The MeidasTouch Podcast: "Trump Has Disaster Wednesday as He Rushes Back to DC"

Date: September 24, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

Episode Overview

This episode tackles "Disaster Wednesday" for Donald Trump as he returns to Washington, D.C. after a widely-panned United Nations speech. The Meiselas brothers use their signature mix of humor, incisive political commentary, and deep concern for American democracy to break down a wild news cycle—covering Trump’s public embarrassments, U.S. economic anxieties, Argentina’s bailout controversy, right-wing misinformation, and the latest political spectacle engulfing MAGA leadership. The episode also lampoons the media’s coverage and the right-wing spin machine, while touching upon urgent economic and immigration headlines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump Returns to D.C. Amid Public Embarrassment

[02:23 – 04:30]

• Trump lands in Washington to find a provocatively-placed bronze statue titled "Best Friends Forever" showing him holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein on the National Mall.
• The statue is part of an "honor of Friendship Month" stunt, lampooning Trump’s associations and referencing a birthday card Trump allegedly sent Epstein.
  • Quote (Host, 02:28):

    "It's an honor of Friendship Month. It says we celebrate the long lasting bond between Donald Trump and his closest friend, Jeffrey Epstein."

• The hosts detail media reactions, contrasting sensational UK headlines like "Deranged" (Daily Mirror) with more mundane American coverage focused on economic issues.

2. Economic Warnings Ignored by Mainstream Media

[04:30 – 07:10]

• The brothers highlight overlooked economic red flags:
  • Utility bills have spiked by 77% since 2020, countering Trump’s claims of "destroying inflation."
  • Construction payroll growth is stalling, hinting at early recession signs similar to 2001.
  • Nevada’s employment growth has turned negative, a historical recession indicator.
  • U.S. soybean exports to China are at zero, with China now buying from Brazil and Argentina, partly due to ongoing trade wars.
  • The hosts argue that these realities undercut MAGA economic messaging and reveal "America First" inconsistencies.
  • Quote (Host, 07:09):

    "More data points: US soybean harvest ... began without a single order, not one, from China, the world’s largest buyer ... China ain't buying anything, but they're focused on getting their soybeans now from Brazil, who Donald Trump's attacking."

3. Argentina Bailout and MAGA Hypocrisy

[07:10 – 11:28]

• Trump’s controversial push to bail out Argentina’s far-right president Javier Milei is dissected.
  • The U.S. plans to lend $20 billion to shore up Milei—benefitting both Argentina’s right-wing and MAGA-aligned investors.
  • This comes even as Trump-gutting of American healthcare, welfare, and education programs is ramping up.
  • The hypocrisy of Trump’s "America First" slogan is exposed.
  • Quote (Host, 08:20):

    "That’s one of the reasons that Trump wants to bail them out, to bail out the idiotic MAGA investors who would be harmed. ... But oh, when it comes to student debt, when it comes to American healthcare, ... those are the people who get screwed."

  • Relevant audio clip played at [09:13]:
    U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant insists support for Milei is justified, despite market jitters.

4. Right-wing Media Propaganda and Trump Myth-making

[11:28 – 14:51]

• U.S. Ambassador to the UN and Energy Secretary Chris Wright push right-wing talking points:
  • Calls for Trump to receive a Nobel Peace Prize and even a "Climate Hero Award" for anti-climate policies.
  • Quote (Chris Wright, 12:23):

    "I predict in a few years, President Trump will win the Climate Hero Award because his policies ... pro natural gas and pro nuclear, those are the only two needle movers we have today to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

  • The hosts deride these moves as farcical and divorced from reality.

5. Disinformation & Polarization After ICE Detention Center Shooting

[12:43 – 14:51]

• The hosts stress the need for facts after a shooting at a Dallas ICE detention center, cautioning against right-wing media’s rush to frame it as “leftist” violence.
  • Early evidence suggests a detainee was targeted—not agents.
  • The Meiselas team notes a recurring pattern: any time the perpetrator is a white man, right-wing outlets flood the air with disinformation.
  • Quote (Host, 13:36):

    "The narrative started right away. All the right wing, this is leftist, this is left...all the same thing they do every time with these things when it’s a white guy."

• Tom Homan’s $50,000 cash payment scandal gets referenced, with his blustery legal threats and defensive rhetoric lampooned.
  • Quote (Tom Homan, 14:51):

    "Like as Justice Department said, I did nothing criminal, I did nothing illegal, I did nothing wrong. ... I’m done with it. They can attack me all they want, but we're gonna take action."

6. Trivial Media Spectacle: Escalators and Teleprompters

[16:19 – 17:33]

• Fox News hosts air grievances about supposed "sabotage" of Trump’s White House visit—including a stalled escalator and broken teleprompter.
• The hosts reveal these malfunctions were caused by Trump’s own staff, not "deep state" actors.
  • Quote (Podcast Host, 16:57):

    "I mean, you had the teleprompter go down, you had the escalator stop. Katie Pavlich said … when the president started talking, the volume went down significantly."

• The episode closes with continued mockery of Trump’s anti-climate, anti-green-energy rhetoric and the media enabling it.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Trump-Epstein Statue Photo-op:
  "We celebrate the long lasting bond between Donald Trump and his closest friend, Jeffrey Epstein." (Host, 02:28)
• America First Hypocrisy on Display:
  "That’s what America first means … bailing out Argentina first and let’s call that America first." (Host, 08:22)
• Climate Nonsense:
  "I predict in a few years, President Trump will win the Climate Hero Award..." (Chris Wright, 12:23)
• Right-Wing Misinformation Exposed:
  "The narrative started right away. All the right wing, this is leftist ... all the same thing they do every time with these things when it’s a white guy." (Host, 13:36)
• Media Spectacle Debunked:
  "You had the teleprompter go down, you had the escalator stop...when the president started talking, the volume went down significantly." (Host, 16:57)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Content Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:23 | Trump returns to D.C. and is greeted by protest statue | | 04:30 | Economic data and inflation realities | | 07:10 | U.S.-Argentina bailout controversy explained | | 09:13 | U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant audio | | 11:28 | Calls for Trump Nobel Prize and "climate hero" status | | 12:43 | Reporting on ICE detention center shooting | | 14:51 | Tom Homan addresses FBI cash payment scandal | | 16:19 | Fox News hosts blame "sabotage" for Trump's bad optics |

Tone & Style

True to the MeidasTouch brand, the episode blends sharp, researched political critique with biting, often irreverent humor. The brothers’ dynamic keeps the material accessible, balancing outrage with comic relief while maintaining a clear, unapologetic stance defending democracy and exposing right-wing spin.

For First-Time Listeners

Even if you missed the episode, this summary captures the episode’s relentless energy, its step-by-step unpacking of political spin, economic news, and the spectacle of Trump-related chaos—always with an eye toward calling out hypocrisy and uplifting democratic values.