MeidasTouch Full Podcast — 12/16/25

Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this charged and emotionally resonant episode, the Meiselas brothers confront a tumultuous week marked by tragedy and political chaos. They analyze Donald Trump’s unsettling reactions to major events—including the murder of Rob Reiner, a terrorist attack in Australia, and a school shooting at Brown University—while exposing patterns of gaslighting, disinformation, and psychological manipulation. The brothers critique media responses and discuss broader threats to democracy, interweaving personal reflection, unfiltered banter, and a call for humanity to prevail amid darkness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. National Tragedies and Presidential Failure

• Opening Discussion (02:20–07:00)
  • The tragic murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, the Bondi Beach terror attack in Australia during Hanukkah, a school shooting at Brown University, and U.S. troop deaths in Syria set a somber tone.
  • The brothers highlight Trump’s "deranged" responses—downplaying tragedy, spreading conspiracies, and using divisive rhetoric instead of uniting the country.
• Quote (Ben, 02:09):

  “These are the times where the United States needs a president who is empathetic, compassionate, who recognizes the pain that people are feeling... Not only is Donald Trump not that person, Donald Trump is the person who creates the pain, the fear, the depression, the psychological torture. And that was on full display in the past 48 hours.”

2. Media Gaslighting and Trump's Health Controversy

• Fox News Segment & Response (07:18–19:23)
  • The hosts call out Fox News for attacking Jordy after he questioned Trump’s visible decline and unexplained bandaged hands; Fox alleges it's just heavy “hand-shaking.”
  • The brothers note the gaslighting and media manipulation, emphasizing the need for objective truth over partisan tribalism.
• Quote (Jordy, 12:11):

  “Fox has nothing but contempt for their viewers… Our mission here is to deal in facts and data, truth and receipt, and unlike Fox, we are very grateful for our audience.”

• Memorable Moment (18:43–19:10):
  • Lighthearted banter as Brett jokes about Fox not using Jordy’s “piss in my face” rant:

    “If they wanted to play Jordy on loop saying ‘piss in my face’ without context, I would have understood that… But what they did, they actually… elevated Jordy to a scholar, which you are.”

3. The Rob Reiner Murder and Trump’s Callous Response

• Comparing Reactions (20:46–32:04)
  • Rob Reiner’s humane reaction to the murder of Charlie Kirk is contrasted with Trump’s vindictive, victim-blaming response to Reiner’s own family tragedy.
  • Trump issues a statement blaming “Trump Derangement Syndrome” for Rob and Michelle Reiner’s deaths, framing them as suffering from a “mind-crippling disease.”
• Quote (Trump, reading his post, 29:41):

  “A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood, okay? Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director… passed away together with his wife Michelle, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome… May Rob and Michelle rest in peace.”

• Critical Analysis (Ben, 32:04):

  “Trump is creating a permission structure to kill people who don’t support him… I think he’s speaking to an audience, giving you my opinion, of murderers and killers and MAGA cultists who will kill for him, to basically normalize this behavior…”

4. Gaslighting Around the Brown University Shooting

• Disinformation in Real Time (38:17–46:14)
  • Trump spread false info about the suspect’s custody during the Brown University shooting, then deflected blame onto the school and local authorities.
  • The FBI’s error in identifying the suspect and the subsequent media spin are dissected.
• Quote (Brett, 43:26):

  “When you’re the President of the United States and you are just posting, just shitposting live, tweeting false information and pretending like you are getting classified briefings… that’s just the opposite of leadership.”

5. DOJ, FBI, and Manufactured Distractions

• Announcing Alleged Terror Busts (46:14–51:26)
  • The hosts cast doubt on a timely FBI announcement of a “radical pro-Palestinian group” bust, suggesting it may be a media distraction from the agency's recent missteps and upcoming Epstein file releases.
  • Frustration with the lack of trust in justice institutions under Trump’s regime.

