Trump Panics as GOP Collapses at Worst Time for Him

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2:15Ben Meiselas:Donald Trump is panicking as the MAGA brand is currently in a death spiral, so much so that Donald Trump is saying to call it Trumplican and no longer call it MAGA. Now, Donald Trump is particularly terrified about a special election set to take place in Tennessee tomorrow. That is a special election between Tennessee State Representative Afton Bain, who's the Democratic candidate, and Matt Van Epps, the MAGA Republican candidate. This is for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District, and it follows a MAGA Republican Congress member, Mark Green, resigning his seat. Now, Tennessee's 7th is a plus 22 Trump district.

2:58Ben Meiselas:However, the polls show it neck and neck, and this could be a massive upset where MAGA can be absolutely humiliated. A Democrat has not won Tennessee's 7th since 1996, and Tennessee has done everything possible since that time to rig its maps with the most offensive gerrymandering imaginable to try to keep Republican rule there permanent. But the Democrat Afton Bain is appealing to people by talking about affordability and about all of the promises that Donald Trump did not fulfill, all of the fraud that Donald Trump engages in every single day. So we see Donald Trump panicking. As I said, he's saying, call us Trumplicans.

3:45Ben Meiselas:He's also saying to the great people of Tennessee's 7th District who gave me record-setting wins in each of three elections. I'm asking you, get out and vote for Matt Van Epps. He will be a great congressman. And unlike his opponent, he cherishes Christianity and country music. She hates them both. This is a very pivotal election. The whole world is watching. Make America great again, exclamation point. Now, Matt Van Epps would be more of the same PPP, pedo protection program. Now, Donald Trump has turned the Republican Party into a massive cover-up ring for a child sex trafficking ring as they support covering up the Epstein files.

4:27Ben Meiselas:And of course, they also support ripping away health care from the American people and making people's lives unaffordable and psychologically torturing people who live paycheck to paycheck, who can't pay their rent. But Donald Trump wants to invoke Christianity while he's engaged in the most disgusting life imaginable. He's a felon. He's a sexual abuser. He's on tape bragging about sexually assaulting women. And I can go on about him being a fraudster, but this is who Donald Trump is. Then Donald Trump posts the following. I'm asking all America first patriots in Tennessee's 7th congressional district who haven't voted yet, Please get out and vote on election day, Tuesday, December 2nd for a phenomenal candidate, Matt Van Epps.

5:14Ben Meiselas:Matt is fighting against a woman who hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wads, open borders, transgender for everybody, men and women's sports, and openly disdains country music. She said all of these things precisely and without question. It's on tape. Do not take this race for granted. The radical left Democrats are spending a fortune to beat one of the best candidates we ever had, Matt Van Epps. You can win this election for Matt. Get out and vote for Matt Van Epps, who has my complete and total endorsement. He will never let you down. And Donald Trump's been making post after post about Tennessee's 7th congressional district.

5:52Ben Meiselas:Now, as Adam Carlson wrote, even if Republicans hold the seat, seeing them sweat this much over a Trump plus 22 district that no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 1996 is so much fun, but let's just talk about what's happening with the Republican party as well. Right now, we talked about how Troy Nels, a MAGA Republican candidate from Texas, who considered himself ultra MAGA, and he'd walk around the halls of Congress. He's a Congress member wearing like these cutoff t-shirts while wearing American flag Trump bow ties and Trump's face on his shirt saying never surrender while smoking cigars.

6:37Ben Meiselas:You can't make up these cartoonishly villainous weirdos over here. Well, Troy Nell says that he's out. He's resigned. And we talked about Marjorie Taylor Greene saying she's resigning. We've seen six MAGA Republicans saying that they're resigning already. We've been reporting how we expect to hear from a lot more Republican candidates resigning soon, even before the midterms, possibly changing the Speaker of the House from MAGA Mike Johnson to Hakeem Jeffries. Possibly. I don't want to go there yet. There needs to be some resignations for that to happen. But just even take a look at what we're seeing from Republican state legislatures just over this weekend.

