Trump Holds Disaster Presser on Deadly Floods

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: "Trump Holds Disaster Presser on Deadly Floods"
Release Date: July 7, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, hosts Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas delve into the fallout from former President Donald Trump's recent disastrous press conference concerning the deadly floods in Kerr County, Texas. Combining sharp political analysis with their signature brotherly banter, the episode provides listeners with a thorough examination of the administration's response to the catastrophe, the potential implications of eliminating FEMA, and the broader impact on national disaster preparedness.

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Trump’s Press Conference: A Critical Overview

The episode opens with the hosts highlighting Donald Trump's controversial press conference held on the tarmac in New Jersey. The conference occurred shortly after Trump's weekend golfing at Bedminster, raising questions about his priorities during a national disaster.

• Host Analysis:
  Ben critiques Trump's timing and location choice, suggesting it was insensitive given the severity of the floods. Brett adds that the lack of empathy displayed was detrimental to public trust.

Notable Quotes:

• [00:56] News Anchor: "Donald Trump just gave a disastrous press conference on the tarmac in New Jersey."
• [01:25] Donald Trump: "Well, FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they're busy working, so we'll leave it at that."

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Elimination of FEMA and Its Consequences

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Trump's refusal to rule out the elimination of FEMA amidst the ongoing disaster.

• Jordy's Insight:
  Jordy emphasizes that dismantling FEMA would severely weaken the nation's disaster response capabilities. He argues that FEMA plays a crucial role in coordinating federal aid and resources during emergencies.

Notable Quotes:

• [01:34] News Anchor: "So even after all we know, with at least 78 dead and many people still missing, he's talking about eliminating FEMA here."
• [03:09] Donald Trump: "They did not. They did. I'll tell you..."

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National Weather Service Staffing Cuts

The hosts examine Trump's comments on the National Weather Service (NWS) and the recent staffing cuts that may have crippled disaster forecasting.

• Brett’s Analysis:
  Brett points out the irony in Trump's suggestion that staffing cuts did not impact disaster preparedness, especially in light of the unexpected severity of the floods.

Notable Quotes:

• [02:07] Donald Trump: "This was the thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it."
• [13:14] Governor Abbott: "We have a special session coming up and the way to respond to like what happened in Kerrville is going to be a topic for the special session to address."

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Trade Tariffs and Policy Failures

The podcast addresses Trump's muddled responses to questions about tariff rates and his administration's promises versus actual outcomes.

• Ben’s Commentary:
  Ben criticizes Trump's inability to provide clear answers regarding tariff negotiations, highlighting a pattern of overpromising and underdelivering.

Notable Quotes:

• [04:53] Donald Trump: "They're going to be tariffs and tariffs are going to be the tariffs."
• [08:11] News Anchor: "Howard Lutnick...has to help him out and help answer some of these questions."

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Foreign Policy Missteps: Ukraine and Russia

A major segment is dedicated to Trump's foreign policy actions, particularly his handling of the Ukraine conflict and relations with Russia.

• Jordy's Perspective:
  Jordy discusses how Trump's erratic stance on Ukraine and his interactions with Putin have undermined international stability and strained U.S. alliances.

Notable Quotes:

• [11:29] Donald Trump: "I am helping Ukraine. I'm helping it a lot. It's a war that should have never happened."
• [12:19] News Anchor: "You wouldn't have had the recent showdown with Iran."

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Defense Secretary's Role and Congressional Scrutiny

The hosts analyze the role of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the recent Congressional inquiries into the Trump administration's defense strategies.

• Brett’s Insight:
  Brett highlights the inconsistency between Trump's statements and the actual outcomes of military operations, such as the ceasefire with the Houthis.

Notable Quotes:

• [18:39] Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: "We honor their commitment and their word."
• [20:25] Congressmember Moulton: "How many U.S. Flagged commercial ships have transited the Red Sea since your so-called successful operation?"

