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Morning Zoe. Got donuts. Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage? Well I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you teach me. So Dana. Oh no, I'm not really prepared.
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I couldn't possibly at t mobile get.
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The new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system. 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 get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition. So what are we having for lunch? Dude, my work here is done. 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 PayPal taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Oaklove Speed Test Intelligence data 182025 Visit T mobile.com Donald Trump is panicking this morning as the Donald Trump government shutdown continues to blow up in his face. As we're getting more data out about who the American people are blaming by overwhelming amounts, they're blaming Donald Trump and the Republicans. A Washington Post flash poll just taken of 1010 people find that 47% blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown. 30% say Democrats in Congress. And when you go through the cross tabs say 71% of Americans say federal health insurance subsidies should be extended. And yes, by a 17% point margin the poll found more people saying Trump and Republicans are to blame. And that number right there, 71% of Americans say federal health insurance subsidies should be extended. That is basically what Democrats are entirely fighting for here. And so the more Democrats can emphasize that, I think further support will be garnered by Democrats for trying to ensure that Americans health insurance is protected. Now Donald Trump just posted this moments ago because Donald Trump's talking about inflicting pain on Americans and specifically targeting Democrats. Donald Trump goes I have a meeting today. This is what he posted. I have a meeting today with Russ Vogt, he of Project 2025 fame, to determine which of the many Democrat agencies, most of which are a political scam in he recommends to be cut and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent. I cannot believe the radical left Democrats gave me this Unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people. So maybe this is their way of wanting to quietly and quickly make America great again. President djt, he's like a cartoonish super villain. I remember, like growing up, those cartoons that I would watch. Maybe they wanted to give me all of this power to inflict pain upon them. And it's almost a parody, except this is real life, folks. And so as you look at Donald Trump's post there, as well as he goes Project 2025 fame. Russ vote. Remember when Donald Trump back during the election would say, I know Nothing about Project 2025, and all those media fact checkers would be like, donald Trump denies knowing about Project 2025. I remember like Midas Touch was fact checked once. Former Vice President Kamala Harris was fact checked. And we would say, nope, Donald Trump is implementing the Project 2025 agenda. If he wins, that's what he's going to do. And they would be like, but Donald Trump denies that he's ever even read Project 2025. Remember Donald Trump's post July 5, 2024? I could show you dozens more like this, but I'll just show you this one. I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who's behind it. I disagree with some of the things they're saying. And some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them. Can we all say it together? Donald Trump is a fraud. Donald Trump is a fraud. Now you go, donald Trump is a fraud. Donald Trump is a felon. Now you go, donald Trump is a felon. You know, I feel like this is my version of Ms. Rachel at this point as I teach my little daughter the Alphabet. It's like, Donald Trump is a horrible human being. He's bankrupted all of his companies. He's a terrible businessman or most of his companies. Donald Trump. Donald Trump. Then post this in all caps. The Democrats want to give your healthcare money to illegal aliens and open our borders to the criminals of the world. A deadly combination. Because everybody will come. Let's randomly blame illegal immigrants and transgender people and Peruvian transgender surgeries. Why? Because we don't like to actually talk about the truth. And we don't believe that government actually means that. You're supposed to reach compromises and consensus. We'll just blame immigrants. Remember when last week Donald Trump told MAGA Republicans don't even talk to Democrats yet alone negotiate? Remember when Donald Trump told Democrats, go F yourselves. When Democrats again were fighting for something that 71% of Americans say federal health insurance subsidies should be extended. I have to imagine the other 29% don't realize where their health care comes from because you're either getting your health care for Medicare, Medicaid, or likely an Affordable Care act plan. So you want to be kicked off your healthcare? Is that what you're saying? You want it to be made more expensive? Like, I saw a stat, a family that's making $85,000, if these affordable Care act subsidies are removed, will now be paying $24,000 a year for their Affordable Care act plans. How is a couple 55 years old making $85,000 supposed to pay $24,000 in health insurance? They don't. They go bankrupt, or they can't send their kids to college, or they can't do anything else other than just barely get by. And I don't know. But this is the state. This is the state of America right now. MAGA Mike Johnson held the press conference moments ago, and he was like, many of you keep asking me this morning about sombreros and memes and why Hakeem Jeffries is alarmed by that. Look, these are just the games that we play when we negotiate. This is how we roll. No, MAGA Mike, this is not how it's supposed to be done. The MAGA Mike's like. And look, you have Governor Newsom. He mocks me. Governor Newsom is mocking the behavior of Donald Trump. Governor Newsom is mocking Trump's childish behavior. We expect the president of the United States at a baseline, at a floor to. To behave like a grownup. Here's what MAGA Mike has to say, though. Play this clip.
