Trump Loses it as Protests Explode All Over

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: "Trump Loses it as Protests Explode All Over"

Date: January 24, 2026
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

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Brief Overview

The January 24, 2026, episode centers on the explosive surge of protests and a general strike sweeping across the United States, with special focus on Minnesota as ground zero. The Meiselas brothers dissect these demonstrations—triggered by controversial ICE detentions, worsening living conditions under the Trump administration, and the regime’s increasingly bizarre and offensive propaganda. In contrast to grassroots activism, the hosts sharply critique Trump’s tone-deaf responses, egregious social media posts, and draconian policy moves, all while injecting trademark wit and righteous indignation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scope and Scale of the Protests

• Massive Turnout Despite Harsh Conditions

  • Minneapolis saw up to 100,000 protestors in temperatures as low as –20°F.
    • “When I’ve been speaking to some of these organizers, they tell me that it could have been as many as 80,000 to 100,000 people peacefully protesting while this general strike was taking place.” (Ron Placone, 01:35)
  • General strike leads to city shutdowns: “Businesses were shut down in Minnesota from Minneapolis to St. Paul.” (Ron Placone, 01:48)

• Spread to Other Cities

  • New York City had 15,000 striking nurses supported by the mayor, and the movement is spreading nationally. (02:16)

2. ICE Abuses and Government Crackdown

• Blistering Accounts

  • ICE accused of abductions and use of toxic weapons against children.
    • “We’re learning more stories about ICE abducting five-year-olds… deploying toxic carcinogenic gas weapons at this 2-year-old and her family.” (Ron Placone, 02:42)
  • Peaceful protesters being threatened and added to federal databases as “domestic terrorists.” (Ron Placone, 03:08; 14:59)

• Propaganda and Information Suppression

  • Media and governmental attempts to reframe discourse:
    • DHS asked FEMA to stop using the word “ice” in relation to storms to prevent anti-ICE memes.

      “Homeland Security officials have come to FEMA staff and told them to limit the use of the word ice in their public messaging.” (Jessica Tarlov, 07:38)

    • “Meanwhile, lives are on the line.” (Jessica Tarlov, 08:55)

3. Trump Administration’s Disconnected Response

• Tone-Deaf Social Media Activity

  • Trump posted AI-generated images of golden arches, Indy car races around the Capitol, and bizarre AI penguins in Greenland (where penguins don’t live).
    • “Donald Trump was posting images all day of golden arches that he wants to build in Washington, D.C.— ‘Arche de Trump’ memorials to himself, golden arches, golden ballrooms and Indy car racetracks.” (Ron Placone, 03:36)
    • “Perhaps you shouldn’t have dismantled the Department of Education so quickly...there’s no penguins there.” (Ron Placone, 09:58)

• Cabinet and Staff Join the Circus

  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy:

    “What’s more American than a race around our nation’s capital. Freedom Democrats, start your engines and let’s get this over the finish line.” (paraphrased, 04:36)

  • Trump’s Communications Director posts lewd remarks about a young Democratic influencer. (04:56)

• Regime Media Coverage

  • Even Fox (referred to as “state regime media”) is forced to acknowledge protest size. “But that is not stopping Minneapolis from turning out in huge numbers in the thousands, we’re told, into the streets where it is 10 below this hour.” (Clip played, 06:47)

4. Public Backlash, Political Fallout, and Media Analysis

• Polling Disaster

  • Trump’s approval ratings are tanking across all metrics, per New York Times/Siena poll:
    • “Lowest approval rating –17…Immigration –18…on the economy, –19…on foreign relations, –29…on cost of living. And for those of you that care about the Epstein files… –44.” (Rod Stewart quoting poll, 09:19)
  • Young, Black, and Latino voters have returned to historical levels of Democratic support.
  • Savage J.D. Vance speechwriter burn:

    “You don’t turn the Titanic around overnight—but we all know what happened to the Titanic.” (Rod Stewart, 09:50)

• International and Military Tensions

  • Trump disparages allied troops, falsely claiming US allies “pretended to be on the front lines” in Afghanistan.
    • “Trump calls them almost like cowards. It’s unbearable. So I’m calling on you, Prime Minister Starmer and Farage. Please make the draft dodger Trump apologize, please.” (Rod Stewart, 11:20)

• Propaganda at Davos

  • Stephen Miller spins the disastrous Davos visit as a “masterclass in diplomacy.”
    • “You saw a masterclass, a true, amazing masterclass in diplomacy, statesmanship, leadership in Davos this week with President Trump… one of the most important statements any American president has made…” (Stephen Miller, 12:35)

5. Protest Leaders Targeted

• Nekima Armstrong’s Ordeal
  • Armstrong arrested; photos manipulated using AI to ridicule and racially demean her.
    • “They treated this as if I was a fugitive on the run, that I had committed murder…” (Nekima Armstrong, 13:27)

