The MeidasTouch Podcast – September 12, 2025

Hosts: Ben and Jordy Meiselas

Main Theme:

This episode focuses on the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University and its immediate and broader political implications. The brothers analyze the dangerous rhetoric from MAGA Republicans and the Oval Office, an epidemic of violence and mass shootings, failures within the FBI and law enforcement, Trump’s alarming public appearances and questionable health, deepening economic woes, and the pervasive moral rot in political and corporate America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Assassination of Charlie Kirk & MAGA Response

• Immediate Coverage of the Event:
  • Ben and Jordy express condolences to Kirk’s family but refuse to eulogize his divisive legacy. Both stress that “violence is never the answer for political disagreements” ([06:48], Jordy).
  • Angry at how quickly MAGA Republicans and Trump blamed liberals/Democrats for the shooting without any evidence.
• Ben on Responsible Leadership:
  • Compares Trump’s divisive rhetoric to Obama’s unifying tone after the Charleston church shooting:

    “Obama did not speak from the Oval Office and say this is on the hands of Republicans. ... What did he say?... Now is a time of healing. That’s what former President Obama said.” ([08:25], Ben)

• Impact of Rhetoric on National Tensions:
  • Multiple HBCUs and other universities receive bomb/active shooter threats, seen as stoked by MAGA rhetoric.
• Condemnation of Political Violence Across the Board:
  • Both brothers are adamant:

    “In the strongest possible terms, you condemn political violence. We condemn political violence, Jordy, 1,000%.” ([13:43], Ben)

2. Dangerous Rhetoric & Media Failures

• Right-Wing Narrative as Fuel:
  • The brothers criticize MAGA’s tendency to “own the narrative” at all costs, even when facts emerge that contradict their initial claims ([16:17], Jordy).
  • Cite the example of the Butler shooter being a Republican, and similar patterns with other incidents.
• Clip: Nancy Mace Blaming Democrats
  • Shows irresponsible scapegoating by politicians at the highest levels:

    “Democrats own what happened today. ... Just because you speak your mind on an issue doesn’t mean you get shot.” ([22:05], Nancy Mace)

• Media’s Both-Sides-ism:
  • Jordy rebuffs the idea that both sides are equally escalating rhetoric:
    “I’m only seeing the rhetoric coming from one side and it is nasty, vile stuff, and it is coming from the MAGA side.” ([14:30], Jordy)

3. Institutional Failures & Trump’s Staffing Choices

• FBI Failures:
  • Arrest of wrong suspects in the Kirk case; rise in bomb & violence threats.
  • Critique Trump’s pattern of choosing unqualified loyalists for high office (e.g., Thomas Fugate III: “a 22-year-old former Trump intern with no law enforcement background” leading domestic threat assessments, [32:37], Ben).
• Pattern Extends Nationally:
  • Warnings about under-resourcing, purging competent officials, and consequences in disaster response (flash floods in Texas) and health/recovery efforts.

4. Trump’s Health and Public Presence

• Appearance at 9/11 Ceremony:
  • Ben shares concerns about Trump’s drooping face and behavior at the Pentagon. Hints at White House cover-ups regarding Trump’s health—while mainstream media continues to focus on Biden ([03:24], Ben).

5. Worsening Economy and Policy Critique

• Inflation & Unemployment:
  • Headline inflation at 2.9% YoY, core inflation at 3.1%. Jobless claims hit 263,000, highest in nearly four years ([60:11], Ben).
  • Tariffs driving up consumer prices, destruction of profit margins for US businesses, increasing bankruptcies.
  • Ben rips the MAGA framing:

    “If we brought in 17 trillion the way Donald Trump said, and the deficit is 2 trillion, ... our surplus is 15 trillion. ... But the 17 trillion is not showing up on our books. Huh?” ([75:22], Ben)

• Clip: Kamala Harris on Economy

  “Donald Trump’s plan would make the economy worse. Sixteen Nobel laureates have described his economic plan as something that would increase inflation and by the middle of next year would invite a recession.” ([59:31], Kamala Harris)

6. Trump, Epstein, and Moral Rot

• Epstein Files Cover-Up:
  • Ben discusses MAGA attempts to call the Trump signature on Epstein-linked docs a forgery and the broader unwillingness to hold Trump accountable.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Let’s bring in a signature expert, swear them under oath, and let’s have the signature examined. Is it his or is it not?” ([68:33], Rep. Moskowitz)

• Moral Rot in Corporate & Political America:
  • Frustration at Yankees’ photo with Trump amid his anti-immigrant policies:

    “All of those people are probably set for life already, and you’re too cowardly to do anything but stand in that photo and give the thumbs up. Like, y’all are a bunch of real pathetic human beings.” ([43:26], Ben)

  • Condemnation of corporate leaders normalizing Trump-era abuses.
• Rise of Authoritarian Tactics:
  • ICE agents profiled prowling Latino neighborhoods; families living in fear; Supreme Court enables racial profiling.

