Trump Loses Control in Awful Presser in Oval Office

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Trump Loses Control in Awful Presser in Oval Office
Date: October 16, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

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Episode Overview

This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast centers on the fallout from Donald Trump’s widely criticized press conference held in the Oval Office. Following a series of controversial and erratic statements made by Trump, the Meiselas brothers break down key moments from the event, contextualize Trump’s comments, and analyze the implications for American democracy and politics. Their trademark blend of incisive criticism, humor, and deep concern for democratic norms shapes their dissection of what they label a “disastrous” performance.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Trump’s Comments on Race and Chicago

• [01:01] Trump claimed there are “lots of black women walking around in MAGA hats” in Chicago, generating immediate backlash and ridicule from commentators.
• The brothers and guest political commentator highlight the absurdity and disconnect in Trump's characterization, noting it as typical of his racially charged rhetoric.

“He said all these black women love him in their MAGA hats and that's what you see in Chicago. Now here, play this clip.” – Political Commentator, [01:01]

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2. Handling of Venezuelan Boats and Drug Trafficking

• [01:24-03:43] Trump responded to reporters’ questions about stopping Venezuelan boats, suggesting missile strikes instead of Coast Guard interdiction.
• He dismissed legal and ethical considerations regarding the use of lethal force without identification, raising concerns about potential war crimes and international law violations.

Quote:

“They have faster boats... But they're not faster than missiles.” – Donald Trump, [01:38]
“Why are we killing them? Isn't that against international law? Isn't that a war crime?” – Political Commentator, [02:20]

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3. The State of the Oval Office and White House Aesthetics

• [04:21] Trump boasted about renovations to the White House, calling the Oval Office “beautiful,” while commentators compared the decor to “a grotesque golden bordella.”
• The brothers interpret Trump’s focus on aesthetics as a distraction from critical governance issues.

Quote:

“Watch this beautiful Oval Office. The never looked so nice... We're getting tremendous reviews and we appreciate it.” – Donald Trump, [04:21]
“It actually looks like a grotesque golden bordella. Looks so anti American.” – Political Commentator, [03:43]

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4. Praising Stephen Miller

• [04:54] Trump praised close advisor Stephen Miller in a bizarre, effusive fashion, prompting discomfort among observers.

Quote:

“I'd love to have him come up and explain his true feelings, but maybe not his truest feelings. That might be going a little bit too far.” – Donald Trump, [04:54]

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5. Aspirations for Reviving Cities (San Francisco Focus)

• [05:51] Trump claimed he could “fix” San Francisco, suggesting that the city was once great but had become a “mess.” The hosts counter, noting actual improvement and dismissing Trump's assertions.

Quote:

“I'm going to be strongly recommending, at the request of government officials, which is always nice, that you start looking at San Francisco. I think we can make San Francisco... There's one of our great cities 10 years ago, 15 years ago, now it's a mess.” – Donald Trump, [05:51]

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6. Election Denial and Claims about Georgia

• [06:25-06:54] Trump repeated falsehoods about winning Georgia multiple times, continuing his familiar pattern of election denial.
• The hosts highlight the incoherence and dangerous repetition of disproven claims.

Quote:

“By the way, you won Georgia Theater three times. Do you agree with me... I know, I want to.” – Donald Trump, [06:54]

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7. Willingness to Use Military Force Against Cartels & On Foreign Land

• [07:11-07:49] Trump was evasive but hinted at considering land-based military strikes against alleged cartel members.
• He responded ambiguously to whether the CIA had authority to “take out” Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Quote:

“Well, I don't want to tell you exactly, but we are certainly looking at land now... we've got the sea very well under control.” – Donald Trump, [07:28]
“Oh, I don't want to answer a question like that. That's a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn't it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?” – Donald Trump, [07:51]

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8. Bizarre Comments about Nuclear War, Pakistan, and Iran

• [08:30-09:15] Trump narrated a questionable anecdote about threatening 200% tariffs to stop a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and Iran.
• The hosts note the implausibility and surreal quality of the claim.

