Trump gets Confronted by Grieving Families in War!!

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast Episode: Trump gets Confronted by Grieving Families in War!! Release Date: March 16, 2026 Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

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Episode Overview

This emotional episode centers on the mounting grief and outrage among American families who have lost loved ones in the ongoing war with Iran, a conflict sparked and led by Donald Trump. The Meiselas brothers draw powerful attention to the personal toll of the war by sharing stories from the families of fallen service members, especially Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons. The episode intersperses these moving testimonies with sharp criticism of Trump’s conduct, including his refusal to answer for the loss of life and his controversial decision to use imagery of military funerals for political fundraising.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Human Toll: Family Testimonies and Fallen Soldiers

• Host remarks on grieving families: (02:17)

  • Ben Meiselas introduces the episode’s focus: "The families of soldiers returning to the United States in American flag draped coffins are now calling out Donald Trump for this...hellish, unlawful war that Donald Trump has unleashed in Iran."

• The Simmons Family’s Voice:

  • Background on Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons, 28, an Ohio Air National Guard member, is shared, including his role and tragic death during a refueling mission on March 12, 2026.
  • The episode highlights the names and ages of all six Air Force members lost in the crash.

• Family’s Rebuke of Trump: (06:11–06:34)

  • "This could have been prevented. We didn't need to be in this war. This is uncalled for and this is what we get. Families are suffering right now... Not only our family, but there are other families that's lost loved ones just to create a war because you want to create a war. It's not right. It is not right." — Simmons family member

• Personal Memories and Last Conversation: (07:05–07:50)

  • Tyler’s last call with his mother is described:
    • “He said, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. But mother knows he was having some challenges... Tyler was just a fantastic, amazing man. He really, really was... He just wanted to do amazing things because he's an amazing man.” — Simmons' mother

• Tyler Simmons' Legacy: (08:03–08:36)

  • Family and community share memories:
    • “When people see my cousin, they gonna be like, that smile was gonna take him places and it took him to his dream job.” — Tracy Peeks, Simmons' cousin

• The Aftermath: (08:44–09:53)

  • Heart-wrenching moments as Tyler’s mother recalls receiving the news: "You gotta be kidding me."
  • Adds more context from community leaders and family testimonials about Tyler’s character, service, and dreams.

2. Trump’s Response & Political Exploitation

• Trump Refuses Accountability: (12:09–12:20)

  • When questioned about the fallen service members onboard Air Force One, Trump refuses to answer and attacks the reporter:
    • "Who are you with? Oh, you're abc... I think it's maybe the most corrupt news organizations on the planet." — Donald Trump

• Fundraising Controversy: (13:18–13:31)

  • Trump is confronted over fundraising emails using images from military funerals while wearing campaign attire:
    • "There's nobody that's better to the military than me. And all you have to do is look at the election results, look at the kind of votes that we get, look at the poll numbers." — Donald Trump
  • Host Ben calls this “despicable” and “grotesque.”

3. Wider Political Reaction and Analysis

• International Perspective: (14:14–15:29)

  • The Iranian foreign minister accuses the Trump administration of imposing war and points out U.S. families resorting to public donations for funeral expenses, highlighting the injustice of the situation.
  • Jared Kushner is criticized for raising private equity funds amid the conflict.

• Veteran Pete Buttigieg’s Condemnation: (16:07–17:36)

  • Buttigieg criticizes Trump’s war as reckless and the use of service member funerals for campaign fundraising:
    • "If the president is willing to raise campaign funds over the bodies of America's war dead, he is unfit to be the commander in chief."
    • The administration is accused of treating the conflict “like a video game.”

• Comparison to Past Wars – No Pretense for War: (17:50–18:57)

  • Buttigieg notes the difference from Iraq, saying the Iran war “has not been sold on any pretense. The President just went ahead and did it.”
  • “More than a dozen American families have now gotten that knock on the door. And the President has basically assured us that there will be more where that came from.”

• Economic Impact and Political Shift: (18:57–20:19)

  • Congressman Ro Khanna on Fox News emphasizes lack of imminent threat from Iran, high U.S. spending, and the disconnect between war policy and American priorities:
    • “We were dragged into this war in a way that isn’t helping the American people... They want American leaders who are actually going to put America first.”
    • “That's why the president's numbers are down. He said he wasn't going to get us into foreign wars. He's getting us into foreign wars.”

