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Oh hey.
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Welcome to gift wrapping. Whoa. So is Saldana.
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Hey, can you wrap these please?
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Wow.
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IPhone 17s.
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You splurged at T Mobile. You can get four iPhone 17s on them. The new center Stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. It's the perfect gift for everyone.
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I'm the worst. I only got my mom a robe.
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Well, it's better than socks.
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So I have to trade in my old phone, right?
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No AT T Mobile there's no trade ins needed when you switch. Keep your old phone or give it as a gift.
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Incredible.
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In fact, wrap up my old phone too for my Aunt Rosa. Forget that. Aunt Liz will be jealous.
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Sounds like my family drama.
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Oh I got it. I'll give it to my abuela. I'll take reindeer paper with hey where are you going?
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To T Mobile. The holidays are better. AT T Mobile get four iPhone 17s on us. No traded needed when you switch plus four lines for just 25 bucks a line. And now T Mobile is available in US cellular stores with 24 monthly bill credits and four eligible board inside essentials for well qualified customers bought our pay plus taxes fees and $35 device connection charge credits and depends on balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Contact US Finance Agreement 256 gigabytes. $830 required. Visit t mobile.com Kristi Noem, you're getting thrown under the bus by the Trump regime's DOJ right now for potential criminal Contempt. That's right. The DOJ was ordered to respond by yesterday evening from Judge Jeb Boseberg, who has reinitiated criminal contempt proceedings against the Trump regime officials who could later be identified as being responsible for defying the judge's orders. Several months back, when the judge made the order do not send these migrants to the concentration camp in El Salvador without providing them due process, the court issued an injunction. The injunction was transmitted to the DOJ who transmitted it to to the Department of Homeland Security, but the Department of Homeland Security, while they could have turned around the flight of the hundred plus migrants who were being sent to Sea cot, which is called a terrorist detention center in El Salvador, but it's really a concentration camp there. The DHS said, damn the order. Basically f the order go to see COT and bring these migrants there. Those migrants went there. They were tortured. They had their lives destroyed and ruined before ultimately we saw Brago Garcia. His return got facilitated and then the regime had to unwind the fact that they sent these migrants unlawfully to concentration camps in El Salvador. So what do I mean that the DOJ threw Kristi Noem under the bus? The judge said identify the final decision maker who, who made that order. And the Department of Justice put forward a response to the court's order and they say after receiving legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the detainees who had been removed from the United States before the court's order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. As explained below, they say the decision was lawful and was consistent with a reasonable interpretation of the court's order. That that's on paragraph four where they say Kristi Noem did it. Let's go to paragraph 10. It says nevertheless, in so far as the court has inquired into the identities of the decision making officials for purposes of making a potential criminal referral. The actions were taken by DHS through Secretary Noem after being formally advised about compliance with with this court's order, both by the DOJ leadership and the Acting General Counsel of the DHS Department of Homeland Security. In other words, the doj and you see their lawyers here, Brett Shoemate, Drew Insign and others. They're saying, we told Kristi Noem about the court's order saying turn around that plane, turn it around now. Bring the migrants back and and then we can deal with it. Don't send them to the concentration camp. The DOJ said, we told Christine Ohm. Christine Ohm sought the legal advice from the doj, but ultimately she was the one who made the determination send the people to the concentration camp. You take a look right here. It's defendants response to court order, and they admit the court, the federal judge, Judge Boseberg, directed the parties to propose next steps for its inquiry into potential for criminal contempt. Defendants respectfully submit that no further steps are warranted. They go though. Insofar as this court disagrees with our interpretation of the law. Defendants identify below officials who made and advised on the decision not to recall the flights in transit and instead to transfer detainees out of the US custody on March 15th and 16th, 2025, which is the only remaining information necessary for this court to proceed with a referral. If the court believes any further information is needed for that purpose, defendants respectfully request an opportunity to provide that information. One of the things that they also say in this motion is that they say they don't want to put Christine Ohm in front of the court for live testimony. Look at paragraph 11. The DOJ claims, no, no live testimony is warranted at this time. They say, let us provide a declaration of Kristi Noem. Let's. Let's do this by declaration. Judge. Uh, she doesn't want to come in to testify. She's too scared to show up and testify after the DOJ throws her under the bus and say it was no ultimately made that call to violate your order. Judge. Then you go to paragraph 12, and they say, defendants object to the involvement of. Of the plaintiffs in this case because they say this no longer involves the original litigants because the issue of criminal contempt involves the dignity of the court. And they say plaintiffs lack standing to participate as anything other than fact witnesses. They are afraid that the plaintiffs have done such a good job in cornering these rats, these fascists, these despicable humans like Kristi Noem, that they're like, we don't want to deal with any more. Judge. It's just you. Criminal contempt. It's up to you. You are the one who makes that call. Now, I want to make this point as well before going on more about Kristi Noem, who the doj and Trump says she did it. If anyone's responsible for criminal contempt, basically go after Kristi Noem, not the doj. Do you see what they did right there? Or they go, look, look, we think that what she did was lawful, but if you think it's unlawful, it's her. It is not us. But when they say they want to submit declarations, we also know that the DOJ has a pattern in practice of submitting false declarations or declarations from people who don't know anything about the case. And where do we know that from? Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was one of the individuals who was unlawfully sent to El Salvador in, in the concentration camp there. Now, Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States where he was trot, where he was faced criminal charges in the middle district of Tennessee based on some fabricated, ginned up claim that he was trafficking other migrants when he was pulled over for a traffic stop like four years ago and he wasn't even arrested. So that, that's what they charged him for. But they don't even want to go through with the criminal case. Instead they want to deport him now to Africa. They've tried to deport him to Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and now Liberia. And there are separate proceedings of deporting him in a court in the district court in Maryland before a judge by the name of Judge Zinnis. That's a separate proceeding that than the case. That's the criminal case against Abrego in the middle district of Tennessee. Now, as I've said, let's use common sense right here. If the DOJ thought Abrego's a really bad guy and they have all this evidence, why wouldn't you want to criminally prosecute him, throw him in jail, throw him in prison the same way El Chapo is and the way America used to deal with it, why separately are you trying to get rid of him to these African nations like Eswatini and, and Ghana and Liberia? You just want to send him there where maybe you could just make him disappear and he wakes up one day and there are people there with the gun and they just kill him. Maybe that's what you're trying to actually, you know, pull off. But one of the things we've learned in the Abrego Garcia case too is that Costa Rica and their leadership has always said they're willing to take Abrego Garcia. But the DOJ submitted a false declaration from a DHS person, also with Kristi Noem, and an ICE person as well, an ICE Director of enforcement named Jose Cantu. And Jose Cantu put forward a declaration saying that he's aware that Costa Rica said they're refusing to take Abrego Garcia. But then the Washington Post reached out to Costa Rica and they said, we never said that. We are perfectly fine with having a brago. In fact, we want a brago. Send him to Costa Rica. At which point the federal judge in Maryland, Judge Zinnis, said, bring Jose Cantu in. Let's have Cantu testify. And he better be prepared to tell us what he meant in his declaration when he said Costa Rica would not accept Abrego when we know that Costa Rica would accept a Brago. So Jose Cantu shows up and he goes, I didn't even draft my declaration. Judge Zenis goes, you didn't draft your declaration? He goes, no, the DOJ wrote it for me and I just signed my name to it. I was on a Microsoft Teams call for about five minutes. They just told me what to sign and I signed. To which Judge Zinnis said, this was the worst witness that I've ever seen that literally the worst. She goes, he knew nothing. He didn't know any of the words that were on that piece of paper. Judge Zinnis says, and guess who was coordinating that as well. Kristi Noem, who oversees dhs, which oversees ICE and Border Patrol. It all goes back to Kristi Noem. So you can't trust any of the declarations that are submitted. That's why. But they go, we want to do it by declaration. So you have Abrego exposing the lies there, and Costa Rica was willing to take him back.
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Now, going back to Kristi Noem. Yes, we now know, because the DOJ says it, that Noem did it. But Kristi Noem is a un. Is. She's a fascist. I mean, she's a horrible, despicable individual. Do you remember when, after this went down, especially knowing what she did now, that she was the direct one responsible for violating the court's order. Remember, she went in front of those cages at the concentration camp and then she used some of the prisoners there, not the group that was sent from the United States, but she used the prisoners as props while wearing her, like $50,000 or $60,000 Rolex. She just stood there in front of the prisoners, use them as props. Which, by the way, is a violation of international law to use prisoners as props and propaganda. What a despicable. These are such despicable, despicable people, these Trump regime. Here, play this clip.
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I also want everybody to know, if you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face. First of all, do not come to our country illegally. You will be removed and you will be prosecuted. But know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use.
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And does it shock you that Kristi Noem is at the center of this as well? She'll do anything that Donald Trump wants.
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Months.
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She is a sicko. I mean, do you remember when Senator Padilla showed up at a press conference back in June in order to ask a question, a question of Kristi Noem. And then she had the ICE and Border Patrol agents brutalize a sitting United States senator and throw him to the ground. And then she played the victim like, oh, he was attacking me. He was attacking me. Here, play this clip.
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Hands up.
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Hands up.
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Also, I wanted to Senator Alex Padilla.
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I have a question for the secretary because the fact of the matter is I have a dozen violent criminals that you're rotating on your.
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I also want to talk about specifically.
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Hands behind your back.
