MeidasTouch Full Podcast - 3/20/26

26:52That's a lot of freaking money. Oh, but we can't do 30 billion dollars to extend health care subsidies. So people need to suffer because they can't afford their health care premiums. That to me is like the biggest problem with the United States of America. And especially when we're in this cost crisis and we have this exploding income inequality in the country right now. To me, anybody who's kind of running for office needs to make that clear. You have to be able to say, we have enough money to give an extra$200 billion for war, but we don't have money to give people healthcare. We don't have money to get people housing.

27:24That's not the America that we want. And that's the platform that I think a lot of people need to run on. It just shows you too. Remember just like months ago, Donald Trump was still making all these posts saying things like, oh, get ready. We're with all these tariffs we're bringing in and all these 19, 18, 20 trillion dollars worth of deals that we're bringing in. We're going to have so, we have so much money. It's all on the tariff shelf. We're just making bank right now. And we're going to give it all back to you, folks. Remember, and we were saying here at the Mind is Such Network, it's a scam.

27:51It's a scam. It's a scam. He's not bringing any of this. All these news networks are on these headlines. So when are Trump's$2 ,000 checks going out to people? We're like, never. They're never going out to people. He's not balancing the budget. He's not bringing down the debt. None of this is happening at all. And sure enough, we just see now every day, more and more money gets saddled onto our national debt. And we should be speaking about it right here,$39 trillion we just passed. Since Donald Trump was inaugurated last year, the national debt has climbed by about$2.8 trillion and it continues to grow exponentially.

28:27And we see now where the priorities of this administration are and the corrupt dealings of the administration need to be discussed as well. Like the drone companies, the Israeli drone companies that the Trump kids invest in, which is profiting like crazy right now off of these war actions. So that$200 billion from taxpayers into the pockets of Donald Trump's children, Donald Trump's family. And we see other instances like this report that came out today. This is from Joe Weisenthal at Bloomberg. He said, last year, Donald Trump Jr. invested in a rare earth startup at a$200 million valuation. Then three months later, the U.S.

29:07government announced a huge loan backstop for the company, and now it's worth around$2 billion. We are witnessing right now the biggest grift in the history, maybe of anything ever, the biggest theft, the biggest swindle that we have ever seen. And they are taking money from the U.S. taxpayer, and they are giving it to Donald Trump, all with this protection racket of the GOP. And it is absolutely shameful. And whoever runs all these elections needs to run affordability, but also against this blatant corruption that we are seeing right now that extends to every facet of everything that the Trumps are doing.

29:43Brett, counterpoint Hunter Biden. Everything that they have accused the Bidens of, the Trump children are actually doing. It's insane. And the arguments are so frustrating because they're so illogical, right? We've won the war. We've eliminated the facilities, yet please pay us$200 billion so we could do more war. I don't understand. And that's because the messaging isn't clear. That's because there is no rhyme or reason for what we're witnessing other than chaos for chaos sake, Ben. Let's take our first quick break of the show. We have a lot more to discuss. I do want to show this clip when we get back up Pete Hegsitt saying, you know, the problem with Iran is that they take from all of their people and just put all the money into military equipment instead of giving back to the people.

30:30There's so many moments like that from that press conference. Then I want to show you Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe. She's the director of national intelligence. John Ratcliffe is the CIA director. They were getting grilled both at the Senate and the House of Representatives. I'll show you that. Also, Joe Kent, who was the basically director of counterterrorism, working directly under the DNI, the director of national intelligence, one of the top intelligence officials in the United States. And like a ultra MAGA right-wing guy, Trump loved this guy. He resigned and said, I can't be a part of this unlawful war.

31:06Iran didn't pose any imminent threat. And this guy's as MAGA as you get. And then the Trump regime is apparently based on all reporting. This was reported by CBS, which is also a form of regime media right now. They say that he's under a criminal investigation now by the Trump regime for leaking information, or he's under like a leak investigation and they've all attacked Joe Kent. Like you don't get more MAGA, right-wing extreme MAGA than like this Joe Kent, I guess Marjorie Taylor Greene, but I guess this is where they all go right now. And now it's Trump, Mark Levin, Netanyahu. I guess that's, I guess that Pete Hegg said, I guess that's the crew.

31:40All right, let's take our first quick break of the show. Hit subscribe, subscribe to us on audio, help us with that audio algorithm, leave a five-star review on audio. We will be right back after this quick break. This episode of the Midas Touch podcast is brought to you by Wild Grain. Wild Grain is the first baked from frozen subscription box for sourdough breads, artisanal pastries, and fresh pastas. Unlike many store-bought options, Wild Grain uses simple ingredients you can pronounce in a slow fermentation process that can be easier on your belly and richer in nutrients and antioxidants. Plus, all items conveniently bake in 25 minutes or less with no thawing required.

32:18Wild Grains boxes are fully customizable. In addition to their variety box, they have a gluten-free box, vegan box, and a new protein box. I have been loving Wild Grain lately. I always order a few of their sourdough loaves, and you can really taste the quality from that slow fermentation process. The croissants are incredible, too. Perfect in the morning, those chocolate croissants are my go-to, and honestly, it's just so convenient to have something this good ready in under 25 minutes, especially with how busy things get. Imagine having fresh bakery-quality bread, pastries, and pasta at home without any trips to the store.

32:54And don't just take my word for it. They have over 40 ,000 five-star reviews and have been voted the best food subscription box by USA Today for three years in a row. For a limited time, Wild Grain is offering our listeners$30 off your first box, plus free croissants for life. when you go to wildgrain.com slash Midas to start your subscription today. That's$30 off your first box and free croissants for life when you visit wildgrain.com slash Midas, or you could use promo code Midas at checkout. That's M-E-I-D-A-S. This episode is brought to you by Pocket Hose, the world's number one expandable hose.

