MAGA Mike Gets Sued as Shutdown Stunt Goes Wrong

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0:37Ben Meiselas:Hey, MAGA Mike Johnson, you're about to get served with a lawsuit. You saw right there, the Democratic congressional delegation marching in lockstep to MAGA Mike Johnson's speaker office, demanding that Adelita Grijalva, the Congresswoman-elect from Arizona's 7th Congressional District, finally be sworn in. MAGA Mike is unlawfully preventing her from being sworn in. Now, Arizona's Attorney General is saying, MAGA Mike, I'm about to sue you. What you are doing is violating the law, and Arizona is about to lay the smackdown on you. The Attorney General from Arizona says, take a look right here, Maga Mike.

1:24Ben Meiselas:We have the official certificate of election for Adelita Grijalva. She's been officially certified in Arizona, even though she won by over 40 points. And you've previously have sworn in people in pro form a session who've won by much smaller margin. It was not a contested outcome. We all knew that she was going to win. By the way, MAGA Mike, even Marjorie Taylor Greene says that you are a weak, pathetic little man, Marjorie Taylor Greene right there. But here's the letter that was sent by Arizona Democratic Attorney General Kristen Mays to MAGA Mike Johnson. Here's what she says. On behalf of the state of Arizona, MAGA Mike Johnson, I added MAGA Mike Johnson, I demand that the Honorable Adelita Grijalva be sworn into office as the representative for Arizona's 7th Congressional District and be allowed to assume her seat without further delay.

2:22Ben Meiselas:Failing to seat Ms. Grijalva immediately or to otherwise provide a reasonable explanation as to when she will be seated will prompt legal action. We're going to sue your ass. Maga Mike is basically what attorney general for Arizona. Chris Mays is saying the House of Representatives uniquely democratic function makes frustrating the will of the voters in selecting their representatives, particularly egregious. A member of the House of Representatives holds the only proportionally and directly elected position in the federal government and quote, it is particularly essential that the house should have an immediate dependence on and an intimate sympathy with the people.

3:08Ben Meiselas:Federalist paper number 52, James Madison cited. The House's sole power to originate certain consequential matters, such as revenue bills, follows this status. Then she cites Federalist number 58, 65, 66, 81. Alexander Hamilton cited there as well. Now, as you know, Maga Mike Johnson, on September 23rd, 2025, I'm adding, by the way, Maga Mike Johnson, as you know, on September 23rd, 2025, Arizona's 7th Congressional District held a special election to replace the late Raul Grijalva. Ms. Grijalva was elected with nearly 70 % of the vote and unofficial results were provided to you by the Arizona Secretary of State.

3:53Ben Meiselas:Ms. Grijalva and the state expected that you would follow your usual practice and swear her into office at the earliest opportunity, just as you had done with five previous members elected in special elections. We're mostly all Republican. Specifically, you followed that process with Celeste Malloy, who was elected to Utah's second district after Vince Fong was elected by California's 20th district. after Jimmy Petronas was elected by Florida's 1st District, and after Randy Fine was elected by Florida's 6th District, and after James Walkinshaw, the only Democrat there, was elected by Virginia's 11th District.

4:31Ben Meiselas:Yet, the House and its leadership have yet to swear Ms. Grijalva into office. Today, the Arizona Secretary of State will complete the canvas, and the governor will transmit to the house a certificate of election. Ms. Grijalva no longer needs a house resolution to be sworn into office. With the house in possession of their certificate of election, it is now a simple ministerial duty to administer the oath of office. The effect of your failure to follow usual practice is that Arizona is down a representative from the number to which it is constitutionally entitled and more than 813 ,000 residents of Arizona's seventh congressional district currently have no representation in Congress.

5:16Ben Meiselas:The quote loss of a representative to the United States Congress undoubtedly satisfies the injury in fact requirement of article three standing the standing to sue in federal court. It goes on to say the house House and its leadership have acted ultra vires outside of authority and in violation of the Constitution. Quote, the Constitution leaves the House without authority to exclude any person duly elected by her constituents who meets all of the requirements for membership expressly prescribed in the Constitution. The House's power to exercise control over its membership is limited to its role as the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members.

