The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Senator Baldwin Calls Out Trump’s Disastrous Shutdown
Date: October 12, 2025
Host: MeidasTouch Network (Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas)
Guest: Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the escalating consequences of the Donald Trump-initiated government shutdown, particularly focusing on threats to health care access, financial instability for working Americans, and the adverse impact on farmers and small businesses. The Meiselas brothers use a mix of humor, outrage, and detailed policy talk to break down Trump’s erratic messaging around the shutdown, expose Republican legislative maneuvers, and feature a candid, insightful interview with Senator Tammy Baldwin about real-world impacts in Wisconsin.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Erratic Messaging and Blame Shifting (00:00 – 04:17)

• The brothers open with an overview of former President Trump’s contradictory and aggressive language regarding the government shutdown, including threats to federal workers and misleading claims about budgeting.
• Trump and his allies, including “MAGA Mike” Johnson and Senator Thune, are blamed for creating and perpetuating the shutdown to “take away people’s health care.”
• Notable Quote:
  “He’s back to the threatening: ‘We will destroy the lives of federal workers, we will inflict pain, but our budget will be balanced.’”
  — Ben (Host 1), [00:51]
• Trump’s bizarre public statements, including calling the shutdown a “kamikaze attack,” are played and mocked.
• The brothers note the disconnect between Trump’s lavish imagery and the suffering of regular Americans:
  “I mean, the gold everywhere, it looks cheesy, it looks gross. Everything our country should be against, in poor taste as he’s talking about inflicting pain on the American people.”
  — Ben (Host 1), [01:29]

2. The Real-World Impact: Interview with Senator Tammy Baldwin (04:17 – 14:49)

Health Care Crisis in Wisconsin (and Beyond)

• Senator Baldwin describes how the expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits will cause millions—including hundreds of thousands in Wisconsin—to lose health coverage.
• She shares stories from constituents, including Kara, a small business owner running a nonprofit childcare center, whose ability to insure herself and her employees is at risk.
• Notable Quote:
  “These are small businesses, these are farmers. These are the backbones of our communities. And they are disproportionately, by the way, in states and congressional districts that voted for Donald Trump.”
  — Sen. Baldwin, [04:52]
• Premiums are set to skyrocket for many:
  Example: “A couple earning $82,000 a year, paying $541 a month, will soon be paying $2,180 a month. ... How could someone on $82,000 a year pay over $24,000 a year in healthcare premiums without the subsidy?”
  — Brett (Host 2), [04:03]

Critique of GOP Legislation and Priorities

• The “big ugly bill” (Republican tax and spending plan) is targeted for slashing Medicaid by almost a trillion dollars and for not extending the ACA premium tax credits.
• Instead of helping working-class Americans, the bill is portrayed as disproportionately beneficial to billionaires and profitable corporations.
• Notable Quote:
  “Remember, fundamentally, that was a tax measure, right? They made these cuts to programs that working people rely on in order to pay for nearly $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. Disproportionately helping billionaires like Trump and profitable corporations.”
  — Sen. Baldwin, [09:31]
• Senator Baldwin highlights the irony of Trump acknowledging rising costs during his first campaign, but then governing in a way that raises prices and restricts health coverage.

Urgency Around Universal Health Care Debate

• The hosts and Baldwin agree the system has problems, but the focus should be on preventing further harm rather than worsening dysfunction.
• The expiration of the tax credits is positioned as an emergency on top of a long-standing debate about how to improve or move toward universal health care.
• Notable Quote:
  “As long as we have Obamacare, we need these subsidies. Let’s keep the prices as low as possible so people can afford their health care and not go medically bankrupt.”
  — Ben (Host 1), [11:24]

Farmers and the Economic Toll in Wisconsin

• Baldwin details how tariffs and visa issues under Trump’s administration have hurt Wisconsin’s agricultural sector, especially dairy farmers.
• Cross-border tariffs have raised costs for supplies (e.g., fertilizer from Canada), and a significant share of farmers rely on ACA plans.
• Notable Quote:
  “A quarter of all farmers use the Affordable Care Act for their health care coverage. ... Our farmers don’t want bailouts. They want a level playing field and a fair shot at getting ahead.”
  — Sen. Baldwin, [13:03]

3. Baldwin’s Broader Concerns About Trump’s Leadership (14:13 – 14:49)

• Senator Baldwin expresses widespread concerns about the Trump administration’s lack of accountability, lawlessness, and potentially unconstitutional behavior.
• She urges vigilance and attention to the erosion of norms and public trust.
• Notable Quote:
  “There’s a lot of concerns about the lack of accountability of this administration and the lawlessness that we are seeing. ... That lawless, sometimes unconstitutional behavior is of deep concern to so many that I represent and hear from in the state of Wisconsin.”
  — Sen. Baldwin, [14:13]

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “We will destroy the lives of federal workers, we will inflict pain, but our budget will be balanced.”
  — Ben (Host 1), [00:51]
• “These are small businesses, these are farmers. These are the backbones of our communities.”
  — Sen. Baldwin, [04:52]
• “A couple earning $82,000 a year, paying $541 a month, will soon be paying $2,180 a month. ... How could someone on $82,000 a year pay over $24,000 a year in healthcare premiums without the subsidy?”
  — Brett (Host 2), [04:03]
• “They made these cuts to programs that working people rely on in order to pay for nearly $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. Disproportionately helping billionaires like Trump and profitable corporations.”
  — Sen. Baldwin, [09:31]
• “Our farmers don’t want bailouts. They want a level playing field and a fair shot at getting ahead.”
  — Sen. Baldwin, [13:03]
• “There’s a lot of concerns about the lack of accountability of this administration and the lawlessness that we are seeing.”
  — Sen. Baldwin, [14:13]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – Hosts break down Trump’s shutdown rhetoric and blame shifting
• 02:10 – Trump’s position on federal workers’ back pay, “kamikaze attack” comments
• 04:17 – Senator Baldwin interview begins
• 05:00 – 08:15 – ACA premium credits, impact on small businesses and farmers
• 09:28 – Tax bill critiques and GOP priorities dissected
• 12:22 – Farmers' struggles and Trump’s failed promises
• 14:13 – Baldwin on lack of accountability and lawlessness in the administration

Tone and Takeaways

The episode balances pointed critique, urgent policy discussion, and the brothers' signature banter. Senator Baldwin provides sobering commentary and firsthand reports from Wisconsin, while the Meiselas brothers amplify the stakes and the absurdity of Trump and the GOP’s approach.

For listeners seeking a grasp of the shutdown’s real impact—from unaffordable health care to struggling farmers—this episode offers sharp analysis, personal stories, and clear calls to action straight from the heart of American communities.