6. ICE Agents Intimidate Protestors

• Protester Data Collection
  • ICE filmed and catalogued protestors’ faces/names in Maine, labeling them as “domestic terrorists.”
    • “Why are you taking my information down?...Because we have a nice little database…Now you’re considered a domestic terrorist.” (Rod Stewart and others, 15:13–15:17)
  • Commentary: “That’s what ICE is. That’s what the Border Patrol Gestapo is.” (Ron Placone, 15:27)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On protest size and resolve:

  “Americans are fed up. We were fed up before, but it’s reached a fever pitch in the chilly negative 20-degree Fahrenheit weather in Minnesota.” (Ron Placone, 02:09)

• On Trump’s priorities:

  “As the American people are fed up…Donald Trump was posting images all day of golden arches that he wants to build in Washington, D.C....Indy car racetracks.” (Ron Placone, 03:36)

• On the government’s attempted wordplay:

  “So they’re asking FEMA staff, if you can, don’t use the word ice, try to use the term freezing rain.” (Jessica Tarlov, 07:38)

• Commenting on Trump’s attempts to cover for allies:

  “Prime Minister Starmer and Farage. Please make the draft dodger Trump apologize, please.” (Rod Stewart, 11:57)

• On ICE intimidation tactics:

  “And now you’re considering the domestic terrorists.” (Ron Placone, 15:17)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:11-03:00] — Overview of Minnesota and national protests, ICE abuses detailed.
• [03:36-05:00] — Trump’s bizarre social media and regime’s off-topic priorities.
• [07:32-08:55] — FEMA word ban on “ice” and risk to public safety.
• [09:19-09:56] — Discussion of polling and Trump’s declining approval, political fallout.
• [11:20-11:57] — Rod Stewart's emotional call-out of Trump’s disrespect to troops.
• [13:27-13:51] — Nekima Armstrong details her arrest and government targeting.
• [14:59-15:27] — ICE photographing/identifying protestors as “domestic terrorists.”

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Tone & Language

The episode maintains the MeidasTouch signature blend of sharp political critique, passionate defense of democracy, sardonic humor, and direct moral outrage—never pulling punches as they intersperse analysis with earnest calls for resistance.

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This summary provides a comprehensive yet engaging walkthrough of the episode, capturing its urgency, facts, and memorable moments for listeners and non-listeners alike.

Transcript

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Well, the holidays have come and gone once again. But if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift, well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now, you call it an early present for next year. What do you have to lose? Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time.

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[Nekima Armstrong]

Oh, ice out.

[Ron Placone]

The general strike and protests in Minnesota exceeded all expectations. And that general strike and those protests are spreading across the United States. We're seeing it now happen in other cities. We know the media is suppressing this. So we need to get this message out. You saw right there the protesters in Minneapolis. Now, the organizers estimated there would be approximately 50,000 people showing up to protest, which would be such an incredibly high number, especially considering it was like negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit. But when I've been speaking to some of these organizers, they tell me that it could have been as many as 80,000 to 100,000 people peacefully protesting while this general strike was taking place and businesses or shut down in Minnesota from Minneapolis to St. Paul. And we look eastward towards New York where there was that powerful strike underway with the nurses in New York City, 15,000 striking nurses there, supported by the New York City mayor, I might add, Zoran Mamdani. Great to see that support from leadership and we'd expect nothing less from Mayor Mamdani. And folks, I expect this general strike to start to spread across the country and these protests to continue across the country. Let's take a look at just some of the other images of this incredible peaceful protest that took place in Minneapolis. You see it Right here. Here's another overhead image brought to you by a more perfect union right here. This is what people power looks like. And Americans are fed up. We were fed up before, but it's reached a fever pitch in the chilly negative 20 degree Fahrenheit weather in Minnesota. We're learning more stories about ICE abducting five year olds. We talked about the story of Liam abducting 2 year olds who were abducted after ICE agents deployed toxic carcinogenic gas weapons at this 2 year old and her family, also sending them to concentration camps in El Paso. There's more videos of ICE agents from Minneapolis to Portland, Maine on the east coast. Right where the ICE agents are telling people who are peacefully protesting, well, we're now entering your face into a data base because you're protesting us. You're now deemed a domestic terrorist by the regime. I'll show you that clip in a moment. You may have seen it elsewhere. But while all of this is taking place, what is Donald Trump and his dastardly regime do? What's Donald Trump posting today? As the American people are fed up as people can't afford homes, as people can't afford groceries, as people are having their health care ripped away from them, as people aren't able to access education, they can't access childcare, as people are struggling psychologically tortured, living paycheck to paycheck if they're lucky enough to get a paycheck. Donald Trump was posting images all day of golden arches that he wants to build in Washington, D.C. aRC DE TRUMP memorials to himself, golden arches, golden ballrooms and Indy car racetracks. Donald Trump kept on sharing AI generated videos showing an Indy car race surrounding the Capitol building. And then his cabinet started chiming in like Secretary Sean Duffy. The Transportation secretary goes, what's more American than a race around our nation's capital, Freedom Democrats, start your engines and let's get this over the finish line. Talking about bringing Indy 500 and UFC fights to Washington D.C. while they have a budget for ICE and Border Patrol Gestapo, whether they spend over the past how many years hundreds of billions of dollars and now they want billions of doll. It is absolutely despicable for any Democrat for any person to support more money going to this terrorist organization. That is ICE and that is the Border Patrol Gestapo. In addition to posting Indy car racing in Washington, D.C. you also have a Trump communications director lewdly posting that a Democratic influence, Harry Sisson, might enjoy being spanked by him. This is Stephen Chung right here and he said that Harry Sisson, who's I don't know how old Harry is, 22, 23 at this point. And Stephen Chung said he may like to get spanked by me. What is wrong with these deranged and sick individuals? Sarah Matthews, who used to work for the first Trump administration, posted this mean meme of a lady with her daughter saying Trump Independence Arch. And then you see another daughter drowning. Millions of Americans struggling under Donald Trump's economy, Folks, these peaceful protests were so large that even state regime media, which calls its FOX News, couldn't deny the size and scale. Here's state regime media saying, well, you know, at the end of the day, there's really a lot of people in Minneapolis, despite how cold it is. This is what they were saying on state regime here. Play this clip. So let's go back to another very, very cold place. But that is not stopping Minneapolis from turning out in huge numbers in the thousands, we're told, into the streets where it is 10 below this hour.