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Simmons Family:

  • "Families are suffering right now...Just to create a war because you want to create a war. It's not right." (06:11–06:34)
  • “I hope just a little bit we can do anything we can here at the network to preserve his memory.” — Host Ben (21:23–21:38)

• Tyler’s Last Call:

  • “He said, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. But mother knows he was having some challenges.” (07:10–07:26)

• On Trump Fundraising:

  • “What a sicko...raising money for his political operations off of the dignified transfer photos.” — Host (15:53)

• Pete Buttigieg:

  • “If the president is willing to raise campaign funds over the bodies of America's war dead, he is unfit to be the commander in chief.” (17:20–17:36)

• Ro Khanna:

  • “There were no ICBMs that Iran could launch here...We've created a threat.” (19:06–19:14)
  • “People are concerned about how their kids are going to get jobs...They don't want to be spending $2 billion a day fighting a war in the Middle East.” (19:39–20:03)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:17–03:40: Introduction of the human toll, Tech Sgt. Simmons’ story
• 06:11–06:34: Family’s direct plea and condemnation of the war
• 07:05–07:50: Tyler Simmons’ mother recalls final conversation
• 08:03–08:44: Family remembers Simmons’ legacy and smile
• 12:09–13:31: Trump refuses to address fallen soldiers, defends fundraising off military funerals
• 16:07–17:36: Buttigieg’s sharp rebuke of Trump’s war leadership
• 18:57–20:19: Ro Khanna discusses the lack of pretense for the war and economic impact

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Tone & Language

• The episode balances deep empathy for grieving families with sharp, unapologetic criticism of Donald Trump’s actions.
• Language is direct, emotional, and often searing—reflecting both sorrow for the loss and outrage at the political exploitation of war casualties.

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Summary for New Listeners

This episode offers an unfiltered, heartfelt exploration of the grief and anger gripping American families after unnecessary military deaths in Trump’s Iran war. Personal stories—particularly that of Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons—ground the discussion, while the hosts and political commentators lash out at the administration’s lack of accountability, including Trump’s deeply criticized fundraising tactics. Veteran voices and members of Congress add context, decrying both the origins and conduct of the war. The podcast is a call to empathy, remembrance, and political responsibility.

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For further listening, subscribe to The MeidasTouch Podcast for biweekly in-depth analysis and breaking news.

Transcript

[Host]

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[Host]

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[Host]

The families of soldiers returning to the United States in American flag draped coffins are now calling out Donald Trump for this go forsaken, hellish, unlawful war that Donald Trump has unleashed in Iran. The human toll of Donald Trump's criminality is being felt here in the United States and our hearts at the Midas Touch Network go out to the families of each and every service member who has passed in this horrific war. And for all those family members worried about their loved ones right now. And I know there are so many of you who watch the Midas touch, I want you all to know we're thinking about you right now. And so we're starting to see families here in the United States calling out Donald Trump and his regime for this unlawful war in Iran that has taken the lives of their loved ones. I want to give you one such example of that, how a family of a fallen airman is calling out Donald Trump for this uncalled for war. So tech sergeant Tyler Simmons was a 28 year old airman in the Ohio Air National Guard. He was assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing in Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. He served as a boom operator. His special skill enabled him to reach one of the highest levels of being a boom operator for that KC135 Strat tanker. That's the military aerial refueling aircraft. As you recall, on March 12, 2026, the KC135 was involved in a crash. According to the Trump regime and centcom. They lie about everything, but their story is that there was neither friendly fire nor was there hostile fire, but that there was an incident in the air with two KC 135s involved in a maneuver that led to one KC 135 being damaged and one KC 135 crashing, resulting in the deaths of six US Air Force members. Here's a photo of those six Air Force members that were aboard the KC 135. I want to read their names for you right now as I show you their photos. Then I want to show you what Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons family is saying. Then I want to tell you a little bit about Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons. So Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons, he passed away in this horrific incident. Major John Kleiner, Captain Ariana Savino, Tech Sergeant Ashley Pruitt, Captain Seth Koval and Captain Curtis Engs. Their ages, 33, 31, 34, 38, 30. And Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons was 28 when he passed away. Now I want to show you what his mom, his grandma, his cousins are saying. Watch as the family of Tyler Simmons called out Trump for this unlawful, unnecessary war. They say this could have been prevented. We didn't need to be in war. This is uncalled for. And families are suffering now because of Donald Trump and his despicable regime. Watch what they said. Let's play this clip Simmons, his family

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

is making a plea calling on the United States to stop the war with Iran.

