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Commentator
Over and over again, Donald Trump keeps throwing his DOJ lawyers under the bus. They may find themselves being held in criminal contempt, soon potentially even losing their legal license, their bar license, or being put in prison for violating court orders. When Donald Trump is asked, why are you violating the Supreme Court's nine to zero order, saying, donald, you've got to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia, who your regime disappear to a concentration camp in El Salvador without due process. You need to facilitate his return to the United States, provide him with due process, and then you can go from there. Why aren't you following the Supreme Court's order? Donald Trump consistently says, because my own DOJ lawyers said that I won in front of the Supreme Court and that I don't need to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia. And most recently, in this disastrous interview that Donald Trump gave with ABC on his 100 days in office, the most disastrous 100 days in the history of the presidency, Donald Trump said, my lawyers are telling me that I don't need to do anything. In fact, what Donald Trump said is, if I wanted to, Trump says, I could facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia. Donald Trump says, yeah, I have the ability and power to pick up the phone and give a phone call to the leader of El Salvador, naive Bukele, and ask for the return. And yeah, he would return Abrego Garcia, I'm sure if I ask him. But Donald Trump said, my lawyers say I don't need to do that, so I'm not going to do that. We all know what the Supreme Court order says. It says you need to facilitate the return and take steps to do that. So if Donald Trump's lawyers are really saying that to Donald Trump, then they're going to be in big trouble before the various federal courts, not just the one in Maryland where involving the Abrego Garcia case, but there are federal courts throughout the country now where we're also seeing these types of orders where Donald Trump disappeared migrants to El Salvador. I want to show you what Donald Trump said. I want to go through the specific language with you. But I think it's notable that the federal judge in Maryland, Judge Zenis, in the case of Abrego Garcia, while there was a temporary pause that took place in that case on the expedited discovery that Judge Zinnis had ordered regarding why Abrego Garcia was sent to El Salvador, the steps that are being taken for his return, this pause in discovery has now ended. I think that pause was because there were representations made to the court, confidentially that there were steps being taken to try to facilitate the return, which was then not carried out. And now the judge, Judge Zinnis has ordered. Let's go. Expedited discovery. I want it all done by May 9th. And I think Judge Zinnis is teeing this all up to make a contempt finding, a criminal contempt finding. And this is a no nonsense judge that I think is at the violations of her court order and what the Supreme Court ruled, which is facilitate the return forthwith. So here's what Donald Trump said in his interview with ABC this past week. Donald Trump's talking about Abrego Garcia. And Terry Moran, the ABC reporter says, I'm not saying whether Abrego is a good guy or not. It's about the rule of law. The order from the Supreme Court stands, sir. Trump goes, goes. He came into our country illegally. Terry Moran says you could get him back. There's a phone on his desk. Donald Trump says, I could. Terry Moran says you could pick it up. And with all. And Trump says I could. And Terry Moran says with the power of the presidency, you could call up the president of El Salvador and say, send him back right now. Donald Trump says I could. But then Donald Trump blames his lawyers and he says, well, I followed the law. Trump says, and my lawyers say, I, I don't need to do that. Let me play this clip for you. Let's play it.
Donald Trump
We're not being treated fairly by all judges.
Terry Moran
Oh, that's a subject. So you're saying that you don't like some of the rulings, some of the court orders?
Donald Trump
I think the rulings will be overturned. Yeah.
Terry Moran
Let me ask you about one man and one court order. Kilmar Abrego Garcia. He's the Salvadoran man who crossed into this country illegally, but who is under a protective order that he not be sent back to El Salvador. Your government sent him back to El Salvador and acknowledged in court that was a mistake. And now the Supreme Court has upheld an order that you must return him to facilitate his return to the United States. What are you doing to comply?
Donald Trump
Well, the lawyer that said it was a mistake was here a long time, was not appointed by us. Should not have said that. Should not have said that. And just send the person that you're talking about. You know, you're making this person sound. This is a MS.13 gang member, a tough cookie, been in lots of skirmishes, beat the hell out of his wife, and the wife was petrified to even talk about him. Okay. Is not an innocent, wonderful gentleman from Maryland.
