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- [00:00]
Ben Meiselis
Another Republican Congress member just abruptly resigned. MAGA Republican Congress member Troy Nels over the weekend announced his resignation from the House of Representatives. So that would make the sixth MAGA Republican House of Representative member to announce their resignation. Now, Nel says he's going to serve out the remainder of his term. For now, we'll see about that. But we are expecting there to be other resignations. A wave of resignations we've been talking about and we've heard are coming. And the question is, will some of these additional resignations take place before the midterms, thus switching the speakership from MAGA Mike Johnson to Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffrey? So here's what we learned about Troy Nels. This MAGA Republican from Texas. He says he's not seeking reelection. He's from Richmond in Texas. He's been MAGA through and through. I mean, just take a look at the outfits that he would wear in the House of Representatives and in the Capitol building. He'd wear these weird Trump shirts that never surrender, the weird American flag bow ties. This is a real human being, folks, who is a member of Congress or was a member of Congress. He writes the following in announcing his resignation. After more than 30 years in law enforcement, serving and protecting my community as a police officer, constable for Bend county sheriff and army veteran, and six years representing this district in Congress, I have made the decision after conversations with my beautiful bride and my girls over the Thanksgiving holiday to focus on my family and return home after this Congress. Now, these MAGA Republican Congress members seem to be realizing that they will be in the minority soon and that there is about to be a blue tsunami that will wipe them out of the House of Representatives. Accountability is coming to them. Accountability is coming to this Trump regime. And we see these rats abandoning the sinking ship that is maga. Just a notable fact about Troy Nels, though, by the way, is that he was fired from his position as a police officer by the Richmond Police Department in Texas on January 28, 1998. There was a termination letter on January 28, around that period from Bill Whitworth, who cited 19 policy violations committed by Nels over the prior year, including destruction of evidence after being instructed to log it as found property, improper arrest, disobeying orders, making false statements, charging personal items to the department, and failing to perform required duties. While he appealed that and claimed that it was arbitrary and capricious, the termination was upheld. Just to give you a sense of who these MAGA people are, more on Nels in a moment. But I want to remind you of the reporting by Punchbowl News. They cover the happenings in the House of Representatives before Punchbowl News reported on this the prior weekend. The Midas Touch Network was the first to report this. But Punchbowl News has excellent sourcing on the Hill and they spoke to a lot of people as well and here's what they wrote last week. They said a few other GOP members messaged us over the weekend saying that they too are considering retiring in the middle of the term, not even waiting until the end of the term is over. Here's one particularly exercised senior House Republican. Here's a off MAGA member. This entire White House team has treated all members like garbage and Mike Johnson has let it happen because he wanted it to happen. This is the sentiment of nearly all appropriators. Authorizers haw hawks, doves, rank and file. The arrogance of this White House team is off putting to members who are run roughshod and threatened. They don't even allow little wins like announcing small grants or even responding from agencies. Not even the high profile. The regular rank and file random members are more upset than ever. Members know they are going into the minority after the midterms. More explosive early resignations are coming. It's a tinderbox. Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel and they will lose the majority before his term is out. That's coming from Republicans senior Republican sources in the House of Representatives. Now I should also mention that over this past weekend we've been hearing from MAGA Republican state representatives, like state senators in Indiana, who are absolutely livid at the Trump regime tactics of trying to intimidate them. For example, in the state of Indiana to try to gerrymander their maps before the decade redistricting is supposed to begin. So we heard very publicly from two MAGA Republican senators in Indiana this past weekend and they called out Donald Trump's despicable tactics. Both those Indiana Republican state senators were also victims of swatting attempts after Donald Trump essentially threatened them and the other Republican state senators who didn't want to go along with Donald Trump's gerrymander plan. For example, Indiana MAGA Republican State Senator Greg Walker said, I'm not coming to the Oval Office. I don't want to meet Donald Trump. I've made my decision. I'm not agreeing to his gerrymander plan in Indiana. Specifically, Greg Walker from Columbus in Indiana said the following I refuse the invitation, but the underling of Trump who reached out to me is trying to influence the election on my dime. That individual works for me. He works for you. He's on my payroll. He's on your payroll, and he's campaigning on company time. That's a violation of the Hatch Act. He's a federal employee. He works in the White House. But does anyone care about the rules anymore? Not that I can tell. How does Trump even have the time to mess with a nobody like me? With all the