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Hands on your back. All right, cool. Other answer. Other hand. There's no recording loud on here. And this is where, you know, she, like, he was attacking me. Here she is here giving an interview. I had no Idea. He was a senator and he started to go, he went after me, so I had to protect myself. Yeah, a real sociopath, this one. A real sociopath. She would fit in perfectly well in Nazi Germany, don't you think? Here, play.
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This clip was very productive, and I. I wish that he would have reached out and identified himself and let us know who he was and that he wanted to talk. His approach, you know, was something that I don't think was appropriate at all. But the conversation was great. And we're going to continue to communicate. We exchanged phone numbers and we're going to continue to talk on ways we can entertain him. Why was that the action you decided to take? I'll let the law enforcement speak to how this situation was handled, but I will say that it's people need to identify themselves before they start lunging at people. That during press conferences, is it appropriate.
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Important to point out in the video of his apprehension, he says out loud, I'm Senator Alex Padilla. I'm allowed to be here. So he did identify himself.
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Yeah. According to his office, he was there in the federal building receiving a briefing, and then he was there listening to the press conference. Let's bring in our bureau chief and political director David Chalian to talk about this. It's interesting that that now appears to be the narrative coming from DHS that they didn't know who he was.
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Now let's tell the story of Andrea. She testified at the recent Democratic Oversight Shadow hearing that we exclusively covered at the Midas Touch network. Listen to her story. This was ordered by Christine Ohm as well. Play this clip.
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Good morning and thank you for having me. My name is Andrea Velez, a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and a Cal Poly Pomona graduate. I was raised with morals, kindness, respect, and always doing what is right. I am soft spoken, but today I must speak for myself and for those who cannot. On Tuesday, June 24, my mother and sister dropped me off at work. Seconds later, unmarked cars swarmed the streets and masked men in plain clothing began chasing and attacking people without identifying themselves as ice. One of them ran towards me, terrified I'd use my work bag as a shield. But he slammed me onto the sidewalk and accused me of interfering. When I asked for his badge or a warrant, he refused and handcuffed me. They didn't believe I was a US Citizen or bothered to check my id. My mother and sister saw it all. Powerless to intervene, they called 911, but LAPD assisted ICE instead of protecting me, another US citizen, Luis Ippolito, was Detained that day for recording, he was pepper spray beaten. They minimized his pain as not a big deal, despite convulsing, bleeding and struggling to breathe. Only after he was into shock did I call an ambulance. I spent most of the first day shackled in a van, watching others arrive distraught and taken against their will. While ambulances came and went for those attacked inside, I was denied the right to call my family or speak to a lawyer. I refused to disclose my whereabouts. Requests to use the bathroom or asking for food were met with hostility and anger. At the Metropolitan Detention Center, I could not access drinking water without purchasing a cup. Thankfully, another detainee lent me theirs. I was held there until Thursday and my case was dismissed two weeks later for lack of evidence. Since that day, I no longer feel safe. I detached from my trauma. Yet our community continues to be targeted because of the color of our skin. I urge you to hold ICE and other agencies accountable for dehumanizing our Hispanic and immigrant communities. Thank you.
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And lastly, I want to remind you when Kristi Noem showed up to testify before the United States Senate. Remember when she testified back in May of 2025? Remember Senator Murphy's cross exam of her? I remember it. Here it is. Let's play it.
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I mean, I think this is really troubling if you can't answer this simple question. Do you believe that the US Government can detain and deport a legal permanent resident for expressing a political opinion that the administration disagrees with?
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The determination you're asking for is based on things that you are determining that the Secretary of State has considered and evaluated. We don't evaluate that the administration, along with a partnership with the Department of State on what is political speech and what's an affiliation with the foreign terrorists. Do you believe that's the difference between.
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That you're asking that you can detain the court the direction legal permanent resident for expressing a political we have not.
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Detained Orden we have not deported anybody who's a legal permanent resident or citizen.
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Of the United States and say you don't have the ability to do that. Have Clarif clarify that for the millions.
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Of that is exactly what I'm doing, is that we have followed exactly what the law is and that we have not detained or deported anybody who's a citizen or has legal status in this country. We are focused on the worst of the worst. Dangerous.
D
You do not believe you have to get them out of do not believe you have the ability to do that.
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We have not done that at all. And the Trump administration has no plan.
D
Well, just because you haven't done it doesn't mean that you want to in the future. Do you believe you have the ability to do that?
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We are doing.
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I think you were going to appropriate.
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Thing in partnership with the Department of State and in partnership with the Trump administration.
D
Have you read the I assume you have read the Supreme Court decision in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
E
Yes.
D
That court decision requires the administration to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia's release from El Salvador. Can you describe the steps that you have taken to facilitate this release and specifically can you answer as to whether you have reached out to your counterpart in El Salvador to facilitate Mr. Abrego Garcia's release?