Terry Moran
I'm not saying he's a good guy. It's about the rule of law. The order from the Supreme Court stands.
Donald Trump
Into our country illegally.
Terry Moran
You could get him back. There's a phone on this desk.
Donald Trump
I could.
Terry Moran
You could pick it up and all the power, the presidency. You could call up the president of El Salvador and say, send him back right now.
Donald Trump
And if he were the gentleman that you say he is, I would do that.
Terry Moran
But the court has ordered you to facilitate that.
Donald Trump
I'm not the one making this decision. We have lawyers don't want to do.
Terry Moran
This, but the buck stops.
Donald Trump
No, no, no, no. The law. You want me to follow the law. If I were the president that just wanted to do anything, I'd probably keep him right where he is.
Terry Moran
Speaker 1 says what? The law.
Commentator
There's another instance in that interview as well where the reporter Terry Moran says, look, Donald, the law requires that every single person get due process, that they, that there is a process that is provided to them. And Trump says, that's not what my lawyers have told me. Here, play this clip here.
Donald Trump
Including terrorists, by the way. Now, but we give them a hearing when they.
Terry Moran
Well, the law requires that every single person who is going to be deported gets a hearing first. Well, you acknowledge that.
Donald Trump
I'll have to ask the lawyers about that. All I can say is this. If you're going to have 21 million people and if we have to get a lot of them out because they're criminals, we're going to have to act fast. We can't. Do you think we can give 21 million trials? Let's say each trial takes two weeks. Is that what you want us to do?
Terry Moran
The law is the law. And yours.
Donald Trump
The law doesn't say anything about trials.
Terry Moran
No, not trials.
Donald Trump
Hearings. These people came in. They're not citizens. They came in illegally. They came into our country illegally. We have to get them out.
Terry Moran
There's a legal process for that.
Donald Trump
I can't be sure. And we follow the legal process. I can't. I can't have a trial, a major trial. Every person that came in illegally.
Commentator
If you go through Donald Trump's Time magazine interview from last week and you see what Donald Trump said, you'll see that he consistently throws his lawyers under the bus as well. By the way, all of this is going to be used in these federal court proceedings. So this was the Time Time magazine interview. Donald, you committed to complying with all Supreme Court orders? Trump says, yes. When you and I last spoke, April, are you still committed to complying with the Supreme Court orders. Trump goes, sure. I believe in the court system. The reporter goes, well, the Supreme Court ruled 9 to 0 that you have to bring back Abrego Garcia. You haven't done so. Are you disobeying the Supreme Court? Trump goes, well, that's not what my people told me. They didn't say it was. They said it was. The nine to nothing was something entirely different. Then the reporter goes, well, let me quote from the ruling. Quote, the order properly requires the government to facilitate Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador. Are you facilitating the release? Trump goes, I leave that to my lawyers. I give them no instructions. They feel that the order said something very much different from what you're saying. But I leave that to my lawyers if they want. And that would be the attorney General of the United States and the people that represent the country. I don't make that decision. Okay, maybe. But, Mr. President, whatever he might have done, Abrego, whoever he might be affiliated with, doesn't he deserve his day in court? And Trump goes, I really just give that to my lawyers to determine. That's why I have them. That's not my determination. It's something that, frankly, bringing him back and retrying him wouldn't bother me. But I leave that up to my lawyer. You could bring him back and retry him. To which the reporter goes, that's exactly right. You could fix this simply by bringing him back and going through a legal process. To which Trump says, one more time, but I leave that decision to the lawyers. At this moment. They, the lawyers just don't want to do that. They say that we're in total compliance with the Supreme Court. And Trump goes on to say that over and over again. Just one other point I want to bring up here as well. Remember in the earlier clip I showed you, Donald Trump said that Abrego Garcia's wife doesn't want to talk to him or hates him or words to that effect. Just so I can fact check everything that Donald Trump is saying. This is the wife of Abrego Garcia. This is from April 15th. I'm only going to show you a short portion of this clip, but she makes a heartfelt plea to Donald Trump. I want my husband back. He's the father of our children. Abrego Garcia's wife lives in Maryland. She and Abrego have three kids together. The kids are American citizens. Abrego Garcia has no criminal history at all. He was given a work permit by the Trump administration in 2019. There was a withholding order in 2019 as well, saying you can't send him to El Salvador. And he's been showing up. He works in a union. I mean, he's been showing up to ICE every year. He's a member of the community there. I know the Trump regime wants to act like this guy is like bin, but it would be like, if that's the case, so then you in 2019, Trump gave bin Laden a work permit and he works at the union, and he just shows up and checks in with ICE voluntarily. I mean, that's what you're arguing with. No criminal history here in the United States. But just so you can hear what Abrego Garcia's wife says here, play this.
