MeidasTouch Full Podcast - 4/17/26

18:02Ben Meiselas:This is what we see as a pattern over and over again. I mean, one of the things that Donald Trump does also, we'll talk about this later in the show, using the very idea of a negotiation as a tool of chicanery, trickery, fraud, domination. Oftentimes when people engage in a negotiation. Most frequently, it's not an exercise of domination. It is how can we reach an agreement and reach a deal? Donald Trump's view of a negotiation is to lure people in, usually under fraudulent pretext. And then when they are vulnerable because they believe they're in a deal-making posture, you basically sucker punch them.

18:48Ben Meiselas:Donald Trump never was a dealmaker, in my opinion. He's always been a destroyer, and he's used things like implied covenants of good faith and fair dealing, norms and traditions to harm people when people are following what they believe are basic codes of morality, decency, or good faith when it comes to agreements, contracts, and general understandings. I think it's an important point that you also emphasize there, Geordi, is that this is not a religious discussion. As I noted before, this isn't about this religion or that religion. Our audience is made up of people of all different types of religion and people who don't follow religion.

19:31Ben Meiselas:And again, why I emphasize so frequently the importance of just being a good person and to look out for each other and to uplift and to show compassion and to show empathy is because that isn't discussed enough in the modern day or by news companies. And we can't forget that, that we're all in this together. We share this earth for a short period of time, and it should be our goal to live in peace and harmony and to avoid wars and to try to have prosperity for everybody as much as possible, where we can spread the love and joy and equality, and then pass on a better world for future generations.

20:15Ben Meiselas:Politics is so frequently gamified by news and by people talking about it, we forget that when we deconstruct it, what we should be focused on is, is this improving our lives and our collective time here on this earth that we can make it just a better place and we could live in harmony with each other? And that may sound corny saying that, but at the heart of what we do here at the Midas Touch Network is to deconstruct the lies and to try to get to that right there. I'll stop preaching, pun intended, and let me show you what some of these MAGA sycophants were out there saying, because it was also a concerted effort by Donald Trump bootlickers to go out and attack the Pope, particularly Catholics who are MAGA would go out and they would say, well, the Pope shouldn't have gone political.

21:03Ben Meiselas:when you step into the political arena, you deserve it. For example, Elise Stefanik, whose political career is completely over right now. She ran for governor, dropped out. She ran, she dropped out of her congressional seat as well after, after this term is over. Here's what she had to say when she was on CNN just before.

21:22Brett Meiselas:American Pope. I don't want to see the Pope as a politician. And, you know, the president, we know his leadership style. He is going to stand strong for the American people. And the president of the United States is a political figure. Of course, he's going to be engaged in politics when he's politically attacked. I don't want to see the Pope get involved in domestic politics. What I think we can highlight as Catholics for myself is the increased number of new Catholics entering the church. And that's a great success for the Catholic church long term.

21:51Ben Meiselas:Maga Mike Johnson wanted to say that he knows more than the Pope does on something called the Just War Doctrine. And Maga Mike says, let me preach to you. I'm Maga Mike. I drape myself in religion and everything I do. So let me explain to you, Pope Leo XIV, the Just War Doctrine. Here, let's play this clip.

22:15Brett Meiselas:A pontiff or any religious leader can say anything they want, but obviously if you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response. And I think the Pope's received some of that. I was taking a little bit of back, just honestly, frankly, by something that was said, I think he said several days back that something about those who engage in war, you know, that Jesus doesn't hear their prayers or something. You know, it is a very well settled matter of Christian theology. There's something called the just war doctrine. There's a time to every purpose under heaven. I think what the president's comments, what the vice president's comments reflect is their understanding deep in the you know the skiff and the classified briefings of the stakes that are so high in the situation that we're facing and the fact that you had the the nation that was the largest sponsor of terrorism uh now has having had that ability taken away from them that means potentially millions of innocent people will be able to keep their lives and not be killed by terrorists that's a good thing uh that's what's come out of this okay so i don't i don't want to engage in a feel i don't want to

23:21Ben Meiselas:engage in a theological debate with Pope Leo XIV.

23:24Jordy Meiselas:Pope Leo was like, screw Trump, that guy sucks. All the Pope said was that he's not a fan of war, wants peace, and wants innocent people to live when you break down the Pope's statements. This is what has so triggered them into this bizarre tantrum. I just want to remind everybody, these are the people, like I said this earlier, These are the people who use religion to push their political beliefs all the time. It's like their main move. I need to ban abortion because the Bible says so. I need to take away rights from this group and that group because the Bible commands me to. They do that all the time.

24:04Jordy Meiselas:And the second the Pope says something that isn't even particularly political, they freak out. And they also seem to forget that the Pope is not only a political leader, but the Pope is also the leader of Vatican City. And so there actually is a political function of the Pope in addition to his religious function. And as I said, this really exposes the charlatans. I actually do have some modicum of respect for those Catholics, those Christians who, after these comments were made, after Donald Trump posted those images, actually spoke out and said, no way, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, that's not okay.

24:39Jordy Meiselas:But these people who make excuses for Donald Trump while wrapping themselves, whether they it's in the flag or with the cross or whatever it is those people to me are are just reprehensible

24:51Brett Meiselas:and show that they're complete frauds and you have pete hagseth up there when when we when we showed that clip earlier when he's giving the bible verse he literally has like an american like like flag little like what are those called brett those like handkerchiefs or whatever that he tucked into his suit what about you know whatever happened to the separation between church and state like how have we come here as a society going back to what maga mike just said about the pope like i just want to like rephrase that he basically said like he's okay with the pope getting you know like like a brush him off the plate like throw a fastball high and inside to the pope that's what he said he's like oh the pope's gonna step into the political well he's gonna he's gonna have to take some heat for that that that's what he said he's an insane like that's an insane that's an insane thing especially from mike johnson who like puts forward this holier than thou like mentality

25:39Jordy Meiselas:Right, it's like, oh, now you want a separation of church and stone. Now that somebody said, don't kill innocent little girls. Now that somebody said, maybe don't start wars of aggression now. Okay, now you care about this. By the way, speaking of how religious these people are, I should mention, I know everybody's seen the clip by now. And if you haven't, look it up. I can't play it because there's movie footage in it. But do you all see Pete Hegseth play the clip of Pulp Fiction. He didn't play the clip of Pulp Fiction. He said that he was reading a Bible verse and it actually was not a Bible verse at all.