7:15Ben Meiselas:For example, you had Jean Leasing of Indiana. She's a Indiana state senator. And she talks about how, Unfortunately, my house was the target of a pipe bomb threat on Saturday evening. This is a result of D.C. political pundits for redistricting. Thanks to the Oldenburg town marshal, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, and the ISP, all is okay. And Senator Lee Singh says, I will not cave on opposition to redistricting. Trump's been trying to threaten and extort these Indiana Republican state senators to rig the maps in Indiana. and gerrymander before the decades up. And these Republican state senators are saying, nope, the same way Greg Walker, Indiana state Republican senators said no.

8:03Ben Meiselas:And he goes, I refuse the invitation to even go to the White House. And he goes, and the underling who reached out to me on behalf of Trump, trying to influence the election on my dime, that individual works for me. He works for you. He's on my payroll. He's on your payroll. And he's campaigning on company time. That's a violation of the Hatch Act. He's a federal employee. He works in the White House. But does anyone care about the rules anymore? Not that I can tell. Then another Indiana state senator, Michael Boachek, goes, many of you have asked my position about redistricting. I have been an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since the birth of my second daughter.

8:40Ben Meiselas:Those of you that don't know me or my family might not know that my daughter has Down syndrome. This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references, and his choice of words have consequences. He's referring to Donald Trump calling Governor Walz of Minnesota the R word. And Michael Boachek, this Indiana Republican state senator, says, I will be voting no on redistricting in Indiana. Perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserves a congressional majority. This episode of the Midas Touch podcast is brought to you by Graza.

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10:47Ben Meiselas:Go to Georgia. Let's take a look at what's going on with the Georgia Republicans right here. The Assistant Secretary for the Georgia Republicans, Jaquan Stenbridge. He's resigned after a child sex predator sting confronted confrontation exposed him trying to meet a 14 year old boy. Take a look at what happened right here. No, I don't. Are you 19 or are you 17? I swear to God, I don't want my mom. Okay, then talk to me then. Don't lie to me. Are you 19 or are you 17? I swear to God, I don't think I look like you can look at my ID. Let me see the ID. I don't have it. I'm for real. Bruh, if you're 19, just say it.

11:28You'll get way more respect when we're being honest. I swear to God. Oh, my God. Look, come here. Can you look at my tank? I swear to God. I don't even have a car in my name. I swear to God. I swear to God. You can call my mom. I swear to God. I'm only 17. Just please. Bruh, where's your idea? I don't have it. Like, look, check my pockets. Do whatever you want. You want to college? What you... I'm like, I skipped a grade. I swear to God. Bruh, this is you 19, bruh. Alright, I'm 17, I swear to God, my birthday is July 12th, I swear to God. July 12th what? I'm 18. You? You shut up, bruh, why you lying to me, bruh?

12:05I don't know what I was doing. I swear to God, I wasn't there. College, what you doing? I'm like, skip the grade. I swear to God. Bruh, this is you 19, bruh. Alright, I'm 17, I swear to God, my birthday is July 12th, I swear to God. July 12th what? I'm 18.

12:30I'm just let me just not let me be 100 let me let me let me let me let me be 100 to you because you already know what that shit is wrong I already already peeped your behavior driving around trying to peep the scene like that shit ain't cool like there ain't none of that shit going on in Athens bro like delete the profile or whatever I do apologize to Athens

13:00Ben Meiselas:And we have Donald Trump sending his Gestapo and his ICE agents around the country, detaining young women who are victims of sexual assault. Take a look at what went down to Riverside, California right here. Let's play it.

13:19I got him right here. He's harassing and assaulting. Bro, why you grabbing her so fucking tight? You fucking, you're a big ass fucking man. You can't hold her. She's a victim of sexual assault and you're arresting her and doing that for her. Fucking piece of shit, dude. What a piece of shit, dog. My name is Mario.

13:45Ben Meiselas:Now, going back to Tennessee's 7th Congressional District right here, Afton Bain has been on the air talking about affordability, affordability, and pointing out how Matt Van Epps is more of the same with MAGA, more of the MAGA drama, more significantly, more of the MAGA infliction of pain and suffering on the American people. Take a look at Afton Bain's ad that she's running right here, where she talks about how Tennessee is the most vulnerable to tariffs. And yet you have people like Matt Van Epps and these MAGA Republicans continuing to go after Tennessee. Play this clip. I'm Afton Bain. We all know the system is rigged in Washington.

