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A
Morning Zoe. Got donuts.
B
Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?
A
Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you teach me. So Dana.
B
Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.
A
Wow, impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network. Nice. You heard them. T Mobile is the best place to.
C
Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition.
A
So what are we having for lunch?
B
Dude, my work here is done.
C
The 24 month bill credits on experience beyond for well qualified customers + tax and 35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier Cancel Finance agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs $1099.99 and new line minimum 100 plus a month plan with auto pay plus taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Oakland Speed Test Intelligence data 182025 Visit T mobile.com Donald Trump is in a total panic mode. He was giving these disastrous pressers where he didn't know the difference between Iran and India, the same way he didn't know the difference between Albania and Armenia. I mean this is someone who is deeply unwell and cognitively deteriorating before our very eyes. Want to go through what's been going down now? The Trump administration, in response to the trade war against the world that the United States States is losing badly to China, the Trump administration is now saying it is going to go full communism. The Trump administration announced officially it will set price floors across a range of industries to combat market manipulation by China. According to Treasury Secretary Scott Besant. Price floors across industries. It's quite literally what communism is. The Trump regime, they are communists. Let's just call it out directly what it is. They are communists who protect their right wing oligarchy. Subsidies for the billionaires. Now the ceasefire is coming apart already between Israel and Hamas as we predicted it would on the Midas touch network because Israel and Hamas never signed the ceasefire deal. They are not signatories to it which you would expect in a ceasefire deal. Also Hamas had said it's not disarming. Israel said we're still going to go after the Hamas tunnels. Donald Trump said he doesn't know if he supports a two state solution. Netanyahu says he doesn't support a two state solution. So with all of those variables, we were saying on the Midas touch network, why the hell are you spiking the football? Look, it's a great day. When the remaining hostages were returned, 83% of the hostages, over 100 hostages were returned under former President Biden. Biden, we were not spiking the football because we understand the history in the Middle east. But under the Trump regime, it's like, I want a Nobel Peace Prize. It's so utterly pathetic. Let's take a look at the headlines. Trump said yesterday that Israeli forces could resume fighting in Gaza, quote, as soon as I say the word, if Hamas won't uphold the ceasefire deal. Donald Trump said Wednesday he would consider allowing Netanyahu to to resume military action in Gaza if Hamas refuses to uphold its end of the cease fire deal. Telling CNN that Israeli forces could return to the streets as soon as I say the word. What's going on with Hamas? Donald Trump said, well, two days ago, Donald, you said that you liked that Hamas was going after the gangs in Palestine. We should also note that on the other hand, the United nations is saying that Israeli forces, quote, continue to civilians in Gaza despite the ceasefire, saying that war crimes by Israel continued, according to this UN Agency. The United nations also expressed alarm over Israel's decision to withhold part of the humanitarian aid promised under the agreement. Meanwhile, Israel's far right finance minister was very influential in the Netanyahu government. Smotrich, he vowed, quote, there will be Jewish settlements in Gaza during an address in the southern southern border city. This assertion comes days after the ceasefire deal was announced, although as I noted, Hamas and Israel were not signatories to that and there were different versions of it as well that the Arab countries saw and that Israel saw. It should also be noted that Hamas has been cracking down on rival clans and militias in Gaza and reasserting its control. There have been mass executions taking place at the hands of Hamas there and Hamas. Hamas has reasserted control in Gaza. So in essence, what the hell are we even talking about? And why is it that the Midas Touch network is like the only news network out there that's just putting together these objective facts and making, I think, what are obvious observations. Now, meanwhile, you know how Donald Trump was selling those Trump watches for thousands of dollars or in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars? Well, the Daily Beast reports how MAGA supporters who paid hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars, and in some case hundreds of thousands of dollars hate the watches. They feel scammed. The Trump watches are getting one star reviews. The Worst type of reviews on Trust Pilot and people are saying we've been scammed, we've been scammed. Like this review right here from someone by the name of Terry Barber. I wish President Trump could be notified about what this company has done to customers. I've read many stories of people who never even received their watch. Our experiences. We ordered the red watch limited edition on May 2, waited until May 31 to receive the watch. I wrote to them every couple of weeks asking this was for a specific occasion date. They eventually answered shipping soon. Then the watch finally arrives May 31st. Husband loves it. All his friends love it. Then after 55 days, my husband realizes the watch gaining a few minutes every week so he had to keep resetting the time. This is supposed to be automatic win. That's why I paid so much for it. I wrote to them several times. They eventually sent label to send it back. That was on 728 today, September 3rd and they are still giving me excuses. It's being repaired. We need to order the part. It's being double checked. Every excuse. My husband now would just like the money back. Counting the original 32 day shipping time and now 34 days. They've had it to repair. They've had the watch longer than he had. Has horrible, horrible company. Oh my God, Donald Trump is scamming you. He's by the way, where's your doge dividend check? Where's your tariff rebate check? Oh, Donald Trump's too busy building a 90,000 square foot golden ballroom or what. He wants to build the triumphant arch. He's focused on that right there. As he's ripping away Healthcare from 20 million Americans. He's giving $40 billion to Argentina. Now you may be saying, Ben, didn't you report that it was 20 billion? Nope, it's actually going to be 40 billion. The number has increased in 24 hours. Why? Well, 20 billion purportedly is going to a quote, currency swap, which no one really knows even how that's going to go down. And then the other $20 billion, a sovereign fund of Trump's rich friends are coming together to put Argentina backed by our Treasury Department. Huh? Huh? This is how it was described on Bloomberg. This is what they're focused on, folks. While Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and groceries are arising again costlier. This is what they're focused on. Play this clip from Bloomberg. Let's play it.
