Secrets of Trump's Firing Scam Exposed

0:00Get in the game with the college-branded Venmo debit card. Wreck your team with every tap and earn up to 5 % cash back with Venmo Stash, a new rewards program from Venmo. No monthly fee, no minimum balance. Just school pride and spending power. Get in the game and sign up for the Venmo debit card at Venmo.com slash college card. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. Select schools available. Venmo Stash terms and exclusions apply at Venmo.me slash Stash terms. Max$100 cash back per month. Are you stuck staring at your W-2? Are tax refund worries holding you back? You probably have FOMO, the fear of messing up.

0:41The fix? Using TurboTax on Intuit Credit Karma. They find every credit and deduction to help you get every refund dollar you deserve. Or your money back. It's time to overcome your fear of messing up and get your taxes done right. Start filing today in the Credit Karma app.

1:28We'll be right back. For everyone who solves crime from their couch, knows more about forensics than their own job, and has trust issues with small-town sheriffs, Amazon Music's millions of podcast episodes are calling. Just download the Amazon Music app and start listening to your favorite true crime podcasts ad-free.

1:47Michael Popok:Included with Prime. Well, the final numbers are in, and Elon Musk and Doge and Trump lied to the American people about the Department of Government Efficiency. They weren't aimed at efficiency or cost cutting at all. They didn't save the country$2 trillion. They didn't come anywhere near that. In fact, under one study by the Cato Institute, a libertarian and conservative institute, Elon Musk actually wasted about$27 billion. The only thing he did was to put 10 % of the federal workforce on the unemployment lines, but did nothing about spending. In fact, two separate institutes, both independent, the Brookings Institute and the Cato Institute, say that the spending is up under the Trump administration, more than 6 % and hundreds of billions of dollars over the Biden administration.

2:39Michael Popok:Not only do we have a jobless recovery, we have a more wasteful government spending more money on things like the Commerce Department, the Homeland Security Department on immigration, the Department of Justice to defend against Donald Trump's unconstitutional and illegal executive orders. So spending up over Joe Biden, federal workforce down, jobless recovery, and one contributing factor is the amount of federal workers on the streets and the U.S. brand and reputation in the trash bin because of cuts to foreign aid and foreign spending. So did nothing about the major drivers of expenses in America, which are the entitlement programs, didn't touch the military.

3:30Michael Popok:In fact, we're throwing more money into the military. And this is all after Elon Musk hopped up on whatever he was hopped up on during a rally for Donald Trump during the campaign. Said he's going to cut$2 trillion as introduced by the Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The only thing that went up is Howard Lutnick's budget. Elon Musk, he went from, I felt like I was watching an old episode of Get Smart. Would you believe$2 trillion? Would you believe? $1 trillion. And then finally, at a cabinet meeting in April, he said$150 million. It's not even that. Let's break down the fiasco and the fraud and the sham that is Donald Trump's Musk-Doge experiment.

4:13Michael Popok:It's hard to believe. It was only about a six or seven month experiment. One person, no one person could do more damage in such a short amount of time than Elon Musk unleashed by Donald Trump. I'm Michael Popak. you're on Midas Touch. We're at the end of the year. We're coming into 2026, and we are revved up and ready to go. Let's dive in to this report. Help us on Legal AF YouTube. Help us get the 2 million subscribers. And I'm running a sale, everybody, on Legal AF Substack, 30 % off on Substack annual membership. We're number two and rising in all Substacks related to American politics. Now is the time to join us on Substack.

4:53Michael Popok:All right, let's get down to the new reporting coming out about Elon Musk and what he didn't do. First, let me just remind you. Now, Susie Wiles, the chief of staff in an interview with Vanity Fair, she suggested, and Elon Musk has said it in the past, that he, you know, during his most irrational periods where we thought, is this guy on drugs? He might have been, like on ketamine. Well, you be the judge. Here's him bragging with Howard Lutnick, the soon-to-be commerce secretary, during the campaign about cutting two trillion dollars in government waste. Let's watch it. All right. As you can see,

5:36I'm not just MAGA. I'm dark, gothic MAGA. Well, it's the energy in this room is incredible.