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Governor Abbott’s Response and State-Level Concerns

The podcast shifts focus to Texas Governor Greg Abbott's responses to the floods and his interactions with federal authorities regarding disaster preparedness.

• Jordy’s Analysis:
  Jordy underscores the tension between state and federal responses, emphasizing the need for effective communication and resource allocation during disasters.

Notable Quotes:

• [15:04] Governor Abbott: "It's one of the things that we spoke about when Secretary Noem was in..."
• [16:15] Governor Abbott: "We talked to the county emergency manager..."

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Media and Public Perception

The hosts critique the media's portrayal of Trump's actions and the administration's handling of disasters, accusing them of propaganda and misinformation.

• Ben’s Commentary:
  Ben argues that the media often fails to hold leaders accountable, allowing them to deflect responsibility and blame others for policy failures.

Notable Quotes:

• [07:56] News Anchor: "Howard Lutnick...has to like, even like kind of help him out and help answer some of these questions."
• [21:09] News Anchor: "And that was about like 30 days or so. I want you to make those connections to see where the lies are."

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Wrapping up the episode, the brothers reiterate the importance of holding political leaders accountable and the necessity of robust federal agencies like FEMA and the NWS for national safety and disaster response.

• Brett’s Final Take:
  Brett emphasizes that dismantling critical agencies not only hampers immediate disaster response but also erodes long-term national resilience.

Notable Quotes:

• [20:50] News Anchor: "We have responsibly put military."
• [21:05] Donald Trump: "We have responsibly put military..."

Call to Action: The episode concludes with a reminder for listeners to stay informed and engaged, encouraging them to support the MeidasTouch Network in their mission to uphold democracy and informed citizenship.

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Key Takeaways

• Leadership Accountability: The necessity for transparent and empathetic leadership during national crises.
• Federal Agency Importance: The critical role of FEMA and the National Weather Service in disaster preparedness and response.
• Policy Consistency: The discrepancies between political rhetoric and actual policy outcomes under the Trump administration.
• Media Responsibility: The need for unbiased reporting and holding public officials accountable.

By dissecting Trump's press conference and the broader implications of his administration's policies, The MeidasTouch Podcast provides listeners with an insightful analysis of current political challenges and the importance of maintaining strong institutional frameworks to support democracy and national safety.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[News Anchor]

Donald Trump just gave a disastrous press conference on the tarmac in New Jersey. As he was flying back to Washington, D.C. he spent the weekend golfing at Bedminster. A reporter asked Donald Trump if he was still planning to phase out FEMA in light of the catastrophe that has taken place in Kerr County, Texas. Donald Trump refuses to rule out eliminating fema. Here, watch this.

[Narrator]

Are you still planning to phase out fema?

[Donald Trump]

Well, FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they're busy working, so we'll leave it at that. Go ahead.

[News Anchor]

So even after all we know, with at least 78 dead and many people still missing, he's talking about eliminating FEMA here. Donald Trump also says that he does not think that the federal government needs to hire back the meteorologists in Texas and elsewhere who work at the National Weather Service who do the forecasting. Here, play this clip.

[Narrator]

In light of the floods, do you think that the federal government needs to hire back any of the meteorologists who are fired in the last few months?

[Donald Trump]

I wouldn't know that. I really wouldn't. I would think not. This was the thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people are there and they didn't see it. It's. I guess they said once in 100 years they've never seen anything like this. So I wouldn't. I mean, people are trying to blame the school, they're trying to blame the camp, they're trying to blame. It's just a horrible thing. But no, I wouldn't say that.

[News Anchor]

As Aaron Rupert says, this is the exact same talking points that Trump used after he cut disaster preparedness his first term. And then Covid hit. Then Donald Trump is asked, so are you investigating whether the cuts that you and Doge made to the federal government left key vacancies at the National Weather Service open and degraded the forecasting? And Trump's like, no, I'm really not. And then he says or tries to blame it on Biden, but then he says, don't blame it on Biden. Watch this word salad that he gives as an answer. Play this clip.

