The MeidasTouch Podcast - Trump Witnesses Collapse Under Cross-Exam at Hearing

Episode Date: May 15, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Democratic Senators and Congressman conducting brilliant cross-exams of RFK Jr. and others in live tv at major hearings. Trade: Get 50% off your one-month trial at https://drinktrade.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 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

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You canceled $12 billion in grants to the states, including my state, that are used to administer and track vaccines. You promised Chairman Cassidy. When did I do that? Madam Chair, would you allow me to finish my question? When did I do that? Let me finish my question. NEW SPEAKER PEDROZA, MADAM CHAIR, WOULD YOU ALLOW ME TO FINISH MY QUESTION? NEW SPEAKER PEDROZA, LET ME FINISH MY QUESTION. NEW SPEAKER PEDROZA, JUST TELL ME WHEN I DID IT SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE QUESTION IS. NEW SPEAKER PEDROZA, YOU HAVE CANCELED $12 BILLION IN PUBLIC HEALTH GRANTS TO STATES,

WHETHER YOU KNOW THIS OR NOT, THAT FUNDING IS USED BY THE STATES IN PART TO BE ABLE TO ADMINISTER AND DISPENSE INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINES. NEW SPEAKER PEDROZA, WHICH PROGRAM? is used by the states in part to be able to administer and dispense information about vaccines. Mr. Secretary, let me give you the full panoply of the things you said before this committee that didn't turn out to be true. You also promised Chairman Cassidy that the FDA would not change vaccine standards from, quote, historical norms. But what happened as soon as you were sworn in? You announced new standards for vaccine approvals that you proudly referred to in your own press release as a radical departure from current practice. And experts say that that departure will delay approvals.

You also said specific to the measles vaccine that you support the measles vaccine, but you have consistently been undermining the measles vaccine. You told the public that the vaccine wanes very quickly. You went on the Dr. Phil show and said that the measles vaccine was never fully tested for safety.

You said there's fetal debris in the measles vaccine. And this morning- All true, all true. This morning in front of- Do you want me to lie to the public? That's not, none of that is- YOU SAID THERE'S FETAL DEBRIS IN THE MEASLES VACCINE. THIS MORNING IN FRONT OF ME. NEW SPEAKER Do you want me to lie to the public? NEW SPEAKER Of course it's true. NEW SPEAKER Of course it's true. NEW SPEAKER Senator, you do not know what you're talking about.

NEW SPEAKER Let's have a little bit of order so that you can get your question. NEW SPEAKER I didn't ask for a response yet. I understand that. I'd like to lay out the predicate of my question before I'm interrupted by the witness. He should have some respect for this committee. Go ahead. Just this morning in front of the House of Representatives,

you also said that you, in fact, would not recommend that kids get vaccinated for measles. You said you would just lay out the pros and cons. So this is the summation of everything that you have said to compromise people's faith in the measles vaccine in particular is contrary to what you said before this committee. You said you support the measles vaccine, but then you have laid out a set of facts that are contested. And I will submit information for the record from experts who contest what you've said about the vaccine. And the result is to undermine faith in the vaccine. It's kind of like saying, listen, I think you should swim in that lake. But, you know, the lake is probably toxic and there's probably a ton of snakes and alligators in that lake.

But I think you should swim in it. What a humiliating appearance, not just for RFK Jr., who's the Secretary of Health and Human Services, but for the entire regime and, frankly, the entire United States of America, having someone so pathetic, by the way, who also testified, do not rely on me for any medical or health guidance. Dude, you're the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He goes, you don't want to follow my advice on vaccines. I know we don't. That's why you're not qualified for that position. Let's take a look at Democratic Senator Alsa Brooks from Maryland play this clip. Well, then you can you name, sir, which office the safe to sleep

campaign operates out of? Which campaign? Well, that's the one that the senator just asked you about two minutes ago that prevents babies from dying in their sleep. A 30-year program inside your agency. You would agree that it's important. I think it's part of HRSA. Or ACF. It's ACF. No, actually, it's in Health and Human Services.

