The MeidasTouch Podcast - Dems Unleash Brutal Cross-Exam of GOP Witnesses

Episode Date: May 7, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Democratic Congress Members expertly cross-examining Trump cabinet members like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during critical hearings that took place. DeleteMe: Today get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://JoinDeleteMe.com/meidas and use promo code: MEIDAS at checkout! Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. The second form, ma'am, reclaiming my time. Ma'am, please, ma'am, reclaiming my time. I'd like you to avoid the filibuster so I can get to all my questions. The Democrats were ripping into Donald Trump's cabinet members testifying on Capitol Hill with some powerful cross-examination. You saw right there Democratic Congresswoman Escobar from Texas cross-examining the dog killer Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. More on that cross-examining the dog killer, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. More on that cross-exam in a little bit. I now want to show you Democratic Congress member Mark Pocan, his cross-examination of Treasury Secretary Scott Besson, where he basically just asks Besson the most basic

question, who pays for Trump's tariffs? Watch the response. Let's play this clip. Who pays tariffs, Mr. Secretary? No, no, no. Answer the questions I ask, please. I only have five minutes. Who pays tariffs? Sorry? Well, there's- Who pays tariffs? Sorry. Mr. Secretary, please. Excuse me.

The question is very simply, who pays tariffs, Mr. Chairman? I'd like him to answer that question. He wants to answer other questions. Well, Congressman, if the exporters, they dislike tariffs so much, why wouldn't they, if, I think what you're trying to get me to say. Did you remember the question? I'm not sure you did. Who pays tariffs? That it's a very complicated question. Reclaiming my time. People pay tariffs, right? I'm reclaiming my time, Mr. Secretary. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Secretary. Reclaiming my time. You clearly aren't going to answer. I'm not going to waste my time. Next up, Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett goes one by one with the individuals who the MAGA Republicans

called to this committee hearing. And she goes and explains, seems pretty easy that Trump's policies are bad. Wouldn't you agree? Don't you think that these are some low IQ policies? She says, here, play this clip. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. Okay. I don't really know where to begin. We've got a lot of ground to cover in about five minutes. So let's go. I've got three statements that I want to know if you agree or disagree with, and I want to just go down the row. Yes or no. Does cutting pay typically assist in recruiting a workforce? Yes or no? No. No. Generally, no. No. Thank you. It sounds like a low IQ implementation to me. So let's go to the next one. Does poor working conditions assist with recruitment? Yes or no? No. No. No. No. Sounds like another low IQ implementation to me.

And finally, I'm going to start with Mr. Potter because I don't know how this is going to go. Does union busting help with recruitment? No. I know nothing about unions whatsoever. I don't know anything about unions either. Okay. No. Okay. So again, another low IQ implementation. I just want to be clear that the American people should know that these are all Trump 2.0 policies. So when we say that he's failed, let me tell you, we got receipts and those are some of the receipts. So when we start talking. So then the MAGA Republicans were getting so ripped to shreds yesterday and they really have no ability to even debate anymore because they just basically take whatever Donald Trump posts on social media. And then they're like, OK, I guess that's what we believe in now. And they know that they get flustered and that they can't even justify their positions.

So I showed you this thing that they were doing last week and they're continuing to do it this week. I'm talking about the members of Congress now, the MAGA Republican Congress members. So they don't even speak or debate with the Democratic Congress members anymore. They stay mute. They go silent. So you have a Democratic Congress member like Congress member Neguse, and he'll say, okay, could we debate this amendment? Because that's what we're supposed to do in Congress. Who wants to discuss this? I'd love to just debate it so I can see why you oppose it. And we can, let's discuss our ideas in public as legislators. Let's talk about it. And then the MAGA Republicans just, they refuse to respond.

I'm going to stop the video after four or five seconds of the silence. So you'll get the point, but it goes on for four minutes. And Congress member Neguse, the Democratic Congress member is just like, okay, no one, no one, no one here. Watch this clip right here. Perhaps I'll try something a little different this time. Cause I have, I have made repeated No one here watched this clip right here. of their constituents be willing to defend their values, defend the positions that they have taken. But that has fallen, unfortunately, on deaf ears and just blanket refusal on the part of my Republican colleagues to engage in any kind of debate. So what I will just do, I will give my Republican colleagues an opportunity to explain to their constituents, to their colleagues, and to the American people why they believe this amendment should not be approved by the committee. Democratic Congress member really grill into Treasury Secretary Besant right here about Scott Besant's employment of this guy, Marco Elez, who made all these a doge worker who made racist post. And then Besant tries to play dumb about it.