Quote:

“I said, here's the deal. You go to war, I'm going to put a 200% tariff. I'm going to stop you from doing any business in the United States. I said it to both of them. Within 24 hours, the war ended. That would have been a nuclear war.” – Donald Trump, [08:30]

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9. Attacks on U.S. Prosecutors and Political Opponents

• [11:52-13:29] Trump accused special prosecutor Jack Smith and others of being “criminal,” called for investigations into various perceived enemies, and repeated rhetoric about “political crime.”
• He asserted that “zero people” were entering the country illegally, contradicting widely reported border statistics.

Quote:

“Jack Smith, in my opinion, is a criminal... If we don't have fair elections in this country, we're not going to have a country. And I've said it from the beginning, fair elections and border borders. And we need also fair press...” – Donald Trump, [11:55]

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10. U.S.-China Trade Relations & Shutdown Blame

• [13:34-14:08] Trump insisted that the U.S. is already in a trade war with China and justified the use of tariffs as necessary defense.
• He blamed Democrats, particularly Senator Chuck Schumer, for the ongoing government shutdown, launching personal attacks on Schumer’s intelligence.

Quote:

“This is a Democrat Schumer shutdown. And he's trying to do it to get relevance back into the party because he's a loser. I've known him all his life.” – Donald Trump, [14:30]

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11. Threatening to Withdraw World Cup Hosting from Boston

• [15:16-16:16] Trump claimed his administration might move World Cup matches away from Boston due to dissatisfaction with the city government, also alluding to hypothetical moves for the Olympics.

Quote:

“Would we think about taking the World cup away from Boston if they don't straighten it out? The answer is yes, we have the right to do that with FIFA.” – Donald Trump, [15:18]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On missile attacks vs. law enforcement:
  “They have faster boats. But they're not faster than missiles.” – Donald Trump, [01:38]

• On San Francisco’s revival:
  “I think we can make San Francisco like it was 15 years ago. First of. What the hell are you talking about?” – Political Commentator, [05:24]

• On government shutdown blame:
  “He’s always been sort of a loser, but an intelligent one. But I think he’s losing IQ points with time.” – Donald Trump, [14:30]

• On accusations against prosecutors and rivals:
  “Jack Smith, in my opinion, is a criminal.” – Donald Trump, [11:55]

• On bizarre claims of U.S. border enforcement:
  “Zero people came in illegally. Now, we do take people into our country legally... But zero people.” – Donald Trump, [11:55]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Trump’s Chicago & MAGA hats claim – [01:01]
• Missile strikes on Venezuelan boats – [01:38]
• Oval Office gold/grotesque decor discussion – [03:43]/[04:21]
• Stephen Miller shout-out – [04:54]
• San Francisco “revival” comments – [05:51]
• Georgia, election denial – [06:54]
• Military strikes on cartels – [07:11]
• CIA/Maduro assassination dodging – [07:51]
• Pakistan/Iran/nuclear war anecdote – [08:30]
• Attacks on Jack Smith, Weissman, Schiff – [11:55]
• China tariffs & trade war – [13:43]
• Shutdown blame on Schumer – [14:30]
• World Cup threats to Boston – [15:18]

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Tone and Style

Throughout the episode, The MeidasTouch hosts adopt a tone combining sharp critique, disbelief, and comic relief. They frequently interrupt Trump clips with fact-checking, incredulity, and sardonic commentary, maintaining their signature dedication to defending democracy and calling out what they see as anti-democratic behavior, all while engaging their "MeidasMighty" fan community.

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Summary

This episode offers a thorough breakdown of Trump’s controversial Oval Office press conference, highlighting how his statements oscillated between the legally dubious, the factually inaccurate, and the simply bizarre. The hosts emphasize the dangers presented by Trump’s rhetoric, especially regarding authoritarian impulses, election denial, and the normalization of extreme conduct from political leaders. The MeidasTouch Podcast delivers this analysis in a way that is accessible, lively, and deeply committed to informing and mobilizing defenders of American democracy.