26:13Jordy Meiselas:It was a line from Pulp Fiction, which was a fake Bible verse. And Pete Hegseth read this during a religious sermon that they did at the Pentagon yesterday to Jordy's point, why are you doing religious sermons at the Pentagon in the first place? But then the sermon he ended up delivering ended up being a fake Bible verse from the Tarantino movie, Pulp Fiction, because I'm pretty sure when they write these speeches, they're not actually even writing these speeches. This is my theory. This is my opinion. I think they have ChatGPT write all of their speeches for them. The same way you have all those lawyers and stuff who get caught citing fake cases and fake quotes and all this stuff, you get a fake Bible verse that slips in because the internet commonly uses that fake Bible verse because it's a popular movie that's how i think in my opinion that happened but i i told everyone earlier in the

27:04Brett Meiselas:week that when i woke up the other day you know my wife and i we the first thing we said to each other was like did you see trump attack the pope last night the first thing i said to brett this morning when we woke up for for a morning meeting was do you see hegseth quote tarantino what is

27:18Ben Meiselas:going on man i'll just say this about pope leo the 14th as well he's an augustinian friar who spent 12 years leading the Augustinian religious order. They invented the just war doctrine, like literally the doctrine that Maga Mike cites is an Augustinian doctrine right there. And Maga Mike want to spend the time lecturing Pope Leo XIV on what's called the just war doctrine. So you have that as well. I want to take our first quick break of the show. When we come back, I want to bring us into some of these congressional hearings. I want to bring us to the steps of the Capitol building. The Midas Touch Network was there with our Washington DC Bureau getting the clips that are now leading the discussions, not just in D.C., but throughout the country and the world.

28:00Ben Meiselas:Hat tip to Scott McFarland leading an incredible Washington, D.C. Bureau there. We'll talk about the World Cup boycott growing right now, as well as the Saudis saying, uh-uh, no more live golf for you, Donald Trump in the United States. We've got a lot more to discuss on this episode of the Midas Touch podcast. A reminder, or hit subscribe, help us get to 7 million subscribers. Subscribe to the Midas Touch podcast on audio as well. You may think that you're subscribed on audio, but will you double check to make sure you are? Leave a five-star review there. Let's take our first quick break of the show.

28:36Brett Meiselas:Warmer weather, spring travel. Oh, am I excited to tell you about Fair Harbor. This podcast is brought to you by Fair Harbor, makers of the world's most comfortable swimwear. The same comfort that's earned thousands of five-star reviews is built into their super soft clothes, made to be worn hard and broken in by the life that you live. Fair Harbor trunks are perfect for swimming, lounging, or soaking up some sun. A variety of designs and styles make finding your favorite pair easy. And Fair Harbor's super soft built-in liner keeps you comfortable all day. You'll never have to go back to that mesh line trunks again.

29:12Brett Meiselas:Trust me. Beyond swim trunks, Fair Harbor carries a full line of casual clothing that's ideal for travel. Their shorts, shirts, and hoodies are lightweight, comfortable, and easy to pack. Perfect for flights, road trips, and relaxing once you arrive. And if the rest of the family starts eyeing your gear, they've got kid styles too. Fair Harbor started with one goal, protecting the places we all love to explore. They turn recycled plastic bottles into better, more comfortable fabrics, and the kind of pieces you'll reach for over and over season after season. I love how fair Harbor focuses on both style and sustainability.

29:51Brett Meiselas:Nothing like looking good and doing good all at the same time. My favorite fair Harbor product is their swim trunks. They are just so comfortable. I can wear them anywhere. Head to fairharborclothing.com and use the code Midas 20 for 20 % off your full price order now through March 31. Once again, Again, that's fairharbor, H-A-R-B-O-R clothing.com for 20 % off and make sure you use our promo code MIDAS20 so they know that we sent you. Time for some talk. Life insurance talk, that is. You probably have it, but do you know how much you're paying for it and for how much you're being covered? Odds are you pay too much for too little.

30:32Brett Meiselas:And did you know if you receive life insurance through your job and you're unexpectedly laid off, you could suddenly be covered for nothing? Scary to think about, but simple to get right. Thanks to SelectQuote, where I'm headed to sort out my life insurance policy today. For over 40 years, SelectQuote has been one of the most trusted brokers in insurance, helping more than 2 million Americans secure over$700 billion in coverage. Their mission is simple, to find you the right insurance policy for your unique needs. They shop, you save. Unlike other one-size-fits-all life insurance companies, SelectQuote's licensed agents work for you.

31:06Brett Meiselas:In as little as 15 minutes, they'll compare policies from top-rated carriers to find you the best fit for your health and your budget. And they work for you for free. No medical exam, no problem. They partner with providers offering same-day coverage up to$2 million without needing to visit your doctor. Have high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease? SelectQuote has partners with policies designed for many pre-existing health conditions, so you get the protection you deserve. Head to selectquote.com and a licensed insurance agent will call you right away with the right policy for your life and your budget.

31:41Brett Meiselas:Life insurance is never cheaper than it is today. Selectquote. They shop, you save. Get the right life insurance for you for less and save more than 50 % at selectquote.com slash Midas. Save more than 50 % on term life insurance at selectquote.com slash Midas today to get started. That's selectquote.com slash Midas.

32:04Brett Meiselas:Let'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. Benji, where to next?

32:14Ben Meiselas:I want to take us to Capitol Hill, take a look at some of the congressional hearings that are taking place, show you what's going on on the House floor. As I'm sure you may know, the House and the Senate were in recess for a long period of time. They were vacationing while the United States was in this catastrophic and unlawful war. And now they're back and Finally, there are some hearings taking place where some important questions get to be asked, even if it's not necessarily the subject matter of what the hearing is supposed to be. For example, Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, Waltz, he was testifying before the Senate regarding a United Nations funding issue, but Democrats used the opportunity to ask Ambassador Walls, who was previously a Congress member, some important questions about the war.

33:03Ben Meiselas:I'm going to show you two clips now of Democratic Senator Van Hollen cross-examining United States Ambassador Mike Walls to the United Nations. Let's play the first clip if we've got it. This is the clip where Walls has asked about his position as a member of Congress when he said that Putin is a war criminal. And he was saying, hey, Biden, you've got to recognize that Putin's a war criminal or else you've got to go. And Biden did recognize that Putin is a war criminal. So I guess the question right now for Ambassador Wallace is, do you still believe that Putin is a war criminal? Because Donald Trump seems to be very supportive of Putin, remove sanctions from Russia.

33:45Ben Meiselas:So let's play this clip. Would you agree that we should enforce that there be consequences for war crimes?

33:56Brett Meiselas:And let me ask you a different way. Would you agree it would be a violation of international law to blow up a bunch of civilian infrastructure in Iran because Iran did not agree to open the Strait of Hormuz? That would be a violation of international humanitarian law if we actually did. Actually, that is incorrect. We have a long history. We could look at video after video of the bridges that we bombed in World War II and Vietnam and conflict after conflict of power plants in Serbia under the Clinton administration. Mr. Ambassador, this was not my question. And this is particularly a regime that has dual use.