Abrego Garcia's Wife
Clip after his disappearance and I stand before you filled with spirit that refuses to bring down. I will not stop fighting until I see my husband alive. Kilmar, if you can hear me, stay strong. God hasn't forgotten about you. Our children are asking when would you come home? And I pray for the day I tell them the time and date that you'll return.
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Commentator
Now, then there's this other aspect, too, from that interview on ABC where Donald Trump claims that the MS.13, that, that an abrego's knuckles, it says MS.13, and it doesn't. I mean, Abrego has tattoos in that area. But then Photoshopped on his hand was the letters Ms. And the numbers 13. That's not actually on his hand. But Donald Trump is saying what he's been told, what he's been given, ostensibly by lawyers, he claims is that it says. Actually, it says M. By the way, even if it said Ms. 13 on it, then you, Trump administration one, gave this guy a work permit. He would still be entitled to due process. And then ultimately, if he was found to be a bad guy, then there could be accountability for it. I'm not sure the accountability should be sending a human being to a concentration camp in El Salvador. But we definitely want to see gang members off the street. They can be held accountable, and there should be full and complete law and order handled. But just Trump saying that this is what his lawyers told him. Here, play this clip right here.
Donald Trump
It wasn't a member a gang. And then they looked, and on his knuckles he had MS.13.
Terry Moran
There's a dispute.
Donald Trump
Wait a minute, wait a minute. He had MS.13 on his knuckles, he.
Terry Moran
Had some tattoos that are interpreted that way. But let's move on.
Donald Trump
Wait a minute. Okay, Terry, Terry, Terry.
Terry Moran
He did not have the letter MS.1.
Donald Trump
It says MS.13.
Terry Moran
That was photoshopped. So let me.
Donald Trump
That was Photoshop. Terry. You can't do that. Hey, they're giving you the big break of a lifetime. You know, you're doing the interview. I picked you because, frankly, I never heard of you. But that's okay. I picked you, Terry, but you're not being very nice. He had Ms. 13 tattoos.
Terry Moran
We'll agree to disagree. I want to move on to something.
Donald Trump
Terry, do you want me to show you the picture?
Terry Moran
I saw the picture.
Abrego Garcia's Wife
Well.
Donald Trump
And you think it was Photoshop?
Terry Moran
Well, here we go. Here we go.
Donald Trump
Don't Photoshop it. Go look at his hand.
Terry Moran
He did have tattoos that can be interpreted that way. I'm not an expert on them. I want to turn to Ukraine. I want to get to Ukraine.
Donald Trump
No, no, no, no. He had Ms. As clear as you can be not interpreted. This is why people no longer believe. Well, the news. Because when he was photogr in El.
Terry Moran
Salvador, in, in El Salvador. They aren't there. But let's just go. They aren't there when he's in elsewhere.
Donald Trump
Oh, they weren't there now, right?
Terry Moran
No, but they're in your picture.
