Transcript
Ben Meisellis (0:00)
Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores. Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits plan features in Texas and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credit stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required. Welcome to breaking News with Ben Meiselis. It's great to be here with everyone. Before we go into all the madness that's taking place right now in the Oval Office and the threats by Donald Trump against Greenland and the rest of the world and what's taking place in Davos as we see Europe and the rest of the world standing up to Donald Trump in this regime. Let me just at the outset address, obviously there's somebody missing on the show today. And while we put out a statement about it over the weekend and move swiftly, even though our editor in chief Ron Philipkowski put out a statement as well on Substack, I know a lot of people just wanted to hear from me. So I will be brief and then we'll get into the news, which is what I want to focus on. So I think obviously when certain statements were made about New York Attorney General Letitia James and District Attorney Alvin Bragg, that didn't represent the values and principles of the Midas Touch network or what I myself believe to be the truth about what happened. I just can no longer continue to do political beatdown and I can no longer continue to host the Mea Culpa show on this network. I personally know New York Attorney General Letitia James and District Attorney Alvin Bragg to be admirable people who conducted the prosecutions against Trump with the highest integrity and statements to the contrary were not just things that I disagreed with, but strongly disagreed with. And I felt compromised the ability of the network if it continued to platform statements like that. We acted swiftly within hours. Our editor in chief addressed it within hours. And I think that's important in terms of keeping the trust of this network that we heard you and we moved very, very quickly. Okay. If you've known me now for the past five to six years of hosting this, the show and being a part of this network, you know that I don't like to get into gossip. You know that I don't like to get into innuendo. You know that at a personal level, I sometimes will share my Emotions. I'm not some, you know, stoic, detached newscaster who doesn't feel. And so, you know, to be doing a show with someone and not doing a show, obviously, you know, saddens me. But ultimately, you know, the Midas Touch is a network that needs to be focused on a singular mission of protecting, preserving, and defending democracy. And I can't have the network be involved also in other distractions and in other areas and in other things that are centered around personalities. When I need this network to be centered around the survival of our democracy and our country and pushing back against fascism. And so if that mission is ever compromised, I'm going to take swift action. This network is going to take swift action, which is, which is what took place. I want to be clear also that the Midas Touch Network is not about Ben Meisellis. It's not about Brett Meisellas, it's not about Jordi Meisellis. It's not about the brothers. Although we were part of becoming founders of this network, of course, with all of you who watch this, this network is not about any specific host or any specific person. This network is about the people. This network is about you. This network is about our country. This network is about the pro democracy community in the world. And that is what is most important. And I want this network to live on far beyond me or my brothers. Every day. Obviously, we have to address the news, the breaking news, the legal news, everything that's going on. That's what we do. But what is most important for me as well, and you know, from listening to me on this network, is that I talk about principles and values and I have to walk the walk. Not just talk the talk. And generational, generational change is what is needed. And so what I am most proud about this network doing is inspiring a cadre of other independent media who I don't view as competitors. As long as they're supporting and defending democracy. I welcome everybody into this space and to see other YouTube channel starts, other substacks start, to see other people leave corporate news where they felt compromised, to either join the Midas Touch network or start their own independent news. Regardless of the route that they take, the Midas Touch Network has always been there for people who want to support and defend democracy, to uplift them and to do our best to help them build their platforms. And so beyond the network and you know, all of the YouTube channels that we've worked with and we work with, you know, it's also about uplifting lots of people who may not have a direct connection to this network. So, with that said, I know you all wanted to hear from me, and given that this is the time slot where Beatdown would otherwise be, I thought it was important to address it with you. I hope you understand. Of course it was. As a human being, it saddens me just at a human level, but I'm confident that as a fiduciary to this network, we took the right course of action swiftly, and now we can focus on what I want to focus on, which is the news. That's what I want to do every single day when I wake up, when I go to sleep. That's why I became a lawyer. That's why I was a civil rights litigator. That's why I marched with families in Bakersfield and Kern county and Fresno for seven years of my life, basically living in a Marriott in Truxton Avenue in Bakersfield, shout out to all the Bakersfield families who I worked with in terms of my life, representing Colin Kaepernick and helping Colin with his career and standing up, as he did in the face of great adversity, 2017 through 2021. And that's what I bring to this network, and that's what I mean when I talk about values and principles. So, with that said, let's get into the news. Let's talk about what went down today. Let's talk about Donald Trump's disastrous presser. Even people who liked Trump, even people who thought that Donald Trump, even people who were on his team were like, what the hell was this today? The ranting and raving about Greenland, Panama Canal, whining about the Nobel Prize, flipping through papers, saying, lots of paper here. Look at all this paper. And then there would be, like, a large paperclip, and he'd go, whoa, that paperclip almost got my thumb. That would have caused a lot of people pain, but I wouldn't feel pain. And I'm watching this and I'm like, this is someone who is ill. This is someone who is demented and deranged. This is someone who should not be anywhere near the proximity of power yet alone in this position. And I just think about how we got here. A broken corporate news apparatus, propaganda state regime, news and leaders normalizing this behavior when they need to stand up and. And say, this is not normal. This is not okay. And put yourself out there, because if you don't, he's still coming for you. That's the thing. Even if you're super selfish, he's coming for you. So your option is either to Protect yourself now by fighting back strongly or compromising your ability to fight him later when he comes for you. So even if you were purely selfish, you should be fighting back because it's in your interest. But you shouldn't be purely selfish, because why do you exist if it's just to exist, to be selfish and live a miserable, lonely existence when there are others who occupy and inhabit this place together? The press conference, Donald Trump in the White House at the same time, you have world leaders in Davos. So let's do this. Let me show you Trump's press conference, then let me compare it to Prime Minister Carney at the speech he gave in Davos. So Donald Trump saying, oh, I'm glad my finger wasn't in that sucker. Okay, here, play this clip.
