In short
The episode is a commentary alleging that Donald Trump’s social media behavior is erratic and distracting during a critical period involving failed Iran negotiations and proposed escalation (including a blockade of the Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz). The host claims Trump posts AI/possibly fake memes (Bruce Springsteen “before plastic surgery,” Trump on the moon, Trump-as-Jesus, images of Schumer/Bernie/Biden) and that he flirted with a UFC fighter while Iran talks were collapsing. A major “fact-check” segment argues Trump falsely claimed he bought Ed McMahon’s Beverly Hills home in 2008 to save him; the episode cites LA Times reporting that Trump offered to buy and lease it back, but says the eventual buyer was not Trump. Notable examples include the “Gulf of America” renaming claim and “Gulf of Trump” joke, plus quotes about taking out Iran’s bridges and power plants.
Guests
none; the only “guest” is a GoFundMe testimonial from Juan Naula (parent who raised $5,000 in 22 hours for his hospitalized son’s viral infection).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOTrump's Disturbing Online Behavior
0:56 to 1:23
Discussion on Trump's bizarre social media posts amidst critical global events.
“This message reflects one person's experience.”
Iran Negotiations and Trump's Distraction
1:23 to 3:19
Analysis of Trump's failure in Iran negotiations while he distracts with memes.
“And that's saying something because you can imagine the deranged stuff he posts.”
The Ed McMahon Misrepresentation
3:19 to 5:48
Debunking Trump's false narrative about buying Ed McMahon's home.
“And if you also look on top of Donald Trump, it looks like there's some sort of like G.I.”
Trump's Projection of Fear
5:48 to 7:30
Exploring Trump's fears regarding aging and loss as he projects them onto others.
“It's actually a typical Trump story, right?”
Fact-Checking Trump's Claims
9:43 to 14:05
Analyzing the truth behind Trump's claims regarding the Gulf of America and Ed McMahon.
“But let's talk about the true story because we have the article, August 22nd, 2008.”
Trump's Blockade Strategy on Iran
14:05 to 18:00
Learn about Donald Trump's ideas on a naval blockade against Iran and the implications.
“And it's now the Gulf of America, which I'm very honored by.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This is a paid message from GoFundMe. Meet Juan Naula. When a son was hospitalized for a viral infection, Juan started a GoFundMe to pay for medical expenses. It was$5K to pay the bill for my son, and I needed only 22 hours. It was amazing. People really trust on GoFundMe. How did Juan raise$5 ,000 in less than a day? He posted a short video on GoFundMe, telling his story in 30 seconds. 30 seconds, be specific, be quick, and tell what are you going to be using the funds for. I was nervous to do it because it doesn't feel okay to ask money, but you shouldn't be nervous. Sometimes you just have to do it and see the results.
0:43We were able to save my son's life. Thanks to GoFundMe that we still have my son with us. Start your GoFundMe today at GoFundMe.com. That's GoFundMe.com. GoFundMe.com. This message reflects one person's experience.
1:22Ben Meiselas:started posting some of the most deranged images, memes, and messages you could ever imagine. And that's saying something because you can imagine the deranged stuff he posts. And this is at the same time that negotiations with Iran failed because Donald Trump and his regime tried to change the negotiating framework that they agreed to before going to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran. Then Donald Trump said, we are doing a blockade of all of the Persian Gulf. So Donald Trump's plan about opening up the Strait of Hormuz is to now blockade the entire Persian Gulf where the Strait of Hormuz is located.
2:04Ben Meiselas:So these are very critical times. This is life or death stuff. And while the United States is suffering, while people here are afraid, Donald Trump's been making posts about Bruce Springsteen. And he said, what happened to Bruce Springsteen? Bruce Springsteen prior to plastic surgery. And then it's a bizarre image of Bruce Springsteen, which I don't even think is a real image. Then Donald Trump posts an image of a Trump building on the moon, right? So as Americans are getting their healthcare ripped away by the Trump regime, as Americans can't afford things, they can't afford gas or groceries or rent or anything.
