The MeidasTouch Podcast - Thursday Afternoon Breaking Updates with Ben 8/20/26

Episode Date: August 20, 2026

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on breaking news from the day. Pre-order the new book from MeidasTouch, WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy, today: https://bit.ly/w...tfamericayoutube Chapter: For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial 82-MEDICARE (826-334-2273) to speak with our trusted partner, Chapter, or go to https://askchapter.org/mtn. Disclaimer: Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Spring Sleep: Thanks to today’s sponsor, Spring Sleep: eXciteOSA is an FDA-cleared, prescription-only device for primary snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea. Go to https://springsleep.com/meidas and unlock 20% off with the code MEIDAS. Magic Spoon: Head to https://magicspoon.com/MEIDAS or use our promo code MEIDAS at checkout to save $5 OFF your order! RO: Go to https://RO.CO/MEIDAS to see if you qualify. 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 Sidebar with Katie Phang: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sidebar-with-katie-phang/id1886801652 The Parnas Perspective: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-parnas-perspective/id1869165949 The Intersection with Michael Popok: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-intersection-with-michael-popok/id1818863274 MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show 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 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Five Minute News: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/five-minute-news/id1471715443 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to Ben on breaking news. I'm Ben Myceles. This is your breaking news. We're going to talk about Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Besson's market manipulation failing. The Treasury yields, which they tried to manipulate with bond buybacks. Well, that failed yesterday. There was a $4 billion bond buyback scheme announced that temporarily reduced the 10, 20, 30 year yields now that it's been exposed as what we always know. It is an act of desperation. We're seeing the treasury yields rise even higher. Gas prices, again, hitting historic highs, regular gas. But also you take a look at diesel approaching $200 a barrel, the average price of diesel over $5.50. And I know lots of people pay attention to gas prices, which are record highs. Pay attention to diesel as well. I mean, that's going to impact freight. It's going to impact agriculture. It's going to impact trucking. It's going to impact trucking. to impact everything. So we're going to be focused on that as well. But I'll tell you what went up yesterday. The crypto bros were in the White House. You got the Winkle Loves and you've got all of
Starting point is 00:01:12 Donald Trump's crypto bros who Donald Trumps is, look how handsome these men are. Well, crypto went up. Bitcoin was up about 7, 8%. And the same people who basically left the retail holders of the crypto holding the bag, wait until the price has dropped. And now with all of the uncertainty, that price of Bitcoin is going back up. I wonder what they were talking with Donald behind scenes. I wonder, you know, as Donald Trump is crashing our economy, if they came up with a scheme together, Donald Trump and the crypto bros, that is, in order to now manipulate that market. What's Donald Trump doing while the American people are suffering? D.C. Grand Prix. Oh, yeah, that's what everybody's focused on.
Starting point is 00:01:58 DC Grand Prix indie cars going hundreds of miles an hour around Washington, D.C. Here's what you go. Here's what you get American people. Like, what is this? We don't want any of this. You ripped away our health care. You've made the cost of living way more challenging than it even was before. People are barely holding on bankruptcies, personal bankruptcies, business bankruptcies, farm bankruptcies,
Starting point is 00:02:26 hitting an all-time high. But folks, let them watch Donald Trump do DC Grand Prix that the taxpayers have to pay for that nobody actually wants. By the way, like, it's cool if you like Grand Prix. If you like UFC, if you like these things, I'm not like hating on that on Grand Prix. I just, we don't need our taxpayer dollars to fund these cars going around Washington, D.C. in a propaganda fest, especially when our country is suffering. The people here are suffering. And Donald Trump's plan with Iran, I'm going to, first earlier this week, it was, I'm going to
Starting point is 00:03:08 just do nothing. And that is going to harm Iran and they're going to give up. We've been sanctioning Iran for decades with some of the harshest sanctions. What are you going to do, Donald? economic D-Day, he says. That's what I'm going to do. Anybody who does business with Iran, we're coming after. Okay, well, what about China?
Starting point is 00:03:33 Maybe not them. What about Russia? Maybe not them. Okay. So nobody, what are going to do? What's the game plan here, Donald? What about Pakistan? Maybe not them.
Starting point is 00:03:47 Okay. That's where Donald Trump's over there. Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to praise Kim Jong-un, North Korea. We know that Donald Trump has a love fest with Kim Jong-un. He announced, again, while he's also making Grand Prix announcements, that we are no longer doing military exercises with South Korea. I did a video earlier today from the President of South Korea. It's like, all right, goodbye.
Starting point is 00:04:14 See you later. Sounds good. We found out about this via social media post is what the President of South Korea said. understand, all good. That's how Donald Trump, the peacemaker, does it, social media post. Okay, we don't really think we need you in South Korea also. So look forward to us just taking care of our own security needs. And South Korea's president, President Lee, meeting with Wang Yi of China, China's foreign minister. Melania surfaced, I'm here, everybody. She says, I'm here. Melania just held a press conference for the grand.
Starting point is 00:04:51 Pre where she got a helmet. Melania got a helmet, everybody, from the Grand Prix racers. That's what Americans are saying. Oh, and we can't wait. Do you hear Melania's coming out with the lost chapters of her documentary on Amazon that nobody cared about? Well, now there are the lost chapters, everybody. Ooh, wow.
Starting point is 00:05:13 Wonder what's in those chapters. That'll be a fascinating, fascinating watch, Melania. I mean, can you believe this dystopian absolute shit show? I mean, Jesus. Well, and again, it isn't, here's the thing. Everyone's like, oh, Senator, not everybody, but like people trying to make the idea of Senator Asoff calling out Donald Trump's bazaar, whatever you want to call it with Natalie harp, you know, like, that's not nice to Natalie.
Starting point is 00:05:43 That's not nice. Okay, okay, first off, just setting the Natalie things like, okay. Okay, Donald Trump is a sexual predator. Okay, it's been found civilly liable for sexual assault. The guys on audio bragging about sexually assaulting women because he says he's rich and they let you do it when you are rich. Okay, Donald Trump is on audio bragging about going into the locker rooms in beauty pageants and looking at the girls naked because he says, I get to inspect them when I own the pageants.