33:36Old-fashioned hoses get kinks and creases at the spigot, But the Copperheads Pocket Pivot swivels 360 degrees for full water flow and freedom to water with ease all around your home. And when you're all done, this rust-proof anti-burst hose shrinks back down to pocket size for effortless handling and tidy storage. Plus, your super light and ultra-durable Pocket Hose Copperhead is backed with a 10-year warranty. The brand new Pocket Hose Copperhead with Pocket Pivot is a total game-changer. After trying the pocket hose, I am never going back. This hose is so lightweight and durable. Watering the yard is a dream.

34:15And honestly, seeing how it expands to full size when you turn on the water and then shrinks itself back down when you're done feels like magic compared to those old heavy hoses. For a limited time, my listeners can get a free pocket pivot and their 10 pattern sprayer with the purchase of any size copperhead hose. Just text MIDAS to 64000. That's MIDAS, M-E-I-D-A-S, to 64 ,000 for your two free gifts with purchase. MIDAS to 64 ,000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.

34:52Let's go. Shout out to our sponsors. Links in the description of both the YouTube and the audio. Use the links, use the codes. If there's an exit survey, let them know we sent you. Benji, where to next? I want to show that clip I was talking about before the break. This is Pete Hegseth talking about, look, Iran is this energy rich country, but instead of helping their people, they invest all their money on drones and military equipment. Here, let's play this clip. To that point on capabilities, you know, Iran's an energy rich country, could be, should be. Instead, like so many other places driven by a radical ideology, they've spent that money instead of investing in their people.

35:28And that's why you had millions of Iranians protesting, because they felt like their condition quality of life didn't match what it could be or should be. And what was the Iranian state? There's a reason we come call Iran the number one state sponsor of terrorism, because they took the money they make and they invest it in tunnels and they invest it in missiles and they invest it in launchers and UAVs. And we are destroying and degrading that in historic proportions. But it doesn't mean they won't still have some and try to hold people at issue, which is why we're fighting every single day to continue to.

35:59Brothers, brothers, what kind of sick and deranged country with a demented radical ideology would take all their money and invest it into military and wars rather than in their people i mean that's just crazy i mean i don't know what country what disgusting i don't know who would do something like that i don't know either more from hegseth right here um where he attacks the media and he says a dishonest and anti-trump press will stop at nothing to downplay our progress. That's why when we talk about what's happening at the Qatari Northern LNG facility, that is that anti that's anti Trump, I guess, when we show the clips of what's happening in Riyadh and Bahrain and Haifa, or when we talk about the US killing 165 little girls while the Trump regime is also covering up a child sex trafficking ring that preyed on little girls?

36:57Is that anti-Trump or are we just anti-despicable conduct and Trump's a despicable person? Here, play this clip. And into the soul of a grateful nation. I stand here today speaking to you, the American people, Not through filters, not through reporters, not through cable news spin. A dishonest and anti-Trump press will stop at nothing, we know this at this point, to downplay progress, amplify every cost, and call into question every step. Sadly, TDS is in their DNA. They want President Trump to fail. But you, the American people, know better. Yes, there are reporters in front of me, but they are not our audience today.

37:56It's you, the good, decent, patriotic American people. You, the hardworking, taxpaying, God-fearing American patriots. Is he like a parody of Homelander from The Boys? Yes, it's disgusting. I mean, it's disgusting, Ritter. And it's also what they have basically always said about like the people who were fighting right in the Middle East. Like they are the religious extremists who they make the people that they're fighting out to be. They hate the press and freedom and the free media. You know, these are all the things that they told us to fear, but right now it's coming from our own government.

38:36And something that I think we should point out as well is during these deranged briefings and like now every few days, Hexeth will call one of these briefings. And they're like at eight o 'clock in the morning, 5 a.m. Pacific time. And he just like gets up there and he says all those crazy things and he berates the press. And then when he goes to call on the press for questions, I want you to notice something that I don't think has been called out all that much. And that's the individuals he's calling out are never like legitimate press outlets. He's not calling on Reuters or the Associated Press or the New York Times or NPR.

39:09They may be in the room. He doesn't call on them at all. He calls on people like the people at Lindell TV, Mike Lindell's Rumble channel. He calls on people like Breitbart and The Daily Caller and The Daily Wire. These are the people who they are uplifting in these briefings. And it's like those North Korean style propaganda often. The questions that they get from those people are just so embarrassing. And when I watch that, I think it just makes the United States look so incredibly weak. And by the way, if Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump had their way, they would be shutting down our show. They would be shutting down any sort of dissent and any sort of media that's out there telling the truth.

39:51And we could talk about even these, you know, a lot of these Middle Eastern countries, right? The United Arab Emirates has laws against releasing footage that the government doesn't like. They call it releasing disinformation, but you see how these regimes and you see how these countries weaponize that term, especially like the Trump. This is what Brandon Carr has been saying, the FCC chair and Donald Trump. They say, these are lies. It's AI. It's disinformation. This is illegal content. Well, they actually have laws on the books about that in places like the United Arab Emirates. So we're not even seeing the worst of it coming out of those countries in terms of the Iranian strikes on places like Dubai, because they arrest the tourists who post the footage.

40:32And they pay influencers to be out there and go, everything's great here. I'm partying. This is the best place in the world. It's safe. It's safe. It's safe. And then when footage does leak out, they go, oh, that big mushroom cloud that you saw after that big explosion in the building, it was just a little bit of debris just fell out of the sky. We didn't get hit by a missile, just a little debris. And the lying, the gaslighting, the coverups, this is a big problem. This is a big problem. And it's part of what media right now needs to be standing up to. It's this crap that's coming from the administration.

41:081000%. Hegseth is so deeply embarrassing to me as an American. I actually can't bring myself to even watch his morning hits. I just can't. Ben, I rely on you and your updates to show me the parts I need to see. I'm not just saying that to glaze you, Ben. I'm being sincere. I cannot watch him. He is such a parody of himself. It is so he makes my skin crawl. I think it's why SNL had to actually stop parodying him too, because you can't parody stupid. It's already so ridiculous what we're witnessing on a day-to-day basis. It makes my, it makes my blood boil. There's nothing of substance there. He's not, he's combative.

41:43He's not giving us any information. We all know he's trying to appease one person and that person being Donald Trump when he's up there with these like 90s movie lines that he's trying to throw out. It is so deeply embarrassing. Well, look, you have Treasury Secretary Scott Besant with all of his arrogance today with his head up. Well, we've already removed the sanctions on Russia oil to bring down the prices. Next, we're going to do it with Iran. And I'm watching this. I'm like, what? you're doing a solid to the person or to the country you're at war against you're going to help them sell their oil like what what are you even talking about like you can't even like wrap your head around the layers of this derangement here play this clip we had a break the glass plan across the administration and at treasury we unsanctioned russian oil we knew that there There were about 130 million barrels on the water, and we created supply that is beyond the Straits of Hormuz.

42:46So we anticipated this. We knew that there could be a temporary, and I want to emphasize temporary choke point there, and there was 130 million barrels of floating storage. In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels. So depending on how you count it, that's 10 days to two weeks of supply that the Iranians had been pushing out. That would have all gone to China. You're at war with them. I mean, like what what warped world are we talking? So the outcome of all of this was make Russia richer, Iran stronger and richer. China just gets to sit back and watch as the U.S.

43:35destroys itself, right? As the U.S. removes its THAAD and Patriot missile systems from South Korea and starts to position them in the Middle East as our THAAD and Patriot systems there have been taken out, our radar systems have been destroyed. This is the outcome. Iran, as I mentioned, now charging basically toll fees to countries that are allied with it to use the Strait of Hormuz. And then you had Netanyahu give this press conference today. And after, with all of the confidence in the world, he and Donald Trump so arrogantly said, regime change is going to be easy. Remember at the beginning, the people of Iran will rally behind us.

44:19Yes, Donald Trump and Netanyahu are going to be greeted as liberators of Iran, as though Iran didn't see what you've done to Gaza and what you've done to Beirut and southern Lebanon. And they're going to welcome you in and say, yeah, Donald Trump, Netanyahu. That's what they were trying to sell people at the beginning. Regime change is here. Go and reclaim your country. They tried to do that in January. Remember the protests then? The democracy protesters and Trump said he had their back and then didn't have their back and didn't even have ships positioned to have their back. And thousands of Iranian protesters were slaughtered.

45:03And now Donald Trump is apparently helping Iran. So if you're in Iran, the only message that could exist is that a more extreme version of the Islamic Republic is going to be the result of all of this, right? Trump and Netanyahu kill Ali Larijani, the National Security Council secretary, basically one of their top guys. Who replaces him? Someone who's more extreme. The old Ayatollah has killed Khomeini, who's put in place a more extreme version and younger version and healthier version of himself, his son, Monchaba. That's all you've done. That's all you've done. And now you've also demonstrated that the security umbrella promised by the United States to the Middle East and elsewhere is not there anymore.

45:48Here, play this clip of Netanyahu. And then I want to briefly talk about Brett the debt. And I want to make an important point that isn't getting enough attention. But play this clip of Netanyahu. What do we see? What happens if the, are there any signs that the Iranian regime is cracking? A lot of signs, a lot of signs. I wish I could divulge all of them, but I see that. But will I tell you, will I commit right now that it's going to collapse? I can tell you that we're working to create the conditions for it to collapse, But it may survive. It may survive. It may not survive. It may survive. It may not survive.

46:22Mr. Confident a few weeks ago. I was told this was an easy one, sure thing. They were, everyone was going to take to the streets. And Netanyahu took over the airwaves and they were playing Netanyahu speeches to the Iranians. They were going to go, Netanyahu, you're my hero. We love you. We got this. I mean, the delusion of these people. And the fact that, you know, I know Netanyahu has tried this now repeatedly for, you know, over the course of many presidencies to try to get the US involved in a war like this. Then he found a useful idiot in Donald Trump who would actually go along with the plans here, who would buy into the bullshit, despite the fact that the intelligence said quite the contrary, that there was no imminent threat to the United States or to the region from Iran, that there was no nuclear rebuilding after the last strikes that Donald Trump did during that other ridiculous name, Operation Midnight Hammer.

47:13I mean, they're lying. They're lying to our faces. And now you see them backtracking in real time. Now they're entangled. Their backs are against the wall. And things get quite dangerous when you have people, especially nuclear powers, with their backs against the wall. A few points I want to make. I said quickly I want to talk about just the debt for a second. Then I want to pivot, though, to why Donald Trump, I think, was also a very easy mark for Netanyahu or whoever. Look, you could say, well, if we have$39 trillion in national debt, how are we able to even survive as a country? Doesn't it seem like a Ponzi scheme?