[Narrator]

Are you investigating whether some of the cuts to the federal government left key vacancies at the National Weather Service or the emergency coordination?

[Donald Trump]

They did not. They did. I'll tell you, if you look at that, that what a situation that all is. And that was really the Biden set up. That was not our setup. But I wouldn't blame Biden for it either. I would just say this is a hundred year catastrophe and it's just so horrible to watch.

[News Anchor]

As our friend Molly Jungfa says, Donald Trump has been president for 168 days and he can't take accountability for anything. Just like Covid, like a miracle, it's all going to go away next day. Reporter asked Donald Trump, so what do you say to people like Democrats who are blaming you for the federal cuts that you made in Texas? Trump refuses to even answer and engage with the question here. Play this clip.

[Narrator]

For the jets over in Texas.

[News Anchor]

I think that's a question that you should have to answer. Just he's not going to answer the question. So then shifting gears, reporters start asking Donald Trump about the tariff rates, right? The Trump regime promised 90 deals in 90 days. That deadline is July 9th. There's really been no deals made. So when Donald Trump's asked this question, he has no clue what's even going on, right? He's like, huh, tariffs. What are you talking about? Tariffs? And then the reporter says, the tariff rates, the deadlines, what are you doing? Watch Donald Trump's response. Let's play it.

[Narrator]

Mr. President, do the tariff rates change at all on July 9th or do they change on August 1st?

[Donald Trump]

What are you talking about?

[Narrator]

Tariff rates, do they change on July 9th or August 1st?

[Donald Trump]

They're going to be tariffs and tariffs are going to be the tariffs. I think we'll have most countries done by July 9, either a letter or a deal, but they go into effect on August 1st. Tariffs go into effect August 1st, but the President is setting the rates and the deals right now.

[News Anchor]

And you notice how Howard Lutnick, who I call Nutlik, has to like, even like kind of help him out and help answer some of these questions. Donald Trump is next asked about his phone call with Putin. And we all know because Putin's announced in Russia what he said in Russian tv. Their state regime media has published it. Russia says it's continuing its, quote, special operation against Ukraine and will not stop until Ukraine is obliterated or destroyed. And Putin said that he talked to Donald Trump about making movies and musicals together as part of bringing the US And Russia closer together culturally. That's what they put out on Russian tv. And here Donald Trump's like, oh, I was just very disappointed in my call. All right, you're disappointed. Do something about it. What are you going to do about it? Here, play this clip.

[Donald Trump]

You said you had a strategic call with Zelensky the other day. What strategy did you. That was a good call. He's being hit very hard, as I said he would. He's being hit very hard. And I was very disappointed with my call with President Putin. I was very disappointed.

[News Anchor]

And next, Donald Trump's asked, so are you going to visit Texas? I mean, he was spending the weekend golfing while this was taking place. Trump was golfing at Bedminster. So are you planning to visit Texas? And Trump's like, maybe next Friday. Maybe next Friday. I'll go here, play this clip.

[Donald Trump]

Texas, Mr. President, probably on Friday. We wanted to leave a little time. I would have done it today, but we'd just be in their way. Probably Friday.

[News Anchor]

Next, Donald Trump is asked if he was briefed about the ship that was hit by the Houthis in the Red Sea earlier in the day. Remember, Donald Trump and Pete Hegsett said, oh, they negotiated this powerful ceasefire with the Houthis. And Houthis are Iranian in an Iranian backed group, you know. And so the Houthis struck a cargo ship in the Red Sea and Donald Trump pretty much has no clue what the question's even about. He's like, we'll give you a report tonight or tomorrow. I bet you Trump had no clue that that even took place. Here, watch this.

[Narrator]

Have you been briefed on the ship that was hit in the Red Sea? Do you know if the Houthis attacked that ship today?