And again. They're all within Health and Human Services, but the subdivision is ACF. No, actually, the name of the organization. Institution of Children and Families. No, let the subdivision is ACF. No, actually the name of the organization of children and families. No, let me tell you what it is. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. This is actually the one that your aunt, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, is the person who it's named after. And you noted just a moment ago, the Senator reminded you that although this is a very important agency, prevents babies from dying, this is the same one you fired every single person in this office as of April the 1st. You see, he doesn't even know the most basic, basic things.

Let's take a look at Democratic Senator Murray. Let's play this clip. But to delay her treatment by an additional four weeks. Now, an extra four weeks may not sound like a long time, but I will tell you, for stage four cancer patients like Natalie, this could mean the difference between life and death. Secretary Kennedy, how many staff have been cut from the NIH's clinical center? I want a specific number. Yeah, I can't tell you that now, Senator Marbury.

What I can tell you is that if you contact my office tomorrow, I'll look specifically into that. Well, that is not acceptable. I want an answer back by that. She deserves it. I do it. She doesn't have much time. She deserves an answer back.

Wouldn't you rather get her into that clinical trial as fast as you can absolutely all right so if you contact my office tomorrow this is a if that happens you are here to defend your budget i'm here to ask you questions about the impact of that that's how you do it you just ask the simple questions and you'll see that people like RFK Jr. have no clue what the hell he is talking about. And here, under more questioning, RFK Jr. admits that NIH cuts will hurt people. Surprise, surprise. When you cut the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control, yeah, when you start firing the people who look over infectious diseases. Yeah, similarly, when you get rid of people who deal with emergency disaster relief like FEMA, that's bad.

And now it's a ticking time bomb waiting for the next disaster to unfold. Here, play this clip. You don't care. You don't care about Natalie. I've offered to help Natalie. I am asking you a question and it is critical. You are here to defend cutting NIH by half. Do you genuinely believe that that won't result in more stories like Natalie's? I think the cuts that are now proposed by NIH are going to hurt. I think that President Trump, you know, listen,

there's no agency head in the government like myself that wants to see their budget cut. Well, and I asked you, have you personally assessed what this is doing to patients? And I am telling you one story of one person. It is impacting life or death situation. I think it's pretty- You want me to answer your question, Senator?

Well, you did. Oh, I am not. You have not allowed me to answer it. Well, I will just say that it is my job to be a voice for people like Natalie and countless other patients who are like her. So you've got to fix this. I want to know, and I want a personal update on Natalie's case. And you offered that. Please give that to me in the next 24 hours. And I expect details and transparency about the state of NIH clinical care. You contact my office, Senator. I will do everything in my power to try to get Natalie into that. Listen, I'm the resident coffee geek here at Midas.

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our listeners 50% off your one-month trial at drinktrade.com slash Midas. That's drinktrade.com slash Midas, M-E-I-D-A-S, for 50% off. Drinktrade.com slash Midas. Next up, you even have a Republican senator, Senator Cassidy, here asking a very basic question of RFK Jr. How will the NIH successfully do more with less? You fired all these people. So how are you going to do better? To which RFK Jr. said, well, we got rid of diversity. So we got rid of diversity. So we're going to be much better. China doesn't have diversity. The hell is this guy talking about?

Play this clip. How will the NIH successfully do more with less? How will we build those new scientists to find these cures and to compete with geopolitical rivals? Well, for one thing, Senator Cassidy, you're talking about neurodegenerative disease now. For example, ALS or Alzheimer's. ALS, right. The Chinese are not spending a lot of money on DEI. And we are cutting those studies.