B
There are media outlets reporting that Scott Besant, the US Treasury Secretary, has outlined financial aid to that country that would total four, $40 billion. For more, let's bring in Bloomberg's Mike McKee. Mike, from what we understand, are there conditions tied to this? Are there strings attached to up to $40 billion of aid from the United States to Argentina?
D
Well, the administration hasn't made a whole lot clear about any of this yet, Scarlett. We don't even know about the original $20 billion, whether it's a true swap line where they give us pesos and we lend them dollars and then we exchange them back eventually. And now Scott Besant is talking about a $20 billion private fund made up of individual investors and he says sovereign wealth funds that would be interested in buying Argentine debt or making investments in Argentina. That's all we know at this point. And of course, the idea of somebody spending $20 billion to buy bonds in Argentina, given Argentina's track record of paying it back, they already owe billions, tens of billions to the imf, seems a little fanciful. So we're not exactly sure how all of this is going to work.
C
Then Donald Trump starts bragging and boasting about how they're cutting all of these projects. He goes, I call him Darth Vader. Russ Vote but they're only cutting the Democrat projects like energy and disease and Federal Emergency Management. You know those projects. Them, them Dems like healthcare, snap, women, infant and children, WIC related programs. You know those Democrat programs. That's how we're showing them Dems. Here play this clip of Donald Trump. Let's play.
A
So what we're doing, I mean, they call him Darth Vader, but he's actually a very nice person. Russell vote But Russell vote is is really terminating tremendous numbers of Democrat projects.
C
This is where Donald Trump did not know the difference between India and Iran. Here, play this clip.
A
We tariffs are a very important tool for our defense, for our national security. If we don't have tariffs, we're not going to have national security. As an example, if you look at Pakistan and Iran, I told them I was in the midst of negotiating a trade deal with actually with Iran and Pakistan was going to be in line. And because of tariffs, they all want to negotiate much differently. We're making a good deal. And then I heard that they're shooting at each other. And I said during one of my conversations, are you guys going to go to what two nuclear powers we are thinking about? I said, here's the deal. You go to war, I'm going to put a 200% tariff. I'm going to stop you from doing any business in the United States. I said it to both of them.
C
And here Donald Trump boasts and brag. We're taking $20 billion away from Manhattan.
A
Yeah.
C
New York City. We screwed you. We screwed the biggest city in the United States. You screwed New York. Maga. We're going to give 40 billion to Argentina. Maga. I'm so foolish. Such fools. Here, play this clip.
A
Got a lot of people paid, actually. We got the, that we want paid. Paid, okay? And we want the FBI paid. We want the military paid. We got the people that we want paid. And I'll tell you, the Democrats, they don't talk about this. You know, we're getting rid of programs that we didn't like, but that were negotiated in, but we didn't like. We're terminating those programs and they're going to be terminated on a permanent basis. And it's thousands of people and it's, it's, you know, billions of dollars. We're getting rid of a lot of things that we never wanted because of the fact that they made this stupid move and they don't want to talk about it. You know, they have their day coming up, I hear very few people going to be there, by the way, but they have their day coming up and they want to have their day in the sun, but they should really make a deal. So what we're doing, I mean, they call him Darth Vader, but he's actually a very nice person. Russell Vote. But Russell vote is, is really terminating tremendous numbers of Democrat projects. This is not only jobs. I mean, the project in Manhattan, the project in New York, it's billions and billions of dollars that schumer has worked 20 years to get. It's terminated. Tell him it's terminated, Jennifer.
C
And meanwhile, as Carl Quintanilla says, you can't script these better. On the one hand, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant on Wednesday said the United States does not want to escalate the trade conflict with China and the leaders will meet in South Korea. We don't want a trade war with China. On the other hand, Donald Trump said question, are we in for a sustained trade war with China? Answer, we're in a trade war now, is what Donald Trump says. By the way, more universities are saying no to Donald Trump's demand that they sign a pact for the Trump regime to take over the universities. Brown University, the latest hat tip to them standing up to the Trump regime. Brown University rejects the White House deal for special treatment. Brown was the second university after MIT to turn down the deal, which would have given funding preferences to universities that agree with Trump's requirements. Um, also, J.D. vance downplays the group chat from the young Republicans, saying, yeah, these are kids. They do stupid things. They're young boys. They're just edgy, edgy jokes. As they talked about concentration camps and gas chambers and rape and a bunch of other horrible things. For J.D. vance, he's like, whatever. That's how kids talk. That's just how the Republicans talk these days. Sick, sick, sick. By the way, Midas Touches podcast or superstar Adam Mockler, he stood up to one of the hosts of Charlie Kirk's podcast on this very issue. Watch what went down. Let's play it. And just think about this. We saw these Nazi group chats. What I'm sure you condemn, right? This Nazi group chat.