Starting point is 00:06:15 Okay, so spare me. Senator Assoff mentioning Natalie. But he didn't just say, oh, did you see Natalie? Natalie and Donald sitting in a tree? That's not what he did. He said Donald Trump's out there with Natalie flying around, objectively true, flying around in a Katari jet that is apparently defenseless as the American, this is the most important part, as the American people are suffering.
Starting point is 00:06:45 as the American people are having there and have had their health care ripped away, as the American people are seeing their jobs be lost. They've tapped out of tapping into their life savings and they don't have any more money. Consumer confidence at a historical low. And while all of this is going on, Donald Trump's out there doing Grand Prix and Golden ballrooms and hiding in catering containers with Natalie while the American people suffer. It's one of the things that I think Senator Assoff does such a good job at that he brings these, this is what we try to do at the Midas Touch Network.
Starting point is 00:07:33 It's not, look, if Donald Trump was a shitty billionaire who ran off with people like Natalie and behave, would we like, would I want to be friends with that individual? No. Okay, I wouldn't want to be friends with them. Would I devote my time to calling that person out? Probably not. I mean, why would I? I mean, you know, and also what you do in your private life, you can do in your private life, that's, you know, my view is government stay out. I'm not, you do what you got to do as long as you're not hurting people, as long as it's consensual, as long as you're behaving responsive. Do what you want. I'm not a prior, okay? I'm not a, you know, by the way, all these and then when you actually put a not even a magnifying glass, when you look at what they're doing, it's, you know, absolutely horrific. But the issue is that these people have positions of power. Natalie isn't some random person. Natalie's holding and using Trump's phone to communicate with world leaders. This isn't like a random person. She's Donald Trump's gatekeeper, apparently. She's with him at all of these meetings where decisions are being made to destroy American alliances,
Starting point is 00:08:53 to destroy the American economy for Trump to enrich himself. She's there. She's whatever you want to call her, the sidekick, the side, whatever you want, whatever you want to say. She's by his side. While this is going on, she's being paid by us, apparently, by the taxpayers. And these are people who are causing harm to the American people. These aren't, oh, defenseless. No, no, these are people causing harm to Americans who are frankly defenseless against the malicious incompetence of the Trump regime. And we're going to call that out.
Starting point is 00:09:34 So, yeah, Malani is surfacing. But I also want to talk about, I think, some good news this week as well, not just focus on the bad news. Big Democrat win in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's 12 state house representative race in a plus 18 Trump state house district in Pennsylvania. The Democratic candidate had a big win there in a plus 18 district flipping that 19 point swing. It's a really big deal in my opinion. and it continues the trend that we've seen of Democrats overperforming the polling by, on average,
Starting point is 00:10:20 12.5 percent, an overperformance that we've seen frequently. And I think you have lots of MAGA people who are very concerned about that heading into the midterms. Chief among them, you have Kevin McCarthy saying, we're in a lot of trouble come the midterms. Let's talk about all this stuff. Let's talk about I previewed it right there. We'll show you what went down moments ago. You have Melania Trump emerging as though we,
Starting point is 00:10:47 we didn't care that you weren't in public view, Malani. We were just pointing out how bizarre it is. So she comes like, I am here, everybody. I heard you missed me. Here I am. Nobody really missed you. We frankly don't really care about you. We just think this whole cabal that's going on at the White House,
Starting point is 00:11:11 is freaking an oddity while the American people are suffering. So here she is. Let's play this moments ago. Good afternoon. I am here. Everybody. Here I am, everybody. Let's play it.
Starting point is 00:11:23 Good afternoon. I heard you missed me. Here I am. Welcome to the White House. A warm. Here I am. So funny, Melania. So she's so, she's so inspiring.
Starting point is 00:11:42 I'm so. inspired by Melania. And then she's got a lot of inspiring words for everybody. Like, look at this incredible, gorgeous, powerful race car. Yeah, America. America. What I think about the red, white, and blue, it's this. This is, this is the American dream, everybody. Here, play this clip. Look at this incredible race car. Gorgeous and powerful. I'm sure we cannot wait to see it starts its engine. Good luck to all of the drivers and teams on Sunday's race.
Starting point is 00:12:28 Did you see it fostering the future? It's on the race car. The level of just performative stuff. Okay, just do, just help it. It's on the race car, everybody. That's what, you know what's really. going to help the foster children, this indie race. By putting foster the children on the race car. And then focusing on not the underlying systemic issues that need actual change in the foster care system,
Starting point is 00:13:01 which the Trump regime has gutted, by the way, but to say what important is investment accounts. We need to make sure that the foster children are heavily invested. in the S&P 500 as children so that we can keep this Ponzi scheme Trump economy going by having that money get diverted to the companies that Donald Trump has in his portfolio. And then you had the kind of Grand Prix people say, we now have a gift for you, Melania. I was gifts. Like, why are they getting gifts?
Starting point is 00:13:41 we are giving you a race car helmet. Here, play this clip. And Scott, if the First Lady had come up, you have something special for the drivers to present to the First Lady. Wait, what are we clapping for? What the hell is this? WTF America, that's why I wake up and I say,
Starting point is 00:14:06 what the hell is that? Okay, but then, you know, earlier this morning, the American people are deeply concerned about, we're all very concerned, about gas prices, they say the national average is over $4 a gallon. Out here in California, it's $6. I don't know what it is by you.
Starting point is 00:14:29 Diesel out here in California is $7, which that impacts you too because California is the biggest agriculture state. And so when diesel is $7, where do you think that's going to get passed on to? And who's going to get passed on to the consumer? Of course it is. But I'm sure in your states, diesel's probably similar. Gas is probably closer to $6 than $4 in your state as well, like it is here in California.
