The MeidasTouch Podcast - Panicked White House Snaps in Disaster Press Briefing

Episode Date: May 11, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the disastrous press conference in the White House today where Donald Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt snapped when she was asked basic questions about Trump’s conflict of interests and odd behavior. Aura: Exclusive $35-off Carver Mat at https://AuraFrames.com. Use code MEIDAS at checkout to save! Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! 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 The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump's chief propagandist, his press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, just snapped during a disastrous press conference when she was asked about Donald Trump traveling to the Middle East and meeting with many of the countries and sovereign wealth funds that he has personal business interest with, who have enriched him to the tune of about $4 billion. Here, play this clip. You noted he is a successful businessman. Do you know if the president has any plans to meet with any of the folks involved with any of the family businesses over there or see any of the sites that are going to be? Not to my knowledge, and let me just get to the premise of your question that both of you have

raised. I think it's frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service, not just once, but twice. And again, the American public reelected him back to this White House because they trust he acts in the best interest of our country and putting the American public first. This is a president who has actually lost money for being president of the United States. I don't remember these same type of questions being asked of my predecessor about a career politician who was clearly profiting off of this office. That is not what President Trump does. And this White House holds ourselves to

the highest of ethical standards. Oh, yes, Caroline Leavitt. It would be ridiculous for anybody in the room to dare question Donald Trump's motivations. Or we could come with receipts, Caroline. Like, I don't know, Donald Trump doing a deal with Qatar for a Trump resort there. Donald Trump doing a deal with Saudi Arabia for a resort in Oman. The Abu Dhabi fund using Donald Trump's crypto for $2 billion worth of purchases. I could go on, but I think we all get the point. Then Caroline Leavitt, Donald Trump's chief propagandist, attacks the Librarian of Congress who Donald Trump unlawfully fired and basically says that she was woke and DEI and that's why she had to go and be fired, even though Donald Trump doesn't have the authority to unilaterally fire

the Librarian of Congress. Here, play this clip. Question, the president fired the Librarian of Congress. Why did he choose to do that? We felt she did not fit the needs of the American people. There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children. And we don't believe that she was serving the interests of the American taxpayer well. So she has been removed from her position and the president is well within his rights to do

that. And by the way, it should be noted that Dr. Carla Hayden, who's the 14th librarian of Congress, was Senate confirmed in 2016 during Donald Trump's first administration. She's the first female librarian of Congress. She's the first African-American librarian of Congress. And she's the first actual librarian, librarian of Congress. But for Donald Trump, anyone who supports education, anybody who supports diversity, that makes you woke and you've got to go. Next up, the Bulwark reporter who's in the Oval Office asks a question about Donald Trump continuing to post about meme coins. And do you think that's a conflict of interest?

Here's what Donald Trump's chief propagandist, Caroline Levitt, says about that. Let's play the clip. Thank you for having me, Caroline. The president posted another ad this week for his Trump meme coin. The group that's running that coin is encouraging people to buy in order to win a dinner this month with the president. Why is the president planning to attend a dinner for the top investors in his coin? Look, the president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws. The president has been incredibly transparent with his own personal financial obligations throughout the years. The president is a successful businessman.

And I think, frankly, it's one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office. There are at least some people who are buying this coin who seem to view it as an opportunity to influence the president's views. There was a logistics company this week that said they would buy $20 million in the coin in order to advocate for free trade between the U.S. and Mexico. If buyers are buying for that reason, are they wasting their money? Look, I can assure you the president acts with only the interests of the American public in mind, putting our country first and doing what's best for our country, full stop. That's his intention and that's what he's focused on. Oh, so you just think that's normal, Caroline, that Donald Trump makes posts that if you have

the 22 largest crypto wallets filled with the Trump meme coin, you get to personally meet with Donald Trump. You don't find it abnormal that Donald Trump runs pump and dump like schemes. At least that's my opinion of what it appears to be, which by the way, is what he's doing with our economy as well. We're supposed to normalize United States presidents selling freaking meme coins and access from the Oval Office while y'all were ranting about whatever you were upset about with Hunter Biden. I mean, seriously, that's where we're at with this. Oh, and by the way, just a stat for you on the Trump meme coins. There were only 55 crypto wallets or like people who actually made money from Trump's meme coin while there was 747,000 who lost money, who got the rug pulled from this Ponzi scheme, perpetual perennial fraudster presidency.

The next time, the next question, a reporter asked Caroline Levitt about the Trump regime dismantling the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Play this clip. Caroline, yesterday the administration appears to have started dismantling the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This is the federal agency, an independent one that does recalls and is responsible for product safety. Does the administration not believe that it's important to keep toys and cribs? I mean, you're a young mom off of the product of the market. It's a federal agency within which branch? It's the executive branch. Who's the

head of the executive branch? The president of the United States. He has the right to fire people within the executive branch. It's a pretty simple answer. Francesca. Oh, as we wrote on the Midas Touch Network. Oh, dismantling the agency that coordinates recalls. What could possibly go wrong with that? I don't know. I don't know. Ridiculous. OK, next. Then we have here next clip. We have a reporter asking Caroline Levitt about. So does Donald Trump intend to have a 10% baseline tariff no matter what on the United Kingdom? Because Trump announced some like fake trade deal with the UK. So is there always going to be 10% or, and then Caroline Levitt responds, oh, it's going to be 10%, no matter what, every country in the world will get tariff 10% is what Donald Trump intends to do.