Great cross-exam skills here. Play this clip. About statements that Mr. Elez had made in the prior year. One was you could not pay me to marry outside my ethnicity. Another was that he wanted to normalize Indian hate. The third was just for the record, I was racist before it was cool. And another was I just want a eugenic immigration policy. Is that too much to ask? This man resigned shortly after that article was published, but you don't recall him being there? Congressman, I did not recall that individual's name, but that individual was

terminated. He was terminated. Okay. Well, I appreciate that. Although it appears that he then later turned up. That he was rehired, I guess, and that he's not my treasury. OK, but he was continuing to do work for Doge. But in this instance, HHS and three other departments. I have no idea. I didn't follow his career. OK, well, you didn't catch J.D. Vance saying that he didn't think he should be terminated? Did you miss that too? I don't recall that. All right. Do you recall Mr. Trump saying that he should have a second chance?

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That's M-E-I-D-A-S. The only way to get 20% off is to go to joindeleteme.com slash Midas at checkout. That's M-E-I-D-A-S. The only way to get 20% off is to go to joindeleteeme.com slash Midas and enter code Midas at checkout. That's joindeleteeme.com slash Midas, code Midas, M-E-I-D-A-S. Then we have Democratic Congresswoman Lauren Underwood from Illinois. Here's her exchange with Kristi Noem. Let's play this clip right here. Do you believe that the Constitution grants everyone in our country the right to due process, including non-citizens? The administration has the authority to-

Ma'am, I'm looking for a yes or no question. Yes or no. Do you believe the- Yes, ma'am. Do you- We have not conducted any kind of empowerment. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman. I'm as you are. Okay. Secretary Noem, I'm just looking for a yes or no here. Do you believe the Constitution guarantees due process to everyone in America? Due process is exactly what this Congress lays out. Yes or no. Okay, ma'am, I'll take that as a no.

Excuse me. Ma'am, I'm trying to ascertain your understanding of the law as it applies to your department. And you as its leader should be able to give us a yes or no answer because judge after judge has ruled that the law is not being followed. Do you believe that the U.S. government has the authority to deport American citizens? No, and we are not deporting U.S. citizens. I'm so happy to hear that you do not believe that the law gives you that authority because the federal government has no authority under U.S. laws to deport any American citizen. And as I know, everyone viewing this hearing today knows that several American citizens have been deported to

date. Secretary Noem, that was not a question. Secretary Noem, that oath that we both swore before taking office was to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, not the president, not a political party, the Constitution. And that's what we're going to keep doing here at the Appropriations Committee. Thank you. I yield back. Now, going back to Mark Pocan. Hope I'm saying his name right. Democratic congressman was a Pocan. Democratic congressman Mark Pocan sparring with Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessant here about Scott Bessant has what

he calls the crazy Ivan theory. And he's like, oh, Trump's being crazy Ivan. That's what this is. It's strategic uncertainty, crazy Ivan. And so you just don't know what crazy Ivan is going to do. And here the Democrats are like, okay, for like Americans, like regular folk, like we don't want crazy Ivan. Like we just want our paychecks and we want to be able to afford housing and we want to be able to have healthcare and we want to be able to raise children and we want to be able to have a family or we want to be able just to be happy. We don't crazy Ivan. We're not looking for crazy freaking Ivan. This is actually the Republican policy. They call it the crazy Ivan theory and that Trump's crazy Ivan. They've unleashed crazy Ivan on us. You think I'm

joking? You're playing this clip right here. So I just recently from one of my suppliers got the tariff surcharge on things. In addition got the tariff surcharge on things. And in addition to the tariff surcharge, guess what else got raised? American-made walnut plaques. That has nothing to do with tariffs, but companies take advantage and do that. So right now, we are getting screwed right and left because of the indiscriminate use of tariffs. That's the reality for Main Street. And you go off to Beverly Hills for private investor conferences and talk about crazy Ivan theories. Answer that.

What is the crazy Ivan theory of tariffs that you mentioned at the summit? Well, first of all, sir, I've had meetings with more than 50 small lenders. So I want to clarify that. I would also say that in game theory, strategic uncertainty, of which you seem to like the name Crazy Ivan. Well, it's your words, correct? Didn't you use Crazy Ivan? Well, you've used it five times. I can't answer the question, Mr. Chairman. I am saying the strategic uncertainty is part of negotiations.