Donald Trump
Terry Ukraine. Sir, he's got MS.13 on his knuckles. All right, okay, we'll take a look. It's. You do such a disservice. We'll take a look. Why don't you just say yes he does and you know, go on to something else.
Terry Moran
It's contested.
Commentator
So now Trump's lawyers have to go in front of these federal judge, the federal judge in Maryland, Judge Zinnis. There's a Trump appointed federal judge in Maryland as well in another case involving a 20 year old Venezuelan who this Trump appointed judge ordered be returned. And the same way Abrego Garcia has got to be returned consistent with the Supreme Court's nine to zero order. There's a Trump appointed judge in Louisiana who's saying that the Trump administration sent a two year old from two year old United States citizen to Honduras and deported United States citizens. So I guess Trump's plan is to engage in this cruelty and then blame it on his lawyers. And now his lawyers. I mean you see this order by Judge Zinnis here. His lawyers have to now show up before the court and justify why they're not in compliance. And Trump saying that they could do it if they just gave him the advice. You see what Trump's doing right there? Let me know what you think. Anyway, hit subscribe. Let's get to 5 million subscribers. Thanks for watching.
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The MeidasTouch Podcast Summary
Episode Title: Yikes! Trump Destroys Lives of His Own DOJ Lawyers
Release Date: May 1, 2025
Hosts: Ben Meiselas, Brett Meiselas, Jordy Meiselas
Description: In this episode, the Meiselas brothers delve into the contentious relationship between former President Donald Trump and his Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers. Through meticulous analysis of recent interviews and legal proceedings, they explore the implications of Trump's actions on his legal team and the broader legal landscape.
The episode opens with the Meiselas brothers setting the stage for a deep dive into the tumultuous interactions between former President Donald Trump and his DOJ lawyers. They emphasize Trump's consistent pattern of undermining his legal advisors, leading to severe professional and legal repercussions for those involved.
a. Overview of the Situation
The hosts discuss how Trump has repeatedly "thrown his DOJ lawyers under the bus," leading to potential criminal contempt charges, loss of legal licenses, and even imprisonment for violating court orders. They highlight the severity of the situation and its implications for the rule of law.
b. The Abrego Garcia Case
A significant portion of the discussion centers around the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who was deported to a concentration camp in El Salvador without due process. Despite a Supreme Court order mandating his return to the United States, Trump has resisted compliance.
Commentator Analysis: The episode's commentator details Trump's refusal to follow the Supreme Court's nine-to-zero decision, citing contradictory advice from his lawyers. They predict legal repercussions for Trump's legal team due to non-compliance.
Notable Quote:
a. ABC Interview Breakdown
The hosts provide a detailed analysis of Trump's recent disastrous interview with ABC, where he discussed his administration's handling of the Abrego Garcia case.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
b. Time Magazine Interview Insights
Further analysis is provided on Trump's interview with Time Magazine, where he reiterates his stance on complying with Supreme Court orders, despite inaction.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
The episode highlights the emotional and personal toll of Trump's decisions on Abrego Garcia's family.
Clip Analysis: A heartfelt plea from Abrego Garcia's wife underscores the human impact of the legal battles.
Notable Quote from Abrego Garcia’s Wife:
The podcast addresses Trump's allegations regarding Abrego Garcia's alleged affiliation with the MS.13 gang, countering his claims with facts and evidence.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
The discussion shifts to the broader legal implications of Trump's actions, focusing on the multiple federal court cases arising from his administration's deportation practices.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
The Meiselas brothers conclude the episode by reflecting on the systemic issues within the Trump administration's legal strategies. They underscore the dangers of undermining legal institutions and the rule of law, emphasizing the need for accountability and adherence to judicial decisions.
Listeners Are Encouraged To:
Join the MeidasTouch Podcast:
Subscribe to the MeidasTouch Podcast for more in-depth analyses, engaging discussions, and unwavering support for democracy. New episodes are released every Tuesday and Friday morning, with live video sessions available on Mondays and Thursdays at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel.