The MeidasTouch Podcast - Trump Gets Torched by Four-Star General Over War!!

Episode Date: March 21, 2026

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the powerful interview by retired Four Star General James Mattis who calls out and exposes Trump’s disastrous war in Iran. Get up to 10% OFF @HEXCLAD when you visit https://Hexclad.com/MEIDAS 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 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

Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything. Like packing a spare stick. I like to be prepared. That's why I remember, 988, Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 988 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada. When Westcham first took flight in 1996, the vibes were a bit different.

People thought denim on denim was peak fashion, inline skates were everywhere, and two out of three women rocked, the Rachel. While those things stayed in the 90s, one thing that hasn't is that fuzzy feeling you get when WestJet welcomes you on board. Here's to WestJetting since 96. Travel back in time with us and actually travel with us

at westjet.com slash 30 years. Where are my gloves? Come on, heat. Winter is hard, but your groceries don't have to be. This winter, stay warm. Tap the banner to order your groceries online at voila.ca. Enjoy in-store prices without leaving your home. You'll find the same regular prices online as in-store. Many promotions are available both in-store and online, though some may vary.

At Desjardin, we speak business. We speak equipment modernization. We're fluent in data, digitization, and expansion into foreign markets. And we can talk all day about streamlining manufacturing processes. Because at Desjardin business, we speak the same language you do, business. So, join the more than 400,000 Canadian entrepreneurs who already count on us and contact Desjardin today. We'd love to talk. Business. This podcast is supported by Talkspace. When my husband came home from his military deployment, readjusting was hard. For all of us, thankfully, I found Talkspace.

Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers online. military members, veterans, and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones. I just answered a few questions online, and TalkSpace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me, and I can message her anytime.

It was so easy to set up, and they accept TRICARE. Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couples therapist through Talkspace too. Talkspace works with most major insurers, including TRICARE. Match with a licensed therapist today at Talkspace.com slash military. Go to talkspace.com slash military to get started today.

That's Talkspace.com slash military. Donald Trump was just torched by his former defense secretary, General James Mad Dog Mattis. He served as Donald Trump's defense secretary during Trump's first term from 2017 to 2018. And General Mattis, who is a four-star general, says that Donald Trump has no plan at all when it comes to this disastrous war in Iran. General Mattis says it will take at least eight to 12 years to try to rebuild America's relationships with our former allies after Donald Trump eviscerated it by attacking NATO, by attacking our former allies. And General Mattis makes it clear that he believes that this Iranian regime is not going to be toppled.

They are not going to crack. And that Donald Trump is utterly failing right now. I want to show you what General Mattis said when he appeared on PBS's firing line with Margaret Hoover. This deserves to get more attention because let me also be clear. In addition to being a four-star retired general, General Mattis served in that region in leadership roles in the Middle East, probably with more experience than any living person today. First off, after the revolution in 1979 in Iran, General Mattis was in the region. He saw firsthand how the Iranian regime engaged in terrorist attacks throughout the region. He also led troops in the Persian Gulf War, in the war in Afghanistan, as well as the Iraq War.

He headed the U.S. Joint Forces Command and the U.S. Central Command, Sentcom, from 2010 to 2013, overseeing operations across the Middle East, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen. Then he served as Donald Trump's Defense Secretary. You'll recall that somewhere right around the end of December of 2018, he resigned because he didn't like what he saw Donald Trump doing foreign policy-wise. Then Donald Trump acted like he fired General Mattis, but General Mattis said, nope, I absolutely resign. So let me show you what went down on this PBS program. This first clip I'm going to show you. General Mattis says that he believes that the regime, the Iranian regime, will not fall, that Donald Trump does not have any coherent plans at all, and that we absolutely

need allies. We need NATO. We need to have friends in the world. Otherwise, doing anything internationally, engaging in any wars. It's impossible. And again, this comes at a time where earlier today, earlier yesterday, Donald Trump's been posting attacks on NATO. NATO is a paper tiger, right? It comes as Doug Bergam, Donald Trump's interior secretary, is saying, ah, it seems like the United States right now is much closer to Russia and other countries in Russia's orbit than to NATO. Watch General Mattiscerate Donald Trump. Let's play this clip right here. How would you estimate the likelihood of the regime's falling? I do not believe the regime will fall in the near future.

Now, understand, war is fundamentally unpredictable. Fundamentally, that is part of war. So what I'm saying could be completely reversed in 24 hours, but I think it is very unlikely that that regime will fall anytime soon. I think we're going to have to deal with it. So how do you deal with it? I'd suggest that America has got some of the greatest strengths, our economy, our education systems,

we have ways of engaging with the world. No other country has. And yes, we need a very strong military to defend this idea of a democracy. But at the same time, if we don't use all of our strengths, and there I would point to allies. Without them, we're not going to get there. You say in your memoir,

nations with allies thrive, those without them die. Whether we like it or not, We are part of a world that needs allies. And yet, President Trump has said, we don't need anybody. We're the strongest nation in the world. So can the United States succeed in this war without allies other than Israel?

