Yikes! Fox Collapses on Air Over This...

28 Sep 2026 · 22 min · 16 chapters

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In short

The host criticizes Fox News and related right-wing guests for blaming Democrats for high gas/diesel prices and for promoting harsher U.S. actions toward Iran, while the episode argues these claims are propaganda and that Americans are suffering.

Guests (as named in the transcript)

Mark Levin (radio/TV conservative commentator), Ben Shapiro (conservative commentator), Larry Kudlow (former Trump economic adviser; appears on Fox), Eric Shawn (Fox reporter), Lara Trump (Trump family figure; hosts/interviews), energy secretary Chris Wright (Trump administration; energy policy advocate), U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz (foreign policy/UN-related guest), Gianno Caldwell (pastor/activist; Israel/antisemitism focus), Charlie Hurt and Mark Thiessen (conservative writers/commentators), Nicki Minaj (entertainment figure; political messaging).

Key claims

Energy prices rise due to Democrats; Iran is a minor voter issue; Trump’s Iran approach is “statesmanship”; diesel shortages stem mainly from Russia-Ukraine, not Iran; diplomacy with Xi is justified by reciprocity; Democrats are “too cozy with pop culture”; Black voters are “not allowed” to think differently.

Notable examples

Clips about “finish the job”/bombing Iran; Netanyahu’s UN speech praised; Xi red-carpet comparison to Obama; diesel shortage discussion with Louisiana; goat/prostitute joke about Iranian delegation walking out.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Fox News Collapse

0:56 to 1:22

Discussion begins on the collapse of Fox News during a live broadcast.

“When it comes to my policy, Farmers gives it to me straight, so there's no surprises.”

Fox News Collapse

1:27 to 1:40

Discussion begins on the collapse of Fox News during a live broadcast.

“State regime media, which calls itself Fox News, was in full collapse live on air last night as Donald Trump has been in this utter catastrophic spiral.”

Blame Game on Gas Prices

1:40 to 1:58

Analyzing the claims made by Fox commentators about rising gas prices.

“Let me show you what went down as you had Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro saying, we all just need to blame the Democrats for the record high gas and diesel prices.”

Polling on Iran War

1:58 to 2:16

Discussion on American sentiments regarding the Iran War according to Fox surveys.

“No, I've said it before and let me underscore it again.”

Kudlow's UN Speech Reaction

2:16 to 2:34

Reviewing Kudlow's response to Netanyahu's speech at the UN.

“The American people don't even care about the war in Iran.”

Energy Secretary's Claims

2:34 to 3:33

Examining claims made by Chris Wright regarding Trump's energy policies.

“Then you had another Fox show, the Larry Kudlow show, where Kudlow and Eric Sean said, you know what?”

Criticism of Trump's Diplomacy

3:33 to 4:26

Discussing Mike Waltz's defense of Trump's diplomatic approach toward Xi Jinping.

“So when the system gets disturbed globally, everybody feels it.”

War Crimes Rhetoric

4:26 to 8:52

Exploring discussions about war crimes against Iran on Fox programs.

“And finally, obviously, this trip got some flack from the left saying that, you know, we were rolling out the red carpet for the CCP.”

Jewish Contributions to Civil Rights

8:52 to 11:40

A clip highlights the historical contributions of Jewish people to the civil rights movement.

“Y 'all are just a bunch of propagandist lunatics.”

Political Landscape and Republicans

11:40 to 12:39

Analyzing the potential political consequences for Republicans if they fail to mobilize voters.

“feels to be hated, how it feels to be stereotyped, how it feels to be ostracized.”
Show all 16 chapters

Nicki Minaj's Political Influence

12:39 to 14:00

Discussing Nicki Minaj's comments on political engagement and pop culture's impact.

“The great lie I think a lot of Republicans have told themselves is that woke is dead, that President Trump did such a thorough job of destroying the left that they can never recover.”

