Podcast Summary: The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode Title: Trump Loses It on Thanksgiving Day as Walls Close In
Date: November 27, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode, hosted by the Meiselas brothers of the MeidasTouch Network, dives into Donald Trump’s escalating crisis in the wake of a Thanksgiving Day scandal. The discussion centers around Trump's administration's handling of the DC shooter’s asylum status, the rising costs of Thanksgiving, National Guard deployment to Washington D.C., and the contrast between presidential Thanksgiving messages over the years. The brothers combine political critique, pointed humor, and a defense of democratic values as they break down the latest tumultuous news.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Thanksgiving Silence & Mounting Pressure

• Trump’s Absence: The episode opens by noting Trump's rare silence on Thanksgiving Day—unusual given his history of making bombastic statements.
  • Notable Quote (Ron Filipkowski, 00:16):
    “Donald Trump is panicking and he has gone mute. He has gone silent on Thanksgiving. No posts from him yet. Ranting and raving like a lunatic on Thanksgiving, which he usually does.”
• Cause of Panic: The panic is attributed to breaking news: the Trump administration in April 2025 granted asylum to the alleged DC shooter, Rahmanula Laconwal—a fact confirmed that morning by multiple sources, including Fox News and Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem.

2. DC Shooter & Asylum Scandal

• Timeline and Vetting: Details are offered about the shooter’s background as a CIA asset in Afghanistan. In contrast to regime claims that vetting was lax, the hosts highlight that the Trump administration oversaw vetting and the final approval.
  • Quote (00:56):
    “He was a rank of an E5 right there when he was working in the Afghan army and working with the CIA... He applied for asylum last year and reportedly received asylum in April under the Trump admin.” (Ron Filipkowski)
• Press Conference Dodge: Clips from a press conference show FBI Director Cash Patel attempting to deflect questions about the asylum timeline, referring them to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
  • Notable Quote (04:35):
    “Notice how he refers it to Kristi Noem. Just ask Kristi Noem. She’ll be the one to tell you. Cuz he didn’t want to admit that it was the Trump regime that granted asylum to this individual.” (Ron Filipkowski)
• Inexperienced Leadership: Host Ron criticizes Trump for elevating unqualified personnel, noting that the current FBI counterterrorism chief is a 22-year-old former landscaper, Thomas Fugate, lacking relevant experience.

3. Militarization of DC and National Guard Deployment

• Press Conference Reactions: Former Fox host and current federal prosecutor, Jeanine Pirro, defends deploying more National Guard troops to DC, describing them as “the line that separates a civilized society from a barbaric one.”
  • Notable Quote (Jeanine Pirro, 09:40):
    “These Guardsmen and all who are here to protect the District are the line that separates a civilized society from a barbaric one... We will not allow this to be normalized.”
• Criticism from Hosting Team: The hosts push back, arguing that the National Guard does not belong in civilian law enforcement roles in DC.
  • Notable Quote (Ron Filipkowski, 07:49):
    “She goes, we ought to kiss the ground. And thank God for Don Trump that he’s put more Law enforcement in D.C. The National Guard are not law enforcement. They're military. They don't belong in Washington D.C... What are we doing here?”

4. Thanksgiving: Presidential Messages Compared

• Obama’s Message: A clip of Barack Obama’s Thanksgiving message emphasizes service, gratitude, and unity:
  • Notable Quote (Barack Obama, 13:59):
    “As we gather with loved ones on this Thanksgiving, let's remember and be grateful for what binds us together. I'm thankful that I get to see the best of America every day...”
• Trump’s Message: Trump, in contrast, uses the holiday to insult Illinois Governor Pritzker (“a big fat slob”) and makes light of sending “turkeys” to concentration camps, a joke the hosts find tasteless and disturbing.
  • Notable Quote (Donald Trump, 11:44):
    “The mayor is incompetent and the governor is a big fat slob. He ought to invite us in, say, please make Chicago safe. We're going to lose a great city if we don't do it quickly.”
  • Notable Quote (Donald Trump, 12:32):
    “Gobble and waddle straight to the terrorist confinement center in El Salvador. And even those birds don't want to be there. You know what I mean?”

5. Gaslighting Over Thanksgiving Costs

• Inflation Reality v. Regime Claims: Despite administration assertions (echoed by a Walmart representative) that Thanksgiving costs are 25% lower, the hosts refute this as untrue and accuse Trump of “gaslighting.”
  • Quote (Ron Filipkowski, 13:21):
    “Donald Trump continues to gaslight us and tell us that everything's 25% cheaper right now on Thanksgiving when we know it's false.”

6. The Presidential Norms and Service

• The episode closes by contrasting Trump’s self-aggrandizement and hostile rhetoric with images of former President Obama volunteering at food banks, reinforcing the hosts’ values of democratic service and compassion.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Regime Self-Indictment
  “Aren’t you telling on yourself? Y’all were the one who did the final vetting. You’re the administration… Is the posture from these people always going to be like Biden’s always in office?”
  — Ron Filipkowski, 06:43

• On National Guard Deployment
  “These young people, people should be in West Virginia right now and they should, frankly, they should never have been in D.C. to begin with.”
  — Mayor Bowser (via Cash Patel), 10:53

• Obama v. Trump Thanksgiving Tone
  “During this season of giving, let's do what we can to give back to the communities that have given us so much... Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.”
  — Barack Obama, 11:18

  “Gobble and waddle straight to the terrorist confinement center in El Salvador. And even those birds don't want to be there. You know what I mean?”
  — Donald Trump, 12:32

Timeline of Key Segments

• 00:16: Trump’s Thanksgiving panic & DC shooter asylum scandal unfolds
• 04:17: Cash Patel ducks asylum timeline at press conference
• 05:49: Jeanine Pirro frames vetting failures as security disaster
• 07:29: Pirro and Patel rationalize National Guard deployment
• 09:40: Rhetoric about “civilized” vs. “barbaric” societies
• 10:54: Mayor Bowser’s statement on National Guard presence
• 11:18: Barack Obama’s Thanksgiving message
• 11:44: Trump’s Thanksgiving message: insults & dark humor
• 12:32: Trump’s “concentration camp” joke about turkeys
• 13:30: Walmart rep and Trump claim Thanksgiving is cheaper
• 13:59: Obama’s gratitude speech contrasted
• 15:30: Obama pictured volunteering at a food bank

Closing Tone

The hosts maintain their hallmark blend of biting critique, humor, and advocacy for democratic norms. They emphasize the stark difference between Trump’s divisive, self-serving approach and past presidential traditions of unity and service. The brothers close by wishing listeners a happy Thanksgiving and calling on their community (the MeidasMighty) to stay engaged in defending democracy.

For listeners who missed the episode:
You'll come away with a clear understanding of the latest Trump-related scandals, the political response to violence in DC, the inflation debate, and how leadership attitudes around Thanksgiving reflect much deeper values—delivered with the wit, banter, and outright candor that have made the Meiselas brothers a unique voice in today’s political podcast landscape.