The MeidasTouch Podcast - Trump Has Thursday Meltdown as His Shutdown Is Backfiring

Episode Date: October 2, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald Trump’s meltdown on Thursday as Americans blame him for his shutdown and Americans want their ACA subsidies extended so they don’t go bankrupt and Meiselas highlights the Trump and the Republicans ongoing campaign of lies. Use code MEIDAS to get 10% OFF your next order at https://Bookshop.org/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 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 is panicking this morning as the Donald Trump government shutdown continues to blow up in his face as we're getting more data out about who the American people are blaming. By overwhelming amounts, they're blaming Donald Trump and the Republicans, a Washington Post flash poll just taken of 110 people find that 47% blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown. 30% say Democrats in Congress. And when you go through the cross tabs, 71% of Americans say federal health insurance subsidies should be extended. And yes, by a 17% point margin, the poll found more people saying Trump and Republicans are to blame. And that number right there, 71% of Americans say federal health insurance subsidies should be extended. That is basically what Democrats are entirely fighting for here. And so the more Democrats can emphasize that, I think further support will be garnered.

by Democrats for trying to ensure that Americans' health insurance is protected. Now, Donald Trump just posted this moments ago because Donald Trump's talking about inflicting pain on Americans and specifically targeting Democrats. Donald Trump goes, I have a meeting today. This is what he posted. I have a meeting today with Russ Vote. He of Project 2025 fame to determine which of the many Democrat agencies, most of which are a political scam.

he recommends to be cut and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent. I cannot believe the radical left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people. So maybe this is their way of wanting to quietly and quickly make America great again. President D.J.T. He's like a cartoonish super villain. I remember like growing up those cartoons that I would watch. Maybe they wanted to give me all of this power to inflict pain upon the,

them. It's almost a parody, except this is real life, folks. And so as you look at Donald Trump's post there as well, as he goes, Project 2025 fame, Russ vote. Remember when Donald Trump back during the election would say, I know nothing about Project 2025. And all those media fact checkers would be like Donald Trump denies knowing about Project 2025. I remember like Midas Touch was fact checked ones. Former Vice President Kamala Harris was fact checked. And we would say, Nope. Donald Trump is implementing the Project 2025 agenda. If he wins, that's what he's going to do. And they would be like, but Donald Trump denies that he's ever even read Project 2025. Remember Donald Trump's post July 5th, 2024? I could show you dozens more like this, but I'll just show you this one. I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who's behind it.

I disagree with some of the things they're saying. And some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck. But I have nothing to do with them. Can we all say it together. Donald Trump is a fraud. Donald Trump is a fraud. Now you go. Donald Trump is a fraud. Donald Trump is a felon. Now you go. Donald Trump is a felon. I feel like this is my version of Miss Rachel at this point as I teach my little daughter the alphabet. It's like Donald Trump is a horrible human being. He's bankrupted all of his companies. He's a horrible businessman or most of his companies. Donald Trump, Donald Trump then post this in all caps. The Democrats want to give your health care money to illegal aliens and open our borders to the criminals of the

world. A deadly combination because everybody will come. Let's randomly blame illegal immigrants and transgender people and Peruvian transgender surgeries. Why? Because we don't like to actually talk about the truth and we don't believe that government actually means that you're supposed to reach compromises and consensus. We'll just blame immigrants. Remember when last week Donald Trump told Magu Republicans don't even talk to Democrats, yet alone negotiate? Remember when Donald Trump told Democrats, go eff yourselves when Democrats again, we're fighting for something that 71% of Americans say federal health insurance subsidies should be extended? I have to imagine the other 29% don't realize where their health care comes from because you're either getting your health care

from Medicare, Medicaid, or likely an Affordable Care Act plan. So you want to be kicked off your health care? Is that what you're saying? You want it to be made more expensive? Like I saw a stat, a family that's making $85,000. If these Affordable Care Act subsidies are removed, will now be paying $24,000 a year for their Affordable Care Act plans. How is a couple, 55 years old,

making $85,000 supposed to pay $24,000 in health insurance. They don't. They go bankrupt or they can't send their kids to college or they can't do anything else other than just barely get by. I don't know, but this is the state, this is the state of America right now. Maga Mike Johnson held a press conference moments ago and he was like, many of you keep asking me this morning about sombreros and memes and why Hakeem Jeffries is alarmed by that. look these are just the games that we play when we negotiate this is how we roll no maga mike

this is not how it's supposed to be done the maga mike's like and look you have governor newsome he mocks me governor newsom is mocking the behavior of donald trump governor newsom is mocking trump's childish behavior we expect the president of the united states at a baseline at a floor to behave like a grownup here's what maga mike has to say they don't play this clip. Many of you asked me this morning about sombreros and memes and why Hakeem Jeffries is all alarmed by that. Look, these are games. These are side shows. People are getting caught up in battles over social media memes. We've got to keep the, this is not a game. We've got to keep the government open for the people. I don't know why this is so complicated.