47:49It does. But where America is the world's currency, where its economy is the envy of the world, where America can essentially print money and the world will continue to buy American treasuries and the world believes America is a safe place to invest, where the world moves its money for private equity, where those conditions exist. the Ponzi scheme can basically continue. Who ultimately pays that debt? We, the people, are on the hook for it. We pay over a trillion dollars a year in interest on that, and that trillion dollars a year on interest on the debt could actually be used to fund healthcare and could be used to do other things with it that are actually needed by the American people.

48:31So the debt itself creates a stranglehold over the ability of Americans to access healthcare and to access education and to access things that I think are important to living, to address those affordability things. But the bigger issue is what happens when Bernie Madoff claims he has a$80 billion fund and he actually doesn't have the ability to pay it back, right? When you have that debt out there, trillions of dollars in debt, what does that actually mean? That means that there are people out there who actually hold notes where the US has to pay back interest on those notes. So what happens where countries say, you know what, we no longer want to buy things in the dollar, or you know what, we don't view this as a safe place to park our money anymore.

49:21We're going to move more towards Asia or China or elsewhere or Europe or elsewhere. elsewhere, we're pulling our money out. Then what happens? There's a bit of a mutually assured destruction in doing that because if the American economy collapses, the whole world economy collapses, then it has to be rebuilt. But Donald Trump is certainly pressing fast forward on that right now. It's one of the main things I was warning about Donald Trump's tariffs against the world before he even started this war. Because what happens after when you look at these Middle East countries, are they going to want to put their money and park their money with the United States the same way anymore.

49:58What about Asia? What about Europe? What about Canada? What about Australia? We already saw lots of these countries entering trade agreements that cut out the U.S. because the U.S. has been attacking them. That's one of the big fears I have with a spiraling national debt also is just this Ponzi scheme like Trump other Ponzi scheme gets called out. And the national debt, by the way, has been built up by a lot of past administrations. It's not, But Trump has certainly been one of the first people who put more debt than really anyone else by a significant amount. So I wanted to make that point. But then the next point I want to make, and we'll talk about this one when we come back from the break as well, but I want to show you this clip to tease it out, is Donald Trump is – the Epstein files and Trump's cover-up.

50:46One of the reasons we're in war right now is it's a distraction from the information that was coming out about the Epstein files. There have been lots of bombshells dropping there, like Congress member Dan Goldman in the past 24 hours unveiled what the redactions were covering up on this October 2009 email that Jeffrey Epstein forwarded to Ghislaine where Alan Gartner, Donald Trump's lawyer, in these notes that were made with Epstein's lawyer said that Donald Trump never kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago. That never happened. Epstein was never a member of Mar-a-Lago. He was always a guest. He was Donald Trump's buddy.

51:21was never kicked out. And the general manager of Mar-a-Lago confirmed that Epstein was never kicked out. We also learned in the past 24 to 48 hours, there's a 66-page DEA report regarding drug trafficking and money laundering done in conjunction with the Department of Justice. It identifies 12 people who may have been involved in money laundering with Epstein and two other organizations, a massive RICO money laundering drug trafficking scheme. And Todd Blanche, Donald Trump's criminal defense lawyer, 69-page target profile, I said 66, but decent memory, we're trying to prevent that from getting out as well.

51:58They're covering up this document. And one of the questions I've always had, and I've always asked it for years now, is what happened with that Donald Trump house that he bought in West Palm Beach in 2004 where he outbid Epstein? And then four years later, a Russian oligarch bought this house in West Palm Beach for$95 million. It was a very suspicious movement of money, in my opinion. I'm giving you my First Amendment opinion. And so it's just very suspicious. There are all these red flags there. But just listen to what Tom Barrack, Donald Trump's special envoy to Syria and his current ambassador to Turkey, had to say about Epstein.

52:32And Tom Barrack was the head of Colony Capital, big private equity billionaire guy, very close to Donald Trump. And he knew Epstein. And he said, we all thought that Epstein basically was Israel's guy. That's how we knew him. We knew him as, you know, a guy who got his power from Israel. And I just think, and Tom Barrack is saying that right now, Trump's current ambassador to Turkey. Here's what Barrack just said. Here, let's play. I just wanted to ask you about what I read in the Epstein files about your association with him. Why did you introduce him to Peter Thiel and Vitaly Cherkin? What were your dealings with Jeffrey Epstein?

53:07I didn't introduce him to those people, but all of us dealt with Jeffrey Epstein in the 80s as a business person. He was bigger than life. It was a 30-year story of this. I think most of us actually thought that he had built his wealth and his prowess over his international relations with Israel. That's always what kind of the background was. I didn't see the rest of it later in 2015. In the files I read, you're having dealings with him after he became a convicted sex offender. Why? of dealings meaning he was emailing me asking me for access to the president or a transit i was running a new york stock exchange company he'd try and get a hold of me for relevant information that that was it you met him and you met with vitality churkin you met with peter teal and epstein he kind of had an oopsies moment i revealed a little too much there did you see that then he walked away that was great questioning right there by that reporter Um, but I think that's an important factor, right?

54:10Because this is a distraction from, uh, the Epstein files right now. And also we know you put two and two together that Donald Trump's reason that he invaded is because, you know, he said that Israel was going to attack first. And I think, you know, I think it's possible that Netanyahu saw that this was the kind of the right time to put this pressure on Trump. Trump was panicking over the release of the Epstein files. and there you have it. There you have it. There's a lot more to talk about. I want to share some more of the revelations there with the Epstein files, but I want to show what was going down on Capitol Hill as well.

