MeidasTouch Podcast Full Episode Summary
Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
Overview
This episode from the MeidasTouch Podcast is a high-octane, deeply critical look at recent developments involving the Trump regime, with a focus on the Epstein files cover-up, Trump's international aggression, the state of the media, and GOP infighting. The brothers bring their signature mix of lawyerly analysis, editorial sharpness, and biting humor while expressing palpable alarm at the ongoing threats facing democracy.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
The Epstein Files Cover-Up: Chaos, Obstruction, and Trauma
Incomplete Release and Revictimization
- Ben underscores the gravity of the Epstein files situation, highlighting the DOJ's failure to comply with the Epstein Transparency Act and the trauma being inflicted on survivors:
- “These are people who have experienced the unthinkable, who have PTSD, who are being traumatized over and over again by this behavior... this process has been irreversibly tainted. There’s nothing that you can trust that comes out of this.” [04:12]
- Brett expresses disbelief at the ham-fisted cover-up:
- “If they thought that releasing the files in the way that they did by withholding so much... is actually making this whole situation look way, way, way worse. It's actually causing people to ask even more questions.” [03:11]
- The hosts detail how redactions often protected alleged perpetrators, not victims, and that crucial materials known to be in DOJ possession were simply not released at all.
Trump, Clinton, and Sociopathic Gaslighting
- Ben reacts to Trump’s planted press conference answer about Bill Clinton:
- Trump: “I like Bill Clinton. I’ve always gotten along with Bill Clinton. I hate to see photos come out of him.” [14:55]
- Ben: “That is deranged behavior. It also speaks to the fact this regime thinks you’re stupid.” [15:26]
- Brett: “Something you did not hear Donald Trump say in that speech was, ‘Yes, let’s just release all the files right now.’” [16:02]
- The hosts underscore that, while Bill Clinton publicly called for all files to be released, the Trump regime stonewalls at every step. Brett comments, “It’s very telling, honestly, when you hear someone like Bill Clinton say, ‘Release everything, I’m not afraid.’ And then you see Donald Trump and he goes, ‘Nope, don’t do it. Please don’t do it.’” [16:02]
Trump’s Deflection, “Own Goals,” and Frustration with Public Resistance
- Trump downplays Epstein questions, saying:
- “...what this whole thing is with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has... I thought that was finished.” [21:19]
- Brett and Jordi emphasize the irony: Trump centered his brand on “exposing” child sex trafficking but is now the one covering it up.
- “Now we’re at a point where... the cover up really is worse than the crime.” [23:45]
- Multiple “own-goals” by the Trump team have only increased public scrutiny and frustration.
Trump’s Global Aggression: Greenland, Venezuela, and Alarming Parallels
Appointing an Envoy to Greenland – A Threat of War
- Ben details Trump’s appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a "special envoy to Greenland," characterizing it as a veiled act of aggression and a provocation toward a NATO ally:
- “Now should be clear that’s a statement of war. It’s a statement of aggression... The media doesn’t want to say what it is. They want to give him cover.” [32:45]
- Trump’s view, as Ben outlines, is bluntly expansionist:
- “China controls Asia... Europe belongs to Russia. The Western Hemisphere, Greenland, Central America, Mexico, South America belongs to the U.S... That’s how Donald Trump, Canada belongs to the U.S. That’s how Trump sees the world.” [36:23]
- Denmark and Greenland’s leaders respond forcefully to U.S. aggression, rejecting any attempt to annex Greenland. [37:45]
Parallels to Authoritarian Tactics
- Brett draws sharp parallels between Trump’s rhetoric/actions and those of dictators like Putin and Orban, warning, “You’re dealing with a madman. He’s got all the power in the world right now... and he clearly is okay with using it for means that... are completely illegal.” [39:21]
- Jordy expresses worry for America’s alliances:
- “It pains me to see this from our ‘leader’... I am worried about what this man is going to do for future generations of this country.” [41:42]
- Ben: “Even if you brought in a pro-democracy administration... every country... is going to say, yeah, that’s great, but we know you are capable of bringing in somebody like Trump.” [43:09]
Backchanneling with Russia; The World Watches
- The brothers raise concerns about Trump family backchanneling with Russian oligarchs in Florida, suggesting quid-pro-quo deals are being hatched “behind the scenes.” [43:09]
- Ben: “You don’t think that Putin knows that one of the ways to endear himself to Donald Trump is to talk about, you know, look, we’ve got our area, Europe’s ours. We’re going to give you Greenland....” [43:09]
The Media Crisis: CBS “Dead”, Bari Weiss’ Takeover, and the Future of News
CBS and 60 Minutes: Capitulation to Trump
- Ben blasts CBS for abruptly canceling a 60 Minutes segment exposing atrocities at El Salvador’s detention center—reportedly pulled for fear of regime criticism:
- “Barry Weiss has turned CBS into the most boring version of state regime... even like a weirder version of Fox... It’s an arm of the Trump regime.” [67:00]
