Trump Has Disaster A.M. as His Approval Crashes Out

Summary

Podcast Summary: The MeidasTouch Podcast Episode: Trump Has Disaster A.M. as His Approval Crashes Out
Release Date: May 21, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, hosts Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas delve deep into the current political landscape, focusing on former President Donald Trump's declining approval ratings and the repercussions of his latest budget bill. The discussion is enriched with insightful analysis, sharp critiques, and engaging brotherly banter that the audience has come to love.

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Trump's Declining Approval Ratings

The episode opens with a Political Analyst providing a stark analysis of Donald Trump's waning popularity across various demographics.

• Approval Plunge: According to the latest Reuters Ipsos poll, Trump's approval rating has decreased by an additional 2 percentage points, landing at 42%. More concerning is the significant loss of support among key voter groups:

  • Conservatives: A decline of 14 points.
  • Age 18-29: A substantial drop of 24 points, a demographic where Trump was previously gaining traction.

  “Young people hate this guy because they realize he's ripping away their future.” (01:30)

• Demographic Shifts: The analyst highlights that not only are traditional supporters turning away, but even newly shifting groups like rural voters and independents are abandoning Trump. This broad-based decline underscores the multifaceted challenges Trump faces in maintaining his political relevance.

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The Controversial Budget Bill

Central to the discussion is Trump’s proposed budget bill, which has sparked significant backlash due to its extensive cuts and tax provisions.

• Key Provisions and Cuts:

  • Healthcare Programs at Risk: The bill threatens to eliminate Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP benefits, potentially impacting 13 million Americans who rely on these services.
  • Tax Cuts for the Wealthy: Proposes trillions in tax cuts benefiting Trump’s billionaire allies.

  “13 million Americans are going to lose their health care and die because of this.” (04:00)

• House Freedom Caucus's Stance: Andy Harris, chair of the House Freedom Caucus, expressed skepticism about the bill’s viability.

  “This bill actually got worse overnight. There is no way it passes today.” (06:15)

• Deficit Concerns: The proposed budget is projected to add $6 trillion to the national deficit, contrary to Trump’s claims of collecting $7 trillion from Middle Eastern deals—claims that the analyst vehemently disputes.

  “He’s a fraud, he’s a felon, he’s a criminal, he’s a liar.” (07:45)

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Trump's Social Media Maneuvers

The analyst criticizes Trump’s recent social media activities, particularly an AI-generated video intended to troll Bruce Springsteen.

• AI Video Incident: Trump released an AI video showing himself golfing and hitting a golf ball towards Bruce Springsteen, which the analyst interprets as a diversionary tactic amidst political turmoil.

  “What he's doing right now is trolling Bruce Springsteen.” (03:15)

• Calls for Investigations: Trump has been vocal on his platform, demanding investigations into various public figures, further exacerbating his controversial image.

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Impact on International Relations and Economy

The podcast delves into the broader economic implications of Trump's policies, especially concerning international relations.

• European Union Relations: Business travel from Europe to the U.S. has declined by over 25% in April compared to the previous year, signaling deteriorating relations under Trump’s administration.

  “Large decreases in U.S. bookings were recorded from companies in Germany, France, the U.K., Canada, and Mexico.” (08:50)

• Trade Deal Failures: Despite promises of 90 trade deals in 90 days, only about 20 have materialized, with none being binding agreements.

  “There are zero deals in 90 days that are at least binding.” (11:34)

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Legislative and Judicial Challenges

The podcast highlights the intricate battles in Congress and the judiciary surrounding Trump’s policies.

• Medicare Cuts: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has confirmed that the budget bill will result in $535 billion in cuts to Medicare, violating earlier assurances.

  “This will have a direct impact on Medicare and the federal budget.” (13:00)

• Legal Issues: The Trump administration has been accused of violating court orders by deporting individuals without due process, further tarnishing his reputation.

  “They are taking Burmese individuals and sending them to South Sudan, admitting that they're doing this against the court order without due process.” (09:00)

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Political Opposition and Calls for Accountability

Democratic leaders are mounting strong opposition against Trump's policies, demanding accountability and transparency.

• Hakeem Jeffries' Challenge: The Democratic Leader has publicly called out the House Freedom Caucus for their handling of the budget bill, urging for a public debate.