And to my friend Hakeem, who I was asked about, man, just ignore it. I mean, Gavin Newsom was trawling me last night. He painted me like a minion. He painted me yellow with big glasses and overalls. And I thought it was hilarious. You don't respond to it for all my friends. For all my friends, Ars and D's, don't respond to it. Get to work, do the people's business, and let's get on with it. Thank you all so much. Then Maga Mike Johnson has asked about the housing and urban development website and all of these official government websites which are violating the Hatch Act right now. And when you go to them, it's like, the radical left Democrats have deprived you of your services. That right there is straight out of authoritarianism. That right there is straight out of the

stuff you'd expect from like Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy or like Saddam Hussein. Like this is ridiculously offensive stuff that's going on government websites. And it's pissing off, I think, all Americans. But here you'll see Mike Maga Mike Johnson's like, it's objectively true. The radical left Democrats do want to give trillions of dollars of health care to illegal migrants. No, they don't. It's not true. Federal law prohibits it. It's literally against federal law to do that. But I do want to say this. And this is what you all have to answer for as you pretend to be Christians or whatever the hell you're pretending to be. If an individual is dying, do you give them emergency health care? Should a doctor not help somebody live? You want to see

human beings die. Heck, if I'm driving and I see a dog on the side of the road who looks injured, I'm going to try to help. So all you Christians want to see people bleed out and die who are contributing to our country? I mean, honestly, how dare you? But here, let's play. this for maga mike johnson let's play it oh hud had on its agency web page blaming radical democrats for this is that an appropriate use of taxpayer money being overtly political it's something we haven't seen before i think what the hud website says is the objective truth that we're telling you right now there are 44 democrats in a senate and by the way every democrat in the house except one who voted to shut the government down they are the ones that made that decision the the white house the executive

branch take no pleasure in this but when they are uh tasked with with determining what their priorities are, obviously, they're going to do, they're going to follow their principles and priorities and not the other team. That's the results of an election that everybody voted in, popular election in electoral college. This episode of the Midas Touch podcast is brought to you by bookshop.org. You may be watching or listening to our show right now, but are you reading enough? I know I need to be reading a whole lot more. It's time to dive back into books and finally conquer that reading goal you set for yourself this year with bookshop.org. There are so many incredible books out right now to help make sense of this moment.

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he doesn't want to do this to you. You're going to make us hurt you. We don't want to hurt you, but you're going to force us to inflict pain. He's doing it reluctantly. Didn't the MAGA Republican senators the other day say that he's been waiting for this moment since puberty? Isn't that what they said, that Russ Boat waited for this moment to cut funds from Democratic cities, billions of dollars from New York City tunnels or this state's project? He's been waiting for it since puberty. What a bunch of weirdos to even make that comment also. Here, play

this clip of Maga Mike. They have now effectively turned off the legislative branch, the Article 2 branch of, or the Article 1, sorry, the Article 1 branch of our government. And they've turned it over to the executive. Okay. So in that situation, when Congress, turns off the funding and the funding runs out, it is up to the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the United States, to determine how those resources will be spent. He has that responsibility given to him by the Democrats in the Senate. They can't complain about it, and he doesn't want to do it. But in this scenario, what they have to do is make very difficult decisions.

Most of the responsibility falls to Russ vote. He is the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, as you go, as you know. Whomever is seated in the chair at OMB during a shutdown has to do the same thing. Russ does this reluctantly. We had a 45-minute telephone conference with him yesterday. He talked to all the House Republicans. He takes no pleasure in this because Russ has to sit down and decide because he's in charge of that office.

Which policies, personnel, and which programs are essential in which are not. That is not a fun task. And he is not enjoying that responsibility. And it could end today if the Senate Democrats would come to their senses and do the right thing for the American people. But if they don't, and if they keep the government closed, it's going to get more and more painful because the resources run out and more and more things have to be reduced and eliminated. Now, when he sits down as the director of OMB, he will obviously have a subjective determination on the priorities.