2:44Ben Meiselas:Donald Trump is posting memes of Trump hotels on the moon. Donald Trump's also posting weird images of Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, former President Biden and himself. And it says 40 years in office, 52 years in office, 50 years in office. I mean, it's post after post after post like this. All throughout the night, we're talking about posts going into like 1 a.m. He's also posting photos of himself as Jesus. I'm not sure if he's supposed to be healing Jeffrey Epstein or who that is right there. And if you also look on top of Donald Trump, it looks like there's some sort of like G.I. Joe figures or Transformers while he's depicting himself as Jesus in an AI image.
3:30Ben Meiselas:He then also posts this video right here when he attended a UFC fight, which actually had pretty low attendance. And Donald Trump was not getting any significant reception there. That audience used to like him for whatever reason. And right now they were not giving him any applause. But at the event, remember, while you had American negotiating team, I guess if you want to even call them that, Whitcoff, Kushner, and J.D. Vance with no experience in this, with the top Iranian negotiators, all PhDs, and with top diplomatic experience, very nuanced understandings of nuclear capabilities. And when the Trump regime was changing the negotiating framework, Donald Trump was at a UFC fight with Marco Rubio.
4:15Ben Meiselas:The Secretary of State of the United States was at a UFC fight with Donald Trump. Donald Trump posted the video of himself saying, what a great night last night in Miami. And then so during this event, I'll show you the video of it right here. Donald Trump was flirting with the UFC fighter, with the guy fighter as peace negotiations with Iran failed. Donald Trump said, ooh, you're so muscular. You're so strong. Look how strong. You're a very handsome fella. So what Donald Trump was doing, play this clip. You're a beautiful guy. Great fighter. Thank you. Put me some more than you ever win any spot for fire.
4:52I'll give you a hot deal. It's so good. We're too good looking to pay a fighter. You are so fighter. Thank you, man.
4:58Ben Meiselas:Just to show you, this was post after post after post. Donald Trump posted this fake story, which says that he bought Ed McMahon's home when it was about to be in foreclosure back in 2008, and that he saved Ed McMahon from being homeless. First off, why are you even posting this? Second off, it's all false. Donald Trump did not buy Ed McMahon's home in 2008. Donald Trump publicly announced he would be buying Ed McMahon's home as a publicity stunt in 2008. He leaked that to the LA Times to get positive publicity. And then when Ed McMahon's family and real estate agent said, okay, are you going to actually pay the money?
5:41Ben Meiselas:Trump basically stood them up, did not pay the money at all. And then another buyer ended up buying Ed McMahon's home. It's actually a typical Trump story, right? But where he like, you know, engages in this despicable behavior, but here he is April 12th, 2026 posting the following USA news channels never told you this. And today I am ashamed of every single one of them because they kept this truth about Trump hidden from me. This is what you find out what they never showed you, you will question everything they ever said about this man. 2008, Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson's legendary sidekick, 30 years of making America laugh, 86 years old and facing the most humiliating ending imaginable, losing his home to foreclosure.
6:29Ben Meiselas:The whole world knew every news channel covered it and every single one of them watched and reported and moved on and nobody helped. Nobody stepped up. Nobody did anything except Trump who picked up the phone quietly without any camera invite, without any press release, without any announcement. He personally bought Ed McMahon's property and let him stay in his own home for the rest of his life. No bill, no conditions, no expectation of anything back. Just a man who decided that an American legend should not spend his final years losing everything he worked for. And the news channels never told you this, not once, because this story does not fit the Trump they wanted you to see.
7:07Ben Meiselas:today I am telling you because you deserve to know the real Trump, not the one they built for you, the real one who showed up for an 86-year-old legend when the whole world looked away. Drop a heart right now if you never knew this story. Type, this is the real Trump below. Tag every American today who deserves to know the truth. The news channels never told them. Now, Donald Trump is, this is very revealing. Donald Trump is 79 years old. I think Donald Trump is facing the end. I think that he feels that. I'm giving you my opinion. I think for Donald Trump, the story of Ed McMahon is the most humiliating story.