  “We believe it's one big ugly bill that's going to hurt the American people.” (15:14)

• Calls for Transparency: Jeffries emphasizes the need for open discussions rather than clandestine legislative maneuvers, highlighting the disconnect between policymakers and the electorate.

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Conclusion and Ongoing Developments

The episode wraps up with a summary of the day's events and a promise to keep the audience updated on the unfolding political drama.

• Upcoming Meetings: Trump has summoned MAGA Republicans and House Freedom Caucus members to the White House to address the failing budget bill.

  “We'll keep you posted throughout the day.” (16:43)

• Encouragement to Subscribe: The hosts encourage listeners to subscribe to their channels and explore additional content on their platforms for more in-depth analyses.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Young people hate this guy because they realize he's ripping away their future.” — Political Analyst (01:30)
• “13 million Americans are going to lose their health care and die because of this.” — Political Analyst (04:00)
• “This bill actually got worse overnight. There is no way it passes today.” — Andy Harris, House Freedom Caucus Chair (06:15)
• “He’s a fraud, he’s a felon, he’s a criminal, he’s a liar.” — Political Analyst (07:45)
• “What he's doing right now is trolling Bruce Springsteen.” — Political Analyst (03:15)
• “There are zero deals in 90 days that are at least binding.” — Political Analyst (11:34)
• “This will have a direct impact on Medicare and the federal budget.” — Kevin Hassett (13:00)
• “We believe it's one big ugly bill that's going to hurt the American people.” — Hakeem Jeffries (15:14)

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast provides a comprehensive and critical examination of Donald Trump's current political struggles, emphasizing the significant decline in his approval ratings and the potentially devastating effects of his budget proposals. Through incisive analysis and engaging discussions, the Meiselas brothers shed light on the intricate dynamics shaping the American political arena today.

For more in-depth discussions and daily updates, listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast and visit the MeidasTouch YouTube channel for live sessions every Monday and Thursday night.

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This summary aims to encapsulate the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing a coherent and informative overview for those who have not listened to the podcast.

Transcript

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[Political Analyst]