6. Trump's Performative (and Dangerous) Foreign Policy

• Peace Deals, Collusion, and Absurd Antics (54:55–67:53)
  • Trump’s false claims about brokering peace between Thailand and Cambodia, his support for dangerous figures like Syria’s Al Qaeda-linked leader Jelani (Ahmed Al Shara), and bizarre behaviors such as spraying foreign leaders with cologne in the Oval Office.
  • The lack of strategy and the dangers of Trump’s impulsive, performative foreign policy are emphasized.
• Quote (Brett, 67:53):

  “Donald Trump is a psychopath surrounded by sycophants. And that is perhaps the most dangerous combination that you could put together.”

7. Authoritarian Tactics and International Parallels

• Connecting Dots Globally (71:48–81:00)
  • Ben draws links between Trumpism and global authoritarian trends—in Hungary, Europe, and beyond—particularly how strongmen project as protectors but enable corruption and exploitation.
  • US foreign policy is increasingly viewed as hostile by European allies; discussion of UN votes reinforcing international isolation.
• Quote (Ben, 75:56):

  “Europe recognizes America is a hostile force… Just look how America voted at the United Nations over the past week… The United States was the one country to vote against delivering humanitarian aid abroad.”

8. The Affordable Care Act and Healthcare Uncertainty

• Policy amid Chaos (81:00–84:29)
  • The looming expiration of ACA tax credits threatens millions’ healthcare. Ben shares insights from a recent dinner with Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who vows to hold the line on extending coverage.
• Memorable Moment (83:17):
  • Brett and Jordy rib Ben for looking “showered” and presentable in a photo with Jeffries, bringing levity to a personal and urgent political moment.

9. Empathy and Shared Humanity as a North Star

• Closing Thoughts (84:29–87:14)
  • The hosts reaffirm that their mission goes beyond partisan battles, rooting their analysis in shared humanity and empathy—a sharp contrast to the cruelty and divisiveness now endemic in politics.
• Quote (Brett, 86:01):

  “Empathy is a superpower, and it is one of our greatest superpowers… continue to lead with empathy, continue to lead with humanity, and that’s how we are going to continue to grow this community.”

Selected Timestamps

• Trump’s failure as a consoler-in-chief: 02:09–05:21
• Fox attacks Jordy on Trump’s health questions: 07:18–13:29
• Ben’s analysis of gaslighting and leadership: 13:29–17:21
• Rob Reiner’s humane statement on tragedy: 20:46–21:48
• Trump’s callous Oval Office response: 23:23–24:01
• Analysis of Trump’s social media post: 29:41–32:04
• Brown University shooting & disinformation: 38:17–46:14
• DOJ/FBI distraction tactics: 46:14–50:36
• Trump’s bizarre diplomatic antics: 54:55–66:10
• Global perspective on authoritarian tactics: 71:48–81:00
• Healthcare/ACA coverage uncertainty: 81:00–84:29
• Empathy & closing reflections: 84:29–87:14

Notable Quotes

• Ben on Trump’s effect on America:
  (38:17) “You know, the number one thing I hear from people… when you ask them to describe what it feels like to wake up in Trump's America, they'll say, psychological torture… There is an intentionality to the psychological torture that we see in authoritarian regimes historically that is embodied in Trump.”

• Jordy on the state of leadership:
  (37:20) “The only conclusion that I can come to is the person who authored that, who wrote that, is just a disgusting, soulless creature. And in this case, that person… just so happens to be the President of the United States, Donald Trump…”

• Brett, on destructive leadership:
  (70:28) “Donald Trump likes to think of himself as a builder, when the reality is he's a destroyer. Everything the guy touches dies… It’s easy to destroy. It's a lot harder to build.”

Episode Tone and Takeaways

• Tone: Candid, impassioned, sometimes darkly humorous, but always fact-driven and committed to human decency.
• Main Takeaways:
  • Trump’s behavior in crisis reveals a lack of empathy and a penchant for cruelty, division, and misinformation.
  • Right-wing media’s performative defenses and attacks perpetuate gaslighting and tribal disinformation at the expense of truth.
  • The psychological strain on Americans under the current regime is tangible, linked to loss of stability, affordability, and basic human trust.
  • The fight for democracy and decency requires community, global awareness, and unwavering unity grounded in empathy—not partisan labels.

Subscribe: For more brotherly banter, pro-democracy news, and deep dives, join the Meidas Mighty on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.