[Donald Trump]

We'll give you a report sometime tonight or tomorrow.

[News Anchor]

Next you have Howard Nutlik Lutnick say, look, the President's right about everything. In the midst of disgusting all sorts of deals with all sorts of countries, he's doing the greatest. All sorts of deals with all sorts of countries. Just the propaganda here is just ridiculous. This is just embarrassing to watch, isn't it here. Let's play it.

[Narrator]

Are you expecting any deals to be signed this week and what countries are closest to that?

[Donald Trump]

Well, the President is right in the midst of discussing all sorts of deals with all sorts of countries. And the gentleman to my right is going to decide and I'm going to be with him when he makes that decision.

[News Anchor]

Next, a reporter asks Donald Trump about Elon Musk starting a new political party called the American Party. And then Donald Trump's like, oh, it's ridiculous and I think it's such a bad idea.

[Donald Trump]

Watch this reaction to Elon Musk starting a third party. I think it's ridiculous. Start a third party. We have a tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it's always been a two party system. And I think starting a third party just adds to confusion. It really seems to have been developed for two parties. Third parties have never worked. So he can have fun with it, but I think it's ridiculous.

[News Anchor]

Donald Trump is asked about the stadium for the Washington football team, the Washington Commanders. And then Donald Trump is upset that they change their name from a slur and involving Native Americans to their current name. And that's what he wanted to talk about. Not even really answer the question. Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

D.C. city Council has not approved a new stadium for the Commanders. If they don't approve it, will you step in? Well, we see what happens. I've been looking at the deal and you know, I don't blame them. They have to. It's a very important piece of property. It's a great piece of property. So we'll see. But if I can help them out, I will. Ultimately, we control that. The federal government ultimately controls it. So we'll see what happens. I saw the plans. I saw the stadium. The owner's very, very successful and a very good man. I know a little bit. And it would be a great place for the NFL to be there, I can tell you that. So if they want to negotiate a little tough, that's okay with me. The Commanders change the name back to Redskins. Well, you want me to make a controversial statement. I would, I wouldn't have changed the name, but that's there. It just doesn't have the same, it doesn't have the same ring to me. But you know, winning can make everything sound good. So if they win, all of a sudden the commander sounds good, but I wouldn't have changed the name.

[News Anchor]

And next day reporter asked Donald Trump, why not help Ukraine the same way you're helping Israel? Why don't you do that? And then Donald Trump starts lying and we are helping Ukraine. You're actually not. You've pulled out a lot of weapons that were. You stopped giving them the weapons that were approved by Congress. And you didn't even give them or our European allies or anybody in the G7 or NATO a heads up that this was actually going to happen. But notice that Donald Trump doesn't really answer the question. He's like, I do, but the elections are rigged and the war wouldn't even have happened if it wasn't for me. Going back to Molly Jungfest post, we're in day 168. You promised you would bring peace to Ukraine in less than 24 hours. And now you're out there saying you were just being sarcastic when you said that and you were joking and that you didn't really mean you can bring peace. It's day 168 and things are getting worse. And Putin just called you and said he ain't ever agreeing to a cease fire. He said he's going to continue that special operation, as he calls it, until Ukraine is destroyed. And what are you doing? What are you doing here? Play this clip.

[Narrator]

Why not help Ukraine the same way you help Israel?

[Donald Trump]

I am helping Ukraine. I'm helping it a lot. And it's a war that should have never happened. It's a war that should have never started. If I were president, if the election weren't rigged and it was rigged, rigged so badly and that's come out. Read Miranda Devine in the New York Post today. The election was totally rigged. And if it weren't, Rick, you wouldn't have a war with Russia right now and you wouldn't have had inflation and you wouldn't have had the horrible Afghanistan. The way they left, not that they left, we would have been out before them, but the way they left, I think the most embarrassing day in the history of our country, you wouldn't have had the October horror show with Israel and Hamas. You wouldn't have had any of it. You wouldn't have had the recent showdown with Iran. You wouldn't have had any of it. And you wouldn't have had inflation.