Transcript

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[Donald Trump]

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[Political Commentator]

Just wrapped up a disastrous press conference in the Oval Office. He had Cash Patel and Pam Bondi there. Let me just bring out the receipts of what went down. Donald Trump says that in Chicago you have lots of black women walking around in maga hats. He said all these black women love him in their maga hats and that's what you see in Chicago. Now here, play this clip.

[Reporter]

Mr. President, on Venezuelan votes, I want to ask you why not have the Coast Guard stop them, which it is empowered by law to do. You know, this way you can confirm who's on the boat and ensure that they're doing what they, what you suspect.

[Donald Trump]

Because we've been doing that for 30 years and it has been totally ineffective. They have faster boats. Some of these boats are seriously, I mean they're world class speedboats and. But they're not faster than missiles. But we've been trying to do that for years. And so much of the drugs, 25, 30% would come in through the seas. Right now we have, I would say none coming in through the seas. In fact, I don't know about the fishing industry. If you want to go fishing. A lot of people aren't deciding to even go fishing. We've almost totally stopped it by sea now we'll stop it by land.

[Reporter]

What's the next?

[Donald Trump]

But it never worked. It never worked. When, when, you know, when you did it in a very politically correct manner.

[Political Commentator]

Then Donald Trump is asked, well, why don't you try to find out who the people are on these fishing boats that you're blowing up in the Caribbean and Venezuela and Colombia. Don't you want to make sure that they're actually, I don't know, like, the bad guys? And like, even if they are, why are we killing them? Isn't that against international law? Isn't that a war crime? Then Donald Trump says, I don't really care about that. Here, play this clip.

[Reporter]

Mr. President, on Venezuelan boats, I want to ask you, why not have the Coast Guard stop them, which it is empowered by law to do? You know, this way you can confirm who's on the boat and ensure that they're doing what they would suspect.

[Donald Trump]

Because we've been doing that for 30 years and it has been totally ineffective. They have faster boats. Some of these boats are seriously, I mean, they're world class speedboats and. But they're not faster than missiles. But we've been trying to do that for years. And so much of the drugs, 25, 30% would come in through the seas. Right now we have, I would say none coming in through the seas. In fact, I don't know about the fishing industry. If you want to go fishing. A lot of people aren't deciding to even go fishing. We've almost totally stopped it by sea now we'll stop it by land.

[Reporter]

What's the next?

[Donald Trump]

But it never worked. It never worked when, when, you know, when you did it in a very politically correct manner.

[Political Commentator]

Then he starts talking about the Oval Office and how much gold is there and how beautiful it looks. It actually looks like a grotesque golden bordella. Looks so anti American. And if you look behind him, you'll see there's a map. He wants to build a gigantic triumphant arch. Think it's called the way Hitler wanted to build one Germania. That's what Trump's focus is on right now. By the way. $40 billion now has gone to Argentina. It's up from 20 billion, $40 billion to Argentina as 20 million Americans lose their health care, as Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans have shut down government.

[Donald Trump]

Watch this beautiful Oval Office. The never looked so nice. We're getting great compliments. And you see outside how that's come out. It's been great. We make a lot of improvements to the White House and we're doing that. One of the things you should at is the Palm Court, because that's been totally redone. So we like to preserve and make better the White House. And that's really what's happened. And we're getting tremendous reviews and we appreciate it.

[Political Commentator]

Then Donald Trump has this weird line about Stephen Miller and that just gross. Here, play this clip.

[Donald Trump]

Didn't get elected. I did get elected for crime, but I didn't get elected for what we're doing. This is many, many steps above it. I want to thank Stephen Miller, who's right back in the audience right there. I'd love to have him. I love watching him on television. I'd love to have him come up and explain his true feelings, but maybe not his truest feelings. That might be going a little bit too far. But, Stephen, thank you for doing an unbelievable job. And the people of this country love you, I'll tell you. And they love what you say about crime and stopping crime.