Starting point is 00:15:01 Mortgage rates are unattainable. People don't have the savings to even possibly consider buying a home right now in the United States. People are struggling to pay their rent right now. But this is the Trump messaging. And Jeremy, I don't need to play this whole clip right here at Monica Crowley. because everybody will get the point. But with all of this going on, the media blitz today by the Trump regime
Starting point is 00:15:26 was indie car racing, was indie car racing. And then I did a video on it the other day on state regime media Fox. Jesse Waters' big segment was talking to college ladies, young college girls on the beach wearing bikinis and asking them about the First Amendment or asking them and asking them about it. We'll play both of them, Jeremy.
Starting point is 00:15:51 The first one I want to play is 25 Indy Cars. Let's play this one. Yes, you know, the president really promised the American people the greatest and most monumental celebration in our nation's history to mark our 250th birthday, and that's exactly what he's delivered, including this weekend, which will really be our last major 250s celebratory event, which is the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix race. You know, the last time Washington, D.C. saw a race of this kind.
Starting point is 00:16:26 Thomas Jefferson was president, and it was America's 25th birthday back in... Of course, we all remember the Thomas Jefferson Grand Prix race. We all remember that certainly. More from Monica Crowley right here, talking about, you know, So let's pull in the one. These people are completely delusional, Jeremy.
Starting point is 00:16:52 Let's play. I mean, there's hard power. And as we know, America is a champion of hard power. We're seeing it exercised by this president all over the world. But soft power is just as important. And this is the kind of soft diplomacy that we're engaged in every single day. It is about showing the world what America is really all about. Our freedoms, our free enterprise system, our system of government.
Starting point is 00:17:18 government and the kind of leadership and American strength that is demonstrated every single day by this president. So that kind of soft power exercise is tremendously important. And all of the people who came here over the summer for the FIFA World Cup for our 250 and who are now here for the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix, they will go back home to their home countries, as we have seen and preach the gospel of America. And really how tremendous the American people are. What an extraordinary... Seriously? You want to talk about soft power and hard power?
Starting point is 00:17:57 Soft power? The U.S. dismantled USAID. The U.S. has treated every country in the world like absolute crap, other than North Korea and Russia and perhaps China, as Donald Trump is a bootlicker of Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin. We want to talk about hard power. The U.S. got its ass kicked from Iran in a war that Donald Trump pretends that we control the Strait of Hormuz.
Starting point is 00:18:28 You got another Barack-Ravid article out this week from Axios. The U.S. has opened up a stealth route through the Strait of Hormuz, a stealth route. Not so stealthy when you publish it. We're bringing in half or maybe even 60% as much oil as we did before. the war started, well, that wouldn't be good if true, but that's not true. It's just an absolute lie. If it was true, then what are we, if we are, if we are bringing in all this oil, then why isn't it being reflected in the data? Why is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve a tank bottom? Okay, let's just accept what they're trying to do. Okay, so you're saying that all this
Starting point is 00:19:15 oil is being brought in, but also then what's up with the market? So if that's true, then y'all are extra dumb. No, the truth is that there's no stealthy route. We know the route. It's by Oman. Iran knows the route. And every other day, Iran strikes a tanker.
Starting point is 00:19:39 There are some ships that get through the southern route by Oman in the Strait of Hormuz. but not 10 million barrels a day. The lying is just so stupid. And it also signals to Iran just how desperate Trump is, how weak he is. Iran knows. You don't think they know in Iran that we're at tank bottom that Iran can wait this out and the treasury yields will continue to rise?
Starting point is 00:20:09 Why do you think Besant made the move that he did yesterday, which by the way, We did a detailed analysis with Midas Touch, chief economist Justin Wolfer's, about the bond buyback scheme. I hope it was helpful to hear the way we broke it down because oftentimes you hear about these things and it's inaccessible. It's like, what are they talking? Treasury yields? What the hell are they talking about, right? But you had Bessent manipulate the market to bring down the treasury yields by doing a bond buyback scheme of $4 billion. but then signaling to the market to manipulate it that the Treasury would potentially do yield curve control or potentially, you know, take broader steps beyond the $4 billion buyback. So for a short period of time, the market was manipulated.
Starting point is 00:21:06 But as I've said before, and you know a constant theme I talk about when it comes to using the reflecting pool as the bigger metaphor of this Trump regime. You could paint it blue for a little bit, but the algae always comes back, right? You could pretend you've solved an issue with a miracle cure. You could call it American flag blue. You can attack Biden and Obama. You could try to scapego this person or that person or blame this person. The algae always comes back unless you actually fixed the problem. And Donald Trump's a guy who's a fraud his whole life. And so what does he do? He defrauds people. These are all these are schemes. These are Bernie Madoff like schemes done at a much grander scale. So the market today said, bullshit, bullshit. That's what they said today. The markets.
Starting point is 00:22:03 Treasury yield surged higher than they were yesterday. I'm sure there were arbitrages who made that money, though, who made the market manipulation money. Not you or me or most Americans, but I'm sure they were the same way. Bessent when he engaged in the bailout of the yen. Remember two weeks ago, the yen bailout, the Japanese yen bailout? Well, that didn't work. The yen continues to decrease. It worked for a day.
Starting point is 00:22:35 Worked for a day. We sold euros and convert. them into yen without telling the European Central Bank. First time we did a swap like that and not alert another central bank, especially the European Central Bank, worked for a day. But then guess what happened? The algae always comes back. You've got the yen crashing yet again. And the Japanese are going to have to do what we feared they were going to do. Sell U.S. Treasuries are the biggest holder of our treasuries. And what's that going to do to the yields? up up up up up and what does that do to our debt up up up what is it due to our deficit increase increase increase
Starting point is 00:23:20 because we now have to pay interest on that debt at these higher rates and that is deeply problematic $1.3 trillion a year has to be paid in interest now on this paper that foreign holders don't really want to hold anymore. As Carl Keentania posts, and he's citing an economist here, it's like disconnecting the smoke alarm so they can keep playing with the matches. I mean, the United States is behaving. I think there is someone who says, do you have this meme, Jeremy, where they were showing Bessent, like trying to put out all these fires. We may not have it. But it's like the U.S. is behaving like 1980s. Yeah, here it is right here. Lars Christensen says, I'm getting a lot of emerging markets vibe with Bessent.