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Many of you asked me this morning about sombreros and memes and why, why Hakeem Jeffries is all alarmed by that. But look, these are games. These are sideshows. People are getting caught up in battles over social media memes. We've got to keep the. This is not a game. We got to keep the government open for the people. I don't know why this is so complicated. And to my friend Hakeem, who I was asked about, man, just ignore it. I mean, Gavin Newsom was trolling me last night. He painted me like a minion. He painted me yellow with big glasses and overalls, and I thought it was hilarious. You don't respond to it. For all my friends, for all my friends, Rs and Ds, don't respond to it. Get to work, do the people's business, and let's get on with it. Thank you all so much.
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Then MAGA Mike Johnson has asked about the Housing and Urban Development website and all of these official government websites which are violating the Hatch act right now. And when you go to them, it's like, the radical left Democrats have deprived you of your services. That right there is straight out of authoritarianism. That right there is straight out of the stuff you'd expect from like Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy or like Saddam Hussein. Like, this is ridiculously offensive stuff that's going on government websites and it's pissing off, I think, all Americans. But here you'll see Mike Maga, Mike Johnson's like, it's objectively true. The radical left Democrats do want to give trillions of dollars of healthcare to illegal migrants. No, they don't. It's not true. Federal law prohibits it. It's literally against federal law to do that. But I do want to say this, and this is what you all have to answer for as you pretend to be Christians or whatever the hell you're pretending to be. If an individual is dying, do you give them emergency health care? Should a doctor not help somebody live? You want to see human beings die? Heck, if I'm driving and I see a dog on the side of the road who looks injured, I'm going to try to help. So all you Christians want to see people bleed out and die who are contributing to our country. I mean, honestly, how dare you? But here, let's play this for MAGA Mike Johnson. Let's play it. HUD had on its agency webpage blaming radical Democrats for this.
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Is that an appropriate use of taxpayer.
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Money being overtly political, something we haven't seen before?
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I think what the HUD website says is the objective truth that we're telling you. Right now. There are 44 Democrats in the Senate and by the way, every Democrat in the House except one who voted to shut the government down. They are the ones that made that decision. The White House, the executive branch take no pleasure in this. But when they are tasked with determining what the priorities are, obviously they're going to do. They're going to follow their principles and priorities and not the other team. That's the the results of an election that everybody voted in. Popular election in electoral college.
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Like a typical, like abuser. These people have abuser mentalities. Maga Mike's like, look, Russ Vote, author of Project 2025 he doesn't want to do this to you. You're going to make us hurt you. We don't want to hurt you, but you're going to force us to inflict pain. He's doing it reluctantly. Didn't the MAGA Republican senators the other day say that he's been waiting for this moment since puberty? Isn't that what they said? That Russ Vote waited for this moment to cut funds from Democratic cities, billions of dollars from New York City tunnels or this state's project. He's been waiting for it since puberty. What a bunch of weirdos to even make that comment. Also here, play this clip of MAGA Mike.
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They have now effectively turned off the legislative Branch, the Article 2 branch of. Or the Article 1. Sorry, the Article 1 branch of our government. And they've turned it over to the executive. Okay? So in that situation, when Congress turns off the funding and the funding runs out, it is up to the commander in Chief, the President of the United States, to determine how those resources will be spent. He has that responsibility given to him by the Democrats in the Senate. They can't complain about it and he doesn't want to do it. But in this scenario, what they have to do is make very difficult decisions. Most of the responsibility falls to Russ Vogt he is the director of the Office of Management and Budget. As you go. As you know, whomever is seated in the chair at Ombuds during a shutdown has to do the same thing. Russ does this reluctantly. We had a 45 minute telephone conference with him yesterday. He talked to all the House Republicans. He takes no pleasure in this because Russ has to sit down and decide, because he's in charge of that office, which policies, personnel and which programs are essential in which are not. That is not a fun task and he is not enjoying that responsibility. And it could end today if the Senate Democrats would come to their senses and do the right thing for the American people. But if they don't, and if they keep the government closed, it's going to get more and more painful because the resources run out and more and more things have to be reduced and eliminated. Now, when he sits down as the director of omb, he will obviously have a subjective determination on, on, on the priorities. And what do you think he would do? Because what would any OMB director do under any president? They're going to look to see for the administration's priorities first and ensure that those are funded. And so that's some, those are some very serious determinations that have to be made.
