MeidasTouch Podcast – December 5, 2025

Host: Ben Meiselas (solo episode)
Theme: Latest developments in Trump regime corruption, accountability, economic distress, war crimes, and the ongoing fight to defend democracy.

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Ben Meiselas unpacks a turbulent week under the Trump regime, covering a flurry of alarming headlines: the blocking of a politically motivated indictment against NY Attorney General Letitia James, new evidence and testimonies about U.S. war crimes off Venezuela, economic turmoil, MAGA infighting, unprecedented presidential pardons, a farcical peace deal in Africa, “Signal Gate” and classified information mishandling, and more. He intertwines these threads with his signature urgency and pro-democracy passion, weaving in biting critique and memorable moments of both outrage and comic relief.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Letitia James Indictment Rejected & MAGA Retaliation

[02:00 – 06:00]

• A Trump-aligned prosecutor in Virginia attempts to indict NY A.G. Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud; grand jury refuses.
• Ongoing pattern of “vindictiveness” from the Trump regime.
• Context: The original case had already been dismissed due to improper prosecutor appointment.
• Ben’s take: Shows desperation and a pattern of abusing power for political revenge.

2. Venezuela War Crimes & Congressional Testimony

[06:00 – 14:20]

• New details: Admiral Mitch Bradley met with Congress to discuss September 2 strikes on defenseless survivors off Venezuela’s coast.
• Survivors were massacred while stranded—“utterly despicable war crime under the red, white and blue.”
• Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) describes the video as “dastardly, despicable, the murder of these defenseless individuals” [09:30] and calls for public transparency.
• Ben highlights “the entire operation is a war crime in my view.”
• Admiral Halsey, previously over Southern Command, reportedly refused unlawful orders and resigned in protest.
• Calls out shame on chain of command, including Trump and SEAL Team 6.

3. Economic Turmoil & GOP Infighting

[11:20 – 14:23]

• Jobless claims up 54% YoY (1.1 million job losses), highest since the Great Recession and COVID.
• Small businesses hit hardest; MAGA Speaker “MAGA Mike” dismisses concerns, sparking intra-GOP tensions (Stefanik, Mace criticize party, hint at leaving).
• Fox interviews with Trump economic advisor Kevin Hassett:
  • Dismisses data, claims wage growth exceeds inflation (contradicted by facts) [13:30]
  • Downplays 54% job cuts: “There’s hires and there’s fires... flow of jobs in and out is a little bit higher.” [13:45]
• Ben: “As we see Donald Trump physically and mentally deteriorate before our eyes, they’re gonna keep on making him feel big and powerful.” [14:23]

4. Trump’s ‘Peace’ Branding and Foreign Relations Chaos

[14:23 – 23:00]

• State Dept. renames the U.S. Institute of Peace the “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace” amid actual military escalation and war crimes.
• Supreme Court shadow docket allows Trump’s replacement of USIP board and subsequent rebranding.
• Greg Foote, ex-USIP counsel: “Renaming... adds insult to injury. A federal judge has already ruled the government’s armed takeover was illegal.”
• Fake peace deals: Trump stages a Congo/Rwanda “peace summit” amid ongoing violence. Reporter questions the legitimacy while casualties mount.
• Trump's dismissive response: “Eh, maybe a few months, the leaders will sort this out.” [12:30]

5. Signal Gate – Handling of War Plans & Declassification Claims

[26:49 – 37:05]

• Pete Hegseth, Sec. of Defense, sent war plans for Yemen operations via Signal, a private messaging app, on his personal phone.
• Inspector General's report: Breach of protocol, jeopardized security; Hegseth claims “original declassification authority.”
• Hegseth refuses IG interview or phone handover; incident only discovered because of an accidental invite of an Atlantic reporter.
• Ben: “How many other chats like this were taking place? ...Who knows what the hell just got in the hands of our enemies?”
• Noted: Hegseth even removed classified info from a SCIF to transmit via Signal—raises major national security risks.

6. Corruption & Pardons Frenzy

[37:05 – 45:59]

• Trump has pardoned over 1,500 criminals in under a year (vs. upper limit of ~250 in previous presidencies).
• Focus on notorious cases:
  • David Gentile: $1.6B fraud, 10,000 retail investors harmed – sentence commuted.
  • Juan Orlando Hernandez, ex-Honduran president/Narco – “Get that cocaine up the gringo’s nose.”
  • Tim Leiweke, entertainment exec, prosecuted by Trump’s own DOJ, now pardoned.
  • Binance exec, major crypto crimes.
• Ben: “Trump says all Somalis are frauds, while pardoning actual fraudsters and traffickers. That’s the language of Hitler... Genocidal, vile racists.”
• MEMORABLE QUOTE: “While the American people suffer, Trump’s out there helping the drug traffickers, the sex traffickers, the fraudsters.” [41:10]

7. Media Absurdities, Fake Victories, and Authoritarian Drift

[51:26 – 57:08]

• Trump “announces” a Congo/Rwanda peace deal; African reporter presses him on actual results. Trump: “I think you’re going to see things happen... I have confidence that’s what’s going to happen.” [53:06]
• Acosta on Trump: “More like the Institute of Z, because he just falls asleep.” [54:14] Trump appears disengaged or dozing off.
• Secretary Duffy (Transportation) rails against modern vehicles, calls for the return of 1970s station wagons and wood paneling.

