The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: MAGA Mike In Terror as Trump Takes Away his Job!!

Date: February 22, 2026
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
Guest: Shoikat Chakrabadi (Democratic Candidate, CA-11)

Episode Overview

This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast dives deep into the current unraveling of MAGA-aligned Republican leadership, focusing on Speaker Mike Johnson (“MAGA Mike”) and his precarious standing as Trump’s grip on the party tightens. The brothers dissect the fallout from Trump’s failed tariffs, the explosive impact of the Epstein files, and the repercussions for both parties as the midterms approach. A major highlight features guest Shoikat Chakrabadi, former AOC campaign manager and current congressional candidate, who discusses the need for sweeping change, addressing both the pitfalls of the Trump era and Democratic timidity. The conversation offers both sharp critique and hopeful vision, blending earnest advocacy with the show’s trademark sibling banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Trump–MAGA Leadership Crisis

• Ben launches into the show criticizing “MAGA Mike Johnson,” calling him “the worst speaker of the House in American history, frankly a Speaker of the House in name only, a Trump sycophant.” ([00:57])
• The hosts assert that both the House and Senate MAGA leadership are “panicking as they see the prospects of them losing their jobs increasing by the day as midterms approach.” ([01:17])

2. Trump’s Tariffs Collapse & Republican Reaction

• Trump’s tariffs, initially imposed using the Trade Act of 1974, section 122, are struck down by the Supreme Court. Trump responds by unlawfully invoking another trade power and imposing severe tariffs, even revoking the $800 de minimis exemption for imports.
• Ben: “Vindictive, horrible, despicable. That sums up Trump and MAGA right now.” ([01:57])
• MAGA Mike tries to spin the situation, claiming tariffs have benefited American trade. Ben rebuffs this, citing the Constitution’s Article 1, Section 8 and accusing Johnson of acting “like the Duma in Russia for Vladimir Putin.” ([02:49])
• Caller reactions (via C-SPAN) reveal even Republican small business owners are celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision to limit the President’s tariff powers:
  • Republican Caller: “I think it’s about time that President Trump was told that he just can’t arbitrarily say that there’s an emergency and I have to be the one to cure it... I’m happy to see that. It was a 6 to 3 decision.” ([04:10])

3. The Epstein Files Scandal and Public Outrage

• The new release of the Epstein files is presented as devastating for Trump and the Republican party.
• Ben describes it as a “pedo protection racket” and says the revelations are “utterly grotesque and horrific.” ([01:34])
• Data shows massive public interest; Data Analyst: “Google searches for Epstein... up like a rocket, up 900%... and... the top name associated... is Donald Trump. The Epstein case is not the story the Trump administration wants... because it is a big political loser.” ([05:27])
• Trump’s handling of the situation is framed as avoidance and cover-up, including a grim update on ICE-related deaths being hidden. ([06:05])

4. Democrats’ Opportunity: Vision Beyond Resistance

• The discussion pivots to what Democrats should offer beyond simply opposing Trumpism.
• Ben: “There is something bigger that potentially can happen, a bigger opportunity for the Democratic Party to be actually fighting for people... Not just stand against Donald Trump... but to stand for something and to really give a vision.” ([07:25])

Shoikat Chakrabadi Interview (CA-11 Congressional Candidate)

1. The Need for Bold, Transformative Politics

• Shoikat: “What people are looking for right now is... Democrats with real fight. But beyond that... We can’t go back to a pre-Trump status quo because that’s what got us Trump... I believe right now we’re in our New Deal moment.” ([08:06])
• He stresses the need for systemic economic change, not just resistance.

2. The ‘Epstein Class’ and Oligarchic Threats

• Saikat connects the Epstein files to a bigger structural problem:
  • Shoikat: “There is this cabal of wealthy elite pedophiles running the world... At the same time you have AI popping up and these tech oligarchs and crypto billionaires gobbling up more and more of the wealth in our society... People do not want this Mad Max dystopian future.” ([08:57])
• Calls for progressives to fight for a new vision rather than accept minor reforms.

3. Channeling Public Fears into Solutions

• Fear of AI, data centers, and tech oligarchy are central among voters on both left and right.
• Shoikat: “People want to hear ideas that are as big as the problems you want to tackle... The regulations most politicians are proposing... are way too small.” ([10:19])
• Urges Democrats to embrace bold, big-picture solutions around AI’s risks and economic inequality.

