The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Trump Panics as Massive Boycott Ruins Entire SOTU!!
Date: February 22, 2026
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas (MeidasTouch Network)

Overview

This high-energy episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast centers on the growing, unprecedented Democratic boycott of Donald Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address (SOTU). The Meiselas brothers—Ben, Brett, and Jordy—buzz with insider updates, clips, and fiery commentary as they outline their network’s central role in organizing the “People’s State of the Union” alternative event. The hosts dissect the motivations behind the boycott, the blowback from MAGA, corporate media, and notable personalities, and contrast it all with prior SOTUs. Their unapologetically pro-democracy, comedic, and combative tone courses throughout the episode.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The SOTU Boycott and the "People’s State of the Union"

• MeidasTouch Network is leading the organizational charge: The network is the exclusive distribution partner for an alternative SOTU event outside the Capitol, featuring scores of Democratic Senators and Representatives.
• Scope of the boycott is unprecedented: Dozens of members of Congress—including influential senators and representatives—plan to attend the People's SOTU, refusing to legitimize Trump’s administration.

Notable Announcements:

• Sen. Adam Schiff publicly boycotting SOTU:

  "I will not be attending the State of the Union...We cannot treat this as normal. This is not business as usual. I will not give him the audience he craves for the lies that he tells. I'll be outside the Capitol with Midas Touch and Move On for the People's State of the Union."
  — Sen. Adam Schiff [05:16]

• Other Democrat leaders joining: Senators Merkley, Markey, Murphy, Tina Smith, Van Hollen; Reps. Ansari, Balint, Maxwell Frost, Greg Casar, Leger Fernandez, Jim Himes, Sarah Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal, and more.

2. Motivations Behind the Boycott

• Upholding democracy and the rule of law: Participants argue that Trump’s administration is not respecting court orders, is weaponizing the justice system, and is violating American values.

• Refusal to normalize Trump's presidency:

  "What’s disrespectful to the institution of Congress is the fact that this president and this administration do not abide by congressionally passed laws and statutes, completely have zero care or respect for the rule of law..."
  — Rep. Sarah Jacobs [07:08]

• Personal time and productive work over political theater:

  "There’s more productive things I can do with my time than just sitting there for two hours and clapping on cue..."
  — Sen. Ruben Gallego [09:18]

3. Media, MAGA & Mainstream Blowback

• MAGA & Right-wing outrage: Trump, his supporters, and right-wing media attack both the boycott and the MeidasTouch Network, labeling it as divisive and unpatriotic.

• Corporate media skepticism:

  • CNN hosts argue members should attend SOTU out of institutional respect and to seek compromise, calling the boycott "bad for democracy."
  • Notably, the hosts dismiss these criticisms as out-of-touch with the seriousness of the current administration.
  • CBS’s Scott McFarlane offers credence to the boycott’s scale and significance:

    "This time it could look differently...empty seats dotting the House chamber on the floor because there's a rising number of Democrats who say they are about done with this and not going to the speech." [18:58]

• Stephen A. Smith’s chastisement:
  The sports broadcaster calls out Democrats for the boycott, arguing abandoning SOTU concedes the moral high ground.

  "At some point in time, ladies and gentlemen, there’s got to be an adult in the room...If you’re going to act as juvenile, as petulant, as petty as you accuse the President...how are you ever going to hold a high moral ground?"
  — Stephen A. Smith [20:22]

• MeidasTouch response: The hosts counter that “business as usual” is over and that standing up for democracy is not childish, but vital.

4. Contrasts with Previous SOTUs & Presidential Behavior

• Recapping Biden’s 2024 SOTU:
  The hosts recall how right-wing outrage over President Biden's progressive policy proposals (taxes on billionaires, support for Ukraine, defense of Medicare/Social Security) was treated as radical by MAGA.

• Highlight of Biden’s moral leadership:

  "No billionaire should pay a lower federal tax rate than a teacher, a sanitation worker, or a nurse. I propose a minimum tax for billionaires of 25%..."
  — Joe Biden (SOTU 2024 replayed) [30:16]

• Trump’s open disdain for democratic processes:
  Trump insists he doesn’t need to work with Congress, underlining autocratic tendencies.

  "I don’t have to. I have the right to do tariffs, and I’ve always had the right to do tariffs. And it’s all been approved by Congress, so there’s no reason to do it."
  — Donald Trump [38:29]

• Trump's erratic rhetoric:
  The hosts lampoon Trump’s bizarre remarks about wanting to be a “good boy,” being “kissed,” and his self-serving economic promises.

• Allegations of corruption:
  Detailed discussion of Trump diverting taxpayer money to private accounts, referencing funds sent to the “board of peace” and Venezuelan oil money allegedly laundered through Qatari accounts.

5. Broader Significance & Call to Action

• The brothers underscore the stakes: Whether Congress should legitimize a presidency they view as fundamentally lawless and corrupt.
• They urge continuous public pressure, participation in the boycott, and support for their “People’s State of the Union” as an act of principle and resistance.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:35] — Introduction to the boycott and People's SOTU event
• [05:16] — Sen. Adam Schiff's boycott statement
• [07:08] — Rep. Sarah Jacobs on disrespect for democracy
• [09:18] — Sen. Ruben Gallego explains his boycott
• [18:58] — CBS's Scott McFarlane on unprecedented boycott
• [20:22] — Stephen A. Smith’s criticism and hosts’ retort
• [25:50] — Gov. Gavin Newsom on American democracy and Trump
• [30:16] — Biden’s 2024 SOTU soundbites on tax policy and Ukraine
• [38:29] — Trump dismisses the need for Congressional process

Memorable Quotes

• Ben Meiselas [throughout]:

  “We’re not going to aid and abet a fascist regime. It’s not childish, it’s standing on values...on principle...standing up for democracy, damn it. That’s what this is about.”

• Gov. Newsom [25:50]:

  "When you stand up to this guy, he backs down... That’s the pathway back. Conviction, strength, clarity, purpose. Call this guy out."

• Ben Meiselas [on Trump]:

  "This demented, broken, weak, pathetic peto-protector, sicko in the Oval Office... this terrorist, this criminal, this felon, this sexual abuser..."

Notable Moments

• The reading out of the extensive list of boycott participants—demonstrating that it is no fringe action, but a major, coordinated protest.
• Clips showing the mainstream media’s discomfort and hostility toward the boycott, painting a picture of institutional inertia vs. activist resistance.
• The pointed contrasts drawn between Biden-era SOTUs and the current climate under Trump.
• The MeidasTouch brothers’ relentless, humorous, and pointed rebuttals to critics and the MAGA camp.

Tone and Style

• Direct, irreverent, combative — refusing to sugarcoat the stakes or Trump's perceived malfeasance.
• Heavy use of clips and first-person, “inside the fight” analysis.
• A sense of growing movement and urgency, culminating in rallying listeners to “keep the boycott going” and plugging the MeidasTouch Network as a platform for resistance.

Conclusion

This episode provides an insider’s account and passionate defense of the Democratic-led boycott of Trump’s 2026 SOTU, positioning MeidasTouch Network at the heart of a defining political moment. Listeners are left with both a sharp critique of the current administration and a rallying cry to join the People’s State of the Union—a direct challenge to the normalization of what the hosts deem anti-democratic behavior.