We're cutting studies on gain-of-function studies, and we're cutting grants to foreign scientists from adversarial countries, and particularly the Chinese, which have the Thousand Talents Program, which is openly trying to exploit U.S. research and take our IP. If you want to know what's really going on and what you should be worried about because of your cuts, because of your hateful and despicable rhetoric, your attack on science and scientists and researchers, you know who's recruiting our scientists? China, South Korea, Taiwan, Europe, Canada. They're out there saying, look, make a lot of money in our countries being a scientist and a researcher. The United States is no longer friendly to science. They attack and hate science. Look what the U.S. is doing to universities and Harvard. Just look what they're

doing. Come to our country. We'll pay you well. We'll give you the life you deserve. So now we're having reverse brain drain where there used to be brain drain from the rest of the world and america would get the best and brightest scientists and researchers and academics and inventors now they're leaving the united states and they're being recruited by china and other countries that's what's going down let me show you what went down when senator bernie sanders was questioning rfk Jr. Play this clip. 68,000 people a year die because they don't get to a doctor when they should. Is health care a human right? Will you work with us to guarantee health care to every man, woman, and child in

America? Well, I think you're asking two different questions. You're asking a philosophical question about whether it is a human right, like a constitutional right. As an attorney, I would say that it's not a right of a kind that we otherwise enshrine in the Constitution, because health care costs your neighbor money. If I smoke cigarettes for 20 years, I make that choice, which is my choice. I don't have a lot of time. So I just, I am here. If you're asking me a philosophical question, I got to give you a thoughtful answer. Within 30 seconds.

Yeah. It's a problem. It's not like freedom of speech, which costs, you know, everybody. But every other country, Mr. Secretary, every other country guarantees health care to all people as a right. Should we, as Americans? The objective is to get Americans a level of health care if they want the choice, which Americans want. I don't want the choice to be uninsured. They don't want the choice to die because they don't get to a doctor. Americans prefer private insurance to other insurance sources.

Now, our friend here at the Midas Touch Network, Senator Tammy Baldwin, got her shot at questioning RFK Jr. Play this clip. The request for federal assistance was denied because of lack of staff. The entire childhood lead poisoning branch has been fired. In the words of a Milwaukee mom, it really sends a message of you don't matter. I don't know what you would say to parents who must now test their children for lead and deal with school closures. But do you intend to eliminate this branch at CDC? Yes or no?

No, we do not. Okay. Because you cannot tell us that you want to make America healthy again when you are willfully destroying programs that keep children safe and healthy from lead poisoning. Congress dedicated $51 million in funding for this particular program. But when a community asks for help to prevent lifelong complications for children, and there is no one there to pick up the phone, and it's not because this program is ineffective, it's because you fired the entire team whose job it is to support communities like Milwaukee. If that money has been appropriated,

we will spend that money. If it's been appropriated to Milwaukee, we will spend it in Milwaukee. I've spent a lot of time in Milwaukee. To provide expert, and the entire staff has been fired. Another great clip here of Senator Alsa Brooks. Let's play it. You've been unable to answer specific questions, sir. You are the wrong person for this job. And you had in this

hearing today the unmitigated gall to say at the beginning of your testimony that China is ahead of the United States in health care because China does not have DEI. I didn't say that. Well, we can roll back the tape. You absolutely did say that. You will find I didn't say that. That is absolutely what you said. I was talking about science. I didn't say they're ahead of us in some forms of science, certainly not in health care. And here's our friend at the Midas Touch Network, Democratic Congress member from California, Congressman Garcia, Robert Garcia. Here's what he had to say to Kristi Noem, Miss Dog Killer cosplayer herself. Let's play this clip. Now, Madam Secretary, you've heard this case today, but I have to speak about it one more

time. I think it's really important. This is Andrew Romero. He had an appointment to come to this country to claim asylum. We gave him that appointment. The United States government gave him his asylum appointment. He comes for his appointment. He passes a credible fear interview. He's a gentle person, as described by his family. He's openly gay. He was leaving his country for persecution of being gay. He did everything right, claimed asylum. That was legal. And then we sent him to a dangerous prison at the border with no due process.