important matters that are to take his attention as the leader of the executive branch in this nation, there is no way that he should have to have a conversation with me about Indiana map making when that's not his business, for starters. But secondly, doesn't he have anything better to do? I can make a big list of things that are more important for him to focus on. Then Walker went on to say, what this is really about is Donald Trump's afraid he's gonna lose in the midterms and then be impeached. Now, Michael Boask, who's also an Indiana state senator, he reacted very strongly to Donald Trump using the R word. Donald Trump called the governor of Minnesot. Want to repeat the word. But just so you know, for the idea of just saying what it is, he called Governor Walls retarded and said he's seriously retarded. And Michael Bowen, I'm sorry for using the language. I'm just repeating what Trump had said. So there's no confusion what I mean. So this Indiana Republican state senator says, many of you have asked me my position on redistricting. I have been unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since the birth of my second daughter. Those of you that don't know me or my family might not know that my daughter has syndrome. This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references. And his choices of words have consequences. I will be voting no on redistricting. Perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority. Now, of course, you know about Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation, which is going to be taking place, of course, the first week of January. We have the big special election in Tennessee's 7th congressional district with Afton Bain, who you've seen a lot on the Midas Touch Network. I've interviewed her. Numerous other hosts have interviewed her. She's running against Matt Van Epstein. I mean, Matt Van Epps, the MAGA Republican who wants to continue to cover up the child sex trafficking ring that is the Epstein files. He's MAGA through and through. He supports Trump's tariffs. He hates Tennessee. He hates Americans. He's the worst candidate imaginable. We'll see what happens. It's a plus 22 district in 10. But Afton Bain, the pro democracy Democratic candidate, is showing signs that she's making this a very close race. And I mean, it's, it's a dead heat right now. It's maybe it's within the margin of error. It would be one of the biggest upsets in the history of politics if Afton Bain can pull it off. But she's got the momentum right now. Hey, everybody, Ben Meiselis here from the Midas Touch Network.
- [08:38]
Michael Popak
I wanted to let you know about my podcast partner Michael Popo's new law firm. It's called the Popak Firm. Michael Popo pursue his dream of starting his own law firm. Really based on the popular demand by all the Midas mighty and legal A effers who are approaching Michael Popak with their cases and saying, can you help us? And at that time, Popak was not able to. So he went out on his own. He started the Popoc firm where he is now handling catastrophic injury cases like car accident cases, trucking cases, malpractice cases, big negligence cases, wrongful death cases. So if you are someone you know have a case like this, the consultation with Popo's firm is free. Give them a call. See if you have a case. It's ThePopoc Firm.com ThePopoc Firm.com or you can call 877-popakaF-P-P-O p o k a f. So 1-877-p-o p o k A f give Michael Popak a call and I'm really proud of you, Popak.
- [09:47]
Ben Meiselis
Thanks for all the hard work you're putting in. Now let me show you just a few facts about Troy Nels, this guy who just resigned. One of the things that Troy Nels had always said is, look, when Donald Trump tells us to jump three feet high and scratch our head, we do it. We do whatever he tells us to do. Our job is just to do what he says word for word. This is what Troy Nels says. Here, play this clip.
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Troy Nels
There's no question he's a leader of our party. So now he's got a mission statement, his mission and his goals and objectives, whatever that is. We need to embrace it, all of it, every single word. If Donald Trump says jump 3ft high and scratch your head, we all jump 3ft high and scratch your heads. That's it.
- [10:30]
Ben Meiselis
Then Troy Nelson make videos of himself smoking cigars like this Very weird behavior. Let's play this clip right here. Then Troy Nels was being asked again. You'll see him smoking cigars again. A reporter said. So are you not worried that all Americans may lose their health care? Here's what Nell said. Let's play this clip right here.
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Democratic Congresswoman Ansari
Can I ask you, though, about the CBO score and the idea that 11 million, 12 million Americans.
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Ben Meiselis
I don't, I don't have any faith.
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Troy Nels
And confidence in the cbo. They're. They're scoring. They're wrong half the damn time. I don't give any. Now I'm not worried about the cbo.
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Democratic Congresswoman Ansari
You're not worried at all that Americans may lose their health care?
- [11:12]
Troy Nels
Oh, well, just. Just some Americans that aren't Americans. And that is the illegals. Why should illegals be on Medicare? Shouldn't have it. We did a great job with it all. We did a great job. I appreciate it. The American people spoke. The American people spoke and the elected representatives spoke today. And what did we do? We supported and passed this one big beautiful bill. So now you got to accept it and absorb it because it's the right thing to do for the American people.