Starting point is 00:24:10 And it's not Poland in 2006. It's Bolivia in 1986. Besson trying to decide whether to intervene in treasury, currency, or energy markets today. And this dude is failing and he is flailing. And I don't like being right in these things. I don't like being right. But I hope when you go back and you think, about our discussions together and the things I was saying two months ago that, you know,
Starting point is 00:24:44 haters of Midas Touch would tell you, always being hyperbolic, these things aren't going to happen and da-da-da-da-da. And they don't know. Don't worry about. Don't call them fascists. Blah, wow, wow, wow. I hope you see that, you know, we were right about these things. And I was warning about these things because they were pretty freaking obvious. And you had all this, you had all of this kind of corporate news deluge, whether it was axios or Politico or this one or that one, saying, Donald Trump said the straight of Hormuz is open. We have a super secret route. We're making progress. Things are going amazing. Iran's not going to last another two days. Oh, it's going to be great. We've never been stronger. Besson figured it out. He's, don't underestimate Besson. Shut up. We know what's going on. All right. Let's take a very. Let's take.
Starting point is 00:25:35 our first quick break of the day. Quick reminder, make sure you all subscribe to the YouTube channel. Get your copy of WTF America, the book that I wrote with my brothers. It comes out October 20th, 2026. Pre-order it now. Also, I did a long interview this morning. I was up early speaking with Anthony Scaramucci. I joined his podcast this morning. We spoke for about an hour. Check that out. I think that's going to go up. They're going to put that on audio. soon as well. I was interviewed by Scaramucci. I think we told the book. Where's the book? Right there. Right there. All right. Thanks, everybody. We'll take our first quick break of the show. Before continuing, one quick PSA for the Midas Mighty when it comes to Medicare. Most Medicare
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Starting point is 00:28:58 not for everyone individual results. Paltz vary, risks and benefits at springsleep.com. Welcome back to Ben on Breaking News. I'm Ben Myceles, and this is your breaking news. Show you what Treasury Secretary Bessent was saying earlier today, held a press conference outside of the White House. He was asked, why oil's going up so much? Besson, he told us we were going to get this under control.
Starting point is 00:29:29 Martin, you promise something with the two in front of it by now? So Besson goes, we got a spike in oil prices today that I don't really understand, he says. I don't really understand it. Here, let's play this clip. We've got a spike in oil prices today that I don't really understand. You know, our announcement is for economic action. And I think that the economic action will mean that oil prices will come down sooner. I don't understand it. I mean, I think actually most Americans do understand it. We are in a catastrophic war that the U.S. lost. We went in there with Netanyahu, a genocidal war criminal. We started slaughtering little girls in Manab, in Le Maherd and other areas. The Epstein class slaughtered little girls in Iran.
Starting point is 00:30:29 The United States blew up 30,000 other sites in Iran. Iran maintained its leadership structure, took control over the Strait of Hormuz. Everybody predicted that they would. And the U.S. has since then, under Donald Trump's completely failed and utter deranged and demonic leadership, has fake conversations where he makes fake deal. up with himself. And as I said before the break, the algae always comes back. You can't hide it. I mean, you know, because the U.S. led the post-World War II architecture, okay, that's not a minor thing. You know, it's not like building a shitty Donald Trump building or something, you know, with, you know, not the best material and then pretending it's great and whatever. That's not what it is. This is post-World War II security architecture, right?
Starting point is 00:31:29 Remember, we used to like watch the history channel or you'd watch the World War II videos and you would see American generals and you would see American presidents, right? You'd see FDR. You'd see Truman. Post-World War II, you would see Eisenhower. You would see all of these people, you know, speaking in carefully worded statements. And, you know, let's be clear, the post-World War II architecture had lots of problems. It was not perfect for the entire world. It wasn't perfect for the United States. I'm not out here saying, look how great everything was. It was so amazing. I'm simply saying that the architecture that was created with America as the leader was intended to benefit America.
Starting point is 00:32:25 and Donald Trump viewed that as not enough, that it had to be more, that we were being exploited by the countries who had to deal with American military bases in their countries and bought our stuff, which would ultimately go to America, Donald, so the architecture is hard. to unravel, but Trump did it.
Starting point is 00:32:58 He managed to do it in two years. Two, I mean, you know, it's, it's, didn't do it the first year, but he definitely eroded the architecture. And right now, it's like America in the, it's, it's embarrassing. Like, it is truly, if you use a modicum of logic and you have a threshold where you actually feel shame and humiliation, like you should genuinely be humiliated at what America is in the world right now. It's a shameful thing. And you can say that as a patriotic American who hopes to one day restore the dignity and restore trust and restore predictability in it. But what Donald Trump has
Starting point is 00:33:46 created is the way people would look at the Trump organizations in the 80s and the 90s and before the apprentice, ugh, the F, the F, that guy is a piece of shit. That's what people would say in New York about this guy. Piece of shit. That's like the United States now, of America. That's what we've become. Excuse me, that's what people would say about Trump. And we went, you know, this is a guy who was a wrecking ball to so many people's lives.