6:03Ben Meiselas:No one questions Ms. Grijalva's election or its returns or raises an issue of her qualifications. The House is without any authority to refuse her oath and admissions. You and your staff have provided ever-shifting, unsatisfactory, and sometimes absurd stories as to why Ms. Grijalva has not been sworn in. It's particularly worrisome comment and aid connected the swearing in and admission to the ongoing budget fight, suggesting that the House is trying to use Arizona's constitutional right to representation in the House as a bargaining chip. Arizona's right to a full delegation and the right of the residents of the congressional district seven to representation from the person they recently voted for are not up for debate and may not be delayed or used as leverage in negotiations about unrelated legislation.

7:01Ben Meiselas:We thus demand that Ms. Grijalva be immediately sworn into office and admitted to her rightful seat. We ask that within two days of the date of this letter, you provide this office with your assurance of when and where that will take place, which must be immediate and prior to the date the House comes back into regular session. Should you fail to provide such assurance, we will be forced to seek judicial relief to protect Arizona and the residents of its 7th Congressional District. Thank you for your attention and timely response, Attorney General Kristen Mays. Then Attorney General Mays went on CNN and she goes, if I have to, I am going to sue MAGA Mike Johnson.

7:51Ben Meiselas:Play this clip. Yeah, I mean, I really think that we are going to have no other choice, Laura, except to take Speaker Johnson to court. If he refuses to respond to us, if he doesn't quickly swear in Adelaide Grijalva, again, depriving her of the ability to help her constituents. We've had some flooding out here in Arizona. She has no way to help those people in southern Arizona who have been impacted by that flooding. so many other things that she can and should be doing as an elected member of Congress. And so if I have to, I'll take him to court. You know, again, there's no legitimate reason for him to refuse to swear her in right now.

8:40No other reason that I can think of except that perhaps she's the final vote to discharge the Epstein files. and it's not fair for Mike Johnson to be holding the state of Arizona hostage because he doesn't want to release the Epstein files. This episode of the Midas Touch podcast is brought to you by Graza. Everyone knows I love to cook with my wife and lately what's taken my food to the next level is Graza. Graza is my olive oil of choice and it has been, by the way, since even before they came on as a sponsor. It's delicious, easy to use extra virgin olive oil at an affordable everyday price and it's always fresh.

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10:28Ben Meiselas:Now, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs was recently on the MIDAS Touch Network. She put out a statement. Arizona voters have spoken and today their choice is official. Adelita Grijalva has been certified as the next representative for the 7th District. Further delay undermines the will of Arizona voters. Speaker Johnson should swear in Atalita for Arizona in now and honor democracy. Atalita Grijalva put out the following statement. Speaker Johnson is stalling because he knows I will be the 218th signature on the discharge petition to release the Epstein files. Now, ain't that the truth? Read my full statement below.

11:12Ben Meiselas:Representative-elect Grijalva's statement on certification of election results. Quote, today's certification simply confirms what the voters made clear 21 days ago. We won this election decisively by more than 40 ,000 votes, said Representative-elect Grijalva. I want to thank Governor Hobbs, Attorney General Mays, and Secretary Fontes for fulfilling their duties and standing up for the more than 800 ,000 Arizonans who currently do not have a voice in Congress. They did their jobs. Now it's time for Speaker Johnson to do his. I also want to thank Attorney General Mays for her letter. I will continue to be in close contact with her as we explore legal options if the Speaker continues to drag his feet.

11:56Ben Meiselas:Speaker Johnson has exhausted every excuse to delay my swearing in. I am simply asking him to abide by the same precedent he set when he swore in his Republican colleagues within 24 hours of their special elections and during pro forma sessions earlier this year. Any further delay reveals his true motive. Speaker Johnson is stalling because he knows I will be the 218th signature on the discharge petition to release the Epstein files. The cost of his obstruction is the silencing of over 800 ,000 Southern Arizonans who deserve to have a voice in Congress. It is also robbing them of the essential constituent service they count on every day, especially during this Republican government shutdown.

12:43Ben Meiselas:Powerful words there. Now, MAGA Mike Johnson did a gigantic eye roll, as Rupert writes, in response to Fox News pressing him on the Epstein cover-up, and that's why he's not swearing in Grijalva. Let's play this clip. You said last week that you would swear in Abelita Grijalva whenever she wants. She's written a letter to your office. You have not sworn her in. Yeah. Understand how pro forma sessions. Yes. Doesn't your resistance to not swear her in add fuel to the fire that this is about the Epstein? No. Let's talk about, let's talk about, let's talk about Grijalva and Epstein. Okay. Next, Maga Mike Johnson has asked, well, what's your end game here?