34:34Brett Meiselas:Mr.

34:37Brett Meiselas:Ambassador, that was not my question. President Trump threatened to hit civilian infrastructure if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz. We all know international law. We know there are some exceptions to the general rule that you shouldn't hit civilian infrastructure. The enemy is occupying it. But my question was different. You don't think it's a violation of international law to blow up a bunch of civilian infrastructure because the government of Iran refused to open the Strait of Hormuz. You don't think that would be a violation? I think President Trump, the American people, do you think that would be a violation of international law?

35:07Brett Meiselas:to use every bit of leverage that he has. I'm asking you if you have. You said that President Biden needed to make clear that, quote, Putin is an absolute war criminal, unquote. Do you stand by your statement that Putin was an absolute war criminal? I'll tell you, Senator, statements I made as a member of Congress, very different than what I make now as an ambassador to the UN working for President Trump and representing the United States. So are you retracting? So I certainly I support President Trump in everything he is doing and trying to end this awful. I just find it very interesting, Mr.

35:45Brett Meiselas:Ambassador, that you called upon the former President Biden in no uncertain terms to condemn Putin as a war criminal. And you won't call upon President Trump to do the same thing. As you know, he has refused to do what you called upon President Biden to do. Let me move on. As you know, Senator, it's quite difficult to mediate the end of the war if you take such maximalist approaches. And now being a diplomat and a mediator and fulfilling his goals, working for him and his agenda is very different than when you're elected a senator.

36:15Ben Meiselas:It's interesting, though, I have to say, Mr.

36:17Brett Meiselas:Ambassador, it was a simple question. I guess you are you're not asking this president to do what you asked the last president.

36:24Ben Meiselas:Precisely. And you hear this term a lot, maximalist, right? That's like a term that they keep on using, maximalist frameworks. And these are just people who are BSing their way through this and are just trying to use big words and dazzle you with the BS as the expression goes. That's a maximalist approach? That was your approach last year before you got the job. That's what you were saying and applying a different standard maybe 18 months ago or so. That's a standard that you were applying. And by the way, that Biden was agreeing with that Putin was a war criminal. And now you have arguably more power than almost anybody right now.

37:06Ben Meiselas:And you're out there saying that it is a maximalist approach to hold Putin accountable and that you need to be neutral and mediate when Russia's position and Putin's position is basically to destroy the United States of America and destroy NATO. And you're like, we're just a mediator. We're just, you know, a neutral in all of this. So I'm glad that these hearings were held so that we can expose this. I'll show you now Democratic Senator Murphy's cross-examination of United Nations Ambassador Walls, which I thought was powerful as well. You know, that's what I like. I mean, these Democratic senators are doing, you know, are out there calling out the war crimes.

37:44Ben Meiselas:I mean, you know, I think more could be doing this, but I think Democratic Senator Murphy's doing a really good job. Let's play this clip.

37:50Brett Meiselas:But President Trump has said that if Iran does not comply with his demands, that he will end Iran's civilization with specific threats to target civilian infrastructure. This looks to a lot of us into the world like a promise by the president of the United States to commit war crimes. I'm sure you don't agree with that assessment, But we have never had a president before threatened to end an entire civilization and double down on that claim if that country does not accede to the demands of the United States. So what does the president mean when he says that if these negotiations don't work out, he will end Iran's civilization?

38:42Brett Meiselas:Well, Senator, I think that statement in the broader context, he also talked about attacking infrastructure, bridges, power plants. And we all know Iran has a long history of co-bingling both civilian and military, of hiding weapons in hospitals and schools and using what could be just pure civilian infrastructure to also power factories for drones, for missiles. controls and the IRGC controls nearly 50 percent of the economy. I think it looks like, frankly, well, look, I guess what does it mean? What does it mean to end a civilization? But I think we have to look at the fact that you have a regime that literally chants death to America for the last 47 years and has acted on it, has killed thousands of Americans, has slaughtered its own people.

39:35Brett Meiselas:Do you know what I mean? I mean, how many machine gun bullets does it take over the course of a week to kill 40 ,000 of its own people? But does that merit a threat to civilization? Senator, it was some tough talk. And what are the results? What are the results was we had the highest level engagement in the history of the Iranian regime with the vice president and speaker of the parliament less than a week later. We had a ceasefire 48 hours later. They clearly got the message and they clearly came back to the table.

40:07Ben Meiselas:Okay. I think there's a lot there to break down. But at the end of it, I mean, one, he's leaning in on destroy the civilization of Iran. That's the policy of the Trump regime, mass genocide. I mean, you hear him saying that war crimes and mass genocide. But then he also says, but if you look at Trump's tough talk, look at the results. That's what brought Iran to the negotiating table. And that's why we're in a ceasefire now. He later goes on to say, but Iran is violating the ceasefire by still controlling the Strait of Hormuz. The clip goes on and on and on. But that is a reinvention of the history of what happened.

40:47Ben Meiselas:What actually happened, Donald Trump made a threat to wipe out the entire civilization, and he gave a deadline. Iran said, we're not backing down. Donald Trump got scared as he approached his own arbitrary deadline about blowing up the entire Iranian civilization. So then Donald Trump said to this Pakistani field marshal, the top guy in Pakistan that he knows, I need your help. You got to get me something. They said, okay, well, I guess you got to agree to Iran's 10-point negotiating framework, and that's all Iran will agree to. So then Donald Trump posts, we agree to Iran's 10-point negotiating framework.

41:30Ben Meiselas:So what's in the 10-point negotiating framework? Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz. Iran gets to continue to enrich uranium, permanent security guarantees for Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq, full reparations for the war, totaling more than$270 billion for Iran. The United States moves its military bases out of the Middle East. Iran gets to charge$2 million per tanker out of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran gets to keep its ballistic missiles, its Shahid drones, and its FPV drones. Iran gets to have all sanctions lifted, all UN resolutions against it lifted. Now, this is what Trump agreed to.

42:18Ben Meiselas:I'm not giving you hyperbole. I'm not having a debate. There's nothing to debate. It's an objective fact. Trump agreed to that. How do I know? Trump had a 15-point plan. Iran had its 10-point plan, which we always had been talking about for weeks. Trump posted, we agree to a framework that is Iran's 10-point plan. Then Donald Trump reposted Iran's foreign minister, Aragchi's statement saying the same. As a result of that, Iran agreed to the ceasefire and to have discussions in Pakistan, which were a complete and total failure because the Trump regime showed up. Donald Trump did it and Marco Rubio didn't, the secretary of state, the main person who's supposed to negotiate these things.

