The MeidasTouch Podcast — "Trump Looks Terrible and Falls Apart at WH Presser"
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
Release Date: September 11, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, the Meiselas brothers provide a sharp, critical, and at times humorous analysis of Donald Trump's recent press conference outside the White House. The discussion centers on Trump's apparent cognitive struggles, controversial statements regarding international incidents, and his inflammatory rhetoric in the wake of recent violence. They also examine new developments linking Trump more closely to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Throughout, the brothers emphasize the importance of democracy and responsible leadership.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Trump’s Disastrous White House Press Conference
[03:13–05:49]
- Concern over Trump’s Health: Host Ben describes Trump's physical and cognitive state, referencing his “cognitively glitching” behavior, drooping facial features, and slurred, incoherent answers.
- "Yeah, he looks very unwell. A weak and sickly Donald Trump just returned to Washington, D.C. where he just held a disastrous press conference outside of the White House. He was cognitively glitching. He couldn't ... understand the questions that were being asked." – Ben (03:13)
- Reference to Medical Concerns: Ben and Brett highlight speculation around Trump possibly exhibiting stroke symptoms, such as a drooping face and difficulty walking straight.
- Historical Parallels: Trump's past struggles to walk and communicate, referencing instances where he zigzagged when greeting Putin, and his regular nonsensical speech patterns.
2. Trump’s Bizarre and Incoherent Answers
[05:49–08:29]
On Russian Drones Invading Poland
- Trump initially fails to understand the question, repeating: “Can’t understand, can’t understand.”
- When he finally replies, his response is weak and non-committal:
- “Could have been a mistake. Could have been a mistake. But regardless, I'm not happy about anything having to do with that whole situation. Hopefully it's going to come to an end.” – Donald Trump (08:29)
On ISIS Killings in the Congo
- Trump repeats false claims of solving the conflict himself and resorts to vague platitudes:
- “We're going to be talking to them, as you know. We are talking to them. It’s a very violent place. … But we're going to handle it. Thank you.” – Donald Trump (06:38)
On Jair Bolsonaro’s Criminal Conviction
- Trump downplays Bolsonaro's conviction for insurrection, drawing false equivalency to his own legal issues:
- “He was a good … I thought he was a good president of Brazil. It’s very surprising that that could happen. That’s very much like they tried to do with me, but they didn’t get away with it at all.” – Donald Trump (07:43)
3. Trump’s Reaction to the Assassination of Charlie Kirk
[10:05–10:49]
- Rather than seeking to unify or calm the nation, Trump resorts to blame and inflammatory rhetoric:
- “We have a radical left group of lunatics out there, just absolute lunatics and we're going to get that problem solved. I'm only concerned for the country.” – Donald Trump (10:34)
- Host Reaction: The brothers contrast Trump’s approach with past presidents such as Obama, who focused on bringing the country together after tragedies.
4. Media and Political Responses to Violent Rhetoric
[12:43–13:08]
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) Response: Criticizes Trump and others for assigning blame without facts:
- “To assume and assert and cast blame when the FBI has failed to even apprehend the assailant is absolutely an irresponsible action.” – AOC (12:43)
- MAGA Republican Responses: The brothers highlight divisive comments from MAGA Republicans such as Markwayne Mullen and Bob Ander, who directly blame Democrats and liken their ideology to that of historical dictators.
- “Some of the American left are undoubtedly well meaning people, but their ideology is pure evil. … They literally will kill those with whom they disagree, just as their predecessor, leftist Marx and Stalin and Lenin and Pol Pot and Fidel Castro did.” – Rep. Bob Ander (13:08)
5. Breaking: Emails Linking Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell
[15:32–16:59]
- The hosts preview new revelations from thousands of Bloomberg-released emails from Epstein’s account, some referencing Trump.
- Legal Analysis: Michael Popak discusses the significance of property transactions, possible perjury by Ghislaine Maxwell, and the interconnectedness of Trump, Epstein, and others.
- “Abe Gossman is a health care magnet who owned a property that Trump bought for $41 million, but only after a heated bidding war with Epstein. … Pashkow is another real estate person that is well known to Epstein and Trump … had the photo of Donald Trump along with Epstein selling a girl for $22,000.” – Michael Popak (15:32)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Trump’s Health:
“I think you'll see some correlation there … Donald Trump struggles to walk in a straight line.” – Ben (04:30) - On Blaming Democrats:
“Trump ... trying to stoke the flames of division.” – Brett (10:05) - AOC on Irresponsible Rhetoric:
“To assume and assert and cast blame when the FBI has failed to even apprehend the assailant is absolutely an irresponsible action.” – AOC (12:43) - Extreme MAGA Rhetoric:
“They literally will kill those with whom they disagree, just as their predecessor, leftist Marx and Stalin and Lenin and Pol Pot and Fidel Castro did. We must know that.” – Rep. Bob Ander (13:08) - Epstein/Trump Connection:
“They’re afraid that the prosecutors went to Trump about that property. ... had the photo of Donald Trump along with Epstein selling a girl for $22,000.” – Michael Popak (15:32)
Key Timestamps
- 03:13: Hosts outline Trump’s apparent cognitive and physical decline.
- 05:49: Trump’s response to questions on international incidents.
- 06:38: Trump’s vague answer on the Congo violence.
- 07:43: Trump on Bolsonaro’s conviction.
- 08:29: Trump’s minimization of the Russian drone attack in Poland.
- 10:34: Trump’s inflammatory post-assassination rhetoric.
- 12:43: AOC sharply criticizes premature blame of Democrats.
- 13:08: MAGA Republicans escalate divisive language.
- 15:32: Legal analysis of Bloomberg-released Epstein emails and Trump’s linkage.
Tone and Style
The episode maintains the MeidasTouch Network’s signature blend of energetic, brotherly banter, unapologetic pro-democracy commentary, and pointed fact-based critique. Their tone is both serious and, at times, irreverent, making the coverage accessible and compelling for a broad audience.
This summary provides a thorough look at the episode's content, focusing on Trump’s White House press conference performance, inflammatory rhetoric, the political fallout, and the bombshell Epstein email revelations. For listeners who missed the episode, these highlights deliver both context and key details.