5:53What a great group of people. I've only got one question for you, then I'm getting out of here because this is your stage. But we set up Doge. Yes. How much do you think we can rip out of this wasted$6.5 trillion Harris-Biden budget? Well, I think we can do at least$2 trillion.

6:15Michael Popok:Yeah! Yes. $2 trillion. Okay, how'd that go? Remember the big wall of receipts? He kept posting, I cut this, I cut that. Turns out, according to the Cato Institute, which is a conservative, remember when Republicans used to be conservative, small government pro-business instead of big government takeover businesses, compete with businesses, remember that? Cato Institute said he didn't save money. He cut the federal workforce by 9 % in 11 months. OK, several hundred thousand people unemployed who are also consumers in a consumer-driven economy. But he did nothing except waste about, look at this number, he wasted, according to the Cato Institute, about$27 billion in order to, sorry,$21.7 billion in order to buy out federal contracts, employment contracts.

7:16Michael Popok:So there you go. Not$2 trillion, not$1 trillion, not even$150 billion. Just wasted$21 billion. Okay? Now, so the only thing that he gets credit for, but I think it's not credit, I think he should be, it should be an accusation of mismanagement is to cut the fuel line between the American people and the federal government, particularly the social safety net and the arts programs and the education programs under the false flag of we're going after diversity, equity, and inclusion. We want to keep transgender people out of bathrooms. Yeah. How do you feel about that now after you sit half a day on the phone at social security, trying to get somebody to answer your call or at Medicare, Medicaid, or for disability?

8:00Michael Popok:How do you feel now about having voted for Donald Trump? So the spending, which of course is at the heart of libertarianism, conservatism, is controlled government spending. Well, how do they do there? Not great, as you can tell from my giggling. According to two different studies, Cato and Brookings, it looks like government spending under Donald Trump in year one is up between six to eight percent over Joe Biden. You see how he's a poor steward of your money and of the economy? Just to give you a framework, according to the Cato Institute, the total amount of money spent by the federal government under Donald Trump is$7.6 trillion.

8:52Michael Popok:$5 trillion of that is non-discretionary spending. It's like Social Security and Medicare, Medicaid, that kind of thing, and other programs. $7.6 trillion. That is$250 billion more than Joe Biden. According to the Brookings Institute, it's even worse. They think federal spending is$7.1 trillion and that it was$400 billion over, which is a 6 % increase. Any way you slice it, that arrow is going in the wrong direction. Jobs lost, spending up. Okay, where does it come from? See, Donald Trump always had this false representation of the American people, among many, about his tariff program combined with his Doge program was going to not only bring in tons of money, it was going to create a dividend that people would get a check for.

9:45Michael Popok:It would fill the deficit and balance the budget. None of that happened. The money's not flowing in under the tariffs. And the tariffs, I believe, are about to be either completely overturned or pared down considerably. by the United States Supreme Court sometime in early January. And Donald Trump knows it. That's why in the middle of the night, he always freaks out and starts yelling at the Supreme Court, like the old guy trying to tell people kids to get off his lawn, you know, no, you can't take away the basis of my whole economic program. Yeah, right. And all the tariff money and investment that was supposed to come along with it, Japan is going to invest a trillion dollars and so is Portugal.

10:24Michael Popok:And so none of that's happening. First of all, these countries don't have that kind of money. OK, in their economies. They don't have sovereign wealth funds of billions of dollars to make that investment. In addition to that, private investment in those countries are like, I will invest in America if it makes sense to invest in America. Most of them are investing in another America, Latin America, South America, Brazil. That's where they're putting their money. Mexico, Canada, you know, China. They're avoiding the United States like a plague, the plague called Donald Trump. You know that feeling when your morning coffee is supposed to kickstart your day, but instead your stomach's grumbling, your focus isn't sharp, and by 10 a.m.