[Guest Commentator]

This could have been prevented. We didn't need to be in this war. You know, this is, this is uncalled for and this is what we get. Families are suffering right now. Not only our family, but there are other families that's lost loved ones just to create a war because you want

[Host]

to create a war.

[Guest Commentator]

It's not right. It is not right.

[Host]

More from Tyler Simmons family as well. I'm going to give you some more background on Tyler in just a moment. But as I noted, he's from Columbus and he's one of three Ohio Air National Guards member who died. Of the six, three were from Ohio. I want you to watch what his mom says and his grandma say that Tyler told him just the day before he passed. This is what they told. This is what he told them on Wednesday. Here, play this clip.

[Guest Commentator]

He called me on Wednesday and we

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

were able to talk to him on Wednesday.

[Guest Commentator]

I was over here and we actually had beautiful conversation. I was like, well, Tyler, how are you? He said, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. But mother knows he was having some challenges. You know, he told me they hadn't been shot at, but he was okay. Tyler was just a fantastic, amazing man. He really, really was. He was a man who loved his job, he loved the people that he worked with. He loved his family. He just wanted to do amazing things because he's an amazing man.

[Political Analyst]

They say Tyler's legacy is clear.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

A young man from Columbus who dreamed of serving his country, lifting others and making an impact in the world in just 28 years.

[Guest Commentator]

His family says he did exactly that.

[Host]

More right here. How the family is mourning this incredible airman who died over western Iraq as part of Donald Trump's unlawful war. Let's play this clip right here.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The man who still loved adult night at Skate Zone and lit up the room with his personality and had his mother's dimples is gone.

[Guest Commentator]

You know, he had a million dollar smile. If when people see this, see my cousin, they gonna be like, that smile was gonna take him places and it took him to his dream job.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

But as they gather to watch video of Tyler working that dream job, love and pride is now overshadowed by unimaginable grief.

[Guest Commentator]

Ty was wrong.

[Host]

Jesus. Yeah. Horrific, horrific, horrific. And our heart goes out to their family. Here's a photo right here of Simmons. A family member of Simmons wrote on Facebook, this loss has been heavy, not just for our family, but for the many lives you touched and the love you left behind. Here's another photo of Tyler Simmons taken from the Air Force here's how he's described An Ohio Air Force soldier has been named as one of the six U.S. service members who died when a refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq this week, is how the Daily Mail puts it. Tyler Simmons was one of three National Guard airmen from Ohio involved in this crash. All six members on board perished from the crash. Simmons mother broke down in tears as she recalled the moment uniformed officers appeared at their home to deliver the heartbreaking news that her only child had passed away. When he opened the door, another relative, he said, oh no, and I jumped up and ran in there and they were lined up out on the porch, Cheryl Simmons told WBNS 10. You gotta be kidding me, she added while covering her face as she began to sob. The devastated mother said her son promised her he would one day retire from military service and become a commercial pilot, but he returned in a coffin instead. Simmons cousin Tracy Peeks remembered him for his million dollar smile. When people see my cousin, they'd be like that smile is going to take him places and it took him to his dream job, she told wbns. Another family member said Simmons was truly an amazing man who was loving. He loved his dog Grayson. He loved his family, his friends, Shana, he's just that guy, he would do anything for you, they told the outlet. Simmons was an Eastmore Academy graduate from Columbus who proudly served in the United States Air Force, according to Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Tyler Simmons, whose life was taken far too soon in a recent accident in Iraq, ginther wrote on Facebook. We honor his memory as a true hero who served, served our country with courage and dedication. Please keep Tyler's family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. A former track coach described Simmons as a great young man who always had a smile on his face and a huge energy about him. I was so proud of the strides he made in the Air Force as a refueling pilot, but even more proud of the strides he made as a man, changing habits that no longer served him and putting his health and future first. State Representative Latonya Humphrey also wrote on Facebook, Tyler Simmons was one of us, a son of Columbus, a graduate of Eastmore Academy, and again, our heart goes out to his family. Now I want to share with you what Donald Trump said aboard Air Force One last night when he was asked if he had a comment on the six service members who died last week, one of them being Simmons. Donald Trump refused to take the question and started attacking the reporter for asking him the question Just so utterly despicable. Here, play this clip.

