Podcast Summary: MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Trump Has Nightmare Morning and Thinks About Dying

Date: August 19, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas (MeidasTouch Network)

Overview

This episode dives into Donald Trump's chaotic morning, focusing on his controversial interview with Fox News, where he makes several bizarre statements about his standing with Vladimir Putin, nuclear diplomacy, and even his hopes of going to heaven. The Meiselas brothers provide commentary and fact-checking, exposing the implications of Trump’s remarks for U.S. foreign relations and democracy. The episode is laced with the brothers’ usual mix of comedic banter and passionate political analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mass Protests in Tel Aviv & Lack of U.S. Media Coverage

• [01:38] Ben draws attention to massive protests in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu and the Gaza conflict, highlighting how corporate media in the U.S. isn't covering these events, but MeidasTouch is.

2. Trump's "Nightmare Morning" & Bizarre Fox News Interview

• The episode centers on Trump's increasingly erratic behavior, specifically an explosive interview with Fox where he:
  • Reflects on his legacy, expressing concern about his "place in heaven."
  • Discusses his relationship with Vladimir Putin, choosing not to "disrespect" him in front of European leaders.
  • Claims credit for preventing nuclear war between India and Pakistan.
  • Shifts blame for the Ukraine conflict onto Ukraine itself.

Notable Quotes:

• Trump on Heaven and ‘Deals’:

  "I want to try and get to heaven if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I really am at the bottom of the totem pole...If I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons. Well, I think I saved a lot of lives with India, Pakistan. They were going at it, the planes were being shot down."
  — Donald Trump, [03:34]

• Trump on Picking Up Putin’s Call:

  "I thought that would be disrespectful to President Putin. You know, I wouldn't do that because they have not had the warmest relations."
  — Donald Trump, [04:28]

• Ben’s Analysis:

  "Maybe you're low on the totem pole because of your and Epstein's connections... and the fact that you have been found liable for sexual assault and the fact that you're a convicted felon and the fact that you're an overall awful human being."
  — Ben Meiselas, [03:17]

3. Trump’s Cozy Relationship with Putin & NATO Undermining

• [05:08]–[06:40] Trump boasts about his 'warmth' with Putin (“there's a decent feeling”) and reiterates the conspiracy theory that the Russia investigation hurt the country.
• He explicitly denigrates NATO and the idea of Ukraine joining it, claiming, “It can’t be NATO... If you were Russia, who would want to have your enemy sitting on your line?”

Notable Quotes:

• Trump on NATO and Ukraine:

  "It can't be Naito because that was a, that's just not something that would ever, ever happen... So it was always thought that Ukraine was sort of a buffer between Russia and the rest of Europe."
  — Donald Trump, [12:42]

4. Attempts to Blame Ukraine for Russian Invasion

• Trump blames Ukraine for being invaded, saying, “You don't take on a nation that's 10 times your size,” and misstates the Donbass situation (“79% owned and controlled by Russia”).

Notable Quotes:

• Trump on Ukraine:

  "Russia is a powerful military nation... It's not a war that should have been started. You don't do that. You don't take on a nation that's 10 times your size."
  — Donald Trump, [07:02]

5. Distracting Celebrity Gossip and Fox Flattery

• A surreal detour as Trump comments on Fox’s Ainsley Earhardt’s relationship with Sean Hannity, awkwardly joking about their romance on air:

  "There's a guy named Sean Hannity. He might take a very lovely young lady that he knows very, very well to D.C... I hope I'm not breaking any news."
  — Donald Trump, [08:45]

• Even Fox appears uncomfortable and abruptly ends the segment.

• Memorable Closing by Fox:

  "We want to thank you so much for joining us this morning. We know that you have lots of other wars around the world that you need to end and that's more important than anything."
  — Fox News Interviewer, [13:56]

6. Trump’s Anti-Windmill Rant

• During the interview Trump posts on social media about “stupid and ugly windmills” killing New Jersey, calling for them to be stopped:

  "Stop the windmills. Exclamation point. Stop the windmills."
  — Ben paraphrasing Trump, [13:25]

7. Broader Foreign Policy Consequences

• Discussion of how Trump’s actions undermine intelligence agencies and U.S. alliances.
• Reference to a Foreign Policy article, "When the Threat is Inside the White House," about CIA insiders’ fears of MAGA infiltration.
• Impact of Trump’s trade policies, including expanded tariffs on consumer goods such as baby gear and motorcycles.

Notable Quotes:

• Ben on Trump’s Tariffs:

  "Trump widens metal tariffs to target baby gear and motorcycles, making things more expensive for you. All things I still haven't seen from Donald Trump: Ending Russia's war on Ukraine... End of inflation. He's made things worse there; replacement of Obamacare."
  — Ben Meiselas, [17:10]

8. Waning Public Support & Tech Bubble Fears

• Ben highlights that only 31% of Americans now view tariffs positively.
• Bloomberg reporting on fears that a tech bubble might be forming, similar to the late 1990s.

9. Shift in Global Alliances

• India and China’s closer relations, with U.S. tech companies like Apple ramping up operations in India—contrary to Trump's promises to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Trump on Negotiating for Heaven:
  [03:34] Donald Trump: "I want to try and get to heaven if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I really am at the bottom of the totem pole...If I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons."

• On Putin and European Leaders:
  [04:28] Donald Trump: "I thought that would be disrespectful to President Putin. You know, I wouldn't do that because they have not had the warmest relations."

• Blaming Ukraine:
  [07:02] Donald Trump: "It's not a war that should have been started. You don't do that. You don't take on a nation that's 10 times your size."

• On Hannity and Earhardt:
  [08:45] Donald Trump: "There's a guy named Sean Hannity. He might take a very lovely young lady that he knows very, very well to DC...I hope I'm not breaking any news."

• Fox’s Sarcastic Send-off:
  [13:56] Fox News Interviewer: "We know that you have lots of other wars around the world that you need to end and that's more important than anything."

• Undermining NATO:
  [12:42] Donald Trump: "It can't be Naito... that's just not something that would ever, ever happen."

Important Segments (Timestamps)

• [01:38] – Mass protests in Tel Aviv and global context
• [03:34] – Trump’s heaven comments and foreign policy brags
• [04:28] – Trump describes his call with Putin
• [07:02] – Trump blames Ukraine for its own invasion
• [08:45] – Trump awkwardly discusses Fox hosts' personal lives
• [13:25] – Trump’s anti-windmill social post
• [13:56] – Fox News abruptly ends interview with awkward sarcasm
• [17:10] – Ben’s recap of Trump’s failed promises, tariffs, and facts

Tone and Style

The brothers’ tone alternates between incredulity, satire, and passionate advocacy for democracy. They combine forceful debunking and mockery of Trump’s statements, with contextual analysis about their implications for American credibility and policy.

Conclusion

This episode is a showcase of how the Meiselas brothers blend humor, exasperation, and detailed fact-checking to break down what they view as Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior, the normalization of absurdity by media outlets like Fox, and the dangerous shift it causes in U.S. democracy and global alliances. The podcast punctuates serious analysis with memorable sound bites, ensuring listeners are both informed and entertained.