Legal AF by MeidasTouch - Trump Panics as Key Voter Base Collapses in Florida

Episode Date: May 22, 2026

From his unique vantage point as part of the Miami community where law meets politics regularly, Popok explains the politics and personal benefit to Trump in having his DOJ announce the indictment of 94-year-old Raúl Castro in downtown Miami, as he tries to shore up his failing political base with the Hispanic and Cuban exile community, and his poll numbers. Popok explains that the announced indictment occurred immediately next to the location for his controversial planned Trump Library, in a City that just elected its first woman mayor and first democrat in 30 years, and by 14 points, in a County that is turning blue. Subscribe:  @LegalAFMTN  Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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There is always a personal or political benefit to Donald Trump with every policy or indictment that his administration announces. The latest example, the announced indictment in Miami between the Freedom Tower and the location for Donald Trump's presidential library of the indictment of 94-year-old Raul Castro, former defense minister of Cuba. Now, on the surface, it's a good thing to bring people to justice, whether they're aging Nazis or old communists from Cuba, especially when there's death and destruction that's been alleged in the indictment that they're responsible for. Raul Castro in particular, according to the indictment, was behind the shooting down with heat-seeking missiles of two planes operating. by an organization based in Miami called Brothers to the Rescue, trying to provide aid and assistance to Cubans trying to get off the island. Two of the three planes were shot down, four people, including three Americans, were killed in that disaster.

It led to a series of policy changes by the United States against Cuba, led by the Clinton administration, including something we call the Helms-Burton Act and tightening restrictions on Cuba. So to be fair, bringing him to justice is a good thing. But there's a political motivation behind it. And I'm going to unpack it for you here from my vantage point where I live in Miami, knowing the community, let me tell you what we're watching. First of all, let's talk about the timing.

We're in the middle of a terrible, horrendous news cycle for Donald Trump. from his failed overseas mission to China, to his failing in abysmal poll numbers, to a failing economy, to a likely midterm disaster. Every hour, every day gets worse and worse for Donald Trump, and the polls show it. So he likes to time his political

and Department of Justice announcements to coincide with his flailing news cycle and polls. And so out of the blue, after a really bad performance by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche concerning the creation of that $1.8 billion weaponization fund that's going to apparently be used to pay terrorist and insurrectionist organizations to help them get back on their feet to refund them, if you will. You've got child sex molesters who are convicted who are lining up to get paid. You've got right-wing media outlets like OAN who's lining up to get paid. And while all that's

going on, there seems to be, it's like crickets. You see no support for this by the Republicans or voters. So what happens? A day after Todd Blanche wipes away Donald Trump's and his families tax liege. of up to $100 million, suddenly we've got a planned announcement in Miami, in the city of Miami, in front of the Freedom Tower, which is a symbol for the Cuban exile community. It's there Ellis Island. It's an amazing museum. If you're in town, you should visit it. And right next to it is that 2.63 acre parcel of land owned by Miami Date College or had been owned by Miami-Dade College, who transferred it for zero to the state of Florida, through DeSantis, who transferred it for zero to the Donald J. Trump Library Convention Center Casino Fund

or whatever it's supposed to be. And there's lawsuits about that in Miami, about whether that violates the emoluments clause. So it was no surprise to me to watch Trump put, the press conference right at the epicenter of the Miami Cuban exile community, of which Marco Rubio, the secretaries of state, is a part. This is also, if you want to get to the politics of it all, and I'll show a clip in a minute with the cheering about the announced indictment. And again, I'm all about bringing people to justice who kill other people, especially in circumstances. I don't care if the Nazi is a hundred years old, brought to justice. Same thing with the Castro.

I'm talking about the politics and the timing around it. The city of Miami and the county of Miami Dade are turning blue. And it's pissing Donald Trump off. And he wants to shore up his base as he leads into the midterms. Eileen Higgins, the mayor of Miami, beat her opponent. and she's a Democrat, beat her opponent by 14 points, the hand-picked Trump-Dissantus opponent.