54:43I also want to show you briefly what was happening with Prime Minister Takeishi in the Oval Office. I've done a whole videos on this, so I don't need to, I think, replay it over and over again, what's going on in the Oval Office. But for those who just listened to the podcast, I mean, there were some particularly outrageous moments, which I'll share with you when we come back. This is our last quick break. Hit subscribe. Help us get to 7 million. Subscribe on audio. Midas Touch Network, Midas Touch Podcast Now, iHeart's podcast of the year in the news category. Big victory. Thanks to all of you.

55:12We'll be right back after our last quick break of the show. Okay. I need to talk about jeans for a second because over the pandemic, I started to hate jeans. I was like, why am I doing this to myself? They're stiff. They squeeze you in all the wrong places and ordering online is a nightmare. Wrong fit, weird sizing, returns, the worst. So when the perfect gene hit us up to sponsor the show, I told Jordy, we are not doing this unless they're the real deal. Then I put them on and I'm not kidding. I had a full on emotional moment. These things are so soft, insanely stretchy, and they actually fit.

55:46Like not, I'll make it work fit, but the perfect fit. No crushed nuts, no saggy butt, just clean, sharp confidence. I looked in the mirror and was like, okay, I look good too. And they move with you. I'm bending, sitting, running around, no plumbers crack, no fighting the waistband. These things are basically yoga pants disguised as jeans. Normally I'm paying like, I don't know, $150,$200 for jeans that I can't wait to take off. These are$79.99 and better than anything I've ever owned. They've got six fits, thousands of size combos. These are made for real bodies, thick, skinny, whatever you are covered.

56:24I'm telling you, I would wholeheartedly recommend these. For a limited time, our listeners get 15 % off their first order plus free shipping at theperfectgene.nyc or Google the perfect gene and use code MIDAS15 for 15 % off. That's M-E-I-D-A-S one five. Seriously, upgrade your life. These things are a game changer. That's 15 % off for new customers at theperfectgene.nyc with promo code MIDAS15. After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them we sent you. Forget your khakis and get the perfect gene. You know what's easier than fixing a problem?

57:07Not having the problem in the first place. Your liver is one of those organs that you don't think about until you have to. Supporting it daily is one of those small things that can make a huge difference in how you feel overall, and that's where Dose comes in. Dose for your liver is a clinically-backed liver health supplement. This isn't just another capsule or powder. Dose is a liquid supplement. It's taken in a daily two-ounce shot, and it tastes like fresh-squeezed orange juice. Here's why it matters. Your liver is your body's filter. It processes everything you consume and handles over 500-plus daily functions.

57:37Energy production, digestion, fat metabolism, vitamin storage. When your liver is overworked, you feel it. Dose helps cleanse the liver of unwanted stressors that may be slowing your liver down, and it promotes daily liver function so that your liver can do its job. Zero sugar, zero junk, zero calories. And when you take Dose Daily, you're going to reduce sluggishness, get rid of those midday crashes, support your metabolism, and even aid your daily digestion. Plus, this is the real deal. There are two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies showing Dose's positive impact on liver enzyme levels.

58:12Are you ready to give your liver the support it deserves? Head to dosedaily.co slash Midas, or enter Midas to get 35 % off your first subscription. Your body does so much for you. Let's do something for it. That's D-O-S-E-D-A-I-L-Y dot C-O slash Midas, M-E-I-D-A-S for 35 % off your first month subscription. ED is more common than you think and simpler to treat than ever. Through HIMSS, you can connect online with a licensed provider to access personalized treatment options discreetly and on your terms. Through HIMSS, you can access personalized prescription treatment options for ED if prescribed.

58:52HIMSS offers access to ED treatment options ranging from personalized products to trusted generics that cost 95 % less than brand names if prescribed. You shouldn't have to go out of your way to feel like yourself. HIMSS brings expert care straight to you with 100 % online access to personalized treatments that put your goals first. This isn't a one size fits all care that forgets you in the waiting room. It's your health and goals put first with real medical providers, making sure that you get what you need to get results. Think of HIMSS as your digital front door that gets you back to your old self with simple 100 % online access to trusted treatments for ED and more all in one place.

59:38To get simple online access to personalized affordable care for ED, hair loss, weight loss, and more, visit hymns.com slash Midas. That's hymns.com slash Midas for your free online visit. hymns.com slash Midas. Featured products include compounded drug products, which the FDA does not approve or verify for safety, effectiveness, or quality. prescription required see website for details restrictions and important safety information actual price will depend on product and subscription plan

1:00:12let's go shout out to our sponsors links in description of both the youtube and the audio use the links use the codes if there's an exit survey let them know we sent you brett that was just really powerful read reads great job today uh benji i just wanted to say i needed to get this off my chest this actually has nothing to do with you uh for the viewers i've been um i'm visiting some family right now it's not my normal place and i i'm just gonna fess up to it i've been battling the sun all episodes so if you scroll back to the beginning to where we are now i've changed like my seat adjustment like six times that's why i apparently my in-laws don't believe in curtains so we have no curtains where i am right now and so that's why that that's that that's the cause of all the movement here if you're an audio listener you have no idea what i'm talking about you're just like shut up toss it back to ben which i will do right now you also look like you may be in a medieval times yeah very specific trying to figure out where you are as well let's go from geordie's medieval castle to the oval office right now where donald trump was with prime minister takeishi um the prime minister of japan a reporter asked donald trump why didn't you tell any of your allies about this war before attacking iran and donald trump makes a pearl harbor joke or i'm not even sure if he's trying to make a joke just just listen to what he says and it was like silence like nobody everyone's like did he really just say that here play this clip of course no japan and u.s are very good friends but uh one question why didn't you tell u.s allies uh in europe and Asia, like Japan, about the war before attacking Iran.