Influence of the Music Industry

14:00 to 14:37

Discussion on the negative influence of the music industry on artists.

Diesel Prices and Political Blame

14:37 to 15:30

Debate on the reasons behind rising diesel prices, focusing on political narratives.

“I mean, what the hell are we even talking about here?”

Strait of Hormuz and Oil Control

15:30 to 17:10

Discussion on the control of the Strait of Hormuz and its implications for oil exports.

“On the straight, very quickly, Ambassador, if I can ask you about this, we've seen some pumps in the south run out of diesel.”

Nicki Minaj's Controversial Statements

17:10 to 18:36

Analysis of Nicki Minaj's interview comments about Black voting and Democratic expectations.

“I'll tell you more broadly, though, what we're seeing in the war in Ukraine is that it is spreading to the global economy and it's all the more reason that the president wants the war to stop.”

Fox's Deranged Comedy Segment

18:36 to 19:14

Critique of a controversial comedy segment aired by Fox, questioning its appropriateness.

“They bill this as like their comedy show late at night.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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1:20Ben Meiselas:Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. Learn more at Farmers.com. Underwritten by Farmers Truck or Fire Insurance Exchanges or Affiliate. Products not available in every state. State regime media, which calls itself Fox News, was in full collapse live on air last night as Donald Trump has been in this utter catastrophic spiral. Let me show you what went down as you had Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro saying, we all just need to blame the Democrats for the record high gas and diesel prices. Here, play this clip. and they want you to blame Trump and they want you to blame the Iran war and on and on and on. No, I've said it before and let me underscore it again.

2:02The prices for gasoline, the prices for everything when it comes to energy is higher due to what we call Democrats.

2:13Ben Meiselas:And then Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro say that, you know what? The American people don't even care about the war in Iran. Here play this clip. When we look at the Fox survey, Iran is a 4 % issue with the American people. So whatever happens in the midterms, it doesn't appear that Iran's going to drive anything one way or another. What's your take on this? I think that's exactly right. Then you had another Fox show, the Larry Kudlow show, where Kudlow and Eric Sean said, you know what? The Netanyahu speech at the United Nations was incredible. It was like the worst speech ever, but here's what they say on regime media.

2:58Ben Meiselas:Here, play this clip. Now let's go to Fox News. Eric Sean, who's live outside the UN in New York City with a rap on Netanyahu's barn burner of his speech, Eric. I read it and saw most of it. Wow, that was something. That's the word, Larry. One word. Wow. Man, did he give it to them. Then you had Lara Trump, Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, bring on energy secretary Chris Wright, who says Donald Trump is the energy president. He cares more about this stuff than just about anyone. Here, play this clip. So when the system gets disturbed globally, everybody feels it. We feel it the least. We have the lowest gasoline prices, the lowest diesel prices, the lowest natural gas thing for home heating and for electric generation prices of any country in the planet.

3:48But of course, we still have higher energy prices than we'd like. And nobody's bothered more by that than President Trump. He is the energy president.

3:57Ben Meiselas:Well, there's obviously been. And then you had the UN ambassador from the United States, Mike Walls, he said, you know what? Donald Trump should not be criticized for the way he rolled out the red carpet for Xi Jinping. And Mike Wall said, look at Obama. Okay. And he said, Donald Trump is the host in chief. And this was just so incredible what went down with Xi Jinping. Here play this clip. And finally, obviously, this trip got some flack from the left saying that, you know, we were rolling out the red carpet for the CCP. President Xi, even some Republicans wanted the president to be tougher with Xi and not really, you know, giving him this lavish welcome.

4:49What's your response to the critics out there that just didn't like the way this trip looked? Well, I tell the critics or maybe the hypocrites on the left, I'd point them right back to literally President Obama's red carpet reception for for Xi. But look, I should. This is a key part of diplomacy. This is reciprocity. President Xi had quite a reception for President Trump in Beijing. President Trump is the host in chief and the host maker in chief has spent his entire career hosting is going to reply in kind.