[Political Commentator]

Next, Donald Trump. I don't even know what he's saying. This is like the ultimate cognitive glitching. He goes, there are great cities that can be fixed. I will strongly recommend San Francisco. I think we can make San Francisco like it was 15 years ago. First of. What the hell are you talking about? Number one? Number two, San Francisco is actually making a massive, massive revival right now under the mayor there. So anyway, here, play this clip of Trump.

[Donald Trump]

And we have some cities like that, but these are great cities that could be fixed. I'm going to be strongly recommending, at the request of government officials, which is always nice, that you start looking at San Francisco. I think we can make San Francisco. There's one of our great cities 10 years ago, 15 years ago, now it's a mess. And we have great support in San Francisco. So I'd like to recommend that for inclusion maybe in your next group you get great support every American deserves.

[Political Commentator]

And then it just gets weirder after that. Let me show you what he says over here. Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

Okay. I wanted very big the last time, and I want it big the first time, and I want it big the second time. But we had criminals that didn't allow. I mean, they. I hope they're going to go into that. I hope they go into the votes which are being stored in Fulton county and take a look at a real look at those votes. Okay? Because I want it the second time, too.

[Political Commentator]

I know. It's so beyond odd. Continues. This was one of the strangest moments of the presser. Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

By the way, you won Georgia Theater three times. Do you agree with me for someone that he spends a lot of time in Georgia, I believe you won that. I really have a question. You know, the word believe isn't strong enough. You know, there you go. I know, I want to.

[Political Commentator]

Then a reporter says, so are you going to start doing military strikes on land against people that you claim are cartels? Listen to what Trump says. Let's play it.

[Reporter]

What's the next step in this war on cartels? And are you considering options? Are you considering strikes on land?

[Donald Trump]

Well, I don't want to tell you exactly, but we are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control. We've had a couple of days where there isn't a boat to be found and that I view that as a good thing, not a bad thing. But we had tremendous amounts coming in by boats, by very expensive boats. You know, they have a lot of money, very fast, very expensive boats that were pretty big.

[Political Commentator]

And then he said this. Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

Does the CIA have authority to take out Maduro? Oh, I don't want to answer a question like that. That's a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn't it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?

[Political Commentator]

Then here's what he says. I got elected for crime, but I didn't get elected for what we are doing. You all know what the hell he's even talking about here.

[Donald Trump]

You play this clip and make them safe. And now it's like a passion for me and it's a passion for. For the people behind me. So I didn't get elected. I did get elected for crime, but I didn't get elected for what we're doing. This is many, many steps above it.

[Political Commentator]

And he continues and continues. Watch this clip right here.

[Donald Trump]

Let's play it as an example. If you look at Pakistan and Iran, I told them I was in the midst of negotiating a trade deal with actually with Iran and Pakistan was going to be in line. And because of tariffs, they all want to negotiate much differently. We're making a good deal. And then I heard that they're shooting at each other. And I said during one of my conversations, are you guys going to go to war? Two nuclear powers we are thinking about. I said, here's the deal. You go to war, I'm going to put a 200% tariff. I'm going to stop you from doing any business in the United States. I said it to both of them. Within 24 hours, the war ended. That would have been a nuclear war. And again, the prime minister of Pakistan, who is here, if you're like me.

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[Political Commentator]

This, this thing here. And again, this is all taking place while he's demanded the Republicans do not talk to Democrats, keep the government shut down, take away people's healthcare, cover up the Epstein files. Here, watch what he says. Right here.

[Donald Trump]

What we're doing is nothing. Are you kidding? Nothing. They write stories. Why aren't they doing this, this? And we'll leave. I don't have to leave it up to them, but I choose to at this moment, at least. But there's never been anybody treated in the history of politics.

