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.