No. What is your sense of the biggest concerns from our allies right now? Well, there are many of the same concerns that we hear from our fellow citizens. America is becoming predatory. America is as unreliable. They say one thing and they change seven days later or two days later.

So there's a sense that we are not a reliable security partner right now. The first time NATO went to war was after we were attacked. And one of the countries that lost as many boys per capita fighting alongside us after America was attacked on 9.5. 11 was Denmark. And Denmark is, of course, the country that owns Greenland. So when you think of a threat against a NATO ally, or when you hear that we're putting tariffs on allies at the same time we're demanding they increase their defense expenditures, which requires a robust economy, you're seeing a strategic disconnect. And right now, many of the actions were taking, unfortunately, mean that we're working against our own strategic outcome at the end.

And you can't bring allies on board if they don't trust you. We're going to have to deal with this threat by this aberrant, bizarre, bizarre, murderous regime in Tehran, and we're going to do it at the end of the day with allies, lots of allies. More from General Mattis in this powerful interview with PBS. right here, where he talks about how it will take at least eight to 12 years to try to repair the wreckage of Donald Trump's wrecking ball to the entire world. And it'll probably be even longer than that.

We may not be able to recover, General Mattis says. And also he says that Donald Trump is basically a Putin bootlicker and China is benefiting from this as well. Here, play this clip. General Mattis, if we are going to deal with a regime that is employed, place and we are not going to do it without our allies. Is there a method or a mechanism for trust rebuilding? Is there a path forward? Yeah. And you go to the heart of it right there. There's a saying about trust. It departs on a horse at a gallop. It comes back at a very slow walk.

And I get the sense it's going to take us eight to 12 years to restore the levels of trust that the allies believe that we are once again someone they can count on. We've treated them poorly, and I think it's going to take a while to recover. But it's going to be by giving our word on something and living up to it and going back to a strategic approach, and a good strategy is an appetite suppressant to war. It is not an appetite increasing tool because you don't. You don't. You don't. You don't go off and do silly things if you've got a strategy because it sets priorities and you don't do something. For example, reopen Russian oil, take sanctions off Russian oil because, you know, that's a key problem for Europe right now. You don't do certain things that end up actually

causing you more problems down the road. So we're going to have to get back to thinking strategically and giving our word and living up to it. You mentioned easing the sanctions on Russian oil, President Zelensky said that that certainly does not help peace and only strengthens Russia's position. It sounds like you agree. How is China reading these actions? Well, China is benefiting from a lot of this, and Russia is benefiting militarily because weapons that could have been given to Ukraine are not being given. They're being used in other places, that sort of thing. Economically, Russia is benefiting. So right now, China and Russia are probably benefiting from this war. All right, fellas, real talk. Spring cleaning is here.

And before you pretend that your kitchen is fine, go look at the pan you've been using since college. If it's warped, burnt, or smells like regret, it's time. Spring cleaning isn't just closets. It's getting rid of cookware that actively works against you. If your pan makes cooking harder instead of easier, that's not you. That's bad cookware. That's why I'm obsessed with Hexclad. I'm not kidding. These are hands down the best pans that I have ever used. The first time I used one, I was like, oh, this is what cooking is supposed to feel like. You get a real sear, heat control is perfect, and cleanup is stupid easy. They basically combine stainless steel and nonstick into one pan. So you're not choosing between performance or convenience, you get both. And unlike those old

nonstick pans that scratch and fall apart. These are metal utensils safe. No babying. Toss them in the dishwasher, wipe them clean, done. Their oven safe up to 900 degrees. The handles stay cool. And honestly, once you use these, everything else feels like a downgrade. And there's a reason that Gordon Ramsey uses Hexclad at home and in his restaurants. And that guy is the toughest critic on the planet. With over a million customers and 50,000 five-star reviews, the secret is out. Plus, they come with a lifetime warranty, so this is it. You're not buying pans again. Don't go through another spring using the same busted pans that you should have thrown out years ago.

For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off your order with our exclusive link. Just head to hexclad.com slash mitus. Support our show and check them out at H-E-X-C-L-A-D-D-com forward-slash-M-E-I-D-A-S. Make sure to let them know we sent you. spring clean your kitchen the smart way with Hexclad again. Don't wait. Don't go through another spring using the same busted pans you should have thrown out years ago. Head to hexclad.com slash Midas and upgrade your kitchen now. More from General Mattis right here saying, let's be clear, I've studied this Iranian regime. It is very unlikely that they are going to crack.

And also Donald Trump's purported goals are very muddled and murky. And it's unclear what the hell he even wants. And when you are engaged in warfare, if you are also a student of warfare, if you study at military academies, having very clearly defined objectives, seems like an obvious thing to say, though, that that's very important. And from one minute to the next, Donald Trump will be like, all right, we're done. And on the other hand, like yesterday, he's like, we're going to be sending in thousands and thousands of people. troops. Remember yesterday? He sent in a huge amount of troops from San Diego, thousands and thousands of troops, the 86 airborne division. Heck, they were separately called. And then in addition to other Marine Expeditionary units that won't even get there until April. So what the hell is the plan?