43:05Ben Meiselas:They were at a UFC fight in Florida while Donald Trump was telling the UFC male fighters how handsome and good looking they were. But they sent Kushner, Witkoff, and J.D. Vance to negotiate in Pakistan to say, actually, we don't agree to the 10-point plan. We're going to go back to the 15-point plan that we had originally, to which Iran said, well, then we're not going to do that. We're going to continue to control the Strait of Hormuz. We're going to continue to do exactly what we're doing. So you can have the ceasefire, but we control the Strait of Hormuz. And we're not going to agree to anything that deviates out of the negotiating framework.

43:42Ben Meiselas:And that's where we are at this present moment. And now you have Gulf states and European countries saying they believe the soonest there can ever be a resolution. We're talking about six months from now. Europe's running out of jet fuel, maybe two, three weeks longer of jet fuel. There are going to be food shortages very soon. The Strait of Hormuz, basically no different right now than what was going on during the war. The bombs aren't dropping. right now and the missiles aren't flying, but the Strait of Hormuz is effectively being controlled by Iran. Some tankers are still getting out and are passing the blockade.

44:25Ben Meiselas:We're not getting good information from our CENTCOM about what's happening, but they're spiking the football like they've achieved some great result. The Wall Street Journal did an article the other day, yesterday, that the people now in charge at every level of the Iranian military, the national security structure at the Ayatollah level from Mojaba all the way to the IRGC, to the national security are far more deeply entrenched, less compromising people than all the people who the Trump regime killed. You still have the Islamic Republic in control. And yet the Trump regime spikes the football as though this has some amazing accomplishment.

45:08Ben Meiselas:and that Donald Trump social media post is what did it. Like, I just wanted to break down that full dynamic about -

45:15Jordy Meiselas:Yeah, but Ben, you're forgetting a totally new regime, you know? Okay, so all the people you just mentioned may still be in power. They may be the more hardline people who took over these positions, positions who were killed. But instead of Khamenei's, him being alive, now his more hardline son is in power. I think we have to acknowledge the totally new regime and these people are way better. You know, this is just, I'm being sarcastic, obviously. I know occasionally I get pret, like, why are you saying that? Being sarcastic. It's so classic Trump though, isn't it? Because he starts these things, he sparks chaos, and it's something that he's done really his entire life.

45:53Jordy Meiselas:And then like, you kind of tell he kind of gets bored with it, or he realizes that it's not exactly going well. And he wants to bail on it in the middle, but he's already so far in and he's already caused so much chaos that you can't just stop what you're doing in the middle of it. And then the whole world is left to pick up his mess. We've seen it with the tariffs. We're seeing it here. He starts something. And that's why there's this whole notion of Donald Trump taco-ing, because he gets the backlash. He sees what's happening with the markets. And then he goes, I don't want to do that anymore.

46:29Jordy Meiselas:Or with this war. I think at a certain point, he realized how, despite his bluster, how poorly this thing was going, and now he's looking for an out. The issue, strategically speaking, when you're looking for an out when you're this far in and when things are not going well is you're naturally going to end up giving major concessions to the people and make yourself worse off and make the world worse off and make your country worse off. That's what we're seeing with Trump here. The situation by every metric right now is still horrible. We don't know what's going to happen with these negotiations.

47:04Jordy Meiselas:We have a ceasefire that's going to expire in just a few days, if you want to call it a ceasefire. And Trump is acting like everything is great and everything's never been better. And the markets go along with this BS, which all I've learned in the past, I think one of the biggest lessons I've learned is that the market is just fake, that the numbers are fake. It's all fake. I mean, if the Allbirds situation yesterday didn't sell you that this market is just fake, then I don't know what's going to. I'm referring to the shoe company, Allbirds, that was going bankrupt. And then yesterday, they decided that they were rebranding themselves as an artificial intelligence company.

47:44Jordy Meiselas:And because they named themselves an AI company, I don't even know what kind of AI they're doing. Their stock went up like 600 to 800 % or something. That's the kind of market we're dealing with right now. So don't give me the market to say that things are going well because it's clearly all BS, right? We could acknowledge that. But when you look at the actual data, one of the issues right now is that oil is still not going to the places where it needs to go. And we're seeing these major warnings right now from these international energy agencies saying that countries in Europe could be running out of jet fuel within the next like six weeks.

48:21Jordy Meiselas:I mean, these are red alerts and people are acting like everything is fine. I saw yesterday a report that it looks like Spirit Airlines is about to go completely under because Spirit Airlines is a budget airline that runs in very tiny margins. And the jet fuel cost increases have destroyed their company and they're not able to recover. So they may be out of business, regardless of what you think about Spirit Airlines. I'm not so sure everybody has a positive image towards them, but that's a direct effect of Donald Trump's war here. And the barrels are just not getting through. Now you have the blockade on top of the blockade.

48:59Jordy Meiselas:You have the Strait of Hormuz still closed. You still have, by the way, the Iranians getting through millions of barrels of oil despite this so-called blockade by the United States. And so while the world is in turmoil, it's like you have Trump and a lot of these people around him and these market forces kind of acting like everything's okay. But when push comes to shove, when that oil delivery does not show up, when all of a sudden people don't have oil or don't have jet fuel or don't have gas, people are going to feel it. And that's why we're seeing countries, not in the United States, but countries with more responsible leaders actually giving this warning to their people, not so different than warnings that they gave to their people at the beginning of COVID that, hey, we might start to have to ration some supplies here.

49:46Jordy Meiselas:We may have to, if you can work from home, work from home, because we might run out of gas or gas is going to get super expensive because we're getting short on supply here. I mean, people are already setting their citizens up for that reality should this continue. And the impacts that will already come from Donald Trump's actions cannot be erased. We can only try to now kind of recover, you know, try to get back to where we are. This is an ugly situation. And it's like, everybody is just playing pretend.

50:19Brett Meiselas:Yeah. And look, not to mention that Donald Trump getting us in this war of his choice, he killed over a dozen U.S. troops. Like that needs to really just be like the first thing that everyone always talks about. He got over a dozen U.S. troops killed. Donald Trump did for his war of choice. Yeah. Not to mention the skyrocketing oil prices and all of that as well. And also he bombed a little girl's school. That's Donald trump it's the president of the united states those are facts those are just the facts of it i want to go back quickly to the waltz clips that we just showed and played in my opinion those clips that we had played the responses from waltz are just such a damning indictment of where we are as a society like i give it up to those senate dems and not cause i'm a democrat not because i'm like yeah go blue team no because they're just trying to get the facts man like truth matters words have meaning.