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Then you have a different tact here by MAGA Republican Congresswoman Lisa McClain of Michigan. And she's like, just sign the CR. Just sign our resolution. That's not negotiating. Here, play this clip.
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Pass the clean Republican CR bill that we already passed. I mean, it's really, really simple.
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That's it.
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Just pass it.
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I mean, is that what they think negotiating is? Just sign the document. You know what government's supposed to look like when you need the other side's votes, you don't tell them, go F yourself. When the other side is representing 71, 72% of the country who, who wants these subsidies to be extended? Maybe you talk because these people whose subsidies are expiring, they're not just in blue states and blue cities. There are actually a lot of them in red states and red cities. Probably more of them as well, and probably more of them on Medicaid in red states and red cities. So rather than say, just sign it, just sign it, sign the doc. Why don't you speak like adults, get into a room, reach a compromise like that took place under former President Biden and come up with something. But no, no, it's all gaslighting. This is why Trump's bankrupted so many of his companies before. This is not how adult leaders Behave. Then you have Kara Lyon Levitt right here. She held a mini press conference outside the White House and a reporter asked her the right question. Should ER doctors check immigration status before treating dying patients? And she's like, oh, that's not a question for me to answer. That's not, I don't know what I can do. I mean, she would like to see these people die. Like that's what they need to say. She and J.D. vance want to see them dead. Here, play this clip. Caroline. Should check racial status.
D
I'm sorry?
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Should ers check for immigration status before treating the guide patients?
D
That's probably not a question for me to answer. I think that's a question for healthcare professionals and legal experts to answer.
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I understand why I'm asking you. Because Republicans have been saying that Democrats want to give these benefits to undocumented immigrants even though it's against the law for them to get these benefits.
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Let me ask you, do you think that illegal aliens should receive Medicaid benefits? Medicaid benefits that go to the most vulnerable people in our country. That Medicaid benefits that were designed to help low income families and Americans in our country. And what the Biden administrator, but what the Biden administration.
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And here she is again, as I said, the mentality of an abuser right here where she's like, you, you, you put us in this position. Democrats should know that. They put the White House in this position to abuse them. Now we're going to abuse you. That's what they're saying. Again, these are sick, twisted, demented human beings in White House at the top by Trump. But these are sick, twisted, demented human beings. Who says that, that you want to inflict pain and harm and abuse Americans? This is the United States of America. You represent all Americans. What vile people these are here. Play this clip. Because he mentioned Russ Vogt in that.
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I think that came out about 8 o' clock this morning about cutting certain programs that they deem are not necessary. Is that real or is that a negotiating tactic?
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Oh, it's very real. And the Democrats should know that. They put the White House and the president in this position. And if they don't want further harm on their constituents back home, then they need to reopen the government. It's very simple. Pass the clean continuing resolution and all of this goes away. We would not be having these discussions here at the White House today if not for the Democrats voting to shut the government down. This is an unfortunate consequence and the president and Russ vote will be meeting on that later today.
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How much do you think?