14:27Here's how it works. Politicians make it easy for their rich donors. Tax cuts for billionaires and burying the Epstein files. while hardworking Tennesseans get a rough ride by cutting healthcare for Tennessee families, doubling health insurance premiums, and tariffs that hurt our economy. I'm Afton Bain, and I approve this message. Vote early to shake up Washington.

14:54Ben Meiselas:Now I'll show you this next ad right here from Afton Bain, Shaking Up Washington. Play this clip. Angry about high grocery prices? Worried about healthcare costs? feeling burned by tariffs, then December 2nd is your day to shake up Washington. I'm Afton Bain, and in Congress, I'll work for you, not the rich donors or special interests. Together, we can bring balance to Washington by making health care more affordable, bringing down the cost of living, and protect workers and small businesses from job-killing tariffs. I'm Afton Bain, and I approve this message to shake up Washington. This next one comes to you from the House Majority PAC, showing the contrast between Afton Bain and MAGA Republican Matt Van Epps.

15:38Ben Meiselas:Let's play the clip right here.

15:58both parties to make life more affordable. Want more of the same? That's Matt Van Epps. Want someone who'd fight for you for a change? That's Afton Bain. HMP's responsible for the content of this ad.

16:10Ben Meiselas:And one of the things to know about Afton Bain is that she's a real person. Like, just look at, she's out there with her signs, campaigning until the very last day. Watch this touching moment right here, play this clip. Oh, thank you. All right.

16:28Yes, ma 'am. Oh, okay. All right. You're gonna make me cry. You're gonna make me cry.

16:37Ben Meiselas:And Afton Bain was on CNN. And here's what she told Manu Raju about how Republicans are dumping so much money into this district, into a race that should be an easy race for the MAGAs to win. Play this clip. As you know... Thank you for having me. Absolutely. As you know, this is a district that is solidly red. Both Trump and GOP Congressman Mark Green won it by about 22 points. But your record is pretty progressive. So is that really in line with the more conservative voters in your district? Well, the reason this race is competitive is because the Washington Republican agenda of delivering an economy that works for everyone has not delivered.

17:19And I think it's hilarious that Republicans and their billionaire friends are trying to spend millions to save a seat that they should win without thinking. But if we flip this seat, it will send a national message that the Republican Party needs to get serious about lowering health care costs.

17:33Ben Meiselas:And then finally, here's Afton Bain being asked by Manu Raju. So Trump calls you the AOC of Tennessee. How does that make you feel? Watch her response. Let's play it. And tomorrow, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is holding a tele-rally for you. Are you in line with her ideologically? Like I said, I think that there is a strain of the Democratic Party that cares about holding corporations accountable and lowering costs for working families. And my politics are one in alignment of that. I've been as a state legislator, I've worked to eliminate Tennessee's regressive grocery tax. As an organizer, I work to make health care more affordable in the state of Tennessee.

18:15And so I think those are the Democratic leaders and candidates that I really resonate with are those that are trying to lower costs for working families. Yeah, because Trump has been calling you, quote, the AOC of Tennessee. So, I mean, aren't you just feeding into that narrative by appearing with her? Like I said, we're really grateful for the support across the political spectrum. And if you and for your listeners, the teletown hall also features former Vice President Al Gore. who is a Tennessee legend. So I look at it as iconic that you have, you know, Democrats from all political stripes joining in on this moment and saying, you know, we are standing up to what is happening in Washington and we want to be part of the solution rather than the problem.

18:59Yeah.

19:00Ben Meiselas:Well, all of that's going on. You have Donald Trump continuing to say that he likes to call Governor Walz the R word. He goes, yeah, Governor Walz. He is the R word. Here, play this clip. This is as Donald Trump was heading back into Washington, D.C. yesterday. play this clip.

19:44because it doesn't function like a country. It's got a name, but it doesn't function like a country. Yeah, there's something wrong with walls.

19:52Ben Meiselas:Well, there you have it, folks. Let me know what you think. Big special election on Tuesday. Get out the word. Let people know what's going on. Hit subscribe. Let's get out. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. 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.

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