51:08Brett Meiselas:And so when Trump is openly discussing war crimes, and he's saying he wants to end a civilization, that's not tough talk. Okay, that means something. And he's telling you explicitly what that means. I think one of the biggest things that we'll have to grapple with as a society as we go forward here, I think we've lost sight of that, that words have meaning, and that actions have consequences. And so collectively, not like we here, but like we as a country just have to sort to wake up and just shake our heads and get a refresher here and just double down on truth and facts and not just blindly defending an administration, a regime that we see Walt's doing up there.

51:48Brett Meiselas:It's so embarrassing and pathetic and frankly, just beneath any positions of power of government that we see from these quote unquote leaders every single day.

51:57Ben Meiselas:It's not just even that words have consequences because they do, but consequences are consequences. When the thing happens, COVID, mass deaths, war, mass deaths, genocide, mass deaths, there is this numbing and this washing of the truth that the actual thing itself is just viewed as just something happening in the cacophony of the chaos that exists in the day. And Brett, I think that's what you're getting at, which is it's this don't look up moment. If you all know the movie with the asteroid coming down to hit the earth and everybody's so caught up on their phones and devices and what crazy thing is happening here and crazy thing there that by the time people look up and there's the don't look up, you know, movements and like, let's don't look up.

53:02Ben Meiselas:And there's like concerts about it. The thing is about to destroy everything. And so the consequences are the consequences. And it's a real thing. And the tangible hurt and the pain people in the United States are suffering. It's not words. It's not a talking point to say people can't afford things that people can't afford homes or their rent or gas or healthcare, or it's getting ripped away. It's not just words or a talking point that people are dying because they can't go see a doctor because they can't afford it. These are real things that are happening. And there is this detachment in this digital age and craze where we don't recognize a reality that's happening, or we just kind of move on.

53:50Ben Meiselas:And it's treated as, I don't know, just this kind of similar acra, this simulation. It's like, this is a real life. This is really happening. There's real human suffering. And if you don't empathize with what's happening in the people and that these are life and death, war and peace issues, then that's kind of how you get in this position. And so that's why so much, I hate to feel like I'm preaching on this network, but But what I try to re-shock the conscience of is that these are conscious, shocking things that are happening, not to be hyperbolic about it, but because it is a shared reality that is existing.

54:30Ben Meiselas:And we have to acknowledge it and we have to call it out. And we can't just say the words. We have to understand that this is real suffering and what people are going through, damn it. We take our last quick break of the show. When we come back, we'll show you more things happening on Capitol Hill. We'll talk about the boycott of the World Cup and what's materializing there. We'll talk about the golf, talk about a lot more. Let's take our last quick break of the show.

54:58Jordy Meiselas:Starting something new isn't just hard, it's terrifying. I remember when we started building this network, there were a million questions running through my head. What if this doesn't work? What if nobody shows up? What if no one cares? What if we fail? but taking that leap ended up being one of the best decisions we ever made, and having the right tools makes all the difference. That's where Shopify comes in. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10 % of all e-commerce in the US, from household names to brands just getting started. With hundreds of ready-to-use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store that actually matches your brand style, just like the Midas Touch store.

55:35Jordy Meiselas:And it's packed with AI tools that can write descriptions, headlines, and even enhance your product photography, saving you time and making everything more efficient. Plus, Shopify helps you get the word out like you've got a full marketing team behind you with easy email and social media campaigns. And everything from inventory to payments to analytics is all in one place, so you're not juggling a bunch of different platforms. It's time to turn those what-ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your$1 per month trial today at shopify.com slash Midas. Go to shopify.com slash Midas. That's shopify.com slash Midas, M-E-I-D-A-S.

56:17Jordy Meiselas:Are you tired of waking up hungover and worrying about what happened last night? That's why I've been reaching for Willys Remedy Plus, the THC-infused social tonic that lets you have fun and actually feel good the next day. If you're trying to be more intentional this year, Willys gives you that social uplifting buzz without wrecking your goals. For me, it's perfect for unwinding after a long day, socializing without alcohol, or even getting a little creative. It kicks in fast, feels smooth and euphoric, and there's no hangover waiting for you in the morning. Willie's is a premium THC-infused social tonic crafted by the legendary Willie Nelson, inspired by Willie's way of living where peace flows freely and hangovers are a thing of the past.

56:56Jordy Meiselas:It is a low-calorie, low-sugar, alcohol alternative that actually works, delivering a fast-acting, euphoric, social buzz without the regrets that come with alcohol. Willie's isn't that feared edible you ate too much of in college. Each bottle is third-party lab-tested for accurate dosage, with a unique blend of THC, CBD, CBG, and L-theanine that delivers calm, clarity, euphoria, and relaxation. Willie's Social Tonics come in 5mg and 10mg doses, with a best-in-class flavor experience. so smooth and balanced you barely realize you're drinking a THC product at all. You can enjoy the tonics as a shot, sipped over ice, or mixed into your favorite mocktail.

57:38Jordy Meiselas:One shot of Willys helps you relax, unwind, and distress, perfect for taking the edge off after a long day or socializing with friends. Willys offers the kind of feeling that makes a good company even better. Willys sold out three times in the first six months with over 50 ,000 happy customers, and they just restocked. Willys ships directly to your doorstep in 40 plus states. Order now at drinkwillys.com and use code MIDAS for 20 % off your first order, plus free shipping on orders over$95 and enjoy life in the high country. That's drinkwillys.com, code MIDAS, M-E-I-D-A-S.

58:16Brett Meiselas:ED is way more common than most guys think. Millions of guys deal with it at some point, and that's exactly why HIMSS offers a straightforward way to handle it. HIMSS connects you with licensed healthcare providers online, giving you simple access to legitimate ED treatment options from home. No awkward appointments, no pharmacy lines. Just complete a simple online intake and a provider will review your information to determine if treatment is right for you. If prescribed, your treatment ships directly to your door in discreet packaging. That includes Cidinofil, also known as generic Viagra, available through HIMSS at up to 95 % less than the brand name version.

58:52Brett Meiselas:And if that option isn't right for you, there are additional treatment options available so you can find what works best for your body. It's straightforward, transparent, and designed to make getting care feel easy. To 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 prescription required see website for details and important safety information sidenafil is the generic version of viagra viagra is a registered trademark of viatris specialty llc hymns is not affiliated with or endorsed by viatris let's go shout out to our sponsors links in description about the youtube and the audio use the links use the codes if there's an exit survey let them know that we sent you real quick ben i just want to say for the audio listeners so i know ben's making this march to 7 million but you probably don't know where we are with the subscriber count we're we're almost at 6.3 million subscribers on the minus touch youtube channel and not too long ago y 'all we reached 6 million so to get 300 000 subscribers in that short of time it's a testament to everybody watching right now thank you if you're watching right now live please check to make sure you're subscribed some people think they're subscribed but they're not actually subscribed so double check right there.