Just woke up to some disastrous news. He is plummeting even further in the polls and across all major demographics, he's plummeting. The latest Reuters Ipsos poll has him down 2 additional percentage points. His approval has fallen to 42%. But what's worse for him is when you start looking at demographics that were shifting to towards him. The ages of 18 to 29, rural voters, moderates, college grads, independents, even people who consider themselves conservatives. He's dropped negative 14among people who consider themselves conservative, negative 24among the age group 18 to 29, where he was making some inroads. Young people hate this guy because they realize he's ripping away the their future. Rural voters are seeing how Donald Trump is harming them. And so while Donald Trump is pushing forward this disastrous budget bill that will rip away your Medicaid, we're now learning it's going to potentially rip away your Medicare as well. Rip away SNAP benefits, rip away rental assistance and other programs to make housing affordable, to pave the way for massive tax cuts. Trillions of dollars in tax cuts for Trump's billionaire buddies. Like what's Donald Trump doing right now while all of this is taking place? This is from his social media app. It did a push alert so they think this is the biggest news story of the day from Donald Trump. So what he's doing this morning, watch Donald Trump trolls Bruce Springsteen in new video and then you click on it and it goes to Donald Trump's official social media account where it's an AI video of himself golfing and hitting a golf ball into Bruce Springsteen who falls on stage. And this follows Donald Trump calling for the department and Justice Department of Justice to investigate Kamala Harris, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Bono and Oprah. We're getting more news as well. And this is some more bad news for Donald Trump and he's reacting to it right now that the very far right wing, they call themselves the House Freedom Caucus, the their chair, Andy Harris is saying this about the budget bill. Now you'll recall that the MAGA Republicans set a rules committee meeting at 1am this past night or in the morning, whatever you consider it, so that they could try to avoid the American people watching what they were doing. They literally set the hearing at 1am hoping nobody would notice as they started putting amendments into this horrible bill. Like they gave tax exemptions for tanning beds while route, while removing hospital beds. That's actually a provision in there. So they were doing all this shady stuff at 1am but here's what we're learning right now, that the House Freedom Caucus chair, MAGA Republican Andy Harris just went on Newsmax and said that there's no way these, this reconciliation bill passes today. Quote, this bill actually got worse overnight. There is no way it passes today. We may need a couple of weeks to iron everything out, but it's not going anywhere today. He claims the there was a deal just after midnight, but then it was pulled off the table and he doesn't like the salt cap, state and local tax deduction cap. Quote, I think we're further away from a deal because that salt cap increase I think upset a lot of conservatives. We'll get to the deal. We're just not at it today. So that statement was posted then moments later, breaking news after Donald Trump posted the video AI video of himself hitting a golf ball into Bruce Springsteen's head. Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson and House Freedom Caucus have now been summoned to the White House to meet with Donald Trump at 3pm Eastern today. Trump is expected to tell the House Freedom Caucus members, I just read you their statement that the bill needs to pass today. It doesn't matter if they haven't read it. It doesn't matter that they put together these 1000 pages last night at 1am for the first time and no one even knows what the hell is in this thing other than the fact that we know that 13 million Americans are going to lose their health care and die because of this. Like let's talk about the human toll. 13 million Americans are going to lose their health care and they could die because of this, of what's in this. Medicare is on the chopping blocks. Affordable healthcare is on the chopping blocks. Medicaid is on the blocks. All of that right there is on the chopping blocks. Snap benefits is on the chopping blocks. Hurricane, horrific, horrific stuff. Donald Trump has summoned the magazine to show up at the White House to get in line and, oh, by the way, it's gonna add at least $6 trillion to the deficit. Which Donald Trump goes, no, no, I collected $7 trillion. When I went to the Middle east, they gave me 7 trillion. He's a fraud, he's a felon, he's a criminal, he's a liar. He didn't get $7 trillion. He didn't get any money. He's done zero deals in 90 days. Okay? Qatar doesn't have that amount of money. Their annual GDP is $200 billion. Where are they going to give $1.2 trillion to him? The United Arab Emirates? Entire GDP is $400 billion. They don't have that type of money. Even though Donald Trump's impressed by their gold palaces, they don't have that kind of money. Meanwhile, while Donald Trump praises authoritarians in the Middle east, people who fund Hamas and who funded the 911 hijackers, what Donald Trump does do is he praises the European Union. I mean, he had he tank. He attacks the European Union while praising these Middle east countries. So let's take a look at what the European Union is doing in response. Business travel bookings from Europe to the United States crashed by more than a quarter in April compared to the same month in 2024, a sign of the widening collapse of positive views of America under Don Trump. Trump tanks EU business travel to America. Large decreases in U.S. bookings were recorded from companies in Germany, France, the U.K. canada and Mexico. May I repeat that? 25% decrease in tourism from Europe, and it's like double that amount or maybe even triple that amount from Canada. Our tourism industry here in the United States is taking a massive blow in addition to all the other aspects of the economy Donald Trump is destroying. So you go back to the beginning of this video, no wonder Donald Trump's approval is plummeting, even among conservatives, by 14 points of a decrease. And look, if you are in Europe, if you are in Canada, if you're elsewhere, you're looking at the sick and demented and twisted and cruel things the Trump regime's doing. I reported how the Trump regime took an individual of Burmese, a Burmese national and against a federal court order, sent a Burmese national to South Sudan and violated a court injunction. And here you have Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security. This is, this is from Trump's rapid response. Their official account, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security rips Massachusetts judge for trying to return violent criminal illegals deported to South Sudan. And this is so the way they did a Brago Garcia to the concentration camp in El Salvador. They're taking Burmese individuals and sending them to South Sudan, admitting that they're doing this against the court order without due process at all. This was on Fox Business moments ago. The host on Fox News asks Donald Trump's head of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, what's going on with the trade deals? You told us there were going to be all of these deals. 90 deals in 90 days. Where? Where are they? Where are the deals? Here, play this clip.

[Kevin Hassett]

Where do we stand on trade deals?

[Maria Bartiromo]

The last we heard that we were.

[Political Analyst]

Getting close to 20 deals and we.

[Kevin Hassett]

Were promised that these deals would be announced soon. But why no announced deals yet?

[Howard Ludnick]

Well, the first, there's a lot going on in the world, as you know. And there's been a lot of focus over the last couple of days in the White House on getting the House bill through that pretty much almost the whole White House team was up working with Speaker Johnson yesterday. As you know, the president was on the Hill, but I was in the Oval yesterday with Howard Ludnick and Jameson Greer going over some of the next steps. And I'm highly confident that you'll see a handful of new deals over the next two weeks. And Lutnick and the president are still finalizing the details, but they're so close that I feel like we're very close to having some more announcements. And it's probably a handful of near term announcements.