4. The International Scope of Authoritarian Challenges

• Ben: “Viewing it just as Trump... is small. This is manifest, frankly, internationally with Nigel Farage, with Orban in Hungary, with Melaye in Argentina...” ([11:30])
• The fight, they agree, is global in scale, and so too must be the response.

5. Accountability for the ‘Epstein Class’ and the Rule of Law

• Shoikat: “It is... this class of people who are trying to run everything, trying to take control... there’s the rest of us. People hate this. This is why the Trump administration is trying to avoid everything about the Epstein files right now... It’s going to be the question of our time, do we hold rich and powerful people accountable when they do heinous, heinous crimes, or do we not? If the answer is no... that’s an existential threat to our democracy.” ([12:49])

6. Rethinking Federal Spending, Jobs, and AI Governance

• Ben: Invites listeners to imagine if “the same resources were harnessed to build housing… and rather than seeing mass agents, we saw new houses developing and services being provided to homeless people.” ([15:05])
• Shoikat: “We've basically created a federal jobs program to terrorize people through ICE... But what if we use that instead to actually develop things, build things people want?” ([15:31])
• He calls for public ownership stakes in AI and data infrastructure, not corporate monopolization.

7. Personal Backstory and Motivation

• Shoikat shares his journey from Silicon Valley (early Stripe engineer) to activism:
  • “I grew up middle class in Texas... was able to achieve the American dream... When I came out to San Francisco... I ended up making a lot of money from that. And that was a radicalizing experience... I didn’t work harder than a teacher or a nurse or the janitors cleaning our offices… I just hit the startup lottery.” ([18:12])
• He advocates for higher taxes on the wealthy, rooted in personal experience and fairness.

8. Movement Building and a Call to Action

• Shoikat: “I have never seen an appetite for change like what I’m seeing today. I believe we can have a movement that completely sweeps in and changes the entire course of the Democratic Party and the entire course of this nation... That’s the only way to actually defeat authoritarianism, is if we can prove that democracy can work to improve people’s lives.” ([20:23])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Ben: “You might want to read the Constitution there, MAGA Mike.” ([02:49])
• Republican C-SPAN Caller: “I think it’s about time that President Trump was told that he just can’t arbitrarily say that there’s an emergency and I have to be the one to cure it.” ([04:10])
• Data Analyst: “Google searches for Epstein... up 900% versus a month ago. The top name associated... is Donald Trump.” ([05:27])
• Shoikat Chakrabadi: “We’re at the point where we have to envision a new society, one that puts working people first.” ([08:30])
• Ben: “You’re bringing a butter knife to an F35 fight if you think that petty domestic politics are going to be the solution to these authoritarian goals.” ([12:00])
• Shoikat Chakrabadi: “If we can’t get to a country where 40 honest hours of work a week is able to afford you a life, then our country is doomed.” ([19:15])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:57 — Ben’s opening rant on MAGA Mike Johnson and Trump’s tariffs
• 04:09 — Republican caller reacts to Supreme Court’s anti-tariff ruling
• 05:27 — Data reveals explosive Google interest tying Epstein scandal to Trump
• 08:06 — Shoikat Chakrabadi interview begins; vision for progressive politics
• 10:19 — Discussion on the inadequacy of current AI policy and need for bold ideas
• 12:49 — On the Epstein class, accountability, and democratic crisis
• 15:05 — Rethinking federal resources: imagining a build-focused government
• 18:12 — Shoikat’s Silicon Valley background and “startup lottery”
• 20:23 — Shoikat’s big closing call for a democracy-revitalizing movement

Summary

This episode delivers a sharp and energizing critique of both MAGA Republican leadership and timid Democratic strategies, arguing for the urgency of bold, people-driven change. The brothers trace how Trump’s legal and moral failings — exposed in both the Supreme Court and Epstein files — have created fertile ground for a progressive renaissance, if Democrats can step up with vision. Shoikat Chakrabadi embodies this hope, insisting that only big, transformative movements can answer existential threats to democracy. The tone is a blend of righteous anger, hope, and a touch of comedic banter — vintage MeidasTouch — inviting listeners not just to resist, but to rebuild.