1:00:12Brett Meiselas:And a special call out to the audio listeners listening to this on Friday. Please go to the Midas Touch YouTube channel. See what almost 6.3 million subscribers are liking on the daily and hit subscribe to the channel. I guarantee you'll like what we're dishing out. Benji, where to next?

1:00:29Ben Meiselas:Tell your friends about it too. Word of mouth is one of the ways this network has spread. People have said, hey, aren't you tired of the same old corporate news BS and the split screen yelling and you're not getting the actual data, give this a try. Give it a try and see for yourself. That's one of the ways this has grown. So, you know, send a text message to people you know about the Midas Dutch Network and you can send them this episode. Let's go to Capitol Hill. We got our reporters there on Capitol Hill right now. Our DC Bureau being led by veteran reporter Scott McFarland, who's already been just doing an incredible job at the network.

1:01:04Ben Meiselas:So great to see what he's built his entire career, frankly, but what he's been able to build at the Midas Touch Network for a very short period of time since he's since he's joined us. Let's take a look at Democratic Congresswoman Kamliger Dove and what she had to say about Donald Trump claiming that the economy is booming and things are going great right now. Congresswoman. Are you concerned about the impact that this war in Iran is having on our national debt?

1:01:30Brett Meiselas:Oh, my God. Yes, of course I am. Stevie Wonder can even see how much this is costing us.

1:01:36Jordy Meiselas:So gas prices are going up. It's almost$10 in California. And fertilizer is going up. I mean, you name it, the prices have gone up.

1:01:43Brett Meiselas:And this dude, Dr. Jesus, okay, is wanting to spend$2 billion of your money every single day rather than help you get health care.

1:01:52Jordy Meiselas:Fuck his ass.

1:01:54Ben Meiselas:Thank you, Congressman. Powerful words right there. AOC on the floor of the House of Representatives. Here's what she had to say. Let's play it. The gentleman from New York is recognized for one minute.

1:02:03Brett Meiselas:Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February, the Trump administration, in conjunction with the Israeli government, launched an illegal and disastrous war in Iran. They provided no rationale to the American people. They sought no legal authority from Congress. And they have since descended our world and our global economy into chaos. And that was just the beginning. Now, President Trump has threatened to use the United States military to carry out acts of genocide against the Iranian people, innocent civilians. Up until today, he has done this on his own, a rogue actor. But today, we vote on whether or not he will do this in the name of the American people.

1:02:50Brett Meiselas:Congress must vote to exercise our power to stop this chaos or whether we sanction it. And we must vote to restrain it. I urge our colleagues that we vote yes and that we end and stop all that is imperiled before us. And with that, I yield back.

1:03:08Ben Meiselas:Congresswoman Stansberry on the floor of the House. Let's play it.

1:03:11Brett Meiselas:To the general woman from New Mexico, Representative Melanie Stansberry. The gentleman from New Mexico is recognized for one minute. Mr. Speaker, as co-sponsor of this War Powers Resolution, this debate is making me sick. The lies and colleagues who are so weak that they won't enforce the Constitution to rein

1:03:32Jordy Meiselas:in a president who is clearly out of control. As we sit here, thousands of civilians are dead.

1:03:38Brett Meiselas:Thirteen service members have been killed. Hundreds have been injured with brain injuries whose lives will never be the same. Millions of people displaced and our American bases bombed. And for what? Having been led into an illegal war by a madman who is attacking the Pope, threatening war crimes and implicated in the Epstein files and who can't explain why we were there or what happens the day after. that is why it is time to end this war, to stand with our troops and to stand with the American people. So we must pass this resolution and end this war now. General Yields, members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities

1:04:25Ben Meiselas:toward the president. Don't be mean to Donald Trump is what the speaker pro tem says. Don't be mean. Don't be mean. Don't be mean to Donald. By the way, that was a rule that they made a rule that you can't be mean to Donald Trump. Like that's actually a rule that they implemented recently. But I thought comedy was back.

1:04:44Brett Meiselas:Wasn't comedy back? Wasn't that what they were saying?

1:04:47Jordy Meiselas:Comedy is so back that at this year's White House Correspondents, there's no comedian because they don't hurt Donald Trump's feelings. That's so much comedy is back. Oh, and I think CBS is like welcoming, yeah, Pete Hegseth who goes on TV at five in the morning Pacific time and just to shame the media and call on fake news outlets. But yeah, keep putting your arm around Pete Hickson. Great job, CBS News.

1:05:11Ben Meiselas:Scott McFarlane, Midas Touch Network DC Bureau Chief, was on Capitol Hill. Here's the report that he logged. Let's play it. Here on Capitol Hill, House Democrats do want to fight some messaging fights. They are pushing this legislation to set up a commission to help execute the 25th Amendment on Trump, if and when that time comes. There have been 65 co-sponsors so far who've signed on to it, and could be more. Yasmin Ansari, the Democrat from Arizona, told me it is worth having this public discussion on the 25th Amendment. It is warranted, even if it's not really going to happen anytime soon.

1:05:46Brett Meiselas:What do you think? You can press it on social media. Are you getting any feedback at all, negative or positive, from Republicans or purple districts at all? I think we're getting a lot of positive feedback. I have been in, you know, very impressed actually to see non-elected, but Republicans, people like Tucker Carlson, former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, people like Nick Quintas, Alex Jones, people I never thought I would ever agree with on anything recognize that Donald Trump is so mentally unstable. And he clearly is in a state of cognitive decline. And I'm grateful that Representative Raskin is leading the charge on this 25th Amendment bill and has started an investigation into his cognitive decline because he is unfit and he is a national security threat to the United States.

1:06:34Ben Meiselas:That's why it's important to have reporters like that on the Hill, led by Scott. i mean those are the questions that the american people are asking right now and those are the questions that are not getting nearly enough attention or any attention at all i want to give a hat tip to the usa today for reporting on this though very important story cookies deodorant socks iran war puts military packages in limbo thousands of boxes sent to service members in the middle east are stuck in limbo the postal service has indefinitely suspended delivery amid the Iran war. And just take a look at what this article says.

1:07:10Ben Meiselas:Dan F. was alarmed when his daughter, a Marine aboard the USS Tripoli, a warship deployed to fight the Iran war, sent him a photo of a meal served on the ship, a lunch tray, two thirds empty, carried one small scoop of shredded meat and a single folded tortilla, a picture of a mid-April dinner on the USS Abraham Lincoln shared by a service member with his family was similarly unappetizing, a small handful of boiled carrots, a dried meat patty, and a gray slab of processed meat. And so military family members wanted to send food to their loved ones who weren't being fed by the United States military.