Starting point is 00:34:17 That's what America becomes the world. So Treasury Secretary Besson, this is a confuel. Why did the oil problem? I don't know. Maybe because we got less oil. Again, I'm not sure why the Mickey Mouse voice. Maybe because we're not bringing 10 million barrels out there, Treasury Secretary Bessent. Maybe that's why. Okay. I'm the way, what do you? What, what, what? We're really shocker. We're not bringing 10 million barrels a day. We don't control the straight of removes. And despite Donald Trump posting, that's my new coping mechanism. I do Mickey impressions about
Starting point is 00:34:49 how ridiculous our country has become. And it just comes out of nowhere, too. I can't control it. That's just Mickey. I can't control. I'll stop doing Mickey impressions. U.S. does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz. Bob Melmandab straight, Red Sea,
Starting point is 00:35:12 the Houthis can effectively run a blockade as it relates to Saudi tankers, which is what they are doing right now. Trump said he would solve Russia's war against Ukraine in 24. four hours. That didn't happen. And Ukraine is now striking hard deep in Russia. Refinery is there, tankers in the water, right? Black Sea, Sevasov, Russian takers getting hit Russia striking hard in Ukraine. Russia strikes in Kiev last night. Jeremy, do we have the video of the Russia strikes in Kiev last night? Ukraine doesn't have. And there it is. See what you're watching right there are these strikes. Ukraine doesn't have interceptors. So Russia's ballistic missiles can strike
Starting point is 00:35:59 whenever they want at this point. Look at this other one right here. Boom. Nothing Ukraine can do about it because Trump promised Zelensky were going to get you an interceptor or get you interceptor licenses. Trump ran out of interceptors for the United States of America regardless. He's not even going to give Zelensky the license. So, you know, but a ton of people killed. Ukraine yesterday and we're heading to the winter and Russia's been building up its ballistics, it's cruise missiles, it's Shaheeds. Who do you think is helping Russia with that? Who do you think is helping?
Starting point is 00:36:37 North Korea, Iran, China. That is what it is. That's just the reality. A lot of the, as Donald Trump says, North Korea has done nothing harmful. why would we and South Korea be hostile to North Korea? Dude, in the past 12 hours since Donald Trump made that statement, Kim Jong-un launched about 10 ballistic missiles right around Japan and said, we are not changing our position about South Korea, Japan,
Starting point is 00:37:15 or the United States because of Donald Trump's post. Kim Jong-un's sister, who has a top military position in North Korea, said, we're not talking to Donald. We don't know what he's even talking about. Kim Yo-Jang said she's unaware of any recent communication between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump. I mean, it's like a humiliation ritual. Donald Trump just pretending he's like talking with authoritarian who he, like, dreams about. It's freaking weird, man.
Starting point is 00:37:46 And you go and watch the interview I did with Scaramucci. I said, I said, I said, mooch. I said, this guy is just a loser. I said, there's so much to criticize, obviously. And I would never want an authoritarian in our country. I want democracy. I want empathy. I want dignity.
Starting point is 00:38:10 I want civil rights. I want equality. You know the values and principles we talk about here. But the part to me that's undeniable is that this regime is a regime of loser. These are loser. These are loser people. These are lifelong losers who are just bad people and they're horrible at doing that. They're horrible at even being authoritarian.
Starting point is 00:38:33 There's bad. And I watch them. I'm like, what the hell are they doing? What the hell are they doing? The hell is this? You know, you watch Brooke Rollins. She's asked, is affordability becoming a test? This is on Newsmax, on whether the Trump administration can deliver on its economic promise.
Starting point is 00:38:54 What do you think she answered this question? Do you think she said, well, we understand that the American people are deeply concerned. So we're going to be rolling out specific plan X, Y, and Z to make things less expensive. Or I'll give you B. Joe Biden did it. Joe Biden did it. A or B, let's find out. Let's play it. With the midterms approaching, how do you see this playing out? Is food affordability really
Starting point is 00:39:25 becoming a test of whether the Trump administration can deliver on its economic promises? No, affordability, you know, I think continues to be a key conversation as it should be. But I think we have to put this all into context. And certainly on the food side, which is what we are looking at at USDA, protecting the food supply number one. But affordability is, well. Under Joe Biden, the cost of food went up almost 25%. I mean, this is what we're battling against right now. Under Trump, we are right at the 20-year average, which is around 2 to 3%. Ah, is Joe Biden's fault. August 20th, 20, 26, it's Joe Biden's fault. Really? The guy who ran, now I'm referring to Trump on I will lower the costs on day one, your electricity.
Starting point is 00:40:16 bills will be cut in half. Everybody will get $5,000 doge dividend checks. Groceries will all be super cheap. It'll be so easy to afford a home. You're not going to even know what to do with it, that you're going to be so rich. It'll be so easy to afford a home. Of course, I'll be able to stop Russia's war in Ukraine in 24 hours. Gas will be $2 a gallon.
Starting point is 00:40:44 Yeah, really? Really? So that guy couldn't fix it. But he said, I alone can fix it. I alone can. All right. Besant, Besson, Besson, Besson, Besson. You got better answers than Brooke Rollins, right?
Starting point is 00:41:00 Treasury Secretary, right now our national debt has exceeded $40 trillion. $40 trillion. We're paying $1.3 trillion a year right now in interest on that debt. What's the deal? How did this happen? Is that a, should we be concerned about it? Let's listen to what Treasury Secretary Bessent had to say play this clip. And remember, we did not get here in a day that we were left with a mess. The Biden administration had the highest deficit to GDP in history when we weren't at war or weren't in a recession. For 2025, we brought it down by more than a percent.
Starting point is 00:41:46 Okay, really. So that's Biden's fault, too. You do realize that 35% to 40% of all of that debt comes from your boy. It comes from Donald. Where do you think it was coming from? Where do you think it comes from? His first term, this term. And by the way, Should we say that the debt did go up under Biden? Biden ate the president. Biden dropped out. So under your logic, Trump should drop out. Let's just assume they're right. Biden, Biden, Biden. Okay, well, Biden dropped out.
Starting point is 00:42:31 So Trump should drop out. If you're saying Biden as your shield of Trump, Biden dropped out. So Trump should drop out. That's, I guess, the logical conclusion, right? That seems logical to me, but let's also be real. Under former President Biden, whose mess did he have to inherit? Trump's first term, he inherited a prosperous economy from Obama and he screwed it up by the time he was done with it.