13:22Ben Meiselas:Do you have a strategy to which Maga Mike says, we don't have any strategy at all? Play this clip. You've been doing this every single day, coming up here, trying to pressure Senate Democrats. They've been not budgeting. They've blocked this bill time and time again. So at what point, for the good of the country, do you need to change your strategy to try to negotiate a deal with that? It's a great question, Manu asks. Why don't I change my strategy? I don't have any strategy, Manu. I'm doing the right thing, the clearly obvious thing, the traditional thing. that's exactly what Chuck Schumer voted for in March of this year and gave impassioned speeches was the right and only thing.

14:00I don't have anything to negotiate.

14:01Ben Meiselas:And then Adelita Grijalva, Congresswoman-elect, put out the following video. Let's play it. Hi, friends. Adelita Grijalva, your Congresswoman-elect. I'm here in D.C., standing right outside of Speaker Johnson's office. I was certified today. Certified. That means the governor, the attorney general, and the secretary of state have all said, yes, she won. And now they're asking Speaker Johnson, demanding that he swear me in. So that's why I'm here. I came with a lot of my colleagues from the Democratic caucus and the women's caucus. They all joined me in asking, demanding that I get sworn in. I'm going to be here for two days.

14:38Speaker Johnson, you want to swear me in?

14:40Ben Meiselas:Meanwhile, this is how the MAGA Republican leadership and the right wing podcasters are spinning this. Republicans are brutally mocking congressional Democrats after they formed an angry caravan to march to Speaker Johnson's office and demand right to his face, he swearing a Democrat representative elect. But Mike wasn't even there. One of the Democrat officials even rudely screamed at a Capitol police officer. The House isn't even conducting business. The Democrats shut down the government, open it up and the new member will get sworn in. That's how the right wing argument is here. MAGA Mike wasn't even there.

15:20Ben Meiselas:So you're bragging that the MAGA Republicans are out taking a vacation and refuse to talk to Democrats at all, yet alone negotiate with them while 20 million Americans are about to lose their health care while the MAGA Republicans just gave$20 billion to bail out Argentina. 20 billion dollars to bail out Argentina while 20 million Americans lose their health care. 20 billion dollars to bail out Argentina while 20 million Americans lose their health care. Should we say it one more time? 20 billion dollars to bail out Argentina while 20 million Americans are losing their health care. That's Trump and MAGA Republican America last priorities for you right there.

16:03Ben Meiselas:Do you remember, though, what was that last week or a week and a half ago where Manu Raju does a great job covering Congress? He asked Mike Johnson, so why not just swear her in? And remember Maga Mike Johnson's response? He's like, OK, let's schedule. We'll do it. Just have her contact me. And then Maga Mike got the order from Donald Trump. Do not do it. She'll be the 218th signature to release the Epstein files. MAGA Mike Trump will say, my name's, this is my hypothetical conversation, my name's all over those Epstein files. You got to block that because the MAGA Republican Party is the party that covers up child sex trafficking rings.

16:39Ben Meiselas:It's one of the things they're doing for this government shutdown. And all the American people know what these sicko MAGA Republicans are up to. Here's what MAGA Mike Johnson had to say. Play this clip. Earlier this year, you swore in two Republican members during the pro-forma session. So why not swear in Adelita Krealba, who was elected two weeks ago during a pro forma session? Does it have to do with her 218 signature on the district petition, the FC district? No, it has nothing to do with that at all. We will swear her in when everybody gets back. It's a ceremonial duty. Look, we'll schedule it, I guess, as soon as she wants.

17:13It has nothing to do with it. We're in pro forma session because there is nothing for the House to do. The House has done its job. People say, why don't you do more? Let's do more. Now you should do something. We already did something. It was passing a clean CR.

17:26Ben Meiselas:Then Donald Trump went to MAGA Mike Johnson during a weird speech yesterday. Good boy. Good boy, MAGA Mike. Good boy, MAGA Mike. Watch this. You're playing this clip. Thank you very much. Many members of my cabinet are here. Just about all of them here. I won't go into every single one of them, but I'll announce a few of the people that have really turned this country around and helped me. Incredible people. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Where is Mike? Mike, what a job you're doing, Mike. What a job you're doing. And I watched you this morning and you're in there trying to say, look, just let the country open.

18:04Everything will be fine. We're dealing with some radical left lunatics. And I would just wish Charlie was here to fight us. I think the fight would have been over already.

18:17Ben Meiselas:There you have it, folks. Folks, Magamike about to get his ass sued. Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Thank you for watching. Thanks for watching. Be sure to add the Midas Touch podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts for new updates every single day.

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