1:07:56Ben Meiselas:But that has been shut down as well by the Trump regime. regime as that account, the Patriot Takes account has posted over there. Remember, because this is what the Trump regime said, that Americans should be eating one piece of chicken, one piece of broccoli, a small tortilla, and one other thing. Remember, that's when they put that out like two months ago. Well, there's no piece of chicken. There's no piece of broccoli. There's tortilla, and then there's one other thing right there. That's how Donald Trump is treating our troops. And what else would you expect with someone who called our troops suckers and losers and who hates our troops?

1:08:34Ben Meiselas:Now, another development that we've always been focused on here in the Midas Touch Network, and this could be dominating the headlines tomorrow, a social media account that's very close to the Iranian parliament leader M.B. Ghalibaf posted this message. Starting from noon tomorrow, the initial steps to block the Bab al-Mandab Strait will be taken. The Bab al-Mandab Strait is the strait in the Red Sea. The Houthis were able to stop commercial ships and tankers a few years back in the Red Sea. They have not yet been activated by Iran in terms of shutting down the Bab al-Mandab Strait. But if the United States continues to escalate and Donald Trump continues to engage in these tactics that he is, Iran has said, here's what we're going to do.

1:09:27Ben Meiselas:We're going to activate the Houthi. So we're going to be focused on that. A few other things that I want to pay attention to. We've covered it elsewhere in Long Hot Takes, so I'm not going to belabor it here, but it's worth talking about. That federal judge in Washington, D.C., who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2002, Judge Leon issued an order clarifying a prior order, which I don't think needed clarification, to state that the injunctive relief, the injunction to block Donald Trump's construction of a ballroom applies to everything above ground, the ballroom that Donald Trump wants to build to throw parties.

1:10:09Ben Meiselas:Donald Trump said that that's for parties, it's for entertaining. Underneath, Donald Trump has said he's building a secret military bunker. And the judge said, I'm not getting involved in that. That's for national security, the bunker. But the ballroom is not national security. Donald Trump's argument is the ballroom is national security. I've already destroyed the East Wing of the White House, and now I need the ballroom to protect against ballistic missiles, Shahid drones, and FPV drones from Iran and others. The ballroom is a shield to the White House to block missile strikes against me. So we have allowed private donors to build a ballroom shield, and it's a national security ballroom shield, not really a ballroom, and that it and the bunker are one and the same.

1:11:07Ben Meiselas:Now we can't build the bunker unless we build the ballroom because it's all part of a security apparatus. That's what Trump has argued. National security ballroom. He's made social media posts about it as well. Federal Judge Leon says, no, I don't agree with that. There is a judge named Rao in the circuit court in DC who seems to be auditioning. She seems to be auditioning for a Supreme Court position. And she's been making a lot of orders like Donald Trump, very Eileen Cannon-esque orders. So there's this volley back and forth between this MAGA sycophant judge who wants to replace Justice Thomas or Alito if they retire at the end of this term.

1:11:53Ben Meiselas:Pay attention this summer. Remember this podcast where I said that could be happening. And Judge Leon, a conservative right-wing judge appointed by George W. Bush, who said, you know what? If you could build your ballroom, just go to Congress. Have Congress fund your ballroom and you can build your ballroom. It's as simple as that. You can't just build ballrooms. And the judge said, you, Trump regime, have already said that the underground is the national security issue and the above ground is the ballroom. I'm using your own words about what you've said here. So the judge clarified, build your bunker, not your ballroom.

1:12:29Ben Meiselas:We'll see what happens on appeal there. We'll pay attention and stay focused. As noted before, there is a massive FIFA boycott that has been growing as well. We've heard European FIFA officials, their football league officials saying that there should be this boycott. But now we're seeing it in the data. Tourism officials and sports officials and cities that are hosting FIFA World Cup games in the United States are saying that not a lot of people are showing up. U.S. hotels, or not a lot of people intend to show up, U.S. hotels had to slash their summer room rates as World Cup demand falls short.

1:13:11Ben Meiselas:Just think about it. The demand for the World Cup is now falling short because Donald Trump's threatening all of these other countries, ICE and Border Patrol, Gestapo, and airports, and on the streets, kidnapping people, throwing them into concentration camps, throwing them into concentration camps in El Salvador. Trump making it about himself, not about the sports. Trump threatening to kill the Iranian football team. Donald Trump giving himself FIFA prizes. It's gross. It's become a gross event. Something that's incredible and loving. And don't get me wrong. FIFA's already always have been, there's always been corruption there, but people like to watch soccer if you're watching this about football.

1:13:50Ben Meiselas:And Trump's made it into this like weird thing. That's like, I don't even know I want to watch it. You've perverted it. You've given yourself trophies and awards while you've committed genocide and gone to war against the world. Dude, what are you doing? The hell are you doing? So you've got that. And then Saudi Arabia saying, I don't think we're going to fund live anymore. You know, that golf tournament that basically overtook the PGA and became like the big tournament. They threw around all this money, right? They knew that Donald Trump liked golf. They knew that rich people in America like golf.

1:14:23Ben Meiselas:So for Saudi Arabia, it's like, how do you influence Americans? You buy golf tournaments and you invest in entertainment. And also part of the security umbrella, the quid pro quo, America provides weapons and technologies to the Middle East. These big sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, you name it, they then invest in treasuries and private equity and put money into hedge funds here and real estate. And that's kind of the rule. I mean, as Donald Trump said, we're so weak and pathetic and America has never been weak. And why would we give other countries security?

1:15:00Ben Meiselas:Because they parked their money in the United States, whether it was buying treasury bonds, real estate, the dollar being strong. That was kind of the bargain. That was the bargain. And Donald Trump is such an idiot and he's so selfish and he bankrupts everything. He didn't even see, he was so focused on the quid pro quos for himself without doing the you scratch my back, I scratch your back part. The I scratch your back part, when Donald Trump was called upon to protect the Middle East, not only did he not protect him, he went alone with Netanyahu and invaded Iran, didn't tell anybody, and now exposed all of these countries, whether it was Saudi Arabia and Abu Udabi and Dubai and the UAE or Qatar or all these countries have now had their major infrastructure projects damaged.

1:15:51Ben Meiselas:Who the hell is going to go to Dubai for tourism anymore, right? Ain't nobody going there. All of these countries that tried to, for generations, build these images as safe, stable places, they've seen that ripped away by Trump and Netanyahu's actions. They see Donald Trump looking so weak and pathetic. The point I wanted to make before, which I forgot to make, though, is like, you may be saying, well, then why would Iran make this deal where Trump agreed to the 10-point framework if they know that Trump was going to break it? Like they knew Trump was going to break it. But to get the United States of America, Jordan, to your point, words have consequences and consequences have consequences.

