The MeidasTouch Podcast — “Senator Gallego on Trump’s Mental Decline During Shutdown”
Date: October 7, 2025
Host: MeidasTouch Network (Ben, Brett & Jordy Meiselas)
Guest: Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
Episode Overview
In this episode, the Meiselas brothers sit down with Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego to dissect the ongoing government shutdown, alleging that House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson are keeping the government closed to "protect pedophiles" tied to the Epstein scandal—including potentially Donald Trump. The conversation covers the real-world impact of the shutdown, the mental decline of former President Trump, the fecklessness of current GOP leaders, and Trump’s derogatory comments toward the military. Gallego's firsthand experiences as a veteran add a deeply personal touch to the discussion.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Shutdown: “Protecting Pedophiles” and Political Theater
- Gallego’s Claim (05:53):
- The House GOP, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, is refusing to swear in Arizona’s Adelita Grijalva, thereby obstructing a vote to release the Epstein files—documents allegedly linking powerful men, including Trump, to sexual crimes.
- Quote:
“The fact is Mike Johnson is keeping the government closed to protect some of the most powerful men, not just Donald Trump in the world, from being exposed as pedophiles.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (05:53)
- Gallego emphasizes the cascading effects—flights, government workers’ pay, and especially healthcare, with ACA tax credits in jeopardy for 24 million Americans.
2. The Leadership Vacuum and Trump's Decline
- Trump’s Incoherent Leadership (07:13, 08:09):
- Both Trump and Johnson avoid real negotiation: Trump is "checked out," often golfing, while Johnson dodges the press and refuses to engage Democrats.
- Trump is accused of lying about negotiations, conflating issues (“health care, Hamas health care”—07:13).
- Quote:
“Donald Trump is half the time on the golf course. Mike Johnson’s half the time hiding… This is the worst written, you know, West Wing script I’ve ever seen at this point.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (05:53)
- Mental Fitness Concerns (08:09):
- Gallego bluntly states Trump is out of his depth and being manipulated by his own party:
“Even when Donald Trump is in D.C., he’s not really mentally in D.C.… he’s clearly checked out and needs to be probably put into some type of treatment program for whatever dementia he has.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (08:09)
- Gallego bluntly states Trump is out of his depth and being manipulated by his own party:
3. ACA Political Gamble
- The GOP’s insistence on ACA cuts will disproportionately harm Trump’s base—rural counties face the biggest premium increases (10:50).
- Notable Moment:
“Marjorie Taylor Greene, for fuck’s sakes, is smarter about this… ‘there’s no way I’m going to vote to increase the premiums of my constituents.’ Smart move.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (11:38)
4. Trump’s Military Comments and Gallego’s Veteran Perspective
- Trump’s speech before Navy officers attacked the troops as “too woke” and blamed them for military failures; Gallego finds this “deeply personal” and hypocritical given Trump’s draft dodging (13:26).
- Gallego’s Reflection:
“I had to make some decisions to save myself, save my Marines… When you have people like this guy who glamorizes the idea of war… I don’t want to be part of that military.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (13:26) - Calls Trump “a psychopath” incapable of understanding service or sacrifice, viewing military personnel as “play toys.”
5. The Shutdown as Spectacle, Not Strategy
- The hosts note Trump’s celebratory social media posts during the shutdown—“making it rain” money memes, gold in the White House, odd “sombrero” memes—highlighting Trump’s detachment from the real suffering caused by the shutdown (15:40).
- Gallego sees these as symptoms of both mental decline and weakness, not true confidence:
“What I see is the reactions of a very weak man because he’s all over the place with his answers… He does not know how to get out of this without compromise.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (16:41)
6. The Path Forward
- Possible End to the Shutdown (18:49):
- Gallego is blunt: this could end immediately if the House signs onto ACA tax credits—it’s Republican stubbornness, not legislative gridlock, sustaining the crisis.
- Quote:
“Give my people the tax credits. Give my people their tax credits. It’s their money…”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (19:28)
- Warns House GOP that their razor-thin majority is at risk if they continue imposing “a Trump tax on people's insurance.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Dementia. Donald Trump is half the time on the golf course… This is the worst written, you know, West Wing script I’ve ever seen at this point.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (05:53) - “Even when Donald Trump is in D.C., he’s not really mentally in D.C.… he’s clearly checked out and needs to be probably put into some type of treatment program for whatever dementia he has.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (08:09) - “Marjorie Taylor Greene, for fuck’s sakes, is smarter about this… ‘there’s no way I’m going to vote to increase the premiums of my constituents.’”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (11:38) - “I don’t want to be part of that military. The reason I joined was… to abide by the honor of being a Marine… This guy just doesn’t understand the impact of war… he’s a psychopath…”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (13:26) - “He does not know how to get out of this without compromise… What you’re seeing is actual weakness. He’s scared.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (16:41) - “If I was them, I would understand that the gig is up, get this deal done, and be able to move on to whatever stupid shit they want to do afterward.”
— Senator Ruben Gallego (19:56)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [05:53] — Gallego on House GOP motives for the shutdown and protecting political elites from Epstein investigation exposure.
- [07:13] — Donald Trump’s imagined negotiations and mental confusion.
- [08:09] — Gallego on Trump’s cognitive decline and party manipulation.
- [10:50] — ACA cuts and impact on GOP voters, “marching themselves onto the gallows.”
- [13:26] — Gallego rips Trump’s military comments; personal reflections as a Marine.
- [16:41] — Trump’s behavior during the shutdown as a sign of true weakness.
- [18:49] — What could end the shutdown and Gallego’s message to House Republicans.
Tone and Style
- Unapologetic, direct, and at times caustic—true to the MeidasTouch brothers’ style, and echoed by Gallego’s no-nonsense, at times profane insight.
- Blunt humor and sarcasm mix with urgency, especially about the shutdown’s real impacts and the spectacle of current GOP disarray.
Summary Takeaway
This episode pulls back the curtain on the political drama of the government shutdown, presenting it as a choreographed crisis masking a deeper scandal and leadership void. Senator Gallego’s candor spotlights the stakes for ordinary Americans—especially on healthcare—and skewers both Trump’s mental fitness and the cravenness of House GOP leadership. Far from mere political gamesmanship, the episode paints the shutdown as a dire moment for democracy, with consequences for millions.