5:28Ben Meiselas:I told you it was incredibly pathetic. Then going back to Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro, they were talking about how we just need to accelerate the war crimes against Iran. Let's get it over with. Let's just blow up car, destroy all of Iran. Listen to these individuals talk about war crimes on state regime media. Here play this clip. The president has it within his capacity to essentially finish the Iranian economy with a single bombing sortie over Kharkh Island or South Pars. The biggest thing I think that is the obstacle right now to just completing that victory is just a matter of decision making.

6:06Does the president actually believe that a deal is on the table or does he not? I'm very skeptical the Iranians are ever going to put a worthwhile deal on the table. But as you say, the American people are significantly less interested in any foreign policy issue than they are with how things are going here in the United States. And if the economic numbers continue to boom in the stock market, if they continue to do well in the unemployment numbers, if the wages increase to keep up with the inflation and inflation drops, then Republicans will do fine in the midterms and the rest of the presidency will be a success.

6:34It really is almost that simple. but I'm here.

6:37Ben Meiselas:Then you go to this other Fox propaganda program where you had Charlie Hurt and Mark Thiessen say, you know what? It is definitely possible that this catastrophic war in Iran is hurting Donald Trump's poll numbers. They said, but this is the definition of statesmanship. What Donald Trump is doing in Iran is it's like Churchill. This is what a real statesman is like here, play this clip so you can see it for yourself. Let's play it. of a more military activity by the United States in the Middle East. I've never seen anybody, I've never seen any issue turn Republicans and Trump voters away quite like this issue.

7:23And it is a real problem. And, you know, to Trump's credit, he's not, you know, he's not playing for the midterms here. He's playing for something much larger. And because he really believes in it. And I give him tremendous credit. I don't know of any politician in the past 40 years who has the guts that this guy has to do something that he believes is going to be good for the country for generations to come, whether you agree with that or not. It's the definition of statesmanship. Yes. He took politics out. I can't tell you how many times I've talked to him and he says, I don't care about the midterms when it comes to this.

7:58This is history. This is the most important thing an American president has done on foreign policy in my lifetime. This regime, and he only said it like once, but it's the right message to say the reason you are paying over$4 a gallon for gas is to stop the Iranian regime from getting a nuclear weapon. Americans are patriots. Americans are willing to sacrifice for their national security. but you have to ask them to sacrifice. You have to explain to them why they're sacrificing, and you have to give them a strategy for how it's going to succeed and what your plan is. But that doesn't mean that there won't be short-term punishment between the payoff down the road.

8:39Ben Meiselas:Really, that's statesmanship, losing a catastrophic war, engaging in war crimes, slaughtering children in Manab and Lemaire and Keshem and Syric, and then also a war we should never have been involved in, but then just catastrophically losing the war and then saying, I'm going to do a deal. No deal. Yes, deal. Yes, deal. I'm going to blow the civilization off. Oh, we made a deal. You think that's statesmanlike? Y 'all are just a bunch of propagandist lunatics. The American people know what's going on. And then Donald Trump would be like, I got so much oil out through the straight-over moves. Really?

9:14Ben Meiselas:Is that why gas and diesel are hitting record highs? Is that why treasury yields are at record highs? Is that why the 30-year fixed mortgage right now is about 7.5 %? Is that why American people can't afford anything? We know you are lying. Going back to Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro over here, they said, finish the job. They just are like amping each other up on more war crimes and genocide. They're like, finish the job. Finish them. Bomb all of Iran. Here, play this clip. So the president has it within his capacity to essentially finish the Iranian economy with a single bombing sortie over Karg Island or South Pars.