- [11:38]
Ben Meiselis
And then Troy Nels talked about the dysfunction of the Republicans and the Republican conference in the House of Representatives. Let's play this clip right here.
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Troy Nels
We're dysfunctional. We are. It's come somewhat embarrassing. It may bite us in the butt a little bit November. But my focus is Donald J. Trump now because we can't. Nobody can manage his conference. The Lord Jesus himself could not manage his conference.
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Ben Meiselis
All right, now we've seen some Democrats chime in about the dysfunction of the MAGA Republicans. Here's Democratic Congressmember and my friend Ro Khanna.
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Ro Khanna
Let's play it to the point you have people like Rasmussen and people's funded and all these folks who are for Trump saying, and people on the progressive left are seeing this opening. So I believe the base has been split because Trump is no longer a populist. Frankly, he's become more Mitt Romney and just hanging out with billionaires and tax breaks to billionaires hanging out with princes. And he's lost the populism that got him two terms.
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Ben Meiselis
And here's Democratic Congresswoman Ansari. Here's what she's got to say. Let's play it.
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Democratic Congresswoman Ansari
Because she is. I mean, you're right. If she had not signed on to that discharge tradition, this wouldn't have happened. I mean, this, this bill wouldn't have ever made it to President Trump's desk. Obviously Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace as well, along with, with Thomas Massie. But given, you know, what she has faced as a result of that, do you worry that other Republicans won't be willing to do so or do you think that this will make them more willing to do so?
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Democratic Oversight Committee Member
I just think it's, we're past that now when it comes to the Epstein files issue. I think that, you know, the, the survivors anywhere, the Oversight Committee, at least on the Democratic side, we are not going anywhere. We are going to get to the truth and make sure people are held accountable for this. I think largely just Republicans. More broadly, I think the Republican Party is an absolute mess right now. I mean, I think Speaker Mike Johnson completely embarrassed himself this week and over the last couple of months, flip flopping on this issue and then having Donald Trump turn around and essentially endorse Republicans signing onto this bill. He looked really, really ridiculous and all of that. And so I think the Republican caucus in general, the cracks are there. They have, they're just going to deepen from here. But I do hope that more Republicans will show the same type of bravery and standing out, standing up to the authoritarianism, to the corruption, to the fact that the Republican Party has no plan on health care, their ties to special interests and so much more. And when it comes to the Epstein files, again, I assure you that Oversight Democrats and the Oversight Committee is not going to back down until we get the files released once and for all.
- [14:21]
Ben Meiselis
I think also it's important to note that we're seeing a lot of business leaders now and others look past this Trump presidency, this regime, and start to think, well, what's a future DOJ when Trump's out in a post Trump world? What's a future DOJ going to do to us? How are we going to be treated then? We don't want to engage in conduct where a future DOJ sees all the illegal conduct that corporations and people are doing with Trump. So it's an important adjustment in the mindset of people recognizing that Trump's weak, he's a lame duck, he's a loser. What's the future going to hold? Because this era is going to go down in history as one of the most despicable in America. And those who are engaged in the war crimes in this behavior are going to be held to accountable. Here's what Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, says. Let's play it.
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Interviewer
So you're renovating and building this new office space in Detroit. Much smaller scale than what's happening in Washington, right where the East Wing has been demolished for what's going to be a very, very large ballroom that the president is building. Now. A lot of CEOs have rushed to donate to this, right? And it matters to him, right? So he looks at the list. On that list you got Amazon, Coinbase, Google, you got a whole lot of others, Comcast, tons of companies on there. I didn't see JPMorgan Chase on that list. Did you think about it? Is there any chance you're going to do it?
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Jamie Dimon
You know, you have to look at J.P. there's that we have an issue, okay, which is anything we do, since we do a lot of contracts with governments here and around the world, we have to be very careful how anything's perceived and also how the next DOJ is going to deal with it. So we're quite conscious of the risk we bear by doing anything, it looks like, you know, buying favors or anything like that. So, so do we do things like that? And we also have policies we don't do certain things because it just makes it easier for us. We have helped the inaugurations. That was a normal thing that a lot of companies did. So we'll see.
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Interviewer
But this the concern of buying favors.
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Ben Meiselis
There you have it, folks. Let me know what you think. Big developments this weekend though, with Republicans fleeing the sinking ship like the scurrying off of rats that they are. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe let's get to 6 million. Love this video. Support independent media and unlock exclusive content. Ad free videos and come custom emojis. By becoming a paid member of our YouTube channel today, you can also gift memberships to others. Let's keep growing together.
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