And what do you think he would do? Because what would any OMB director do under any president? They're going to look to see for the administration's priorities first and ensure that those are funded. And so that's some, those are some very serious determinations that have to be made. Then you have a different tact here by Maga Republican Congresswoman Lisa McLean of Michigan. And she's like, just sign the CR. Just sign our resolution. That's not negotiating. Here, play this clip.

Pass the clean Republican CR bill that we already passed. I mean, it's really, really simple. That's it. Just pass it. I mean, is that what they think negotiating is? Just sign the document. You know what government's supposed to look like? When you need the other side's votes, you don't tell them go F yourself.

When the other side is representing 71, 72% of the country who wants these subsidies to be extended, maybe you talk. Because these people whose subsidies are expiring, they're not just in blue states and blue cities. There are actually a lot of them in red states and red cities, probably more of them, well and probably more of them on Medicaid in red states and red cities so rather than say just sign it just sign it sign the doc why don't you speak like adults get into a room reach a compromise like that took place under former president Biden and come up with something but no no it's all gaslighting this is why trump's bankrupted so many of his companies before this is not how adult leaders behave then you have carra lion levitt right here she held a mini press conference outside the white house

and a reporter asked her the right question. Should ER doctors check immigration status before treating dying patients? And she's like, oh, that's not a question for me to answer. That's not, I don't know what I can do. I mean, she would like to see these people die. Like, that's what they need to say. She and J.D. Vance want to see them dead. Here, play this clip.

Caroline, should ERs check immigration status before you're doing your doctor? I'm sorry? Should ERs check for immigration status? that's probably not a question for me to answer i think that's a question for health care professionals and legal experts to answer let me ask you do you think that a legal alien should receive medicaid benefits that go to the most vulnerable people in our country that medicate benefits that Medicaid benefits that were designed to help low-income families and Americans in our country

and what the Biden administration, but what the Biden administration And here she is again, as I said, the mentality of an abuser right here where she's like, you put us in this position, Democrats should know that they put the White House in this position to abuse them. Now we're going to abuse you. That's what they're saying. Again, these are sick, twisted,

demented human beings in the White House at the top by Trump. But these are sick, twisted, demented human beings. Who says that that you want to inflict pain and harm and abuse Americans? This is the United States of America. You represent all Americans. What vile people these are. Here, play this clip. Because he mentioned Russ Vote in that.

I think that came out about 8 o'clock this morning, about cutting certain programs that they deem are not necessary. Is that real or is that a negotiating tactic? Oh, it's very real. And the Democrats should know that they put the White House and the president in this position. And if they don't want further harm

on their constituents back home, then they need to reopen the government. It's very simple. Pass the clean continuing resolution and all of this goes away. We would not be having these discussions here at the White House today, if not for the Democrats voting to shut the government down.

This is an unfortunate consequence. And the president and Russ vote will be meeting on that later today. How much do you think? And just look what Senator Raphael Warnock from Georgia posted. He goes, I was sent this by a Georgian this morning. 2025 premiums versus 2026 premiums for someone making $65,000 a year. Republicans in Washington did this. And this is what I'm fighting to stop.

This is what's at stake in this shutdown fight. So for this person, $307 a month was their monthly premiums in 2020. for their anthem plan. Now, in 2026, without the subsidies, guess what it's going to be? $964 a month. Now, $964 a month times 12. Now it's a delta of about $600 more per month.

I mean, you can do the math. This person's going to have to pay what? Closer to $7,000, $8,000 more a year? They're already living paycheck to paycheck. What are they supposed to do? Oh, wait a minute. Melania wants to check. chime in. Melania Trump just made a post, everybody. Here's what Melania is saying. Here, play this.

She's saying, Into the Future, at True Melania meme. Here, play this clip. Here, play this clip. The whole world is laughing at us. Literally, the whole world is laughing. I mean, I'm just, like, actually laughing at us. Here's the prime minister of Albania, having a good laugh with the president of Azerbaijan, and friends. President Emmanuel Macron about Trump, repeatedly claiming that he ended the war between their countries, which were not at war with each other. Here, play this clip. You should make an apology. Two plus.

Because you didn't congratulate us for this deal that President Trump made between Albania. I am sorry for that. Yeah. And you work very hard. And there you have it, folks. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to six.

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