home state of Louisiana are on Medicaid. More than 800,000 receive SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps. And is it your contention that if any of those Louisianans lose their benefits, it's because they shouldn't have been receiving them because they were committing waste, fraud or abuse?

[MAGA Mike Johnson]

Yeah, look, my district is, every district in America has people who are on the program who shouldn't. And when you're talking about, I keep using this example, a young able bodied man with no dependents. There's no reason he should not be working. We are the party about that supports human dignity and we find purpose and dignity in our work. It's good for the individuals involved. It's good for their community.

[Ben Miceli]

And the Democratic Congress members, you know, I think that they were on a roll. They were fighting back pretty hard on the weekend shows. Here's Democratic Congressmember Himes. You've seen him before on the Midas Touch show.

[Jim Himes]

Margaret, I gotta tell you, it was like listening to 1984 or something, listening to the speaker. You know, anybody can look this up. The American people want basically three things out of their federal budget. Number one, at this point in time, when Americans, the wealthiest Americans are doing better than ever before, Americans want the wealthiest of Americans to pay more taxes and to give tax relief to the middle class. And below, number two, they want us to address the deficit, which is now spiraling out of control to the point where we got a downgrade in one of the US Credit ratings. And third, they want a simpler tax code. This bill fails spectacularly on all three counts. They're cutting Medicaid and nutritional assistance, food stamps to tens of millions of Americans in order to preserve tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. They're adding $3 trillion to the deficit with this bill. And lastly, they're gumming up the tax code with, you don't have to pay taxes on tips. Now, what about the folks who don't earn tips? You know, auto lending? I mean, again, on the three things that Americans care most about that they want the Congress to do, this bill fails spectacularly. Look, and that's going to show up in the polling pretty soon as Americans come to realize what it is that the House of Representatives just did.

[Ben Miceli]

Here's Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.

[Jasmine Crockett]

Beyond that, beyond the fact that it's just really a cruel bill, it's this idea that they are going to somehow be fiscally responsible when we know under the first Trump administration, they ran the national deficit up $8 trillion. And with this one bill, they want to raise the debt ceiling an additional $5 trillion. So here is the deal. If we have cut off everything that would help somebody, which doesn't sound like a very Christian thing to do, if we're going to do all of that, at least have something to show for it. They have nothing to show for it except for, for again, those top earners being able to, say, have their next trophy wife or buy their next yacht or get their next plane. That doesn't work for me and that obviously does not work for my constituents.

[Ben Miceli]

Here's Congresswoman Crockett again. Let's play it.

[Jasmine Crockett]

I don't know where he's ever gonna go. And I don't think that those that have gone through West Point expected to have their commander in chief address them and start talking about trophy wise or start talking about how he had so many investigations. What a great reminder that you are not qualified to be the person that potentially will command us as troops to go into war. That is not instilling confidence whatsoever. And honestly, our troops deserve better. Our graduates deserve better. We as a country deserve better. And frankly, if we are going to ever be seen as the world leaders that we hit historically have been, the world deserves better. It is time for Republicans to start calling him out and start questioning his mental acuity and whether or not he is equipped to serve mentally. We know when it comes down to his criminality, he is not qualified to serve. But this is just absolutely deplorable.

[Ben Miceli]

Finally, MAGA Mike Johnson saying that he believes the CBO report is just inaccurate. We can't trust a nonpartisan cbo, even though MAGA Mike Johnson consistently cited it before. But he's like, we can't look at it. Just don't look at the numbers.

[MAGA Mike Johnson]

What's really important here, too, to point out, Shannon, is that some of the estimates, for example, by the cbo, the Congressional Budget Office, are wildly inaccurate. They're assuming an historically low growth rate in the economy. The elements of the big beautiful bill, the reason we're so excited is because it will be jet fuel to the US economy. This is going to foster a pro growth economy again, to get job creators and entrepreneurs and risk takers moving again, expanding their businesses, adding more jobs. Wages will go up. We'll have more manufacturing in the US because of all the policies that we put into this legislation. It's a long time coming. And remember, not theoretical. We did this before in the first Trump administration. We brought in the greatest economy in the history of the world, not just the US after just those first two years because we cut taxes and cut regulations. We're doing it again and on steroids this time.

[Ben Miceli]

Y' all remember the example that I give. It's that movie on Netflix. It's called don't look up. Leonardo DiCaprio is in it with the, with the asteroid that's coming down to hit Earth. They discover the asteroid. All of these experts, and they're warning and they know the asteroid's gonna hit Earth. And they see it coming. They see it coming. They see it coming. And because of all of the disinformation out there and the propaganda networks and the regime in the White House in the movie is very similar, has similarities to the Trump regime and they want to like, distract people. And so anyway, there's a whole campaign of don't look up, just don't see the asteroid that's about to hit and destroy the Earth. And to me, that's kind of like the moment that we're in now with the maga, Republican Congress members and regime media, which I don't just consider Fox corporate news in general, that wants to cover up for Donald Trump. They're like, don't look at it. Just don't look at it. And we here at the Midas Touch Network, we are the look up network. Look at the asteroid. See what's happening. That's why I keep on talking about fema, fema, FEMA over and how many times did you hear me talk about fema? Because I'm like, the Trump regime gutted fema. We're what, a week away from hurricane season. It's gonna be a bigger than average or there's gonna be more hurricanes this season than normally. That's gonna be a problem where you gut fema, the National Weather Service, Trump's gutted. The National Oceanic Administration, Atmospheric Administration, Donald Trump gutted. They forecast these things. Our weather balloons are not going up anymore. We've gutted critical people, critical groups that study infectious disease. The Trump regime is not letting Americans under the age of 65 if they deem you to be healthy, you can't get Covid vaccines. Starting in the fall, they're gonna block you from getting Covid vaccines. They are spreading disinformation about measles. You know what? They've gutted with the faa. And now our airports are an absolute mess. We have missing air traffic controllers, we have radar that's going down. There are systemic issues. Then the Trump regime, on top of that, they want to go after student loan debt delinquencies and now we're seeing student loan debt delinquencies, the highest ever. Which means that as people who can pay back their student loans, if their credit's getting harmed, then they're not going to be able to participate in paying back other types of loans. That's going to be a shock to the system. Or auto loan delinquencies are at an all time high. And so the question I'm following all of these things because just one of these things, as we saw with the housing crisis in 07 08, can have a spiral effect and we've created so many traps, self inflicted traps, that any one of these is an issue. So it's why we're talking to you about it. We're trying to get ahead. We're trying to explain what's happening with all the disinformation out there. Anyway, thanks for watching. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 5 million subscribers. Thank you. Love this video. Continue the conversation by following us on Instagram. It's touch and help US blow past 1 million followers.