Starting point is 00:42:59 He handed former President Biden a piece of crap economy with COVID raging, with shipping destroyed, with the disastrous way PPP was dealt with, where like hundreds of billions of dollars, We're just like lost. We're just like lost by the Trump regime. They didn't actually hit the American people, went to lots of rich people. But I need only show Donald Trump running for office in 2015. And this was Donald Trump. Now that we know the U.S. debt reached $40 trillion.
Starting point is 00:43:37 Donald Trump once warned of the dangers of reaching a debt level of $20 trillion or $24 trillion. That's the point of no return. He said when he ran in $20 trillion. Here's what he said. Here, play this clip. Because we really do have to get going. Because if we have another three or four years, you know, we're at 18 trillion now, we're soon going to be at 20 trillion.
Starting point is 00:44:01 According to the economists, who I'm not big believers in, but nevertheless, this is what they're saying, that 24 trillion, we're very close. That's the point of no return. $24 trillion. We will be there soon. That's when we become Greece. That's when we become a country that's unsalvageable.
Starting point is 00:44:24 And we're going to be there very soon. We're going to be there very soon. That's when we become 1987 Bolivia or Argentina or an emerging market, as I discussed earlier. And again, I don't know how anybody watches that and sees where we're at now and doesn't go. what a freaking con artist what a piece of i don't know how you don't really don't i don't know how you don't look at that and go i just get angry i also don't know how you look at that and go man this guy has cognitively and physically rotted away i mean what the hell is i mean you compare him now to to there i mean it's still a bunch of nonsense back then but looked like a different human
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Starting point is 00:48:27 row.com slash safety. Welcome back to Ben on breaking news. I'm Ben Myceles. This is our breaking news. Shout out to Jordy, my brothers, for those great ad reads. Thank you to our sponsors. They support our show. Jordy negotiates actual deals, not concept of deals, not framework. deals with our sponsors in order to bring them to you. So put the discount code in the description below. By now, I'm sure you've seen the clips of Darlene Graham, Lindsay Graham's sister, who for reasons that are inexplicable to me and probably more inexplicable to people who don't live in the United States is now a United States Senator simply because she's Lindsay Graham's sister.
Starting point is 00:49:14 She was appointed. What kind of system do we have here? The WTF. And at the debate, she was asked a pretty basic question about Taiwan. What do you think about? Taiwan threats around Taiwan. And her response is, I don't really know anything about Taiwan. I'm going to be honest.
Starting point is 00:49:35 I don't really know anything about foreign affairs, she said. And then I think even perhaps worse than her is like I know she's. got a lot of crap for saying that. But then you had her opponent, who's Ralph Norman. And like, I get Ralph Norman answered the question confidently. But he's like, and that's why China fears us. Peace through strength. And why do you think China is worried about us and scared about us? I don't know whose answer I would. They're both horrible answers. Like, they're equally bad. Like, Her answer got the attention because she's like, I don't know foreign. This is what the Republican Party is.
Starting point is 00:50:22 I don't know foreign affairs. And then Ralph Norman, her opponent in South Carolina. And that's why China's terrified. What world is China terrified? Like, you know, these people who call themselves China Hawks, we're going to be strong. We're going to decouple. Dude, China, I can't even say is cleaning our clocks because that's the press. present, it's been done. They have cleaned our clock. China right now, definitely in Asia,
Starting point is 00:50:55 is indisputably the hegemonic power. I would argue in the Middle East right now. And I would argue internationally, I would say the military in China significantly stronger than the United States right now. And you go like, man, that's crazy. That's crazy. Well, we don't have weapons. Okay. One side has weapons. China. One side, the U.S. is out of weapons.
Starting point is 00:51:25 The U.S. ran out of weapons in a war with a country, Iran, that was not even a regional power at the time. We shouldn't have been involved in this catastrophic war. I'm not endorsing the war by saying, oh, we should have done. I'm just letting you know an objective reality. We went into a catastrophic war with Netanyahu, a genocidal maniac. we should not have been involved in this war, but Iran was not even a regional power. They are a regional power right now.
Starting point is 00:51:51 Iran won the war. I think as a patriotic America, we have to recognize that. America lost. Okay, but Donald Trump is a lifelong predator. He's a sex predator. It's been found civilly liable for sexual assault. He is a leak. He can't accept an L even when he l.
Starting point is 00:52:09 He winds. So it's clear we're never going to reaffed. resolve this catastrophic war in Iran as long as Donald Trump remains the president. Just look what he did with E. Jean Carroll. I mean, obviously, sexually assaulted her. He's been found civilly liable for that. I can say that definitively. Sue me. I dare you. I dare you to sue me for that. I would be, by the way, if Trump were to sue me for that or whatever, my strategy, I would go to trial right away. I wouldn't play these games on motions to dismiss. I would take his ass to trial. I would set his deposition right away. I wouldn't even bullshit around. I put his set his deposition immediately and start
Starting point is 00:52:53 asking him about all of the allegations. I just go through it seven hours. I'd ask the judge for three days worth of depositions. But I digress. But my point is he gets rejected by the Supreme Court in his petition for certiorari to appeal a case that he and then he petitions again. Then he petitions again. You lost, buddy. You're a loser. You're a sexual predator. You've been found civilly liable. Get the hell away.
Starting point is 00:53:20 Sicko. Right? But Iran, who do they go after? Who do they go after on day one? Just think about it. What did Iran strike day one? They struck the American logistical sites. Bahrain, UAE.
Starting point is 00:53:39 Where else? Al-U-D. So that we couldn't bring. bring supplies to our aircraft carriers. That's where Iran struck after we attack them. Where did the U.S. strike Iran? Little girls. Slaughtered 168 little girls in Iran.
Starting point is 00:53:57 And it sickens me to this day right now that that just isn't talked about more. It sickens me. It saddens me to think that I live in a nation right now. And I think as a patriotic American, I go, I'm like, well, Ben, get out of here. They don't be here. They go somewhere else. No, I love them.
Starting point is 00:54:17 I still love this country. But I think that it's sick and demented. And I can't even think of the words that describe it. And it's not just there. It's Le Mare. It's other areas. Then Trump and Hegsth slaughtered the day before that. A little girl's playing volleyball.