[News Anchor]

Now, while Donald Trump was giving that press conference slightly earlier in the day, you had the Texas state officials giving a press conference. And I think there are some very important points to make here as well. One of the things that Governor Abbott, and he's there with some of the local police officials as well that they're saying is that while they were aware that there could be flash floods potentially taking they were not aware that the storm would have ever been this bad that caught them by surprise. My question is, is one of the reason that caught you by surprise was because the main meteorologist coordinator for the National Weather Service who worked in this area that covered Kerrville and Kerr county was forced out by dosh. Here, listen to what Governor Abbott says of Texas. Play this clip.

[Narrator]

You talked what you just said kind of about expertise, about just knowing the area. And that extends also to the National Weather Service folks who are in those offices and have years and years of experience. There are currently six vacancies in the local National Weather Service office of COVID Kerr County. How what is your perspective on how that could have impacted the warnings that you all were able to get and how accurate the information you all were able to get?

[Governor Abbott]

So I know nothing about the staffing. What I do know is what they put out. And it's my understanding that what they put out was kind of the information that the state was operating off of and that is that there were alerts or warnings about heavy rain potential for flash flooding in certain areas. A problem with that is that to most people in the area, flash flooding would mean one thing, not what it turned out to be because they deal with flash floods all the time. Just like I put people on notice in these regions of Texas right now, there's the potential for flash flooding, but there's no expectation of a water wall of almost 30ft high.

[News Anchor]

Next, Governor Abbott is asked, so are you talking to Kristi Noem and the Trump regime because they apparently want to eliminate fema. They want to eliminate resources for meteorologists and weather forecasting. Are you talking to them about this? Because this seems to be hurting state and the rest of the country. And here Governor Abbott says that's one of the things we're talking about. Okay, here, play this clip.

[Narrator]

Governor Abbott on that topic, we know that these alerts can be life saving at times. And a lot of times these forecasters get their information from the National Weather Service. Are you communicating with your federal partners on how critical funding is for the National Weather Service in order to issue alerts like this and this disaster?

[Governor Abbott]

It's one of the things that we spoke about when Secretary Noem was in and this is part of ongoing conversations. And I'll add this, as you all probably know, we have a special session coming up and the way to respond to like what happened in Kerrville is going to be a topic for the special session to address.

[News Anchor]

And next a reporter asks Governor Abbott did anybody get a warning to the people in the camps outside of just the automated system? Like was there anything other than just an alert that there could be flash floods to actually get in touch with people and you'll see that the official just kind of punts the question and says you probably want to just ask the county emergency management people. Here, watch this.

[Donald Trump]

Do you know if anyone tripped you have warning to people at the cams.

[News Anchor]

Outside of the automated disaster system?

[Governor Abbott]

I missed the first part of the question.

[Donald Trump]

Did anyone try to get warning to.

[News Anchor]

The people at the cams outside of automated systems?

[Governor Abbott]

So I'm not sure that I understand the question. I mean does somebody go door to door and knock on the doors or. Yeah, we're just wondering if there need.

[Donald Trump]

Any official outreach in the area.

[Governor Abbott]

You know we talked to the county emergency manager when we were there the first day and the county does have a plan for that county and the 18 or so camps that are in that county. Probably really good to ask them that question. Let them give you that answer. It's a good question. Thank you.