- Brett details how legacy networks are compromising, calling out the broader trend:
- “Once you make moves like this, it really taints everything else that the network does going forward.” [71:57]
The Rise and Necessity of Independent Media
- The brothers repeatedly trumpet the importance of independent outlets like MeidasTouch, which are gaining larger audiences than corporate media in the digital sphere:
- “We are way bigger than they are. But I think we have so much more to go right now, and I think this is the moment where we could really, really, really make independent media the key thing that we need at this time.” [74:52]
Turning Point USA Event: GOP Chaos, Racism, and Grifting
White Supremacist Talking Points and Intra-Party Warfare
- J.D. Vance at the Turning Point event, making overtly racist statements:
- “In the United States of America, you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore.” [54:45]
- Ben: “He grew up, he said he was gay, thought he was a gay guy. He had three different names throughout his life... now he’s anti-gay and he’s like a white supremacist like J.D. Vance.” [55:23]
- The hosts observe increasing white-nationalist language as the apparent direction of the party—Vance “wouldn’t have to rewrite it if he was speaking at a Klan rally.” [56:05]
- Brett notes the GOP is “in a civil war” between ultra-nationalists and old-guard conservatives. [56:05]
Violence-tinged Rhetoric and “Grifter” Admissions
- Nicki Minaj, a guest at the event, targets California’s governor:
- “We don’t have a problem cleaning up the scum if we have to. Please tread lightly.” [61:56]
- Ben: “You’re at an event... and the crowd is clapping for her threats that, in my opinion, can only be perceived as a threat to the life of the governor of California.” [62:00]
- The event is likened to a megachurch grift, with Erica Kirk accidentally calling a student a “grifter,” then correcting to “grit.” [66:20]
The GOP’s Identity Crisis
- Don Jr. at the event:
- “This isn’t the Republican Party anymore, it’s the America First Party. We are not going back.” [60:29]
- Ben frames the Trump movement as a coalition of “evil, bad people who want to hurt and inflict pain so that whatever suffering that they’re going through, others can feel it as well, versus all of us living happy.” [59:19]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |--------|------------|-----------------------------| | 04:12 | Ben | "This process has been irreversibly tainted. There’s nothing that you can trust that comes out of this." | | 14:55 | Donald Trump | “I like Bill Clinton. I’ve always gotten along with Bill Clinton... I hate to see photos come out of him.” | | 21:19 | Donald Trump | “I thought that was finished.” (about Epstein scandal) | | 23:45 | Brett | "Now we’re at a point where... the cover-up really is worse than the crime." | | 32:45 | Ben | "Now should be clear that’s a statement of war. It’s a statement of aggression." (on Greenland envoy) | | 38:46 | Donald Trump | "We need Greenland for national security. We have to have it." | | 41:42 | Jordi | "It pains me to see this from our ‘leader’... I am worried about what this man is going to do for future generations of this country." | | 54:45 | J.D. Vance | “You don’t have to apologize for being white anymore.” | | 56:05 | Brett | “That JD Vance speech... he wouldn’t have to rewrite it if he was speaking at a Klan rally.” | | 59:19 | Ben | "There are just some evil people among us. Evil, bad humans." | | 61:56 | Nicki Minaj | “We don't have a problem cleaning up the scum if we have to. Please tread lightly.” (about Gov. Newsom) | | 66:20 | Erica Kirk | “Caleb has persisted with the same grift... excuse me, gift, grit.” (accidental admission) | | 67:00 | Ben | "Barry Weiss has turned CBS into the most boring version of state regime [media]... it’s an arm of the Trump regime.” | | 74:52 | Brett | “We are way bigger than they are. But I think we have so much more to go... and I think this is the moment where we could really, really, really make independent media the key thing.” |
Important Segment Timestamps
- 00:24 – 04:12: Breaking down the Epstein files cover-up and its impact on survivors.
- 14:39 – 16:02: Trump's planted responses about Clinton and gaslighting the public.
- 21:19 – 25:47: Trump dismisses the Epstein scandal, hosts discuss public outrage and obstruction.
- 32:45 – 41:42: Trump’s Greenland aggression and analysis of his worldview.
- 53:17 – 66:44: Turning Point USA event highlights: racism, violence, and intra-party chaos.
- 67:00 – 74:52: CBS collapse, media criticism, and the ascendancy of independent media.
Tone and Language
The hosts are unsparing in their criticism, blending legalistic precision (Ben), editorial sarcasm (Brett), and energetic populism (Jordy). They employ unfiltered language (“sociopath,” “evil,” “regime,” “gaslighting”) with heavy moral overtones. Banter is used to underline how surreal and dystopian current politics have become, but always with gravity toward the implications for democracy and justice.
Conclusion
This pivotal episode captures a deeply troubled moment for U.S. democracy, with the Meiselas brothers excoriating Trump’s attempts at cover-up, international belligerence, and moral decay, while also ringing the alarm on media complicity and white nationalist resurgence on the right. The MeidasTouch hosts urge vigilance, solidarity, and support for independent media as critical to defending democracy in turbulent times.