8. MAGA Distractions & Congressional Farce

[63:45 – 67:52]

• Republicans hold hearings on “shower head pressure,” blaming Biden for Americans’ “bad showers.”
  • Rep. Fry: “Nothing like a shower act in December...Let it flow, let it flow.” [65:00]
  • AOC rebuts with calm technical logic, warns deregulation will raise water bills and worsen drought conditions.
  • Ben likens GOP approach to “Billy Madison” and its childishness.

9. Corporate Cronyism & Global Weakness

[68:17 – 71:00]

• Gavin Newsom calls out “crony capitalism” at the NYT Dealbook Summit: “Yeah, it breaks my heart. That’s a version of crony capitalism... But beyond fiduciary responsibility, that’s where I have a real problem.”
• Trump rolls back China sanctions to appease Xi Jinping in exchange for rare earths/soybean deals, prohibits Taiwan’s president from landing in U.S. airspace.
• Ben: “At his core, emptiness. He is a weak loser.”
• Rubio, early Trump backer: “America should no longer be the leader...” Demonstrates new “multipolar” world disorder.

10. Authoritarian Tactics & MAGA Evasions

[71:00 – 77:44]

• GOP struggles to justify Trump’s pardoning of Hernandez. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS): “Yeah, you know, I don’t know the details of that particular pardon...I just can’t really speak to it.” [71:52]
• Ben: “Banality of evil... they could go along with these atrocities and... just say, ‘I don’t know, I’m just getting familiar with the issue.’”
• Drawing grim parallels to Putin’s “denazification” pretext in Ukraine, Ben argues Trump uses “drug trafficking” as the catch-all excuse for extreme measures, even attempted power grabs over Canada.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rep. Jim Himes [09:30]: “It was exceedingly hard to watch... These individuals were removed from the fight. They posed zero threat to anyone—and we killed them.”
• Ben [41:10]: “While Donald Trump says, ‘Somalians are garbage people,’ he pardons actual fraudsters, narco-terrorists, and scumbags.”
• Kevin Hassett (Fox, [13:45]): “There’s hires and there’s fires. Net job creation for the year is very positive... But the flow of jobs in and out is a little bit higher.”
• AOC [66:00]: “If you’re having a dribbly shower, is this not a water pressure issue in your home?... Why would we make this affordability problem worse?”
• Gavin Newsom [68:17]: “It breaks my heart a little bit. That’s a version of crony capitalism... that is, by definition, crony capitalism.”
• Ben [76:20]: “In Trump’s authoritarian mind, his view is: He, Putin, and Xi Jinping carve up the world. Carve up the world.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:00] Letitia James indictment recap
• [06:00] Venezuela war crimes and congressional response
• [09:30] Rep. Jim Himes’ war crime description
• [11:20] Economic warning signs & MAGA infighting
• [13:45] Trump economic advisor's Fox interview
• [14:23] Trump namesake “Institute of Peace” & fake deals
• [26:49] Signal Gate and mishandling of classified plans
• [37:05] Pardons scandal, high-profile cases
• [41:10] Trump’s rhetoric on Somalis vs. his real actions
• [51:26] Fake Africa “peace deal” press conference
• [54:14] Acosta: “Institute of Z”
• [65:00] MAGA “Shower Head” hearing / AOC rebuttal
• [68:17] Newsom on cronyism
• [71:52] Senator Marshall’s non-answer on pardoning a narco kingpin
• [76:20] Trump’s “carve up the world” authoritarian vision

Episode Closing

Ben concludes with a rallying cry for “the Midas Mighty,” crediting the show’s pro-democracy community for resisting authoritarian creep. He previews further coverage on Letitia James and urges listeners to subscribe and share.

Overall Tone:

• Direct, urgent, and unapologetically pro-democracy.
• Biting, sometimes darkly comic.
• Unafraid to call out authoritarianism and false equivalence in media or government.
• Strategic use of memorable sound bites, real-time reactions to media clips, and listener engagement.

For listeners who missed this episode:
Ben Meiselas navigates a cathartic exposé on a government in crisis—exposing coverups, corruption, and authoritarian absurdity—while spotlighting how MAGA distractions, pardons, and insularity are hurting both America’s global standing and everyday people. If you want a thorough, sharp, and emotionally charged analysis of today’s American democracy moment, this episode is essential listening.