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[Political Analyst]

There are zero deals in 90 days that are at least binding. The UK deal literally says this is not a deal. If you look at the document, this is not a binding deal is what it says. And all it did was give preferential treatment to Jaguar, Land Rover and Rolls Royce over American car manufacturers. It wasn't an actual trade deal. What we did with China was not a deal. It was a capitulation.

[Donald Trump]

We caved.

[Political Analyst]

We took 145% tariffs and then we made those 145% tariffs. 30% tariffs was a total capitulation and cave to China. It's not a deal. It's a consensus that America lost that after Donald Trump said, oh, we're going to get so rich from that. This is from this morning as well. Maria Bartiroma asks MAGA Republican Congress member Greg Murphy, why should we have wind and solar subsidies if it's not windy and sunny? Here, play this clip.

[Maria Bartiromo]

I understand nuclear, but what about wind and solar? I mean, should we really have wind and solar subsidies in this bill? What if it's, what if it's not windy? What if it's not sunny? Yeah. No, no. They're phasing them out. They're being phased out. But just for the sake of, you know, decency with the American country companies, we need to give them a glide path out. If you stop it today. Look, hundreds of thousands of jobs are lost before anything happens. They are being phased out. They are being phased out.

[Political Analyst]

Okay. And this was from moments ago as well, where Democratic Congress member Brendan Boyle, the ranking member of the Budget Committee, basically said y' all said there wasn't going to be cuts to Medicare. We're looking at this thing that you gave us at 1am There are cuts to Medicare. Play this clip.

[Brendan Boyle]

As you know, statutory paygo, which stands for pay as you go, is a law that requires tax cuts and spending increases to be offset, meaning that they do not add to the deficit. If at the end of the year congressional legislation collectively violates paygo, those deficit effects trigger across the board cuts to programs like Medicare. Does this bill trigger statutory takeover?

[Kevin Hassett]

Yes. And it's not me saying it. It is the Congressional Budget Office confirming it. As of a couple hours ago and look, this is really the breaking news because when the Budget Committee kicked off this process approximately three months ago, there was a commitment by President Trump that there would be no Medicare cuts in this piece of legislation. And indeed, over the last several months, there's been no discussion of Medicare at all. There has been of Medicaid, but not of Medicare. Well, here we are tonight because as you explained, because of the size of the deficits, because of the pay go or Pay as you go act that would trigger sequestration of Medicare and it would total over $500 billion. The official figure that CBO confirms is 535 billion in cuts to Medicare.

[Brendan Boyle]

And this bill doesn't waive statutory pay bill.

[Kevin Hassett]

No, it does not.

[Brendan Boyle]

So this will have a direct impact on Medicare and the federal budget, which is, again, I think a lot of people who are not following this as closely as you are probably are not aware of and will be surprised to learn about tomorrow.

[Political Analyst]

Chairman Hill and finally, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is here saying, look, MAGA Mike Johnson, let's debate. Let's debate this in public. Let's go in front of the people and you can try to justify this, not some 1am crap. Here, play this clip.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

So thank you for providing this opportunity for us to have this discussion, but one person is missing. Speaker Mike Johnson. Over a month ago, I asked our distinguished colleague from Louisiana, the Speaker of the House, to debate any of us, but certainly myself on the House floor about this very bill. He believes it's one big beautiful bill. We believe it's one big ugly bill that's going to hurt the American people, hurt children, hurt families, hurt veterans, hurt seniors, cut health care, cut nutritional assistance, explode the debt by a minimum of $3.8 trillion. This is being done by people who claim to be the stewards of fiscal responsibility. $3.8 trillion if not more. And so the offer still stands. I'd love to have the opportunity to debate Speaker Johnson anytime, any place. Right here at the Rules Committee. Well, certainly on the floor of the House of Representatives. Not a duel, a debate of ideas.

[Political Analyst]

Well, that's what's going on this morning, folks. We'll keep you posted throughout the day. We'll let you know what happens with that Trump meeting and the MAGA Republicans at the White House hit. Subscribe. Let's get to 5 million subscribers. Can't get enough Midas. Check out the Midas substack for ad free articles, reports, podcasts, daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski and more. More. Sign up for free [e-mail].

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[Donald Trump]

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