Podcast Summary: The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode Title: Top Military Lawyers Issue Statement on Trump War Crimes
Date: November 30, 2025
Hosts: The Meiselas Brothers (Ben, Brett, Jordy)

Overview

This episode delivers a powerful and urgent analysis of a statement issued by a group of former top U.S. military lawyers (the “former JAGs working group”) concerning alleged war crimes committed under Trump’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The discussion revolves around shocking reports of orders to execute survivors of a U.S. military attack on a civilian vessel in the Caribbean, the destruction of long-standing legal guardrails in the military, and the grave legal and moral ramifications for everyone involved. The hosts break down the legal framework, explain the statement from the former JAGs, and critique the Trump administration’s approach to international law and military ethics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The JAG Statement and Alleged War Crimes

• [02:30] Ben discusses recent reports from The Washington Post and CNN citing direct orders from Pete Hegseth (Trump's Secretary of Defense) to "kill everybody aboard a civilian vessel" suspected of narco-trafficking, including issuing a second strike to kill two survivors in the water.
• The statement from the “working group of former JAGs” (Judge Advocates General) categorically labels the giving and execution of such orders as war crimes and/or murder.
• The JAG group formed in February 2025 after Hegseth fired the military’s top legal officers, seeking to “systemically dismantle the military's legal guardrails.”

Notable Quote:

Ben Meiselas [03:57]:
"Had those guardrails been in place, we are confident they would have prevented these crimes."

The Legal Framework: Why These Are Considered War Crimes

International Law Explained

• The hosts read directly from the statement and elaborate on the Geneva Conventions, Hague Convention, and applicable articles forbidding orders to kill helpless survivors or issue “no quarter."
• Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions applies to non-international armed conflicts and mandates humane treatment of all persons out of combat, explicitly prohibiting violence, murder, mutilation, and torture.

Notable Quote:

Ben Meiselas [05:22]:
"Orders to kill everybody, which can reasonably be regarded as an order to give 'no quarter' and to 'double tap' a target in order to kill survivors, are clearly illegal under international law. In short, they are war crimes."

Impact on U.S. and International Law

• The US War Crimes Statute (18 USC §2441) and the Uniform Code of Military Justice subject U.S. personnel to criminal liability for grave breaches against these legal frameworks, even if ordered by superiors.
• The Nuremberg precedent: Superior orders are not a defense for war crimes; everyone in the chain of command is liable.

Notable Quote:

Ben Meiselas [13:34]:
"Everyone in the chain of command is responsible. Orders to kill survivors of an attack at sea are patently illegal—anyone who issues or follows such orders can and should be prosecuted for war crimes, murder, or both."

Who Are the Former JAGs?

• Not an anonymous group: The working group comprises highly respected former high-ranking JAG officers and legal scholars.
  • Example names: Major General Steven Lepper, Patrick McLean, Rob “Butch” Bracknell, Todd Huntley (Georgetown Law).
• Their formation came as direct response to the Trump Pentagon’s purge of legal oversight and aggressive legal reinterpretation.

Pete Hegseth's Philosophy and Prior Writings

• The hosts reference Pete Hegseth’s prior book (2024), in which he questions the Geneva Conventions and advocates for treating America’s enemies with the same brutality with which they treat U.S. forces.
• The hosts denounce this view as fundamentally un-American and dangerous.

Notable Quote:

Ben Meiselas [17:21]:
“No, Mr. Hegseth. No Mr. Hegseth, we are fighting the way civilized societies are supposed to fight—by complying with the Geneva Convention. America is not supposed to behave with the barbarism that you impute on others.”

Highlighted Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:30 – Introduction to the breaking story and the JAG statement.
• 05:22 – Explanation of why these actions are classified as war crimes.
• 11:24 – Deep dive into the Geneva Conventions and war crimes law.
• 13:34 – Breakdown of domestic U.S. laws and superior orders defense.
• 17:21 – Hosts’ reaction to Hegseth’s rhetoric about the Geneva Conventions.

Memorable Moments & Tone

• The hosts emphasize the gravity and historic nature of the JAG statement, drawing a sharp line between lawful conduct and the Trump administration’s alleged disregard for both international and U.S. law.
• Their tone is serious, urgent, and unapologetically critical of what they call “barbaric” conduct motivated by ideology rather than law or morality.
• The episode closes by calling for accountability, Congressional investigation, and renewed support for the legal and moral rules that define the U.S. military.

Summary

For listeners eager to understand how top military lawyers are responding to reported Trump-era war crimes, this episode offers a detailed breakdown of the legal, ethical, and historical stakes. The Meiselas brothers combine clear legal analysis with impassioned argument, pointing out the dire implications for U.S. democracy and reputation if such conduct goes unchecked.

Further engagement

The hosts urge their audience to read the JAG statement, contact their representatives, and support democratic norms in the face of such troubling developments.