E
Well, we can talk about it.
C
Do you condemn it?
E
We.
C
I want to talk about it. Wait, so when they said gas chambers. Disavow. When they say gas chambers, you won't. So you're like J.D. vance, you just won't condemn this? Well, I actually had you on the show today. We had a whole conversation. You guys can all condemn this, right? Oh, yes. Thank you. Hold on. All right. Can you condemn that? And then finally, I want to show you Trump's own Federal Reserve governor, the new guy they appointed, Mehran, I think his name is. Watch him just get fact checked multiple times in a row on cnbc. This was actually a good interview. This was Trump's own person who's now the new governor on the board of the Federal Reserves. Here, play this clip.
B
So we were supposed to get an inflation report today. Didn't government shutdown. What do you think it would have shown?
E
Oh, well, you know, that's above my pay grade.
B
How are you looking at alternative data sources? Like, how are you piecing together what's happening? You're going to have to make a decision at the end of October whether the government's open or not.
E
So I would love to have the data that we need to make the decision. We are fortunate that we only make monetary policy decisions outside of a crisis every six months. And so I'm still hopeful that we'll have more data by the time we get to the point.
B
Six weeks.
E
Yeah. Sorry. Every six weeks. Sorry. Thank you.
B
That would be crazy.
E
Every six weeks. Yes. So I'm hopeful that we have the data in hand by the time we get to the October fomc. However, you know, there's a chance that we don't. And if we don't, then I would rely on. On what I said a moment ago, which is that policy should not be overly data dependent. It should be forecast dependent.
B
That's not how the Fed operates though. I mean how many times do we hear Fed chair policy data dependent?
E
I mean I think that you want to be data dependent if you don't, if you either you don't have a forecast or you don't believe in your forecast right or you don't, you don't.
B
Have but if you look at the forecasts of the Fed in the dots they project their economic, economic and inflationary outlooks they're mostly not right.
E
Well you know I think that that is something that every, every forecaster should hold them you know should, should hold themselves to account for when they're right or wrong.
C
There you have it folks. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe let's get to 6 million we appreciate you new Midas merch head to store.midas touch.com today and get yourself the best pro democracy gear and show your support that store.midas touch.com.
Date: October 16, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, & Jordy Meiselas
This episode dives into Donald Trump’s increasingly chaotic strategies as his administration faces mounting crises at home and abroad. The Meiselas brothers break down the Trump team’s erratic new policies on the economy and trade, international confusion, embarrassment over failed products, scandals around foreign aid, and continued Republican hypocrisies. True to their brand, the brothers blend sharp analysis with humor, holding Trump and his allies to account while championing pro-democracy perspectives.
“I mean this is someone who is deeply unwell and cognitively deteriorating before our very eyes.”
“The Trump regime, they are communists… Subsidies for the billionaires.”
“Hamas and Israel never signed the ceasefire deal. They are not signatories to it which you would expect in a ceasefire deal.”
“Israeli forces could return to the streets as soon as I say the word.”
“He’s giving $40 billion to Argentina. Now you may be saying, Ben, didn’t you report it was 20 billion? Nope, it’s actually going to be 40 billion. The number increased in 24 hours.”
“The idea of somebody spending $20 billion to buy bonds in Argentina, given Argentina’s track record of paying it back… seems a little fanciful.”
“We got the people that we want paid… We’re terminating those programs and they’re going to be terminated on a permanent basis.”
“You screwed New York. Maga. We’re going to give 40 billion to Argentina. Maga.”
“They’ve had the watch longer than he had it. Horrible, horrible company. Oh my God, Donald Trump is scamming you.”
“Brown University rejects the White House deal for special treatment. Brown was the second university after MIT to turn down the deal…”
“Do you condemn it?”
“Well, we can talk about it.”
“Sorry. Every six weeks. Sorry. Thank you.”
“That’s not how the Fed operates though.”
“This is where Donald Trump did not know the difference between India and Iran.” (10:04)
“Donald Trump’s too busy building a 90,000 square foot golden ballroom or what. He wants to build the triumphant arch.” (06:52)
“Brown University, the latest hat tip to them, standing up to the Trump regime.” (12:38)
“That’s just how the Republicans talk these days. Sick, sick, sick.” (13:57)
This episode captures Trump’s flailing strategic pivots, self-serving priorities, and mounting contradictions as the 2025 landscape intensifies. The Meiselas brothers provide clear, fact-based analysis with their trademark wit, exposing hypocrisy and calling for vigilance to protect democracy.
Final Thought (Ben, 16:18):
“Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe, let’s get to 6 million. We appreciate you.”