But obviously, we know when Trump says he intends to do something, he doesn't really do it. Here, play this clip. The 10% baseline is going to still be there at the end when all of the other details are ironed out. The president is committed to the 10% baseline tariff, not just for the United Kingdom, but for his trade negotiations with all other countries as well. Permanently, even after the deals are done, like that is going to remain. The president is determined to continue with that 10% baseline tariff. I just spoke to him about it earlier. So I'm really looking forward to Mother's Day this year. It's going to be a

very special day. It's always a special day, but it's extra special this year because my wife, Sochi, just became a mom to our beautiful baby girl, Jimena, who's seven months old. And my mom, who just became a grandma, is going to get to spend the day with us as well. And I got Sochi and my mom the best gift, but shh, don't tell them what it is. I'm just going to tell you. I got them an Aura digital picture frame where i was able to load some of the best memories from the past seven months of my mom's granddaughter and my wife's daughter jimena and all of us together normally these photos would just be on my phone and i wouldn't know what to do with them but now with this aura digital picture frame they get to display it at their house or in their living room or

wherever, and they get to see these photos that I've personally curated for them. Aura Frames was named the best digital photo frame by Wirecutter. It's featured in 495 gift guides from last year. So the next time you need to call your mom, you can also send her a new pic of you from that trip you've been telling her all about right from your phone. Aura has a great Mother's Day deal for a limited time. Listeners of our podcast can save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off plus free shipping on their best-selling Carver mat frame. That's a-U-R-A frames.com. The promo code is Midas. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. That's AuraFrames.com and use that promo code Midas. Next up, Caroline Levitt, a chief propagandist for the White House, is asked

whether Donald Trump intends to in any way. What are these conversations with China going to be like? Donald Trump like randomly posted. I like 80 percent. Remember, Donald Trump said I'd like the number 80 percent for tariffs with China. I mean, as Donald Trump toys with and tries to manipulate the market, they didn't do a great job manipulating the market on Friday, although before he did, I just think that people are like, what's really going on here? Is there going to be a deal that's going to happen with China? And by a deal, basically you as the arsonist putting someone out your fire and just watch what's said right here by cheap propagandist, Caroline Leavitt. Let's play this clip.

Thanks, Caroline. The president has been pretty firm on keeping these one hundred and forty five percent tariffs in place on Chinese imports today via Truth Social. He said that he'd be possibly open to lowering those to 80 percent. Why the change and how did the president land on 80? The president still remains with his position that he is not going to unilaterally bring down tariffs on China. We need to see concessions from them as well. And again, that's part of the reason that Secretary Besson is going to talk to his Chinese counterparts this weekend to start those discussions in person. As for the 80 percent number, that was a number the president threw out there. And we'll see what

happens this weekend and always in the effort of transparency. I'm sure you'll hear directly from the Treasury secretary or the president after those negotiations conclude. So, again, leaders need to speak with clarity. Leaders need to speak with precision. Right. What are y'all even talking about here? They're the way they toy with people's lives. You know, small businesses are getting screwed. Medium sized all businesses, but especially those that can't just call up the White House and do quid pro quos for favors are getting screwed. So when you see stuff like this and you don't provide clarity or what the plan is,

Donald Trump just sends a post in the morning and it's like, oh, that's where we're going this time. It's absurd. It's dangerous. And it has real world ramifications. Next up, Caroline Levitt is asked a question about the Pope, which she doesn't want to answer, apparently. Here, let's play this clip. One other question. Yesterday, we saw the news of a new pope. Before Pope Leo became Pope Leo, there were some critical comments that he very proud to have an American Pope. I think it was a surprise to everyone. I saw the news media was surprised to report on that yesterday, but it's a great thing for the United States of America and for the world, and we are praying for him. And isn't it just so interesting, too, that now all the MAGAs, like, despise this Pope? Robert Prevost, who is now, who was Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, because he's spoken

positively about migrants. And he said that there needed to be unity with the Black community after the murder of George Floyd, that Pope Leo XIV talked about encouraging vaccine use. And now for MAGAs, that's repugnant. How dare you? How dare you do those things? Remember what I shared with you as well, though, that there was that bishop in Donald Trump's religious advisory board. And he was previously quoted as saying that the Vatican will never name an American Pope so long as America is leading the world and everything else, because the Vatican doesn't want there to be an American religious leader while America is the leader in all other things. But one way to determine if America is in decline, this is what Trump's own advisor said,

months back, was if an American pope was selected, the Vatican would be sending the signal that America's lost its power in other areas. And could that have been the message that was being sent there as well? But Pope Leo XIV seems actually like an overall, whether you're religious or not, just like a good person, like a good human being. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 5 million subscribers.

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