11:07Michael Popok:you're already craving a nap? It's frustrating because the ritual matters. But sometimes traditional coffee just doesn't play nice with your body or your brain. And for anyone juggling a busy, chaotic lifestyle or trying to level up focus and energy, this is a common struggle. You don't have hours to research ingredients, experiment with supplements, or mix up different powders just to get a clean, productive boost. So that's where Everyday Dose comes in. It's coffee plus benefits. Coffee with mushrooms, collagen, and nootropics that fuel your brain, support focus, and provide clean, sustained energy all day long.

11:48Michael Popok:It tastes just like coffee, but without the crash, the jitters, or stomach issues. with ingredients like lion's mane, chaga, and collagen protein. It's a simple ritual that supports your gut, brain, and overall wellness without adding any extra time to your morning. Right now, you can get 45 % off your first subscription order of 30 servings of coffee plus. You'll also receive a starter kit with over$100 in free gifts by going to everydaydose.com slash legal AF or entering legal AF at checkout. That's everydaydose.com slash legal AF for 45 % off your first order. Now, let me show you a clip just so you don't think I'm going crazy.

12:28Michael Popok:You got Musk bragging about$2 trillion. Later, he lowers the number when nobody was looking or paying attention in the middle of the fire hose of executive orders by Donald Trump. He lowers it to a trillion. But then in April, right before he got fired, he lowers it to$150 billion. That's actually less. That's actually less than the amount of increased spending that Donald Trump has done under his administration. Let me show you the cabinet meeting where he's bragging about now$150 billion, as if he's not the same guy that said$2 trillion just about eight or nine months earlier. Play the clip.

13:07Well, thanks to your fantastic leadership, this amazing cabinet, the very talented Doge team. I'm excited to announce that we anticipate savings in FY26 from reduction of waste and fraud by$150 billion. That's crazy. And some of it is just absurd. Yes, yeah. People getting unemployment insurance who haven't been born yet. I mean, I think anyone can appreciate whether it did. I mean, come on. That's just crazy. So, you know, some of these things, people ask me, like, well, how are you going to find waste and fraud in the government? I'm like, well, actually just go in any direction. That's how you find it.

13:46It's very common. As the military would say, target rich environment.

13:55So I think we're doing a lot of good and excellent collaboration with the cabinet to achieve these savings. And it will actually result in better services for the American people. And that we're going to be spending their tax dollars in a way that is sensible and fair and good. And your people are fantastic. In fact, hopefully they'll stay around for the long haul. We'd like to keep as many as we can. They're great. Smart. Sharp. Right? Finding things that nobody would have thought of. Very computer savvy. Yes. We're working with Howard to get the Trump gold card operational, hopefully in the next week or so.

14:36That would be very exciting. Really exciting. It's a pathway to citizenship into the United States. It's a big deal. It's a big deal. Thank you very much. Great job.

14:48Michael Popok:Tariffs are not going to bring in trillions of dollars. Doge is not going to save and has not saved. It will not save trillions of dollars. And there's no way to plug the gap. The amount of debt that Donald Trump has heaped on will be the same as his first term, where he spent like a drunken sailor firing$100 bills out of a fire hose and left for future generations starting in 2028, the wreckage. See, the next president, whoever that's going to be for the Democrats, is going to have to dig ourselves out from a major deficit problem. We're spending trillions of dollars in debt payments before we can make one payment to the American people.

15:32Michael Popok:It just reached$1 trillion. That means the economy and tax revenue and other revenue has to bring in at least a trillion dollars, not to break even, just to pay expenses, just to pay the debt, not even pay it down, just to pay the interest on it to foreign nations and people holding treasury notes and treasury bonds and that type of thing. Then you can start spending on the American people. Talk about waste. The more debt he puts on us, the bigger the budget deficit, the more future generations are burdened. and they're already burdened. This is what crushes the American dream, not the interest rates at the Fed.