[Guest Commentator]

Military strategy. I mean, who would answer a question.

[Host]

Next? Donald Trump aboard Air Force One was asked about his political action committee, was sending out fundraiser emails and using Donald Trump at a dignified transfer for another group of soldiers who were killed in his unlawful war in Iran. And then Donald Trump is asked, do you think it's appropriate that you're fundraising off of photos of you wearing campaign hats at the dignified transfer in Dover, Delaware, when our soldiers are returning in American flag draped caskets? You're raising money off that image as you're wearing campaign hats at the dignified transfer. Do you think that's okay? And Trump says, I do think it's appropriate. I didn't see it referring to. I guess he didn't see the email that he sent, but he says it is appropriate. Then he starts attacking the reporter at ABC and says, who are you with? Oh, you're abc. Here, play this clip for using official

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

White House photos of you as a dignified transfer. And the PAC is also promising access to secret.

[Guest Commentator]

Well, I was at the dignified transfer,

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

unlike appropriate email to sign your credit.

[Guest Commentator]

I didn't see it. I mean, somebody puts it up. We have a lot of people working for us, but there's nobody that's better to the military than me. And all you have to do is look at the election, look at the election results, look at the kind of votes that we get, look at the poll numbers. There's nobody that's ever been higher as a president than me with the militia. So what Putin said, who are you with? Who are you with? ABC News, one of the worst, most fake, most corrupt. You know what? ABC News, I think it's maybe the most corrupt news organizations on the planet. I think they're terrible. Okay, I don't want any more from abc.

[Political Analyst]

Right here.

[Guest Commentator]

What's Israel?

[Political Analyst]

Thank you, sir. What's Israel doing to help?

[Host]

Now, even the foreign minister of Iran is putting out messages like this. He's saying, I've been told that family of US Soldiers killed in the war of choice on Iran are relying on public donations as fair and equitable. Deal was within reach. Those providing poor advice to potus to Trump are responsible for bloodshed. This war is imposed on both Americans and Iranians. And the foreign minister of Iran is posting a article about how Jared Kushner just even this week has been soliciting funds for his private equity firm to raise $5 billion while Trump is involved in this unlawful war against Iran. And the foreign minister of Iran is saying that while Kushner is doing that, he's told that families right now have to do Gofundmes because their loved ones have died and they don't have any money in the United States right now. Also, one of the things that Iraqi the foreign minister of Iran posts is that I told this to cbs. Iran has neither sought a truce nor were not involved in talks. Such claims by Trump are delusional. Our powerful armed forces will keep firing until Trump realizes that the illegal war he's imposing on both Americans and Iranians is wrong and must never be repeated. Victims must also be compensated. Here's what a veteran, Pete Buttigieg, by the way, we've had him a lot on the Midas Touch network, but he was on cnn. And here he talks about Trump raising money for his political operations off of the dignified transfer photos while Trump's wearing a campaign hat. I mean, how grotesque is that? Seriously. What a sicko. Here, play this clip.

[Political Analyst]

And let's also remember that in the past, Iran's nuclear program was contained without a shot being fired. President Trump thought he could get a better deal than the Obama administration did. He failed to get that better deal, and he went off and launched a war without planning, without being ready for even some of the most basic things. I mean, it is a certainty that the military would have advised him that the Straits of Hormuz would have been closed, that that was a likely scenario. And yet they're talking about this and clearly acting as though they didn't think this would happen. The Secretary Hegseth went so far as to say that the Strait of Hormuz is open, other than the fact that there would be fire against vehicles transiting the strait. This is clearly amateur hour at the Pentagon and in the White House. And again, the price is being paid by all of us. You can also just tell from the administration's attitude toward this war the fact that they're putting out videos, treating this like a video game. It's not a video game for the families of the fallen. And then just this week, we saw campaign fundraising materials being put out, emails where the president's committee, the president's political operation, was raising money off of images of him at a dignified transfer. Any politician who does that has no business leading American troops in the war. If the president is willing to raise campaign funds over the bodies of America's war dead, he is unfit to be the commander in chief.