1:16:32Ben Meiselas:The United States of America who defeated the Nazis, the post-World War II undisputed juggernaut superpower, right? The fact that you got the United States to say, we agree to your 10-point plan. We'll negotiate within the Iranian framework. What Iran recognizes, that has consequences. Even if Donald Trump now pulls out of the framework, and maybe you can deceive certain Fox News or state regime media viewers in the United States, but the whole world saw what Donald Trump did in Europe, NATO, China, Japan, South Korea, Asia, Africa, Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, the whole world said, whoa, Donald agreed to their 10-point plan?

1:17:21Ben Meiselas:The United, and you posted it on social media and you reposted the foreign minister of Iran as though you agreed to it? Okay, yeah, so Donald Trump sends Vance and Whitcoff to, you know, bad faith, change the terms. The damage was done. When the world saw Donald Trump threaten to end civilizations, back out, agree to the framework, then try to shift it, the world goes, uh-huh, uh-huh, no balls, Donald. You know, I mean, what do you think? What do you think about him? You know, I don't mean to talk about it. This guy is this guy is weak. This guy is, you know, should I just show the clip quickly about RFK Jr.

1:18:06Ben Meiselas:These are some weirdos, right? I mean, I don't know why my mind works like this. One second, my face frizzing. I will play the clip of RFK talking about studying a raccoon's penis while on a vacation. He saw a raccoon. There's just a thing about who Trump's top people are, right? Trump's health guy, head of our health right now, RFK Jr., who's anti-vax and who's like, you know, whatever. Sees a raccoon on the street and thinks, you know what I'm going to do to that raccoon? I'm going to cut off its penis and I'm going to study that raccoon's penis on a vacation. And by the way, people forget like RFK Jr.

1:18:45Ben Meiselas:did this. Didn't like he do the same thing with a bear and he like took the bear and moved it to Central Park after like finding a dead bear and placed it out as though there was like a, like a grizzly bear murder in Central Park. This is sexual behavior.

1:18:59Jordy Meiselas:I mean, come on.

1:18:59Ben Meiselas:This is, this is great. This is great. You know, I won't play you the RFK clip or he says, I don't need to play it to you. But my broader point is the world sees this behavior and goes weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, and disentangling what I'm saying about Saudi Arabia, recognizing this. They know, Jordi, as you started the episode, you know where you hit him, where it hurts, defund Gulf, defund it. But it's also a warning shot about all these private, it's a warning shot by Saudi Arabia, private equity, treasury bonds, real estate, Saudi Arabia is saying, you know what? Good luck.

1:19:37Brett Meiselas:When you're doing business with the Saudis, I think everyone's first question is why? Why? Why do you want them to control your purse strings? Yeah. Why do you to be beholden to them on anything it's a bizarre stance to take and so ben excellent point it's a warning shot we could do this to live we could do this to every aspect of your life we own you donald we own your people we own everyone in your circle we control you so watch this watch that you

1:20:06Ben Meiselas:like this thing look how fast it goes away well you know what i'm studying too is if you've been noticing some of these big private equity companies, there's something called like redemptions when you can pull your money from a specific fund. A few weeks back, what I started noticing is that some of these big funds would cap their redemptions at certain percentages to prevent people from withdrawing money, right? Like if you think about Ponzi schemes, right? Or run on banks, or you could potentially do a run on a private equity if all of a sudden you are able to start pulling your money out and redeeming it and taking it out of and taking out of these funds.

1:20:50So what I started noticing is I'm like, they're capping redemptions.

1:20:55Ben Meiselas:And so they're worried about it as well. So I'm paying attention to that. Brett, anything you want to say before we go?

1:21:04Jordy Meiselas:No, you know, that's why I don't have much to add other than the fact that, you know, people are always going to get burnt by Donald Trump when they enter deals with him. They do it, I think, to create some sort of leverage over him and have him be compromised. And, you know, going back to your point before about how the world saw Donald Trump's actions as weak, unserious, dangerous, and how the world cannot trust Donald Trump. I mean, just think about this. We right now have Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, Mike Johnson, all of these Republicans out there every day, Tom Holman, they're going out there, they're attacking the Pope.

1:21:48Jordy Meiselas:They're attacking Catholics. They're taking revenge against Catholics. They're getting rid of Catholic funding to Catholic charities. This is sick stuff. At the same time, you have the Iranian leaders praising the Pope and praising Catholics and the rest of the world. And it just shows you at this moment what side the United States is on here. And it's just a mess. As Jordi has said before, we don't need to belabor the point. But it's going to take quite a while for the United States to gain back its standing and its trust with the rest of the world after all of this. and quite frankly, there needs to be a reckoning for all of these folks around Donald Trump who have enabled this behavior.

1:22:34Jordy Meiselas:You know, I think going back to the clips we showed in the beginning of all those people and Mike Waltz at the hearing refusing to want to offend Donald Trump by calling Vladimir Putin a war criminal and Mike Johnson and all these, Franklin Graham and all those people defending Donald Trump's posts and his comments about the Pope. A Donald Trump cannot exist. a Donald Trump cannot rise to the position of power without the people around him there who continue to support, defend, and elevate that kind of behavior. Without the sycophants, the house of cards falls. So the responsibility, we could talk about Donald Trump to the end, but the responsibility truly is all the people around him who have enabled and encouraged this behavior every day.

1:23:21Ben Meiselas:That's all I got, everybody. Make sure you hit subscribe. Help us get to 7 million subscribers. Tell friends, family members, co-workers about this network. Even have them watch this show. Say, give this one show an opportunity and see what you think about it. Let them know. And by the way, thank you all. I want to let you all know too, the most important thing we do here as a network is not talk. It's listen. We hear what you're saying, that's what matters most to us. And we are making sure that we react and respond to it. So thanks, everybody. We appreciate you. And we're going to keep fighting for you.

1:23:55Ben Meiselas:Jordy, take it away.

1:23:56Brett Meiselas:Shout out to the Midas Mighty.

1:24:16Brett Meiselas: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. Tired of your car insurance rate going up, even with a clean driving record? You're not alone. That's why there's Jerry, your proactive insurance assistant. Jerry compares rates side-by-side from over 50 top insurers and helps you switch with ease. Jerry even tracks market rates and alerts you when it's best to shop. No spam calls, no hidden fees. Drivers who save with Jerry could save over$1 ,300 a year.

1:24:57Brett Meiselas:Switch with confidence. Download the Jerry app or visit jerry.ai.libsyn today. That's jerry.ai.libsyn. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for$15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch.

1:25:26Ben Meiselas:Upfront payment of$45 for three month plan equivalent to$15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only. Then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. Default terms at mintmobile.com.