16:18Michael Popok:You know, as he's busy attacking the Federal Reserve chairman again, Jay Powell, calling him a fool as he embarks on cost overruns of double the amount for the big golden ballroom. And the American people are saying, we don't want this person to be the steward of our money or our economy any longer. And if they could pull the trigger now, pull the switch now on the ballot and vote him out, they would. If this was a country like parliamentarian version, where we could do a vote of no confidence, does anybody think out there, put in comments, that Donald Trump would survive a vote of confidence or no confidence?

16:53Michael Popok:No way. Government would collapse. We'd be in new elections already. That's what should happen. But we like stability in this country, even if it means hitching our wagon to a completely demented, criminally insane president. We got to just ride it out. We got to watch the watch until this is over, you know. But in the meantime, the American people are voting in their own way, special elections, election nights in America, getting ready for the midterms, and in polling. Polling numbers, 65 % of America hates Donald Trump. I mean, I'm just putting, I'm just telling you what the Gallup polls say.

17:33Michael Popok:65%, 75 % if you're an independent. And his numbers about his key issues, immigration, foreign policy, foreign affairs, the economy, and the trash. More than 70 % of America, that means a fair number of Republicans that voted for him have now flipped over and are now not voting for him, or MAGA, or the policies. So we're going to continue to follow, you know, and I needed to drill down here towards the end of the year on Midas, on the doge fiasco and its increase in spending as Donald Trump and the MAGA continue to run for office. We have 435 seats up for grabs in 10 months in the House, all 435.

18:12Michael Popok:35 Senate seats up for grabs. This is their body of work. This is their legacy. And I'll just leave you on this. The Congress that hopefully we're going to flush out, literally flush the toilet and get rid of them, the Republicans, under Mike Johnson passed almost no laws. I think it's five or six laws in total were passed during this past term. That's not working for the American people. That's working for the oligarchs. That's working for the rich. The rich got richer. The friends of Donald Trump and family of Donald Trump got richer by billions of billions of dollars. you didn't, I didn't, the economy didn't.

18:52And that is the report card to judge this administration

18:56Michael Popok:and anybody associated with it. You got an R next to your name, this is your president. This is your leader of your party. This is your legacy. Don't forget it. Michael Popak here at Midas Touch. Come over to Legal AF YouTube channel, hit the free subscribe button there. Legal AF Substack, 30 % off sale to the end of the year on annual membership. See ya. I'll see you tomorrow. Can't get your fill of Legal AF? Me neither. That's why we formed the Legal AF Substack. Every time we mention something in a hot take, whether it's a court filing or a oral argument, come over to the Substack. You'll find the court filing and the oral argument there, including a daily roundup that I do call, wait for it, Morning AF.

19:37Michael Popok:What else? All the other contributors from Legal AF are there as well. We got some new reporting. We got interviews. We got ad-free versions of the podcast and hot takes. Wear legal AF on Substack. Come over now to free subscribe.

20:12coverage. I'm so relieved. No problem. I'll be with you every step of the way. One in four was a fraud paying American. Not anymore. Save up to 40 % your first year. Visit lifelock.com slash podcast. Terms apply. Craving the coffee flavor you love, but without the caffeine? Cachava's got you covered with their newest coffee flavor. This all in one nutrition shake delivers bold, authentic flavor crafted from premium decaffeinated Brazilian beans. Quality nutrition shouldn't be complicated. Just two scoops of cachava's all-in-one nutrition shake, and you've got 25 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, greens, and so much more.

20:49Whether you're craving that coffee taste to kickstart your morning ritual, or as a nutrient-packed reward to round out your afternoon, cachava keeps you fueled and satisfied wherever your day takes you. Plus, it actually tastes delicious. No fillers, no nonsense, just the good stuff your body craves. And for the times you feel like switching it up, you've got seven flavors to choose from, all with the highest quality ingredients. Treat yourself to the flavor and nutrition your body craves. Go to cachava.com and use code NEWS. New customers get 15 % off their first order. That's K-A-C-H-A-V-A.com, code NEWS.