[Host]

More from Pete Buttigieg right here saying that. You know, what's interesting is that Iraq was Sold to us on a false pretense. Iran hasn't even been sold on any pretense. We have literally no clue why we're there right now. Here, play this clip.

[Guest Commentator]

Part of that generation of soldier.

[Political Analyst]

What's your take? What I'm worried about is not the soldiers and the people who are serving. What I'm worried about is their political leadership like Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump. You know, we lived through a war that was sold to us on false pretenses when I was younger. This war has not been sold on any pretense. The President just went ahead and did it. Here's the biggest thing that has not changed since the war in Afghanistan or the war in Iraq. The biggest thing that has not changed is who pays the price. We have now seen 13American service members killed. And when you prepare to go to war, the thing you think about, the thing you most dread, is your family being the ones to get that knock on the door. More than a dozen American families have now gotten that knock on the door. And the President has basically assured us that there will be more where that came from. And while they're paying the ultimate price, every American is paying some price right now. Mortgage rates are up because of this war. Food is going to be more expensive because of this war. And of course, the price of gas that we're paying at the pump is more expensive because of this war.

[Host]

Finally, my good friend Ro Khanna went on State regime Media, which calls itself Fox, and here's what he had to say about the war. Here, play this clip.

[Guest Commentator]

There was no imminent threat. Now there's a threat to the United States. We've created a threat. There were no ICBMs that the, that Iran could launch here.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

I believe they said they had the material to make 11 bombs,

[Guest Commentator]

but they couldn't reach the American homeland. I mean, everyone acknowledges they don't have ICBMs. Now we've put our troops at risk. Thirteen Americans are dead. And I hope we can end this war. I just want the president declare victory, end the war. I don't want more Americans dying. I don't want $2 billion a day going into the Middle East. You know, we were dragged into this war in a way that isn't helping the American people. People, you know what they talk about when I, in my district around the country, how are my kids going to get jobs? How am I going to focus on getting health care? How can I afford child care? Why are grocery prices too high? That's what people are concerned about. They don't want to spending $2 billion a day fighting a war in the Middle east and putting our troops at risk.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Hear your point on the economy. I think the other side of this whole debate is that, you know, once Iran gets a weapon, negotiation doesn't really matter much because, you know, the whole field changes. So that's where we are today.

[Guest Commentator]

They were nowhere close to getting a weapon. President Trump just six months ago said, we've destroyed all of it. They're nowhere close to getting a nuclear weapon or getting that enrichment. And we could have continued with tough sanctions and diplomacy to make sure that they did not enrich. But what happened? Netanyahu said he was striking. Rubio said, oh, Netanyahu said, I'm striking. I guess we got to go. American people are tired of us being dragged into these Middle east wars. They want American leaders who are actually going to put America first, put money into our manufacturing base, into jobs here, into child care here. That's why the president's numbers are down. He hasn't released the Epstein files. He promised that Massey and I said forced him to release the Epstein files. He said he wasn't going to get us into foreign wars. He's getting us into foreign wars. I just hope he stops with what he's doing and remembers what he ran on in 2016 and 2020 and 2024.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Congressman, I'm sorry we're out of time because there's a lot that the other side would point to with the data points you just said, including that they had material to build bombs.

[Host]

And I just want to repeat that our heart goes out to the family of Tyler Simmons, the family of all service members who have lost their life. And I know that this video may be watched by people who know him. Mothers. I hope you know, I hope just a little bit. We can do anything we can here at the network to preserve his memory. However, we can hit subscribe help us get to 7 million subscribers. Thank you for watching. Thanks for watching. Be sure to add the Midas touch podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast for new updates every single day. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for 15amonth plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail]

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