[News Anchor]

Now one of the things that you should all know about disaster responses in situations like this, it's not just the state pre positioning their resources. What would normally happen in a situation like this is the National Weather Service would make their forecast and then immediately FEMA and the feds would work side by side in a joint task force with the state and the feds would really assume leadership and responsibility. You don't just throw it on the state because the states are not equipped. Even a state as big as Texas or California, they're not equipped to handle these things. It's really the feds that lead the way and bring their resources to bear and help with evacuations and doing all of that. And it doesn't seem to be anything that happened here because the whole view of the Trump regime is this should be the, this should be what the states do and FEMA should be eliminated. And let's gut the noaa, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service which is under what Project 2025 called for. And we were warning about to eliminate the noaa, NOAA and the nws, the National Weather Service, just so you see more about what's happening in the Red Sea. A Red Sea ship was hit by waves of attacks as the Houthis are escalating. Here's how the Telegraph reports it. Houthis set ship on fire with drone boat attack in the Red Sea. Iran backed militia continues wave of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz Despite Washington ceasefire, you can see the here that is on fire. And I just want to remind you because I got to get receipts for all of these things. So we make the connections here together. Right? Back in early May, remember, Donald Trump held a press conference where he announced a ceasefire with the Houthis and applauded their bravery and how great they are. And he's so impressed by the Houthis and that nothing's ever going to happen again. And we'll be able to get our ships inside and outside of the Red Sea. And remember, Donald Trump declared mission accomplished in May here, just so you can remember, this is what Trump said in May, because it's important we make these connections together. Here, play this clip.

[Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth]

We had a very good outcome with the Houthis and we honor their word. They made a commitment and we dealt with other countries that were close to them and their surrogates and we honor all of their words. We'll see what happens. But I think, you know, I, I believe that hopefully that's over with and they leave the ships alone. You know, just leave those ships alone. But so we do we take their word for it. It was, you know, we hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment. They took tremendous punishment. And, you know, you could say there's a lot of bravery there, that it was amazing what, what they took. But we honor their commitment and their word. They gave us their word that they wouldn't be shooting ships anymore. And we honor that.

[News Anchor]

Okay. And then do you remember in the last 30 days or so, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, former Weekend Fox host, was testifying and Democratic Congress member Moulton was cross examining Hegseth about what we did to the Houthis and the strike that the United States made on the Houthis followed by the ceasefire. Because even about 30 days ago, we knew that ships were not going in and out of the Red Sea, which was the whole point of the operation. So why would we claim that there was a successful operation if the objectives were not achieved? Right. The same thing in Iran, where it does not seem to have eliminated the nuclear facilities in any meaningful sense. But here's what Congressmember Moulton Cross examined. Hegsethan, here, play this clip.

[Congressmember Moulton]

You talked about the success of the Houthi operation, about how much money did it cost? How much money did you spend on missiles shooting at the Houthis?

[Donald Trump]

Well, you'd have to compare that with what it cost.

[Congressmember Moulton]

Is asking how many, how much did.

[News Anchor]

It convert our shipping lanes around?

[Congressmember Moulton]

I'm told it's several hundred million dollars, maybe close to a billion dollars. How many U. S Flagged commercial ships have transited the red sea since your so called successful operation? Well, thankfully, unlike the previous administration, the answer is zero.

[News Anchor]

Military vessels transit.

[Congressmember Moulton]

No, no, I didn't ask military vessels. Which would be the commercials or four? How many commercial vessels? It's been several weeks. How many commercial commercial vessels US flagged have you, Mr.

[News Anchor]

Congressman, put civilianships?

[Congressmember Moulton]

The questions are not to me, military secretary, they're to you.

[Donald Trump]

We have responsibly put military.

[Congressmember Moulton]

The answer is zero. I reclaim my time.

[News Anchor]

And that was about like 30 days or so. I want you to make those connections to see where the lies are. So again, you can judge for yourself. I always think it's important when I talk about these things just to bring out the receipts to make the connections here. Oh, they lied here, they lied here. And you could judge for yourself and form your own opinions, but I think it's pretty clear what's going on here. Anyway, hit subscribe, help us get to 6 million. And thanks so much for watching. Can't get enough Midas. Check out the Midas plus substack for ad free articles, reports, podcasts, daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski and more. Sign up for free [e-mail].