[Stephen Miller]

I don't envy your job right now.

[Ron Placone]

Now, one of the things that we were also learning, and this was reported on CNN as well, is that Department of Homeland Security officials do not want FEMA and other emergency services within the federal government to refer to the conditions, the deadly conditions that are taking over the east coast right now as being ice or as having ice, ice factors. Instead, they want to refer to ice as freezing rain because they think that people will use their words to refer to ice storms as memes to attack the ice and Border Patrol. Let's listen to this here. Play this clip here.

[Jessica Tarlov]

You also have some interesting reporting on guidance that FEMA was given about messaging for the storm.

Yeah, it's pretty remarkable. So I've learned that Homeland Security officials have come to FEMA staff and told them to limit the use of the word ice in their public messaging and post social media posts when talking about the storm. The concern is obviously the connection between the immigration enforcement that's happening across the country, particularly in Minnesota, and what they are worried about here is that by posting something like watch out for the ice, that it's going to become an opportunity for a meme for Internet fodder for public ridicule against the Department of Homeland Security. So they're asking FEMA staff if you can don't use the word ice, try to use the term freezing rain. But part of the problem here, as I talk to agency officials about this, is they're saying what we're talking about is ice and what we're talking about is saving lives. Yeah.

No, when you say freezing rain that makes me think, oh, I'll put on a raincoat, make me think ice, right?

And what we're largely talking about, and I'm not a forecaster, but this is largely an ice event. And a lot of states that I've talked to are saying what we're preparing for is destructive ice that could damage power grids, you know, cut power to a lot of homes and wreak havoc on roads. And it is pretty remarkable that Homeland Security is saying, please try to avoid using that word because they're afraid of means.

Meanwhile, lives are on the line. Another incredibly idiotic story. Thanks so much.

[Ron Placone]

And Jessica Tarlov. You know, we love Jessica Tarlov on the Midas Touch Network, the only good reporter at Fox. She stated the facts of Donald Trump's completely disastrous polling numbers and she let all the other people on the panel know the truth. Great work, Jessica Tarlov. Let's play this clip.

[Rod Stewart]

New York Times Santa poll was so bad for him that he's suing the New York times. Lowest approval rating -17. Immigration -18 on the economy, -19 on foreign relations, -29 on cost of living. And for those of you that care about the Epstein files, which is a lot of people, -44. The coalition from 2020 is back in tact. So young voters, black voters, Latino voters, back to usual levels of support for the Democratic Party. And J.D. vance's speechwriter, I think, hates him because he was talking about the economy and he had this line, you don't turn the Titanic around overnight, but we all know what happened to the Titanic.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Oof.

[Rod Stewart]

Oof.

You do sick burn.