1:01:49So we are very confused about Japanese citizens. Well, one thing you don't want to signal too much, you know, when we go in, we went in very hard and we didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Okay, why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor? Okay, right? You know, he's asking me, uh you believe in surprise i think much more so than us and uh we had a surprise and we did and because of that surprise we knocked out the first two days we probably knocked out 50 of what we and much more than we anticipated doing so if i go and tell everybody about it there's no longer a surprise right you believe in surprise more than we do because of pearl harbor Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?

1:02:41Every time I watch that, it's more uncomfortable than the last time I watched it. Here, Donald Trump attacks NATO. NATO doesn't want to help us defend the strait. Here, play this clip. But we think of it. We don't use the strait. We're defending the strait for everybody else. And then in the case of NATO, they don't want to help us defend the strait. And they're the ones that need it. But now they're getting much nicer because they're seeing my attitude. They're getting much nicer. But it's as far as I'm concerned, it's too late. You know, UK wants to send aircraft carriers now. And I said, I want the aircraft carriers before the war.

1:03:22I don't want them after the war is won. You didn't tell them about the war per the previous clip. You wanted it before the war. You didn't tell anybody about. And you're upset that once you launched a war that you didn't tell anybody about, you're lying and claiming that they want to help, which they don't. They said defensively, and Europe said defensively, once the war is over, we'll help in the Strait of Hormuz, but not now. But like literally, this is some demented stuff I'm showing you right here, right? And then Donald Trump is asked about what he wants Japan to do. And then Donald Trump sees like a Japanese reporter, he's like, is he one of your people to Prime Minister Takeishi?

1:04:06He's like, Like, is he one of your people? And then he's like, I expect you to step up, but actually I don't need you to step up. It's like, what are you talking about? Here, play this clip. This looks like one of your people. Thank you. Is he good or bad? Is he a good reporter or bad? Don't you know? So-so. All right, it looks like a nice guy. Go ahead. Mr. President, you just mentioned Japan is stepping up. What kind of support do you expect from Japan in the future? Look, I expect Japan to step up because, you know, we have that kind of relationship and we step up with Japan. We have 45 ,000 soldiers in Japan.

1:04:49We have we spend a lot of money on Japan. So and we've had that kind of relationship. So I expect I'm not surprised that they would step up. we don't need much. We don't need anything. I mean, honestly, we don't need anything from Japan or from anyone else, but I think it's appropriate that people step up. Yeah. I mean, I could show you more clips, but you get the point. I want to bring you into this Tulsi Gabbard hearing in the House of Representatives. She was in the Senate with John Ratcliffe the day before. Now it was her, Ratcliffe, and Kash Patel. This was some cross examination by Democratic Congress member Gomez from Los Angeles, where Gomez said, So last year you testified that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.

1:05:30Do you stand by that statement? Here, play this clip. Last year you testified that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon. Do you stand by that statement? Yes or no? Context matters with that statement. Iran had all of the materials and capabilities to do so. Mr. Chairman, I reclaim my time. It's an easy answer. You either stand by what you said last year or not. It is a serious question that requires the totality of the information available. Director Gabbard, I reclaim my time. I reclaim my time. More from Congress Member Gomez right here asking about, you know, you said that the only person to determine if it's an imminent threat is Donald Trump.

1:06:11Do you stand by that statement, that he's the one who decides whether or not there actually is one or not? Here, play this clip. Yesterday, you said that only the president, only the only person who can determine what is an imminent threat is the president of the United States. Do you stand by that statement? Yes, I do. Director Ratcliffe, do you agree with that assessment? That the president is the only person that can determine if something is an imminent threat or not. The president's commander in chief gets to make a decision about what's an imminent threat. But the intelligence community has provided a body of intelligence that supports the decision that the president made.

1:06:58And ignore what you're doing, why do you guys even have a job? Why do you even advise them? So you're saying tomorrow the president of the United States can say China is an imminent threat. And then he can take his own, no matter what the intelligence says, he can take his own action. Let me pass it over to you. Great having you on the show, Big Ben. And, you know, I think one of the things that we need to talk about with Tulsi Gabbard is she would never accept these answers from anybody else. In the past, you know, one of her whole things was she was anti-war, right? That was her whole shtick.

1:07:30Then she would go and she would criticize administrations of the past, including the previous Trump administration for wanting to warmonger with Iran. And now in this hearing, when she is somebody who has the intelligence in front of her about what Iran is doing, she's doing everything she can possible to not contradict Donald Trump, even though she knows Donald Trump is a complete liar. And to me, that shows that she just has no moral backbone, no character at all. We saw her top deputy, Joe Kent, leave recently saying that the entire reasoning for the war is bullshit. Don't get it twisted. Joe Kent is not a good person, very bad person, anti-Semitic, just not a good human being at all.

1:08:15I'm not lauding him at all. But it's worth noting that the guy who had the intelligence, the guy who is Tulsi Gabbard's top deputy, left and said that the whole Iran war justification is complete and total bullshit. But Tulsi Gabbard is worried about her job. She does not want to have that confrontation with Donald Trump. She's been somebody who it's been reported on has been under fire for being against a lot of these actions privately while she supports them publicly and enables them, which to me is like even a worse thing. But I think there was something interesting, which is in a written statement that she gave before the congressional testimony began on Wednesday, in the written statement, she actually said, point blank, that there was no intelligence that Iran had a new...

1:09:04First, she said that the previous Trump mission operation, which I referenced earlier, that Operation Midnight Hammer, the strike on the nuclear facilities. First, Tulsi Gabbard said that the nuclear facilities were totally obliterated, mimicking Trump's language. And then she said that Iran never built back their nuclear program after that. And so that right there is saying pretty clearly that Trump's entire justification for this war is completely BS. But she did not want to say that out loud. And so there had to be congressmen, there had to be senators, there had to be people in there who actually kind of forced that out of her.