[Political Commentator]

And then he said this, let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

And I hope that everybody's, you know, they're involved in it. I'm not. I'm the one that had to suffer through it and ultimately win. But what they did was criminal, deranged. Jack Smith, in my opinion, is a criminal. And I noticed his, his interviewer was. I think that was Weissman. And I hope they're going to look into Weissman, too. Weissman's a bad guy, and he had somebody in Lisa, who was his puppet, worked in the office, really, as the top person. And I think that she should be looked at very strongly. There was tremendous criminal activity having to do. If we don't have fair elections in this country, we're not going to have a country. And I've said it from the beginning, fair elections and border borders. And we need also fair press, because if you don't have fair press, it's very tough. And we've got the strongest border of anybody. Nobody has a border. We have a border where the numbers just came out again, you saw zero people came in illegally. Now, we do take people into our country legally, we. But zero people. But, you know, you're talking about a different subject. You're talking about political crime. They have committed massive political crime. I hope they're looking at Shifty Schiff. I hope they're looking at all these people and I'm allowed to find out. I'm allowed. You know, I'm in theory the chief law enforcement officer, but I have a very good, talented group. This is about something else. But I hope they're looking at political crime because there's never been so much political crime against a political opponent as what I had to go through.

[Political Commentator]

More from Trump. This was a strange moment. Let's play it.

[Reporter]

President, you're meeting with President Xi in a few weeks.

[Donald Trump]

Yeah.

[Reporter]

If you can't come to an agreement or a deal at that meeting, are we in for a sustained trade war with China?

[Donald Trump]

Well, you're in one now. Look, we have 100% tariff. If we didn't have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing. We would have no defense. You know, they've used tariffs on us, but we've never had anybody sitting in that chair that felt the need to.

[Political Commentator]

Do it and continue showing you things from this disastrous presser. Let me show you this right here. Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

I mean, they call Him, Darth Vader, but he's actually a very nice person. Russell vote, but Russell vote is. Is really terminating tremendous numbers of Democrat projects.

[Political Commentator]

Let me show you a few more clips of what went down, just so you get the full, the full extent. So corporate news doesn't pretend this is normal here. Let's play this clip right here.

[Donald Trump]

But he was forced to do it by the Democrats. And as far as the shutdown is concerned, this is a Democrat Schumer shutdown. And he's trying to do it to get relevance back into the party because he's a loser. I've known him all his life. He's always been sort of a loser, but an intelligent one. But I think he's losing IQ points with time. I think that happens. I hope it hasn't happened with me. I know if it did, you guys will let me know about it very quickly.

[Political Commentator]

And then finally, here's what he said. I could show you many more, but you get it. Let's play this clip.

[Zoe]

On that issue I know you've talked about. I have a question for you. And then I also have a question for Director Patel. I know you talked about having some distaste for Boston recently. Is this one of the cities that you might be more looking into? And can you give us a hint about other cities that you might be.

[Donald Trump]

You're saying for where? For where?

[Zoe]

For Boston.

[Donald Trump]

Yeah. Well, Boston has a, a bad mayor who at least is a reasonable IQ person. You know, most of them are low iq, but. And they're so bad. I mean, what's going on in Chicago is this. You think the guy would say, hey, look, we have a problem, Mr. President, could you come in and straighten it out? I could have that. We could have that done in a month if we had their cooperation. It's going to be done anyway, but we could have it done in a month. Yeah, Boston, she's got four areas that are, you know, wrong. And, you know, somebody said, would we take, would we think about taking the World cup away from Boston if they don't straighten it out? The answer is yes, we have the right to do that with FIFA. So if we think that L. A is going to be bad or we think that applies a little bit to the Olympics too, but we'll talk about FIFA first. You know, FIFA is very hot. If we think there's any reason that, whether it's Boston or anywhere else that they're not doing their job, we're going to take that, those World cup games and move them someplace else.

[Political Commentator]

There you have it folks. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe let's get to 6 million. Thanks for watching.

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