9:51The biggest thing, I think, that is the obstacle right now to just completing that victory is just a matter of decision making. Does the president actually believe that a deal is on the table or does he not? I'm very skeptical the Iranians are ever going to put a worthwhile deal on the table. But as you say, the American people are significantly less interested in any foreign policy issue than they are with how things are going here in the United States. And if the economic numbers continue to boom in the stock market, if they can use well in the unemployment numbers, if the wages increase to keep up with the inflation and inflation drops, then Republicans will do fine in the midterms and the rest of the presidency will be a success.

10:27It really is almost that simple. But I'm here.

10:30Ben Meiselas:Then they have other guests on other state regime media programs. And here you had Gianno Caldwell. Let's play this clip. There's been a lot of people who have forgotten the fact that if it were not for the Jewish people, it is very seriously that you and I may not even be in the position that we're in. The fact that they came alongside, helped in the civil rights movement, helped Dr. Martin Luther King. They went to jail. They marched. They even lost their lives to make life better for us. Somehow along the way, especially amongst black pastors, we have forgotten that. And not only have we forgotten that, but we've forgotten our biblical position and our theology to take a stand for Israel.

11:13And as a result, we're starting to see more and more black pastors, black churches aligning themselves in positions that are closer to being against Israel. And that's something that I want to give voice to. That's something that we need to speak about. That's one of the reasons why we have a group of over 300 pastors who are going to Israel in November, because we need to take a stand against antisemitism, especially in our community, when we know of all people, how it feels to be hated, how it feels to be stereotyped, how it feels to be ostracized. And that's something that needs to be spoken about.

11:48Ben Meiselas:More from Mark Levin and Shapiro over here. You can hear what they have to say. Let's play it. Isn't there a lot of good that the Republicans can talk about in terms of both the administration's policies, as well as the bad that the Democrats are the worst as they've ever been? I think that's exactly right. I mean, the thing that I think Republicans, again, need to keep hammering home is regardless of what you think of the president, obviously I'm very pro, or to the administration, obviously I'm very pro. But regardless of what you think of that, the only thing that people should really be worried about is what's on the other side of that coin.

12:23Do they think that by staying home, the country gets better? What happens when you have a pro-terrorism candidate in Michigan, Abdullah al-Sayed, who actually is in the United States Senate? What happens when you have a supporter of every radical policy on transing the kids, like James Tallarico in Texas sitting in the United States Senate? What happens when Democrats have majorities in the House and the Senate and then use every waking moment in order to target Republicans, Republican legislators, and members of the administration and drag down the administration and restore woke in a far more radical form than it ever was under Joe Biden.

12:55The great lie I think a lot of Republicans have told themselves is that woke is dead, that President Trump did such a thorough job of destroying the left that they can never recover. They'll never come back. They are waiting. They are waiting and they are watching and they are ready to pound.

13:08Ben Meiselas:Then Lara Trump brings on Nicki Minaj and Nicki Minaj, who is telling people that they need to vote Republican and the chyron is pushing back on pressures to vote blue. She says, you know, the problem with Democrats is they're too cozy with like pop culture. And it's really a problem how like obsessed the Democrats are with pop culture. Really? I mean, everything that Donald Trump and MAGA does is to co-op pop culture, but then also to ruin it and destroy it. Here's what Nicki Minaj says. Play this clip. Well, I think the Democrats have gotten way too caught up in pop culture, for lack of a better term.

13:56I think that they've allowed their relationships with artists to to cause them to act like children and to be so petty and childish but that's what i think they they do they they allow people to in the music industry to influence them and these people clearly don't have their best interests at heart these people have their egos at heart

14:30Ben Meiselas:I can't even believe I have to even say you have Donald Trump's daughter-in-law is hosting a show and is interviewing Nicki Minaj. I mean, what the hell are we even talking about here? Back to UN Ambassador Mike Waltz over here saying that the real reason that diesel is surging right now and why prices are so high, he goes, it's the Russia-Ukraine war, nothing to do with Donald Trump's catastrophic war in Iran. He goes, we're moving out so many barrels of oil. We control the Strait of Hormuz. Really, Mike Walls? If you control the Strait of Hormuz, then let's do a test. Why don't you put one of those aircraft carriers right through the Strait of Hormuz?

