The MeidasTouch Podcast: “Trump Ruins WH Thanksgiving Pardon With Awful Speech”

Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Meiselas brothers dissect former President Donald Trump’s bizarre and controversial performance at the annual White House Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon. What should have been a wholesome, bipartisan tradition devolved into a public airing of insults, falsehoods, and inappropriate political attacks. The brothers analyze key moments from Trump’s speech, fact-check his claims, and discuss the underlying themes of disinformation, incivility, and the further erosion of presidential norms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tradition Turned Toxic

• The show opens by lamenting how the historically lighthearted turkey pardon was overtaken by Trump's inflammatory rhetoric.
• Trump repeatedly mocked Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for his weight, calling him a “fat slob” (02:41), and made off-hand comments about sending the turkeys to alleged “terrorist confinement centers” in El Salvador.

2. Direct Quotes & Play-by-Plays

• The hosts play several clips of Trump, providing real-time commentary and critique.
• Trump’s jokes and asides are examined for both factual errors and breaches of dignity.

3. Blatant Body-Shaming & Personal Insults

• Trump, referencing Gov. Pritzker:
  • “The mayor is incompetent and the governor is a big fat slob. He ought to invite us in. Say please make Chicago safe.” (02:41)
  • Later intensifying: “I would never want to talk about his weight. I don't talk about people being fat. I refuse to talk about the fact that he's a fat slob. I don't mention it.” (04:36)
• The hosts call out this language as inappropriate and demeaning for a former president, especially during a holiday event.

4. Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims

• On crime in DC: Trump falsely claimed, “We haven’t had a murder in six months.” (05:48)
  • The hosts provide the actual statistics, showing multiple murders reported recently.
• On religion: Trump claimed he was responsible for a religious revival, saying, “Religion is coming back to America” (06:35), which the hosts mock as baseless posturing.
• On gas prices: Trump stated, “Gasoline will soon be hovering around $2 a gallon” (07:17), though the brothers point out gas prices have stayed relatively static despite his claims.

5. Bizarre Turkey Banter and More Insults

• Trump describes the turkeys as “the largest we've ever had. Those are big turkeys… they've eaten every fattening food you can eat,” going so far as to call them “beef-eating turkeys.” (10:11)
• He suggests naming the turkeys “Chuck and Nancy” after Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, stating, “I wouldn’t pardon them. I wouldn’t care what Melania told me. I won’t do it, darling.” (07:49)

6. Political Ramblings & Alarming Proposals

• Trump recommends using the National Guard in Chicago and boasts about militaristic approaches in other cities:
  • “We're ready to go. We've been moving toward Chicago… we could make Chicago a safe city in a period of four weeks.” (11:21)
• Repeatedly touts spurious job statistics and American economic strength:
  • “Leading in AI. We're leading in everything. Our auto plants are pouring back into our country.” (13:00)
• Takes shots at Hunter Biden and levies bizarre claims about “invalid” turkey pardons signed by President Biden using an auto-pen:
  • “Last year’s turkey pardons are totally invalid, as are the pardons of about every other person that was pardoned.” (15:14)

7. Media Responses and Further Fact-Checks

• The episode features clips from Fox News and CNN fact-checking Trump’s economic claims, especially on gas prices and inflation:
  • Fox: “The reality is… it’s pretty much the same as it was last month, last year: $3.05.” (16:36)
  • CNN: “Americans feel like prices are rising in each and every single part of their lives… and just don’t feel like they can catch a break.” (17:33)
• Discussion of American sentiment around inflation and rising costs, with both Democrats and Republicans agreeing it's a pain point.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Trump’s Most Outrageous Lines

• On Governor Pritzker:
  • “I refuse to talk about the fact that he's a fat slob. I don't mention it.” (04:36)
• On Turkey Sizes:
  • “Those are big turkeys… they've been fattened on a steady diet of grass beef.” (10:11)
• On Sending Turkeys to Prison:
  • “Some of my more enthusiastic staffers were already drafting the paperwork to ship Gobble and Waddle straight to the terrorist confinement center in El Salvador.” (03:26)
• On pardoning political opponents:
  • “I was going to call them Chuck and Nancy, but then I realized I wouldn’t be pardoning them. I wouldn’t care what Melania told me. I won’t do it, darling.” (07:49)
• On Auto-Pen ‘Scandal’:
  • “Last year's turkey pardons are totally invalid, as are the pardons of about every other person that was pardoned.” (15:14)

The MeidasTouch Brothers’ Commentary

• On Trump’s demeanor:
  • “Can you just pretend for like 30 seconds to be dignified?” (14:36, paraphrasing hosts)
• On the politicization of tradition:
  • “There was once upon a time where the president was a respected tradition. And you would show your kids these ceremonies. This is just awful, awful.” (04:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:18 — Trump attacks Pritzker during the turkey pardon
• 03:26 — Trump jokes about sending turkeys to El Salvador prison
• 04:36 — More fat-shaming comments about Pritzker
• 05:48 — False claim about Washington D.C. murders
• 06:35 — Trump claims he’s bringing back religion
• 07:17 — Gas price and economic claims
• 07:49 — Pelosi and Schumer “jokes”
• 10:11 — Trump describes “record-setting” turkeys
• 11:21 — Trump discusses National Guard deploying to Chicago
• 13:00 — Trump boasts about jobs/economy
• 15:14 — Claims about Biden and auto-pen turkey pardons
• 16:36 — Fox News fact-checks gas claims
• 17:33 — CNN on American economic sentiment

Summary & Final Thoughts

This episode exposes how a simple, joyful tradition was subverted into an opportunity for personal attacks and misinformation. The MeidasTouch brothers’ mix of humor and incisive critique lays bare both the absurdity and the serious consequences of such rhetoric, with real-time fact-checking providing essential context. The Turkey Pardon, typically a pause for unity and levity, instead became a showcase of the very worst traits of Trump’s public persona—bullying, partisan insults, and reality distortion.

The episode will be especially engaging for listeners who appreciate pointed political analysis mixed with family banter and a strong advocacy for democratic norms.

For more: Subscribe to MeidasTouch Podcast for ongoing, unfiltered political analysis and brotherly banter.