[Ron Placone]

Also, the Trump regime was posting photos today of Donald Trump with a penguin and an AI image. And the AI image of the penguin was holding an American flag. And you see a Greenlandic flag as well. Except there are no penguins in Greenland. All penguins live in the Southern hemisphere except one species in the Galapagos Islands, as Patriotakes points out. Perhaps you shouldn't have dismantled the Department of Education so quickly. When you're making these posts about Greenland, maybe you just need to know a few things, like there's no penguins there. This is just the idiocracy combined with the depravity and the dangerousness of this regime. Rod Stewart, by the way, chimed in about Donald Trump being a draft dodger. And you know, Donald Trump attacked the service of our NATO allies, uk, Denmark, France, Canada, others who provided troops to fight alongside the United States in Afghanistan. And Trump said, ah, no one really fought with the United States and Afghanistan. They pretended to be on the front lines. It's basically Trump calling the troops of uk, Denmark and others suckers and losers. But we know that that's who Donald Trump is, a five time draft dodger, a coward himself. Someone who has zero respect for service. Take it away, Rod Stewart, play this clip.

[Rod Stewart]

I have great respect for our armed forces that fought and gave us our freedom. So it hurts me badly, deeply when I read that the draft dodger Trump has criticized our troops in Afghanistan for not being on the front line. We lost over 400 of our guys. Think of their parents. Think about it. And Trump calls them almost like cowards. It's unbearable. So I'm calling on you, Prime Minister Starmer and Farage. Please make the draft dodger Trump apologize, please.

[Ron Placone]

But according to Stephen Miller, Donald Trump's Goebbels or whatever you want to call them, again, I'm just giving my opinion, right? I give my First Amendment speech. Opinion. This is all opinion speech. Stephen Miller, by the way, says that what you saw in Davos, Switzerland, it was a masterclass in diplomacy. This is how you do diplomacy. This is how you do diplomacy. Donald Trump shamed the United States. The rest of the world is horrified. Putin's the only one who's laughing as he's meeting Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff today that the NATO bond has been so severed by Donald Trump's utter depravity and incompetence. But here's what Stephen Miller said. Play this clip.

[Stephen Miller]

Well, you saw a masterclass, a true, amazing masterclass in diplomacy, statesmanship, leadership. In Davos this week with President Trump first, to your point, his critique of Europe in his Davos speech was one of the most important statements any American president has made about that continent in memory. Europe has.

[Ron Placone]

Oh, and then we heard from Nekima Armstrong, the leader of the protests at the church in St. Paul. Donald Trump had her arrested, then did AI memes of her crying, manipulating her face, making her skin look blacker as well and making her cry. Just complete judicial impropriety by the Trump regime to do that. We heard Nikima speak. Let's play this clip.

[Nekima Armstrong]

So we followed all of the steps, but they treated this as if I was a fugitive on the run, that I had committed murder. And they're doing all this, putting all these resources into tracking down one black woman when they will put zero resources into holding Jonathan Ross accountable. The ICE agent who killed Renee, Good. Let's not forget that fact. He's still roaming around free.

[Ron Placone]

Should also be noted too, that today the Trump regime posted this photo While they're covering up the Epstein files, Trump signs the Trafficking Survivors Relief act into law to help victims of human trafficking reclaim their lives. By the way, Donald Trump did not do a signing ceremony in public because he wanted to avoid questions about his cover up of a child sex trafficking. I mean, Trump is covering up child sex trafficking right now. He is a pedo protector right now. Undisputed fact that he is, because in my opinion, that's what you get when you cover up the Epstein files the way he and Pam Bondi and his despicable DOJ are. And by the way, that Bill was sitting on his desk to be signed into law for the past 10, 11 days and he's been doing nothing about it at all. I want to leave you with this as well, though. I'll do a whole other video on Trump's Epstein cover up. But take a look at this. This is. Agents in Maine photographed a civilian's face and name and said this was a protester and said, we are now putting you in a database because we're treating you as a domestic terrorist. Here, play this clip right here. Yeah, yeah. Look at them.

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[Ron Placone]

The icc. Be careful.

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Be careful.

[Stephen Miller]

Be over here.

[Ron Placone]

It's not legal to record.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Exactly. Yeah, that's what we're doing.

[Nekima Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Rod Stewart]

Why are you taking my information down?

Because we have a nice little database.

[Nekima Armstrong]

Oh, good.

[Ron Placone]

And now you're considering the domestic terrorists.

[Rod Stewart]

We're videotaping you.

[Nekima Armstrong]

Are you crazy?

[Ron Placone]

That's what ICE is. That's what the Border Patrol Gestapo is. It's so utterly despicable. Everybody hit subscribe. Help us get to 6 million. We gratefully appreciate your support. Thank you all so much. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our [e-mail] you'll get daily recaps from Ron, fill up.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Cows, add free episodes of our podcast.

[Ron Placone]

And more exclusive content only [e-mail].