Should we say, oh, here's what we'll accept. Please take this. Okay. I've got your answer. Thank you. I'm going to reclaim my time again. So for a small business, we don't have that luxury, right? When the ports are empty in California and we can't get goods and people are stocking up for Christmas goods, crazy Ivan is great for, please don't take this offense, really rich people like you, but for people like me, it's not, right? That's what makes small businesses fail. That's what makes people lose their jobs. That's what makes the stock market tank. So I'll ask one more time, who pays tariffs? Sir, the history would show that it is a complicated mix of who pays the tariffs over

various times. So that's exactly the problem. If you're answering, you are a very educated person, you're a very impressive bio, cannot answer the question who pays tariffs because you won't answer that. And you say it's a complicated issue. It's not complicated. Consumers pay Trump's tariff tax. That's the reality. The crazy Ivan theory, everybody. Here's the clip that I showed you at the beginning of Democratic Congresswoman Escobar grilling Kristi Noem right here. Let's play this clip. Were any of the individuals who were deported, who had U.S. citizen children deported with them, were they given an opportunity to sign that form? When these, the specific cases that you're referencing with these children, it was the parents' choice to take their children. FORM. NEW SPEAKERS. NEW SPEAKERS. WHEN THESE SPECIFIC CASES THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING WITH THESE CHILDREN, IT WAS THE PARENTS' CHOICE TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN. AND DID ICE FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE POLICY TO KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER?

MA'AM, MA'AM, MA'AM, RECLAIMING MY TIME, I TOLD YOU AT THE TOP OF THIS, MA'AM, RECLAIMING MY TIME, I SAID THE QUESTIONS ARE REALLY SIMPLE. YES OR NO. WAS THAT FORM US that form used in any of those cases? I will get back to you on that specific form. I don't know the number, but I do know these mothers went on the record filling out paperwork. The second form, ma'am, reclaiming my time. Ma'am, please, ma'am, reclaiming my time. I'd like you to avoid the filibuster so I can get to all my questions, please.

And then Congress member Moskowitz had this great rant. This is epic. 10 of 10 rant right here. And he does a really good job here where he goes and talks about, oh, so Trump woke up and he was watching a show about Alcatraz. So now we have to all be for Alcatraz. And then Donald Trump wants to tariff movies. This is actually, Moskowitz should probably just be a stand-up comedian. This is funny stuff right here. Play this clip. I was listening to the ranking member and she brought up something about Trump talking about Alcatraz.

And of course, look, this is just another distraction to divert attention away from the tariffs or rising prices or the struggle on Main Street. But since we're having a hearing on prisons, it's lucky timing for me. So three times more expensive than any prison to operate in 1959 Alcatraz was. It needs about $250 million to shore up the infrastructure and utilities. All food and water has to be barged in. Sewage has to be barged out. The facility is almost 100 years old. And so I don't get it. In the days of Doge, where we're cutting budgets, we got to find savings. Now we're going to what? We're going to cut Medicaid and SNAP so that we can pour money into Alcatraz. First of all, have you been to Alcatraz recently? It literally is a rust box

walking around. You need a tetanus shot just to go into the building do we still give tetanus shots or has rfk gotten rid of those i i can't i can't keep up and so listen where did the president get this idea all of a sudden right where did he get the idea perhaps he was watching escape from alcatraz, right? And I brought boards because some people are visual learners. Perhaps he was watching Escape from Alcatraz by Clint Eastwood. Actually, funny part about that, it was actually on television in South Florida.

It was on PBS South Florida over the weekend when Trump was at Mar-a-Lago. In fact, he made his announcement just hours after it aired. You know PBS, the programming that he's trying to get rid of. So just in case you're keeping up, right? It's two dolls for girls and zero Elmo's. Okay. But maybe I'm wrong.

Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it wasn't that. Maybe he was watching The Rock with Sean Connery. You know this one. This is where Sean Connery goes back to Alcatraz because he originally escaped Alcatraz and needed like an expert on chemical weapons. Maybe the president was just Netflixing and chilling, like watching the rock, which is not to be confused with the rock, right? That's a different person. And then the president's really excited about

these sharks, right? He's talking about all the sharks and the person escaped. He lost his clothing. So, you know, sharks, they don't have laser beams on. They don't have laser beams. But maybe maybe maybe the sharks are going to be there. So this is just all ridiculous. But even but then all of a sudden after after that, we we heard like, oh, we're going to tariff the movies. Well, hold on a second. Why would we tariff the movies? This is where the president is getting his ideas from. We can't tariff the policy idea making of the presidency.

And look, I know what my colleagues are going to say. They're going to say, Jared, just let the president cook. This is 40 chess he's playing. And I'm going to say, maybe he's just watching late night movies, perhaps. There you have it, folks. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 5 million subscribers. Can't get enough Midas? Check out the Midas Plus sub stack for ad-free articles, reports, podcasts, daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski, and more. Sign up for free now at MidasPlus.com.