There are claims about his tattoos. He has his parents' names on his tattoos and two crowns that relate to a festival back in his hometown. We are paying to lock this young gentleman up forever. What I would ask is the ambassador in El Salvador, we have asked for proof of life of Andrew. He has had no access to lawyers or family

since he has been taken over a month now. No one knows if he's even alive. His mother just wants to know if he is alive. So my ask to you, Madam Secretary, is the same that I asked the ambassador. Can we do a proof of life check on Andrew just to see if he is alive? Congressman, we are utilizing the tools that Congress has given us to apply due process to individuals. We are doing that for every person.

And we are making sure that we're following what you have given us as far as guidance and how things should be implemented. Would you commit to just letting his mother know as a mother to mother, if Andrew is alive, he was given an asylum appointment by the United States government. We gave him an appointment. We said, Andrew, come to the border at this time to claim asylum. He was taken to a foreign prison in El Salvador. His mother just wants to know if he is alive. Can we check and do a wellness check on him? Our asylum applications are different than the granting of asylum. And I don't know the specifics of this individual case. This individual is in El Salvador and the appeal would be best made to the president

and to the government of El Salvador on this. This is not under my jurisdiction. Madam Secretary, you have said that you, that she caught in El Salvador is one of the tools in the toolbox that you have. You have said that has been quoted as saying that you and the president have the ability to check if Andrew is alive and if not being harmed. Would you commit at least into looking and asking El Salvador if he is alive? This is a question that's best asked to the president and the government of El Salvador. And I think it's I think, you know know very well that you could ask that question. What you're choosing to do,

Madam Secretary, is disregard this young man's life, this young man's family who was given an appointment by the United States. I think it is shameful that you won't even request to see if this young man is alive. His family has no idea, has no access to lawyers. I would hope that we would have the humanity,

the humanity to just check if this young man is okay. With that, I yield back. It's shameful. Next up, the freshman Democratic Senator from New Jersey, Senator Kim had his shot asking RFK Jr. some questions. Let's play it. Hey, I had a town hall. I had a fire captain show up to this town hall.

Somebody who worked at Ground Zero. And he is somebody who said he was diagnosed with cancer. He said he's on borrowed time. And he was livid, absolutely livid about what he said, the administration gutting the World Trade Center health program. And we've talked through some of these cuts that have happened before, some staff cuts, some maybe brought back on, the administrator cut. I just need to hear from you. I promise this fire captain I'd ask you about this. What in the world happened? Why was the staff cut for this program?

What are we to expect going forward? I restored the staff to the program. Why was it cut to start with? It was, you know, it was part of the overall budget cuts. Our agency was asked to make very, very serious budget cuts that were going to be painful. And some of them should not have been made. And that one that should not have and i reversed it were you unaware or were you aware that the decision to cut niosh staff would cut that world trade center health program well you know my my agency is the biggest agency in government it's twice the size of the Pentagon. It represents about 20% of the U.S. economy.

We have hundreds of institutes and sub-agencies. We try to be as careful as we can about what we cut and what we didn't. We made a couple of mistakes. I don't think you were trying to be as careful as you can. I mean, that's the problem that we've seen by rushing these decisions. This was, I know, early in your time there. Senator, I understand. THE PROBLEM THAT WE'VE SEEN BY RUSHING THESE DECISIONS. THIS WAS EARLY IN YOUR TIME THERE. SENATOR, I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS FROM A DISTANCE, YOU'D SAY WHY DON'T YOU JUST DO

THIS SURGICALLY AND CUT ONE PERSON AT A TIME. THIS AGENCY HAS GROWN SO BIG, SO FAST, AND EVERYBODY WHO COMES IN SAYS I'M GOING TO CUT IT DOWN AND NOBODY'S BEEN ABLE TO DO IT. grown so big, so fast. And everybody who comes in says, I'm going to cut it down. And nobody's been able to do it. And there was an understanding that the longer that you wait, the more the inertia kicks in. And we had to act quickly so that we can do something for the American people that is lasting. And we understood that there would be some mistakes made and that we would go back and reverse them when they were made. But it was more important to decisive action quickly that could eliminate the metastasizing of this agency to, you know, which was growing and growing, growing as our health declined. So where is this going to land now?