1:09:42And I want to give a huge shout out right now to Senator John Ossoff, who yesterday was grilling Tulsi Gabbard. And what I liked about Senator Ossoff's questioning is that Ossoff, you know, a lot of some people get up there and they try to like deliver a speech. They do a long winded windup and they try to say whatever they want to say so that it gets on TV. What Ossoff did was very precise, very quick questioning and not allowing for any sort of ambiguity in the answers. So he drilled down on Tulsi Gabbard yesterday. And Senator Ossoff said, you know, you said in your written statement that Iran did not pose a nuclear threat to the United States or to anybody.

1:10:24Do you stand by it? And when she tried to kind of evade the question, he said, do you stand by that? Do you stand by that? And Ossoff actually got Tulsi Gabbard to admit, all she said was yes. You know, she gave a very short, quick, terse response. But she actually admitted, because of Ossoff's questioning, that basically the entire basis of this war is completely BS. And I think that's a big deal. And it's also why, you know, these hearings are important. But you see how Gabbard, she would just constantly dance around the issue. She'd be like, I'm just here to show the 2026 threat assessment.

1:11:00These are not my own words. I'm not saying it from me. This is just the threat assessment that our intelligence community had. Just no spine. I'll show you an example of that here. I'm here today to present the 2026 annual threat assessment and joined by my colleagues, the directors of the CIA, the DIA, FBI, and NSA. This briefing is being provided in accordance with ODNI's statutory responsibility. What I'm briefing here today does not represent my personal views or opinions, but rather the assessments of the intelligence community, of the threats that facing the United States, our homeland, and our interests.

1:11:36In this assessment, we're following the structure of priorities that were laid out in the president's national security strategy, starting with threats to our homeland, then shifting to global risks. Constantly evading responsibility, trying to distance herself from all of this. But then there was another question that was asked, and it was about, you know, the Iranian threat. Did Iran actually, you know, pose a threat? Was a preemptive strike necessary? And watch Tulsi Gabbard's technique here. She didn't want to tell the truth in public because that would prove Donald Trump to be a liar. So she suggests that she could only give the answers if there is a closed door here.

1:12:15Directors Gabbard and Ratcliffe, is there any evidence that Iran intended to conduct a preemptive attack on the United States? And I ask this because 13 service members have been killed in Trump's war, including Captain Seth Koval, a husband and a dad from my state of Indiana, and my constituents want answers. So is there any evidence that Iran intended to conduct a preemptive attack on the U.S. prior to beginning this war, yes or no?

1:12:45Congressman, the answer to this question needs to be reserved for a closed hearing. I will say, however, the intelligence community does provide the assessments of the threats that exist to the president so that he can make that determination within the body of information and intelligence and activities within the region that ultimately he is responsible for. What is an imminent threat? And if there is an imminent threat, what actions need to be taken? And that last remark that Tulsi Gabbard made to me is the biggest cop-out ever, because what she says, and she kept going back to this throughout the hearings, it's not my responsibility as the director of national intelligence to give Donald Trump the the threat assessment and the intelligence, I mean, it's quite literally your job description to do that.

1:13:34She would say, oh, no, it's Donald Trump's job to decide what the threat is and what the intelligence is. No, that's why you have your job, because you're supposed to be, sir, you're going to be one of those people in Donald Trump's story, sir, if you want to say it, sir, sir, this is bullshit. There is no threat. There's no reason to do this. And I think one of the interesting things that we've also seen in recent days, there was an op-ed, an article, written by that mediator in Oman, the foreign minister in Oman, who was mediating the discussions between the United States and between Iran. And it was quite damning what he said in this piece in The Economist.

1:14:13And he basically said that the United States has basically sold out its entire foreign policy. It's made the entire world weaker. He said that he was in those negotiations and those negotiations were heading for a resolution. And instead of resolving the issues and instead of taking the path of diplomacy, which he said was working out. Remember, he went on television the day that Donald Trump did the strikes. He said that Donald Trump decided to start this war. And he said, he's like, listen, I'm from Oman and there are all these countries around me who are now suffering because Iran is now doing these retaliatory strikes on all these other countries, on Saudi Arabia, on the United Arab Emirates.

1:14:51And he's like, I'm not happy about that. And I want them to stop immediately, but I understand why they're angry. Donald Trump attacked them, and they're fighting back. The dynamics right now in the Middle East are even more dangerous than ever. Ben was talking about all these countries who gave Donald Trump, take the jet, take the money. I'm going to give you this money. I'll give Jared Kushner a couple billion dollars. All this stuff that they did right now or did in the past to try to build this shield around themselves of protection by bribing donald trump essentially it's all backfiring right now and that's why you can never get into bed with trump it's why you could never get into business with him because he will always screw you over now this entire region is learning that the hard way unfortunately the american people are learning it too yeah brett everyone in the trump regime always advocates accountability it's always somebody else's fault right it's never the buck stops with me i i'm here to to take accountability and responsibility for my actions and my no it it can it it's insane it's it's truly so pathetic tulsi gabbard embarrassed herself i mean she always embarrasses herself but she especially embarrassed herself she's supposed to be the united states uh director of national intelligence and yet she's out there acting like she's like a political spokesperson for the Trump administration.