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Just look what Senator Raphael Warnock from Georgia posted. He goes, I was sent this by a Georgian this morning. 2025 premiums versus 2026 premiums for someone making $65,000 a year. Republicans in Washington did this. And this is what I'm fighting to stop. This is what's at stake in this shutdown fight. So for this person, $307 a month was their monthly premiums in 2025 for their Anthem plan. Now, in 2026, without the subsidies, guess what? It's going to be $964 a month. Now, $964 a month times 12. Now, it's a delta of about $600 more per month. I mean, you can do the math. This person's going to have to pay, what, closer to $77,000 $8,000 more a year. They're already living paycheck to paycheck. What are they supposed to do? Oh, wait a minute. Melania wants to chime in. Melania Trump just made a post, everybody. Here's what Melania is saying here. Play this thing into the future at true Melania meme here. Play this clip. The whole world is laughing at us. Literally, the whole world is laughing. I mean, I'm just like actually laughing at us. Here's the prime minister of Albania having a good laugh with the president of Azerbaijan and French President Emmanuel Macron about Trump repeatedly claiming that he ended the war between their countries, which were not at war with each other. Here. Play this clip. You should make an apology because you.
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Didn'T congratulate us on the peace deal.
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That President Trump made between Albania. I'm sorry for that. And you worked very hard. And there you have it, folks. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Thanks for watching. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our substack@midasplus.com you'll get daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski ad.
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Episode: Trump Has Thursday Meltdown as His Shutdown Is Backfiring
Date: October 2, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
In this episode, the Meiselas brothers dive into the ongoing government shutdown, aggressively spearheaded by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and discuss how it’s backfiring politically and in public opinion. They emphasize the overwhelming public blame on Trump and detail how misinformation, scapegoating, and a lack of genuine negotiation are hurting Americans—particularly regarding health insurance subsidies. The episode intersperses serious political critique with the brothers’ signature humor and pointed banter.
[00:19]
[00:55]
"He's like a cartoonish super villain... Maybe they wanted to give me all of this power to inflict pain upon them. And it's almost a parody, except this is real life, folks." [01:25]
[02:22]
"The Democrats want to give your healthcare money to illegal aliens and open our borders..." [02:46]
"Let's randomly blame illegal immigrants and transgender people and Peruvian transgender surgeries. Why? Because we don't like to actually talk about the truth." [03:12]
[04:19]
"A family making $85,000, if these subsidies are removed, will now be paying $24,000 a year for health insurance. They go bankrupt. Or they can't send their kids to college." [04:51]
[06:45]
"These are games. These are sideshows. People are getting caught up in battles over social media memes..." [06:50]
"Gavin Newsom was trolling me last night. He painted me like a minion..." [07:13]
[07:26]
"That right there is straight out of authoritarianism... This is ridiculously offensive stuff that's going on government websites..." [07:40]
[08:50]
"All you Christians want to see people bleed out and die who are contributing to our country... honestly, how dare you?" [08:23]
[10:46]
"Like a typical, like abuser. These people have abuser mentalities. MAGA Mike's like... you're going to force us to inflict pain. He's doing it reluctantly." [10:46]
[13:28]
"Is that what they think negotiating is? Just sign the document." [13:37]
[17:08]
"They're already living paycheck to paycheck. What are they supposed to do?" [17:24]
[18:48]
"The whole world is laughing at us. Literally, the whole world is laughing." [18:51]
Ben on Project 2025 Denials:
"Can we all say it together? Donald Trump is a fraud. Donald Trump is a fraud. Now you go, Donald Trump is a fraud. Donald Trump is a felon." [01:39]
On the Health Subsidies Cut:
"You want it to be made more expensive?... That's what you're saying?" [04:00]
Ben on GOP “negotiating”:
"When you need the other side's votes, you don't tell them, go F yourself..." [13:37]
On Authoritarian Tactics:
"That right there is straight out of authoritarianism... Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy or Saddam Hussein." [07:40]
True to the MeidasTouch brand, the episode mixes deep policy dive, election-year urgency, and biting, often sarcastic, commentary. The banter is brisk, frequently punctuated by incredulity at the GOP’s behavior and genuine anger over the real-life costs of the shutdown. The hosts make earnest appeals for decency in governance, wrapping facts in their signature informal, direct, and unapologetically pro-democracy voice.
This episode offers a fast-paced, informative, and critical look at how Trump’s orchestrated government shutdown is not only faltering as a political tool but also causing concrete financial pain for Americans. The Meiselas brothers highlight the disingenuousness, propaganda, and scapegoating at the heart of GOP messaging while amplifying the voices of those most harmed by political brinksmanship.
Recommended for listeners who want a sharp, no-holds-barred breakdown of current US politics with a focus on the fight for healthcare, democracy, and truth.