Can you tell us right now that the World Trade Center health program will go back to where it was before you became secretary? That program will continue. It will be continuity in that program. On the other hand, you had Senator Hawley from Missouri, MAGA Republican, used his questioning, as Aaron Rupert says, to push RFK Jr. into further restricting Mifepristone. That's how they're spending their time. Play this clip. The incidence of serious adverse health events. So my question to you is this. You previously testified at the committee that you would do a top-to-bottom review of Mifepristone. Mifepristone is subject to a REMS currently. You have said you'll do a top-to-bottom review of mephiprestone. Mephiprestone is subject to a REMS currently. You have said you'll do a top-to-bottom review.

Do you continue to stand by that? And don't you think that this new data shows that the need to do a review is, in fact, very pressing? I think the new data, first of all, it validates the CAS study, which is previously probably the most comprehensive data that we've seen on it. And it is and it's alarming.

And clearly it indicates that at very least the label should be changed. I've asked Marty McCary, who's the director of FDA, to do a complete review and to report back. Good. Now, this is the actual quote that just came from, as I said earlier, from Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services. My opinions for vaccines are irrelevant. I don't think people should take medical or health advice from me. You're the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Here, play this clip. One thing that might be helpful is you previously said, you've vaccinated your children. Just because I think this is a helpful answer,

and this isn't a gotcha, I promise. If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles? For measles? Probably for measles. You know, what I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant. I have directed Jay Bhattacharya. Sure. No, I, like I said, I don't want to. So that everybody can make that decision, but I, you know,

I don't want to be, it'll seem like I'm being evasive, but I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me. Right. No, I got that. And I'm not asking you to give them advice, but would you vaccinate your child for measles? I think if I answer that question directly, that it will seem like I'm giving advice to other people and I don't want to be doing that. I want people to make up their mind. But that's kind of your jurisdiction because CDC does give advice, right? I'm not trying to do it as a gotcha. I just want to show you too what's brewing with these MAGA Republicans, like MAGA Republican Mark Alford right here.

So they're fighting with each other over the fact that the MAGA Republicans in the House, by and large, want to get rid of Medicaid. Right now, Medicaid's on the chopping blocks. If you look at what's going on in the Energy and Commerce Committee, $880 billion in Medicaid getting cut, you will lose your Medicaid the way it is right now. Period. Full stop. There's no ambiguity of what is actually happening right now. Now, vulnerable members in Congress, like some members in New York, for example, and other seats, they're worried that it could look bad if people lose Medicaid. They're not worried about people suffering and dying. They're worried about it looking bad. And then you have the other MAGA Republican Congress members who don't care if it looks bad, and they don't care if their own people

are going to lose Medicaid in their states. They're just saying we want our people to die in our states because they like to see death and cruelty. I mean, just listen to what MAGA Republican Mark Alford saying here, play this clip. Thanks for having me on. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Senator Josh Hawley. We just dropped his bill in the House today, the Pelosi Act, which bans members of Congress from trading individual stocks. We're aligned on that. We're not aligned on the terminology. Let's put it that way for Medicaid. He calls them cuts. I call them savings. Look, we are kicking 1.4 million illegal aliens off of this program. 1.6 million Americans are now enrolled in Medicaid in at least two different

states. We are finding the savings in these programs to come up with $900 billion. It was going to be 880. They've come up with 900 billion over 10 years, saving so that we can properly fund the program for people who are truly in need of these services. Well, there you have it, folks. Let me know what you think about all of this. But again, Democrats with some brilliant, sharp, pointed, direct cross-examination. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 5 million subscribers. Thank you for watching.