Starting point is 00:54:40 16-year-old, 15-year-old girls playing volleyball. And they tried half. out sick, a new weapon that sprays these pellets. It exploded over the girls playing volleyball, and the pellets killed the little girls playing volleyball in a gym. Undisputed fact that that happened. Undisputed fact that it happened. And so the Trump regime engaged in this catastrophic war, lost to a regional power, well, now a regional power in Iran. And right now you have China in its ascendancy. And going back to where we started this and I went all over the place.
Starting point is 00:55:29 I know I weaved and then wove and then kind of forgot where I was. But in all seriousness, you have Ralph Norman saying that, we're somehow stronger than China right now or like China or China's afraid of us. China's not afraid of us. South Korea's foreign minister just met with or South Korea's president just met with Wang Yi, China's foreign minister and talked about a new security umbrella in Asia. We've had to move our last aircraft carrier from the Pacific. Donald Trump is now getting rid of the army drone program that,
Starting point is 00:56:10 former army chief of staff, Randy George was pioneering because Hegsteth and this sycophentic new army chief of staff that Hegseth put in, this guy Christopher Le Neb, who replaced Randy George, wants to get, quote, back to the basics. Back to the basics. We got to be like what we were in World War II. Okay, we're in 2026 now, though. Dron warfare. We don't need battleships. We need drones, anti-drones, unmanned submersives. The hell are you talking about? Get back to the basics. It's like idiotic.
Starting point is 00:56:44 Donald Trump's like, we don't need electro-magnet. We shouldn't have electromagnetic launchers on our aircraft carriers. We need steam catapults. What the heck are you talking about? We need steam cat. What are you talking about? We just engineer the way our experts tell us to engineer. Steam catapults?
Starting point is 00:57:00 What are you talking about? I want to redesign the Ford-class aircraft carriers so they look like battleships from 1925. Why would we do that? Why are you so freaking stupid? Again, this isn't like, it's like you're dumb. Like a dummy idiot, malignant, narcissistic idiot loser. Like what the hell is this?
Starting point is 00:57:20 So these are important, they're important questions. We were certainly, you know, so when Ralph Norm was like, this is America's strait. This is America straight. When they tell people, this is the golden age, this is the, really? This is the golden age. This is what you all wanted. This is what you sold us. This was your vision?
Starting point is 00:57:37 Or maybe for them, because. us, they're doing all the inside trading or they're making all the money or they're getting all the deals and they're doing it for themselves personally. Well, maybe it is for them. This is what they wanted. The ultimate grift where losers are able to loot and pillage from the American people who are hardworking and just want to earn an honest day's living while you've got the Treasury Secretary Bessent doing bond buyback schemes while American workers just saying, I work my ass off today. Why am I not getting paid with dignity? so I can support my family and buy a home when I did everything that was asked of me.
Starting point is 00:58:12 And I can't even buy a home right now. I can't even afford my rent right now. I can't get health care right now. And you idiots want to talk about, I don't know, the WMBA player getting fouled hard because she's white and you want to make this into a white versus black WMBA player. We don't know what the hell you're even talking about on Fox. Just focus on what we're talking about here. We have people working who are getting health care ripped away.
Starting point is 00:58:36 We got people here are struggling to live in the industry. United States and we're in these never-ending wars. You've got idiot White House posting these weird photos of Mario cart, Donald Trump, like, as freaking Mario, but it looks like he's riding with freaking Jeffrey Epstein in the back. Did you see this photo? It looks like he's riding around with either Carolyn Levitt or Natalie. It looks like Jeffrey Epstein. It's in the back. Did they literally pick Jeffrey? Who is that in the background? Mario car with the worst type of Mario cart. Sexual Predator Mario Kart, Donald Trump and Epstein. The hell is even going on there. Crazy stuff. Darlene Graham. So then she, that was the point. Focus. Darling Grave.
Starting point is 00:59:28 So she is on Hannity. And I just want you to watch the double standard right here. I'm going to play for you this portion. This is a person who is a United States Senator. Senator. This is a United States senator. It's like a transformer. She's a senator. Here, let's play this clip. Because there are votes that go toward
Starting point is 00:59:52 funding wars or declaring wars. And if you're deciding vote in that factor, how can we trust as constituents that you'll make the right decision if you're not informed on national security issues at this moment of time? That's a fair question, right? But you know, I answered it honestly
Starting point is 01:00:07 because I'm not a national security. expert, Lindsey was, right? Because he talked a lot about national security. You know why? He spent 33 years in the Air Force. He had a military background. So he had a lot of foreign relations and that was his focus. To me as I walked around this room and I've asked people, are y'all concerned about Taiwan? You know what they said? No, they're concerned about the price of groceries, the price of gas, rising health care cost. As national security important? Absolutely. Can I learn? I'm smart. Yes, I'll learn. I'll become informed. Everybody has the first day on the job. President Trump, was he a politician?
Starting point is 01:00:53 Has he done a good job? Yes, he has. That's my answer. So, but I will always be honest. I'm always going to be honest with all of you. I don't know. thing about national security ain't my thing. When I speak to people in this state, they don't care about Taiwan. They just care about groceries. They care about the groceries. Y'all are in power. People are saying, who is that? That's Darlene Graham. That's Lindsay Graham's sister. She's currently a United States senator because she got appointed in that position by the governor because Trump wanted her to be in that position. Okay.
Starting point is 01:01:44 So during her debate, she said she doesn't know about anything about Taiwan. And then she's now been going, oh, shucks, I'm just an honest person. And I don't know. I'll learn. Donald didn't know. Yeah, the problem is that Donald didn't know. And he still doesn't know. And he's winging it.