7:42Ben Meiselas:Losing it all at that age. That's in Donald Trump's view. The worst thing that could possibly happen, being alone at that age, not having anything, and being foreclosed on. He's revealing what his fear is right now. And as the American people want him gone, removed, impeached, 25th Amendment, he's projecting. Nothing feels normal right now, let's be real, and pretending it does is exhausting. And that sense of acceleration is valid. Staying informed matters, but staying overwhelmed does not have to be the cost. That is where Indicloud fits in. Indicloud is your fully legal online cannabis dispensary for gummies, premium pre-rolls, exotic flour, and now zero-sugar THC sodas, a clean, alcohol-free way to decompress without checking out.
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9:48Ben Meiselas:But let's talk about the true story because we have the article, August 22nd, 2008. Here's the headline. Ed McMahon sells home, not to Trump. That's literally the headline of what really happened. And what a sicko. This is what Trump is posting on April 12th, 2026. While there is a war raging in Iran, Ed McMahon is on the move. A spokesman for the former Tonight Show sidekick says, McMahon has agreed to a deal with a private buyer for his hilltop home. McMahon spokesman Howard Bragman says, the buyer isn't mogul Donald Trump, who had recently offered to buy McMahon's home and act as a landlord.
10:32Ben Meiselas:Bragman says, McMahon will move out of the home, which is in the same exclusive neighborhood as Britney Spears. McMahon was facing the prospect of the house being foreclosed on because he defaulted on a$4.8 million loan. And then you can see that Donald Trump, far from trying to keep this secret, he leaked to the LA Times that he wanted to buy this home to save McMahon. And then I'll show you what happened. April, August 14, 2008. It's Donald to the rescue. Mega developer and TV personality Donald Trump has agreed to buy Ed McMahon's Beverly Hills house for an undisclosed amount. Details are being ironed out.
11:10Ben Meiselas:Quote, I don't know the man, but I grew up watching him on TV, Trump said in an exclusive interview with the LA Times. Trump said he stepped in because helping McMahon would be an honor. His plan is to buy the home from the lender and lease it back to McMahon. When I was at the Wharton School of Business, Trump said, I'd watch him every night. How could this happen? Now, you want to know the real story? The real story, Claudia McMahon said, of course, this was all a lie. When dad was going to lose his house in Beverly Hills, Donald Trump said that he was going to buy it because he was such a fan of dad's and he didn't want dad to lose the house.
11:46Ben Meiselas:But this was all a lie. The identity of the eventual buyer remained a secret until after McMahon's death in 2009, when the Wall Street Journal reported in 2010 that Daniel Schreier, a real estate investor, had been the one to purchase the mortgage on McMahon's home. Folks, that's what Donald Trump was posting that he bought Ed McMahon's home and save the guy back in 2008. That's what Trump is posting while there is this horrible war, unlawful war that Trump started with Netanyahu in Iran. Also, Donald Trump is posting images of the UFC freedom fight for the 250th anniversary. There's going to be a UFC fight at the White House.
12:28Ben Meiselas:Donald Trump was posting attacks on Pope Leo the 14th. Pope Leo was weak on crime, terrible on foreign policy. Pope Leo would never have been named the Pope if it wasn't for Donald Trump, Trump says, and that he needs to get his act together, right? And then Donald Trump called up Maria Bartiroma, and you can tell that she looked deeply, deeply concerned that she was speaking to someone who was very cognitively impaired. You can see it on her face right here, where Maria Bartiroma was like, okay, you said hundreds of takers are headed to the Gulf of America. What can you tell us about this? And then Donald Trump starts talking about Gulf of America and he wants to call the Persian Gulf the Trump Gulf and watch Maria Bartiroma as she's horrified play this clip.