E
Abrego Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador and should never have been in this country and will not be coming back to this country. There is no scenario where Abrego Garcia will be in the United States again. If he were to come back, we would immediately deport him again because he is a terrorist, he's a human smuggler and he is a wife beater.
D
Does, does the. You've read the Supreme Court decision. Does the Supreme Court decision not require you to facilitate the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia?
E
The Trump administration is complying with all court orders and judges orders.
D
Does, does the. Does the Supreme Court order require you to facilitate the return of.
E
Grego Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador. It is up to the President of the El Salvador to make the decision.
D
You're a defendant in the case.
E
Coming back, it's been a big topic of conversation between all of us, between the country. When the President visited the United States of America, it was discussed and talked about there. The president has been very clear on this issue as the Secretary of State and I have as well. Abrego Garcia is not a citizen of this country and is a dangerous individual who does not belong here.
D
I will not ask another question.
E
If you were back in the discussion, we would immediately.
D
Discussion ends when The Supreme Court rules 9, 0 that you have to facilitate his release. And the fact that you can't even acknowledge the wording of the order which commands you to facilitate his release. And you advertise to this committee that you are going to willfully ignore the ruling. And that is incredibly chilling. The balance of powers in a democracy that relies on the executive branch to honor decisions made by the highest court of the land.
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There you have it folks. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million. We know it was you, Christy. Despicable person. Hey Midas Mighty, it's Ben, Brett and Jordy, and we just want to thank you for being the backbone of this movement.
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This year tested us more than ever, but together we proved that pro democracy voices don't just compete. We win. We took on the entire MAGA machine.
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Won a Webby for Podcast of the.
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Year, the Midas Touch Podcast.
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And you were with us every step of the way. And trust us, what we're working on next is bigger, bolder, and built for 2026.
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Let's keep this momentum going. Spread the word. We are just getting started.
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Shout out to the Midas Mighty.
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Join Vanguard for a moment of meditation. Take a deep breath. Picture yourself reaching your financial goals. Feel that freedom. Visit vanguard.com investinginu to learn more. All investing is subject to risk.
Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett & Jordy Meiselas
In this episode, the Meiselas brothers dissect breaking developments around Kristi Noem, the Trump administration’s DHS Secretary, being identified by the Department of Justice as the final decision-maker defying court orders on the deportation and detention of migrants. They provide detailed commentary on the legal, moral, and political consequences, share powerful testimonies and Senate exchanges, and reinforce their critique of the Trump regime’s disregard for democracy and rule of law.
[01:57] Ben (paraphrased):
Notable Quote:
“The DOJ said, we told Kristi Noem about the court’s order... but ultimately she was the one who made the determination: send the people to the concentration camp.”
— Ben, [06:49]
[08:57] Ben (paraphrased):
Notable Quote:
“I didn’t even draft my declaration... The DOJ wrote it for me and I just signed my name to it.”
— Jose Cantu (per Ben), [10:59]
[07:52] Ben:
Systemic Takeaway:
[13:57 & 14:57] Ben:
Notable Quote:
“She just stood there in front of the prisoners, used them as props... What a despicable—these are such despicable, despicable people, these Trump regime.”
— Ben, [14:35]
Kristi Noem Soundbite:
“If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face... this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit.”
— Kristi Noem, [14:57]
[15:20] Ben:
Memorable Moment:
“She had the ICE and Border Patrol agents brutalize a sitting United States senator and throw him to the ground. And then she played the victim...”
— Ben, [15:20]
Fact Check:
“In the video... he says out loud, 'I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I’m allowed to be here.' So he did identify himself.”
— Host, [17:26]
[17:56 & 18:11]
Notable Quote (Andrea):
“I urge you to hold ICE and other agencies accountable for dehumanizing our Hispanic and immigrant communities.”
— Andrea Velez, [20:10]
[20:13–23:41]
Key Exchange:
Murphy: “Do you believe the U.S. Government can detain and deport a legal permanent resident for expressing a political opinion...?”
Noem: “We have not done that at all. And the Trump administration has no plan...”
— [20:31–21:44]
Murphy: “The Supreme Court rules 9–0 that you have to facilitate his release... And you advertise to this committee that you are going to willfully ignore the ruling. And that is incredibly chilling.”
— [23:41]
The MeidasTouch brothers maintain their signature tone: a mix of irreverent banter, indignant truth-telling, and unapologetic pro-democracy advocacy. They pull no punches calling out perceived fascism, lies, and inhumane acts, using both legal expertise and powerful storytelling.
This episode exposes, with new detail and fierce commentary, the Trump regime’s pattern of scapegoating, legal obstruction, and human rights abuses—putting Kristi Noem squarely in the crosshairs for contempt. Through official filings, firsthand testimony, and political showdowns, the episode calls listeners to awareness and accountability, underlining the threat to democratic norms and the stakes for the vulnerable immigrant community.