Podcast Summary: The MeidasTouch Podcast – "Trump Smothered by Awful News on Friday from Hell"
Episode Information:
- Title: Trump Smothered by Awful News on Friday from Hell
- Release Date: August 2, 2025
- Hosts: Ben Meiselas, Brett Meiselas, and Jordy Meiselas
- Description: The Meiselas brothers blend humor, news coverage, and deep discussions to support democracy, attracting millions of listeners globally.
Introduction
In this episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, Ben Meiselas delves into the latest disheartening jobs report released on a Friday deemed the "Friday from Hell." The discussion centers around the underwhelming job creation numbers, the Trump administration's handling of economic data, and related political controversies.
Disappointing July Jobs Report
Ben begins by dissecting the newly released jobs report for July, which showed the creation of only 73,000 jobs—a figure significantly below the anticipated 110,000 jobs. He emphasizes the sectors where job growth was stunted, notably manufacturing, where approximately 26,000 jobs were lost, and healthcare and social assistance, which are vulnerable to budget cuts from the impending disastrous budget bill.
"Only 73,000 jobs were created in July. And those jobs come from health care and social assistance and all other areas really, like manufacturing jobs were not gained."
— Ben Meiselas (00:56)
Ben criticizes previous job reports from May and June, labeling them as "fake fugazi" and "fraudulent." He points out that initial reports overstated job gains by 258,000 jobs, misleading the public and inflating economic performance metrics.
"The government basically lied to us by 258,000 jobs."
— Ben Meiselas (02:15)
Government Data Revisions and Stock Market Impact
Ben discusses the downward revisions of the May and June jobs numbers, which revealed that only 19,000 jobs were created in May and 14,000 jobs in June, starkly contrasting the previously reported figures. He argues that these revisions signal underlying economic issues not reflected in the initial reports.
"There was a downward revision of May and June of 258,000 jobs."
— Ben Meiselas (02:45)
The poor jobs data has adversely affected the stock market, with significant declines across major indices:
- Dow Jones Industrial Average: Down over 400 points (~1%)
- Nasdaq Composite: Down nearly 2%
- S&P 500: Down more than 1%
Ben criticizes Fox News for downplaying the severity of the jobs report.
Fox News Coverage and Expert Opinions
The podcast includes clips from Fox News personalities Steve Moore and Maria Bartiromo, highlighting their perspectives on the jobs report.
Steve Moore on Jobs Report:
"The Nasdaq down about 200, going 73,000 jobs. Jobs came in at 73,000, which was lower than the expectation of 110,000 jobs."
— Steve Moore (05:02)
Maria Bartiromo on Labor Market:
"Today’s report is really going to shed more light that this was a very weak report. The revisions certainly to May and June are very concerning... We need to get more people into trades and in skilled roles because that’s where the jobs are for sure."
— Maria Bartiromo (06:17)
Ben counters these viewpoints by asserting that the true state of the labor market is far worse than reported, indicating a possible job loss in July and criticizing the administration's narrative.
"The Midas Touch viewers aren't shocked to. Because we've been saying this and I've been screaming this just like for the past five years."
— Ben Meiselas (04:50)
Trump’s Social Media Statements and Controversies
Ben shifts focus to Donald Trump's recent social media activity, highlighting several contentious posts:
-
Ukraine War Claims: Trump claims significant Russian casualties in the Ukraine conflict while downplaying Ukrainian losses and civilian casualties.
"I've just been informed that almost 20,000 Russian soldiers died this month in the ridiculous war with Ukraine."
— Donald Trump (Ben Meiselas discussing) (09:15) -
Criticism of Obama and Allegations of Cover-Ups: Trump accuses former President Obama of mistreatment and suggests ongoing cover-ups related to the Epstein files—a controversial topic involving the late financier and his associations.
"Obama was mean to me. Obama did something about Russia..."
— Donald Trump (Ben Meiselas discussing) (10:05) -
Epstein Files Redaction Scandal: Ben reveals that the FBI redacted all mentions of Trump's name in the Epstein files to obscure evidence, leading to the resignation of whistleblower Michael Sidell.
"The FBI redacted all of Donald Trump's names to try to destroy all of the evidence regarding Donald Trump."
— Ben Meiselas (11:40) -
Ghislaine Maxwell’s Prison Transfer: Trump is implicated in the maneuvering surrounding Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a different prison, suggesting strategic positioning for a potential pardon.
"She is positioning for a pardon. They moved her, probably at her request, to the facility that she wanted to be at..."
— Ben Meiselas (12:05)
Labor Secretary Laurie Chavez-Durimer’s Statements
A significant portion of the episode features a clip from Labor Secretary Laurie Chavez-Durimer, who defends the Trump administration's economic policies despite the weak jobs data.
"We have seen positive job growth. We have seen consumer confidence go up. The American worker is going to win in this occasion because the President has their back."
— Laurie Chavez-Durimer (13:32)
Ben vehemently criticizes Chavez-Durimer’s statements, labeling them as "utterly pathetic" and questioning the sincerity of the administration’s commitment to American workers.
"Utterly, utterly pathetic. Well, there you have it folks."
— Ben Meiselas (14:27)
Conclusion
Ben wraps up the episode by reinforcing his skepticism towards the Trump administration's portrayal of the economic situation. He urges listeners to stay informed and critical of official narratives, emphasizing the importance of uncovering the truth behind misleading data and political maneuvers.
Notable Quotes:
-
"The government basically lied to us by 258,000 jobs."
— Ben Meiselas (02:15) -
"Only 73,000 jobs were created in July..."
— Ben Meiselas (00:56) -
"We’ve been saying this and I've been screaming this just like for the past five years."
— Ben Meiselas (04:50) -
"We need to get more people into trades and in skilled roles because that’s where the jobs are for sure."
— Maria Bartiromo (06:17) -
"Laura Chavez-Durimer... she’s against the PACT Act, she’s against key protections for unions."
— Ben Meiselas (12:50)
Key Takeaways:
-
Underperformance in Job Creation: The July jobs report signals significant economic challenges, with job growth far below expectations and actual job losses in critical sectors.
-
Government Data Integrity: Ben argues that the Trump administration has manipulated economic data, leading to misleading narratives about the nation's economic health.
-
Media Critique: The podcast criticizes mainstream media outlets like Fox News for their handling of economic data and failure to address underlying issues accurately.
-
Political Controversies: Ongoing discussions about Donald Trump's influence on the Epstein files, Ghislaine Maxwell’s incarceration, and misleading social media narratives highlight deep political rifts and transparency issues.
-
Labor Policies Under Scrutiny: Statements from Labor Secretary Laurie Chavez-Durimer are heavily critiqued, emphasizing skepticism towards the administration's commitment to genuine economic support for American workers.
Note: This summary focuses exclusively on the content discussed by the hosts and featured clips, omitting all advertisements and non-content segments as per the provided guidelines.