Starting point is 01:02:04 And worse, he's enriching himself. And that's all he cares about. and he is a malignant narcissist and a psychopath and a sociopath and a demented individual who has caused all of these issues. And also it is related. It is related. We don't just care about national security because it's like a topic. It's like Jeopardy. I'll learn that category a little bit better on the job. It's because it's national. security. We are a nation. And perhaps the security is important to the nation. And perhaps all of these things are related. As we've seen in the war, why do you think the price of gas is going up?
Starting point is 01:03:02 Do you think maybe it's because we have idiots who don't know about national security or just think that Trump and Netanyahu would be greeted like heroes after bombing little girls in Iran? Do you think that maybe if we listen to national security experts, maybe just maybe we would not have gotten involved in a catastrophic and unlawful war that anybody could have told you the outcome? and then maybe, just maybe, darling, just maybe, darling, that's connected to the affordability issue because when you tariff the world and you start wars around the world, things blow up. And you know, when things blow up, you know what happens? I'll give you a basic economics lecture. There's less of it. And when there's less of it, darling, you know what happens?
Starting point is 01:04:01 costs more money. And so perhaps national security is also related. Oh, shucks. To affordability, darling. Just maybe that was an issue. And maybe we need people who understand these things as United States senators. And when you go touring around South Carolina, and there are people who may not know what I just described about Taiwan,
Starting point is 01:04:31 by the way, very important for a lot of things. Tech, semiconductors, broader national security implications regarding the U.S. trade relationship with China. Rare earths, a lot of issues. But guess what, Darlene? You're running for the United States Senate. You are a senator, or as I said before, a senator. And your job is to be a leader and to know these things.
Starting point is 01:05:01 because that's what your job is, not to be, I'm just going to try my darndest. I'm going to do my best for the people. But again, when you listen to what Ralph Norman says, and he's like, that's why China fears us. If you truly believe that China fears us right now, I'm not sure who I'd want better in that, Darlene or I want none of them, but who's better, the guy who is so delusional or is so freaking co-opted that he's got to say that. Or Darlene's like, I don't know. I don't know. But to me, I don't approach that criticism that I just gave you as, well, this is my Democratic talking point. Or we've got an election in 75 days. So that's why you've got to vote Democrat.
Starting point is 01:05:47 No, I don't know. I'm calling this out from the perspective of leadership. I'm calling this out from the perspective of competence, from the perspective of strategy, from the perspective of being an adult, being a grown-up. I approach this from the perspective of being a public servant means serving the public, not talking about Grand Prix racing, not talking about golden ballrooms, not traveling in catering containers with Natalie. None of this weird shit. It's about serving the people. And so that to me is, I think, our challenge together as we think about this.
Starting point is 01:06:43 And so I leave you with this also, which is, I'll mention WTF America, but I know some people like, stop plugging the book all the time. We plug the book too much, but I'll tell you why I do. Because what I try to set out in it is the generational challenge that we have. Because if we continue down a path
Starting point is 01:07:10 of Obama, Trump, Biden, Trump, fill in the blank, Assov, Newsom, AOC, Buddha, whoever you have. And then DeSantis or Rubio, and then name the person, Osaf, AOC, if that's the path
Starting point is 01:07:33 and politics becomes this like gamified thing and it's, we have zero credibility as a nation. What we have to do is ask more fundamental questions, which is what's the point of governance, what are we looking for in leaders? Where do we see ourselves as a nation, not just over the course of the next six months to a year, but where do we see ourselves in the next five years,
Starting point is 01:08:01 10 years, 20 years, 50 years? And what does it mean? And I know this feels existential and perhaps sometimes philosophical and preachy, but it isn't intended to do that. I mean, it's the broader why, which I know in the day-to-day hustle, we ignore, but it's also like, like, why are we here? You know, life is short.
Starting point is 01:08:29 You hear the expression. Why, what are we doing here? Isn't it to find meaning in all of this to bring joy to ourselves and to others to leave this place that is a miracle, whether you're religious or not, that we're here? Isn't it to leave this place better and isn't it to aspire for better and to leave other generations ideally with a better place and to navigate the challenges that we have here, but to try to do it with a smile and with joy and to help others? Like whether you're religious, not religious, this isn't a religious network.
Starting point is 01:09:13 But at a at a core level, I mean, you know, you look at Lindsay Graham's life. And it's like, you know, he's a feeder fish who would try to find whoever he thought was his shark. And he devoted his life to genocide and killing in death. And then he died with his stupid maga hat and his, you know, and he's dead. That's why you live to be, you know, you live to be you know Donald Trump's so many things I could say but I'll keep it
Starting point is 01:09:49 appropriate um guy you live to be that like that was your like that's what you did and and to root on the deaths of the little girls and I'm like that's why you lived like what are we doing here like yeah I mean it sincerely
Starting point is 01:10:07 and what I hope this network does what I hope these episodes I have to react to breaking news. Of course, that's what I do. It's a breaking news. But I hope the ecosystem that we create and inspire, whether it's with and work with and help promote, whether it's the Katie Fangs and the Aaron Parnaces, the Scott McFarlens, the Legal A.Fs, the Karen Friedman Agnifelos, the Tennessee Brando's, the working with the Allison Gills.
Starting point is 01:10:42 and there's so many, you know, the five-minute news and working with the Dina Dahls, there's so many, you know, trying to uplift and use this platform to create an ecosystem. The way I saw Fox and right-wing ecosystems built for the last 70 years for such bad, for such toxicity, if we can build one for good, an ecosystem for good, that spreads better positive. Then we can tackle the generational issues. And so that's what I leave you with right now. All right.
Starting point is 01:11:22 Thanks everybody for watching. Appreciate you. Get a copy of WTF America. Watch the Brothers Show tonight, will you? Eight Eastern, Five, Pacific. We'll keep on loading content throughout the day. Do videos throughout the day. But thanks to everybody for watching.
Starting point is 01:11:39 We appreciate you. Shout out, Midas, Mighty. Have it going, everybody. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our substack at Midasplus.com. You'll get daily recaps from Ron Philikowsky, add free episodes of our podcast, and more exclusive content only available at Midasplus.com.

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