13:11Because you referred to a post that hundreds of super tankers are headed to the Gulf of America to buy oil and gas from the U.S. What can you tell us about that, sir? Well, I can tell you that it used to be called the Gulf of Mexico. That's what I can tell you. and now it's called the Gulf of America because of me. One of my little things that I did, you know, one of my little sidelines. And it's a great honor. People are so happy. You go to Louisiana, you go to Florida, you go to these states, Texas. They're so honored by it. I used to say, why is that the Gulf of Mexico when we have 93 % of the frontage and, you know, it fronts 93 % in the United States?
13:48I said, I think I'm going to change it to the Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And I did. And I give a lot of credit to Google because once I filed the papers, I did it. And Google Map, once Google Map did it, it was a done deal. But we had lawsuits. We won everything. And it's now the Gulf of America, which I'm very honored by. But do you expect super tankers? I might tell you, I was thinking about calling it the Gulf of Trump. And I decided not to do it. I think maybe it was a wise. I think that one maybe wouldn't have worked out. I'm not so sure. You'll have to tell me. But I was thinking about it's going to be called the Gulf of Trump.
14:31And then I said, you know, that's not going to play too well.
14:34Ben Meiselas:She then asked Donald Trump if he believes the price of oil will be lower in the midterms. Like, I don't know. Who cares? Play this clip. So do you believe the price of oil and gas will be lower before the midterm elections? I hope so. I mean, I think so. It could be. It could be the same or maybe a little bit. higher, but it should be around the same. I think this. Then she talks about this blockade in the strait and the opening up capacity in the United States. Is this going to be enough to lower gas prices? Then Donald Trump starts talking about the Dow Jones. Play this clip. It's going to be enough.
15:09The blockade in the strait, the opening up capacity in the United States. Is this going to be enough to lower the price of oil and gas, sir? Well, it's going to be eventually it's going be lowered. No, it might not happen initially, but it's going to go down. When this is all over, look, the stock market, the Dow hit 50 ,000. It was supposed to be in four or five years. They said it won't happen during his - And then Donald Trump's like,
15:34Ben Meiselas:hey, Iran is so desperate right now. They're so desperate for everything. Play this clip.
15:44I think Iran is in very bad shape. I think they're very desperate. We had a meeting that lasted 21 hours. We understand the situation better than anybody. And Iran's in very bad shape. And just so you understand, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. We'll not have. There is no way that they're going to get. They still want it. And they made that clear the other night. Iran will not have an nuclear weapon.
16:14Ben Meiselas:I also think it's important to see how impaired Donald Trump is and where he's getting ideas from. Like this whole idea of Trump doing a blockade on Iran came from some like far right wing weird blog called Just News that Donald Trump reads. And Just News did a story. The Trump card the president holds if Iran won't bend a naval blockade. And it goes on to talk about this naval blockade like we did to Venezuela. We need a blockade. The Gulf, the Persian Gulf. And then Donald Trump adopted this ridiculous and dangerous and escalatory move because some far right wing blog posted. And Donald Trump liked the sound of it.
16:59Ben Meiselas:So he's like, OK, we're doing a blockade. We're doing a blockade. And then he brags about blowing up their bridges and ending their civilizations. Again, this is a lunatic madman here. Play this clip. I could take out Iran in one day. I could take out in one in one hour. I could have their entire energy, everything, every one of their plants, their electric generating plants, which is a big deal. And I hate to do it because if I do it, it takes you 10 years to rebuild. They'll never be able to rebuild it. And the other thing you take out are the bridges. I took out one just to show them because they went public with a statement that wasn't true.
17:38They admitted it. I say, I'm going to take out a bridge. And I took out a bridge. And that was the end of that. Now they've been really behaving quite well. But in one half of a day, they wouldn't have one bridge standing. They wouldn't have one electric generating plant standing. And they're back in the stone ages.
17:58Ben Meiselas:Well, there you have it, folks. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 7 million subscribers. And thank you all so much for watching.
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From the publisher
MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on his opinion of Donald Trump’s health continuing to collapse and Meiselas brings receipts on Trump’s most recent alarming behavior.
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