Here, play this clip. They are not, quote unquote, not cracking and they are willing to fight to the end. Is it your understanding based on what you know of the Iranian regime that it is, it seems plausible that their will is unbroken? I think it would be very unlikely that this regime would break right now. But like Hemingway's point about how a man went broke gradually and then suddenly, you know, it is a very fragile regime in terms of its grip, but it's strong enough with its murder and all. They've told, for example, they've told the Iranian parents, don't let your sons in

daughters demonstrate because we will shoot them. We will go after them. So no, they're not going to go away anywhere right now. Right now, I would not think that they're going to break. So you've summarized one of your leadership techniques as, and especially on the battlefield, as clearly stating the purpose, sparsely outlining the methods that are to be used, and then explaining the desired end state of any mission. So So how do you understand as a civilian now the Operation Epic Fury's purpose and desired end state? As you can see, the lady does her homework. It's murky.

It is murky right now to understand what we in the military call the commander's intent. And we've heard things like unconditional surrender. We will select the next leader. We've heard all sorts of things, frankly, and it's been murky, and it's hard to articulate an end state that's achievable. For example, as the American president has said, it just takes a couple people to screw up the Gulf because they can get down there in their fishing boats and drop mines in. And Lloyd's of London injects the insurance rates up and people don't want to send their ships through. for the American president to say, well, you know, they're just going to have to show guts. Let me tell you, I've been in minefields and I hate them.

And every ship can be a mine sweeper once. But that's not the way you want to find the mines. I'll guarantee you. So right now, yeah, it's pretty confused. More from General Mattis right here talking about how Donald Trump has described what he's doing in Iran, whatever the hell it is, as an excursion by its nature that is limited. whereas the Iranian regime views this as a total war. Limited war excursion, that's Trump's definition.

For Iran, this is about survival. So when you're talking about a regime that's in survival mode, and that regime has lots of weapons and the citizenry is unarmed, it's unlikely to topple them, and also you're likely to have an outcome where you have even more extremism. within the regime taking power. That's precisely what we're seeing now. Montjaba, Comenei, the new Ayatollah, and when the Trump regime and Netanyahu kill a new leader, a more extreme person takes their role. Play this clip. We have seen one administration after another try to find what I call

the fruitless pursuit of the Iranian moderate somewhere in that regime. And we haven't found him yet, Okay, it doesn't exist. This is a regime. If the CIA is analyzing the regime to show you how we learn about them, they have a list of what are the indicators of an autocrat staying in power? There's over 70 indicators, and they look at all these things. One of them, one of those indicators outweighs all the rest. Will the regime murder their own people at the industrial level? If they will, they're going to stay in power.

You have an unarmed population up against a very well-armed regime that is fighting a total war right now. Total war. We're fighting a limited war. The American president a week ago called it a little excursion. But they are fighting for their lives, the Mullahs are, because the people probably will kill them if they overthrow them. They're just that angry at them.

So they're fighting like that. What have we learned from it? It's going to be a darn difficult problem, a darn difficult problem. I hope we learned it. Let me share you this last clip from this interview. Again, a very powerful interview indeed. Let's play it. Is this a reflection on unpredictability in war?

That and some other things. But what happened in 1979, when this is being. filmed is that changed everything in the Middle East. In Iran, the Shaw Falls, and this regime that we're now dealing with comes in some 47 years ago, whatever it is, the Grand Mosque falls to the nut cases, the political Islamists, what eventually becomes the Sunni side of the terrorist organizations coming out of the Mideast. And so out of that, the question when this war started some couple of weeks ago, were we going to fundamentally change, from a strategic point of view, fundamentally change the construct of the Middle East. Israel using

hard power had basically shattered two of the militias, and was there an opportunity now to rock them back so far on their heels that the regime would fall? That obviously has not happened, although it's been defanged in terms of its proxies, in terms of its nuclear program has been set back, but the regime is still there. So basically, the war on a strategic level has not changed the overarching framing principle of what we have to deal with in that area. And we will have to deal with it. We can't walk away and say, sorry, we got distracted or we got tired of this.

We're going to have to deal with whatever comes out of this current war. And I think it's going to include that regime still. there that goes back to that that fateful year in 1979 in the Middle East. Well, there you have it, folks. I think that was such a critical interview. I mean, there's no one, there's really no living person more knowledgeable about this stuff than General Mattis. Put simply, what you heard there, I think is an unbiased, unfiltered view of what's really

going on. Tell me what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 7 million. subscribers. You may think you're subscribed, but you may not actually be subscribed. So double check. Thank you all so much for watching. Have a wonderful day. Love this video? Support independent media and unlock exclusive content, add free videos and custom emojis by becoming a paid member of our YouTube channel today. You can also gift memberships to others. Let's keep growing together.