The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Trump Gets Instant Karma by Texas Judge He Appointed!!!

Date: November 19, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

Episode Overview

This episode delves into a seismic judicial development in Texas: a three-judge federal panel, including a Trump-appointed judge, has struck down Texas Republicans’ attempted gerrymander for the 2026 congressional elections. The ruling, penned by Judge Jeffrey Brown—appointed by Trump in 2019—declares the state’s redistricting efforts unlawful and racially discriminatory. The Meiselas brothers unpack the legal reasoning, the political backfire for Republicans, and the national implications, all while highlighting the irony and instant karma for Trump and his allies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Texas Gerrymandering Ruling Explained

[01:46–08:46]

• A federal court blocked Texas Republicans from using a new congressional map for 2026, citing illegal and racially discriminatory gerrymandering.
• Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, authored the opinion—making it hard for Trump to dismiss the decision as liberal activism.
• The court ordered Texas to revert to its previous 2021 map.
• Notable Quote:
  • Ben: “I mean, he stuck the dagger and twisted it in Donald Trump right there. So he [the judge] quotes Chief Justice John Roberts as saying, ‘The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.’” [03:27]

2. The Role of Race vs. Partisanship

[03:30–08:30]

• Evidence shows redistricting was pursued on racial grounds, not just party advantage.
• Trump personally pressured Texas officials to redraw the map for five more Republican seats, but the DOJ (Department of Justice) funneled the effort through claims about “coalition” (multi-minority) districts.
• DOJ’s letter only targeted majority nonwhite districts, not white Democratic ones, highlighting racial, not solely partisan, intent.
• Texas complied, dissolving these targeted coalition districts.
• Key Quote from the opinion (read by Ben):
  • “Plaintiff groups are likely to prove at trial that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map. So we preliminarily enjoin what Texas did here.” [08:15]

3. Legal Foundations of the Ruling

[10:32–14:00]

• The court detailed three routes to challenge racial discrimination in redistricting:
  1. Racial Gerrymandering Claim: Violations under the 14th and 15th Amendments if race is the predominant factor.
  2. Intentional Vote Dilution: Proving purposeful disenfranchisement of minority voters.
  3. Effects-Based Dilution (Gingles Claim): Focusing on racially dilutive results, regardless of intent, under the Voting Rights Act.
• The court’s main “smoking gun” evidence was the DOJ letter essentially instructing redistricting on the basis of race.
• The judge harshly criticized the DOJ letter:
  • “It contains so many factual, legal and typographical errors… described [by Texas AG’s attorneys as] legally unsound, baseless, erroneous, ham-fisted and a mess.” [12:25]

4. National Ripple Effects & Immediate Blowback

[13:35–15:40]

• The ruling does not impact California’s Prop 50 mid-decade redistricting, meaning California will pick up five seats while Texas cannot, putting Republicans at a national disadvantage.
• California Republican Kevin Kiley slams the GOP leadership for the failed scheme and calls out Speaker Mike Johnson (referred to as “MAGA Mike”) for mishandling the redistricting push.
  • Quote:
    • “It was a total failure of the leadership MAGA Mike Johnson to let this happen… it's going to be bad for our own members, bad for the House, bad for representation across the country.” [14:35]
• Governor Gavin Newsom mocks Trump in Trumpian terms, calling him "piggy" in retaliation for Trump's past name-calling.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ben, on the Trump judge’s critique:
  • “Even attorneys employed by the Texas Attorney General who professes to be a political ally of the Trump administration describe the DOJ letter as legally unsound, baseless, erroneous, ham-fisted and a mess.” [12:20]
• On the political backlash:
  • “MAGA Mike had to keep it going and it backfired in their face.” [14:50]
• On the ruling’s irony:
  • “Donald Trump can’t be like, oh, wacko liberal judge. You appointed this guy, Donald, in 2019.” [03:10]

Important Timestamps

• [01:46] – Summary of the Texas court decision and introduction to Judge Jeffrey Brown’s ruling.
• [03:30] – Detailed reading of the court’s reasoning—focus on racial versus partisan motives.
• [08:15] – “Smoking gun” DOJ letter implicated as the basis for the racial gerrymandering finding.
• [10:32] – Legal breakdown: three kinds of racial discrimination claims in redistricting.
• [12:25] – Harsh criticism by Judge Brown of the DOJ’s procedural and legal errors.
• [14:35] – National political consequences and GOP frustration.
• [15:20] – Governor Newsom’s taunt of Trump as “quiet piggy.”

Tone and Style

The Meiselas brothers blend legal analysis with biting humor, directness, and clear democratic values. Their style is energetic, irreverent, and unsparing—especially in underscoring the irony that a Trump-appointed judge delivered a fatal blow to Trump’s electoral strategy. They mix close readings of the legal opinion with running commentary on the absurdity of the situation, occasional mockery of Trump and the GOP, and a focus on larger implications for democracy.

Summary Takeaway

This episode spotlights a dramatic twist in American political maneuvering: a judge appointed by Trump himself derails a major Republican gerrymandering effort in Texas, citing illegal racial discrimination. The “karma” is not just poetic—it’s legal and immediate, undermining GOP plans nationwide and drawing rare union in criticism from both Democrats and disillusioned Republicans. The brothers’ coverage is equal parts educational, incisive, and entertaining, making clear that, sometimes, the architect of a strategy is undone by their own design.