1:16:13It's ridiculous. Our troops are dying. Civilians are dying. And she can't even sit there and justify the intelligence used to launch the attack in the first place. I mean, just how pathetic is that? These officials, all of them, they were more focused on protecting the Trump regime's image than on providing the Senate and the public with just honest data about their failing war. And that's all we're asking for, right? Like we want the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. And I'm sorry if that sounds like cheesy, but again, American soldiers are dying. Civilians are dying. And you have draft Dodger Donald.

1:16:51He's got a bunch of yes people around him that are too scared to give the public the truth and the data because they know it's damning for them. And when you don't have the truth on your side, you see what you saw, right? You lie, you cheat, you cover up, you deflect. And that's exactly what we're witnessing there with those clips from Tulsi to cash to Radcliffe. These people aren't showing allegiance to this country, to America, but to Donald Trump, their dear leader. I mean, what we're witnessing is the absolute worst of government. There's just simply no way to sugarcoat it. As someone who deeply loves this country, when I'm watching up there, it breaks my damn heart.

1:17:32It is just so upsetting, Brad. Yeah, I mean, this administration, the way they're handling this war, the lies, the weakness, the subservience by these Republicans, they will all go down. This will go down as probably like the biggest foreign policy failure in history, the biggest communications failure in history, the biggest congressional failure in history. All of these people should wear the shame and the stain of this administration, the Trump administration, the Trump regime, for the rest of their lives, quite frankly, for them to put this man over the safety and security over the United States of America, over the global safety and security.

1:18:15This is so beyond reprehensible, what we are witnessing right now. And all of these people should be incredibly, incredibly ashamed. And I think that's why we're seeing as each and every poll comes in, Donald Trump doing worse and worse and worse. There was that viral clip, which I know I don't have to play because I'm sure everybody has seen it. Pennsylvania? Yeah, the woman in Pennsylvania. Shut up, yeah. Who voted for Donald Trump three times and did not have nice things to say about him. I think she called him a piece of shit and said that, I guess I'm an idiot. I guess I must be the biggest idiot on the planet for voting for him.

1:18:52And that's a sentiment that's shared by a lot of people and so you have you know then you have cnn and caroline levitt sharing like these propaganda polls 100 of mago supports donald trump yeah because they kick out anybody who doesn't support trump if you have north korea numbers they it's yeah no no it's clear the definition of maga is just anyone that shows allegiance to donald trump so of course it's always going to be a hundred percent in these and trump says that repeatedly the propaganda coming out of the white house i i say this often it would make kim jong-un blush like it it is that embarrassing brett's not joking.

1:19:22Like we're not saying she posted the poll that says Donald Trump is a hundred percent approved. Like she actually did that and she's being serious. It's so pathetic. It's a disgrace. And quite frankly, every American should be ashamed of, of this regime and everybody who's enabling it. And just the way they're stealing from you, the American people, and not giving people their basic needs, not ensuring their basic needs are met while they funnel hundreds of billions of dollars, if not trillions of dollars into more endless wars and to enriching Donald Trump's family. It is truly, truly, truly a disgrace.

1:19:57Anyway, I want to thank everybody for joining us on this episode of the Midas Touch podcast and for being with us. Whether you have been with us since day one, and shout out to all the Midas Mighty who have been with us since day one. Shout out to all the OGs. Maybe this is your first episode listening. You saw us win the iHeart Award. You said, let us check these people out. Let's see what it's all about. Well, this is what we're all about. Truth, facts, receipts, pro-democracy. We're about community. We're about uplifting one another. This isn't a movement of negativity. This is a movement of positivity.

1:20:27And we are here with you all. We view this as a group effort. This isn't about me or Jordy or Ben. This is not about any one of our contributors. This is about you. This is about all of us. So let's continue to grow. Let's continue to grow pro-democracy communities all over the place, all over the internet, all over the world. Shout out to our Midas Canada team led by Charlie Angus. Make sure you subscribe to that. Shout out to all of our contributors. Katie Fang doing an incredible, incredible job. Katie Fang is going to be doing a live show next week, by the way, on her channel. So get ready for Katie Fang live and maybe the Katie Fang podcast rolling out soon.

1:21:06I might have just let that slip, but keep a lookout for that. Keep a lookout for that. More news coming there soon. I know everybody loves Katie. Aaron Parnas crushing it with the Parnas Perspective podcast. And you could just go down the list. Legal AF, Tennessee Brando, a lot of really, really excellent creators. Make sure to check them out. And once again, thanks for having our back when the podcast wasn't showing up. We saw all your comments. It frustrated us, stressed us out, I'll be honest. But it was so great seeing all of you rise up and say, what the hell is going on? We want our show back.

1:21:39And I really, really thank you. So remember, if you haven't yet, go leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Check out the show Apple, Spotify. It's everywhere. People are like, why is it only on Apple? It's not. It's everywhere. It's everywhere. We just had issues with Apple. That's why we're talking about it. So be sure to check it out. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And, Jordy, I think it's about that time. Take it away. Shout out to the Midas Mighty.

1:22:09That's the fascist we sing our song. We will get it right whenever... Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our sub stack at MidasPlus.com. You'll get daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski, add free episodes of our podcast, and more exclusive content only available at MidasPlus.com.

1:22:35Powerful doesn't just happen. You have to make it happen. So the moment Total Wireless offers a free Samsung S25 FE with Galaxy AI, when you switch to the Total 5G or 5G Plus Unlimited 3-Month plan, you take the network as powerful as you with unlimited 5G data that won't slow you down. Now that's a total power move. Visit your neighborhood Total Wireless store. Device access and fees may apply. Requires new activation on a Total 5G Unlimited 3-Month plan or higher. External port in and ID verification. Available only in Total Wireless stores. Limit to four devices per account. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance with USAA you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10 % tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usaa.com slash bundle restrictions apply