15:11Ben Meiselas:Why don't you take a battleship and put it right through the Strait of Hormuz and go right into the Persian Gulf? If you claim you control it, I think there's a reason why we see those Navy destroyers and those aircraft carriers pulling further out in the Arabian Sea and not closer because you don't control the straight of our moose. But here's what he says. Let's play this clip. On the straight, very quickly, Ambassador, if I can ask you about this, we've seen some pumps in the south run out of diesel. Governor Landry down in Louisiana just declared a state of emergency this week in which he said, we're not going to sit on the sidelines while Louisiana farmers are paying record prices to harvest the crops that feed our families and support our economy.

15:54So there is this diesel shortage we're seeing, although not widespread. And we're hearing about this discussion about a potential export ban on diesel. What are your thoughts on that? Is that the way out of this? But Aisha, I want to be very clear here. That is a separate. It is absolutely an issue, this diesel issue that powers our tractors, our trucks, and so much of our economy is separate than what's happening in the Straits of Hormuz. The vast majority of the oil that came out of the Straits of Hormuz went to Asia, and most of that went, in fact, to China. That said, we're moving 12 to 15 million barrels a day from our Gulf allies out almost to pre-war levels.

16:36That is different than a refinery issue for diesel, and the primary thing that is affecting that is the war between Russia and Ukraine. And that's why you've seen the president call on all sides to stop hitting those refinery capabilities that is affecting global markets on diesel, different than the price of oil.

16:58Ben Meiselas:And again, that's what he keeps going back to. Look, what we're seeing is the war in Ukraine. That's what's really kind of working its way through our economy. That's what's hurting us right now. Here's what he says. Play this clip. I'll tell you more broadly, though, what we're seeing in the war in Ukraine is that it is spreading to the global economy and it's all the more reason that the president wants the war to stop. His position has been clear since day one. Okay. And then Nicki Minaj concludes her interview by saying, black people are not allowed to think according to the Democrats. What are we even watching here?

17:36Ben Meiselas:What are you talking about? Here play this clip. Black people specifically feel that they should just vote blue. I would say the entire country, there's been a major shift where people are starting to, you know, wake up and see what's going on and choose differently. And they're also noticing, which is very important, which is kind of really sad, but they're noticing that Black people are not allowed, according to the Democrats. for the most part, to make a different decision. We're not allowed to think. We're not allowed to voice concerns to make an argument as to why we don't like a particular candidate.

18:22And they're seeing in real time, if they do, what happens to them? Smear campaigns and just outright nasty behavior.

18:35Ben Meiselas:And then finally, Fox finished the lineup last night with some deranged comedy. It's not funny. They bill this as like their comedy show late at night. And it's weird and it's not funny at all. And the host of the show talks about the Iranian delegation having sex with prostitute goats or something in New York. You underestimate the adversary at your own peril. You say things like that while they've kicked our ass in this catastrophic war that we shouldn't have been involved in. And it really ain't all that funny stuff like this for at all, period. And meanwhile, the American people are suffering.

19:16Ben Meiselas:Here, play this clip. I'm not even kidding. That's why the Iranian delegation walked out during Trump's speech. They heard the Central Park Zoo was having a two for one on goats. And they were like, I'm out of here. I'm out. Let's go. Let's go. anyway there you have it everybody let me know what you think hit subscribe let's get to 7 million thanks for watching everybody i'll get your copy of wtf america appreciate you

From the publisher

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Fox News hosts collapsing on air over Donald Trump's war with Iran. As the situation worsens, they insist things are fine and try to blame Democrats.

Go to https://ground.news/MTN to cut through misinformation, critically analyze the news shaping our lives and hold the media accountable. Save 40% off unlimited access to Ground News with my link or scan the QR code on screen.

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