14 points. She's the first woman to be the mayor of the city of Miami. She's the first Democrat in over 30 years. That started the blue wave, or continued the blue wave of special elections and other elections. I'm Michael Popak, and I got some big news for our audience. Most of you know me as the co-foundation. of Midas Touch's Legal A.F.

And the Legal A.F. YouTube channel. Or as a 35-year national trial lawyer. Now, building a what we started together on Legal A.F., I've launched a new law firm, the Popak firm, dedicated to obtaining justice through compassionate and zealous legal representation. At the Popak firm, we are focused on obtaining justice for those who have been injured or damaged

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for billions of dollars in recoveries. So if you were a loved one, but on the wrong side of a catastrophic auto, motor vehicle, ride share, or truck accident, suffered a personal injury, or been the victim of medical malpractice, employment, harassment, or discrimination, or suffered a violation of your civil and constitutional rights,

then contact the Popak firm today at 1877 Popak AF or by visiting my website at www.w thepopokfirm.com and fill out a free, case evaluation form. And if we determine that you have a case and you sign with us, we don't get paid unless you do. The Popak firm fighting for your justice every step of the way. Trump and his people around him knows he has a Miami problem. The county of Miami-Dade is led by a Democrat, a moderate. And so in order to win Florida, a Republican has to, for instance, has to win and run up big vote totals in the north of Florida,

in the west of Florida. But as you come down from Orlando, down the I-4 corridor, and you come down the coast, that's where the Democrat has to ring up lots of lots of votes, including in Miami-Dade and in the city of Miami. When Obama won in Florida twice, he rang up big votes.

total in Miami-Dade County. The Democrats want Miami-Dade County back. Trump wants to oppose it. He wants to get Spanish-language radio, which is very, very powerful and active down here in Miami, to just be talking good things about Donald Trump and MAGA and the Republicans at or around this time. So I wanted to bring it from a perspective of what's the politics going on here. Let me show you a clip. of the cheering that was going on, when the indictment was announced, not at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami,

not in Washington, but right next to the location Trump wants to put up his Trump library. Play the clip. Today, we are announcing an indictment charging Raul Castro and several others with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.

This is also, part of the plan that Marco Rubio has to take over his ancestral home and do to Cuba what he did to Venezuela. Right? Again, not America first. It's Marco Rubio first. It's taken over an island that his family fleed, you know, when the elder Castro Fidel took over. So there's always a politics and a personal gait for anything Donald Trump does. create a weaponization fund for people who have been damaged only if I get my $100 million potential tax liability wiped out by Todd Blanche the very next day. That's the only reason he does these things. He didn't indict Raul Castro in the first term when the guy was 80-something.

He waited until now when Trump is on his political last legs and on his political last legs and on thin ice to pander in curry favor with a very powerful economic and demographic group and political group in Miami. You've got to ring up the votes with the Cuban American exile community who vote if you're going to win. And there's a series of Congress people in and around Miami, Republican. Emmy, Republican All, hasn't been a Democrat since Donna Shalala. And a friend of mine, Debbie Merkis-Al-Powell, there hasn't been a Democrat in that region. It's red, red, red.

And so that is what's going on when you watch this and people that, you know, living in Idaho, Oklahoma, you know, Maine, they're like, why are we just getting around to a dining Raul Castro now? this is the backstory you need to know. And I wanted to bring it to you here on Legal AF and on the Midas Sutch Network on Michael Popak. Take a minute, come over to LegalAF YouTube channel. 12 videos every day, fresh videos every day. Hit that free subscribe button and join me every day

at around noon for a live report. I do a Popok pop-up on Substack for Legal A.F. Until my next report, this is Michael Popok. Can't get your fill of legal a.F. Me neither. That's why we formed the legal AF substack. Every time we mention something in a hot take, whether it's a court filing or a oral argument, come over to the substack. You'll find the court filing in the oral argument there, including a daily roundup that I do call, wait for it, morning a. What else? All the other contributors from legal a.f are there as well.

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