7. Russia-Poland Crisis

• Trump’s Weak Response to Russian Aggression:
  • Polish territory invaded by Russian drones, invoking Article 4 of NATO.
  • Trump’s flippant response:

    “Could have been a mistake. ... But hopefully it’s going to come to an end.” ([39:50], Trump via Ben)

  • Jordy calls it a sign of extraordinary weakness:

    “Donald Trump makes us look weaker and weaker with every passing day.” ([40:31], Jordy)

8. Media Critique & The Role of Independent Media

• Corporate Media Normalization:
  • The brothers bemoan the normalization and acceptance of Trump’s behavior by corporate media giants.
• Value of the Meidas Mighty and Independent Journalism:
  • Jordy:

    “...We no longer have to be gatekept by CNN, Fox News...We have the Midas Touch Network. ... bringing the facts and data to the table. ... Don’t allow yourself to be gaslit by corporate media.” ([78:10], Jordy)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Violence is never the answer. It’s never going to be the answer for political disagreements because our strengths, they’re in our ideas, not in bloodshed.” ([07:00], Jordy)
• “It is maliciously intending to cause more violence and more division and to provoke attacks.” ([09:45], Ben on Trump’s rhetoric)
• “The narrative is the only thing that matters [to the right], because once facts and data enter the equation, they stop caring.” ([16:24], Jordy)
• “His anti-black, anti-gay, anti-trans rhetoric... the things that he would say after school shootings were downright dastardly and despicable.” ([12:14], Ben on Charlie Kirk)
• “We’ve never had a situation ... where you have masked ICE agents being given the green light by the Supreme Court to racially profile Latinos... and kidnap them.” ([44:25], Ben)
• “How many people you thought were good and decent people ... turned out to be pieces of s---? ... Don’t come running back to me four years from now.” ([77:07], Ben)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|------------| | Episode Overview & Main Topics | 01:27 | | Assassination & Reactions | 06:36–14:06| | Analysis of Right-Wing Rhetoric/Media | 14:06–22:50| | Nancy Mace Clip & Both Sides Discussion | 22:05–23:00| | National Threats (HBCUs, shootings) | 08:25, 23:00–26:24| | FBI/Leadership Failures | 31:40–33:50| | Foreign Events: Russia-Poland/Trump's Weakness| 39:50–43:04| | Trump’s Health & 9/11 Ceremony | 03:24 | | Trump-Yankees Locker Room Photo | 43:04–46:00| | ICE, Supreme Court, Racism | 44:25–54:48| | Economic Data & Tariffs | 54:43–63:00| | Kamala Harris Debate Clip | 59:31 | | MAGA’s $17T Lie & Economic Illiteracy | 75:22–77:00| | Epstein, Moskowitz Clip | 67:04–69:15| | Closing on Moral Rot, Complicity | 77:07–78:10| | Value of Independent Media & Meidas Mighty | 78:10–80:43|

Conclusion: Spirit and Tone

• Fiercely critical of MAGA, unwaveringly supportive of democracy and truth.
• Blunt, unfiltered, and passionate language—full of righteous anger and occasionally dark humor (“F you to the Yankees...Y’all are a bunch of real pathetic human beings.”).
• Urgent calls for solidarity, accountability, and rejecting gaslighting or normalization of power abuses.
• The brothers repeatedly express gratitude to the “Meidas Mighty” for building a community dedicated to facts, transparency, and resistance to authoritarianism.

For listeners who missed the episode:
This installment is a crash course in the current American crisis, seen through the lens of two brothers who blend legal savvy, media acumen, and relentless advocacy for democratic values. Expect sharp analysis, righteous anger at abuses of power, strong condemnation of political violence, and passionate calls for vigilance and civic engagement.