The MeidasTouch Podcast - Whoa! Total Chaos Erupts in Senate at Live Cross Exam

Episode Date: July 10, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on chaos erupting in the Senate during live cross-examination. Upgrade your wallet today! Get up to 10% Off @Ridge with code MEIDAS at https://www.Ridge.com/MEIDAS! #Ridgepod 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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or so. Painter wants to make sure there's transparency in crypto. I'll show you more of that in a moment. I want to show you what else went down in the Senate right here. You had a lot of ambassadors appointed by Donald Trump testifying and they didn't know the most basic, basic facts about the country that they are an ambassador for. You would think that they would just do some minimal homework and just study some basic facts.

You think if you were about to testify before the Senate about your confirmation to be an ambassador, you'd learn about the country. Yeah, that's just me. So here, Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth called out Trump's ambassador to Singapore for being completely unprepared and clueless here. Watch this. What does holding the Austrian chairmanship entail for Singapore? Can you name one thing? A role that they would have to play as ASEAN chair? What will... Well, there, you know that there... This is a... This ASEAN chair is not only one country, there are 10 countries involved.

No, the ASEAN chair is one country, leading 10. But there are 10 countries involved as an ASEAN group. You're not answering my question. You're not answering my question, sir. Can you name one thing that will be of critical importance to Singapore as ASEAN chair? A role. There are many things. Can you name one thing? Defense, economics. Those are very broad. Name an issue. Trade. Those are very broad. Name an issue. Trade. I don't think, no. Okay, let's do something. In what way does the United States Navy work with Singapore and how do you envision strengthening the US Navy's work with Singapore? And are there any facilities that come to mind that are central to our relationship with Singapore?

We, thank you for your question, but we have a naval presence in Singapore and we our our military they always do exercise with the Singapore the They come here the army of Singapore. They come here for the training as well So we have a close ties with the Singapore in defense Can you name a specific thing? Please I'm trying to help you here, but you've not even done your homework, sir. You want to be ambassador to Singapore, one of the most important alliance friends we have in the Indo-Pacific, a key place that we're going to be fighting against our

greatest adversary in the region, the PRC. Singapore may feature incredible culture, but that should not be treated as a glamour posting. This nation is too important to the United States, to ASEAN, to the entire region. And frankly, I think the mission is important to U.S. interests and national security, and it should actually be a Foreign Service officer. But I have even larger concerns with the political pick, when that political pick is somebody as unqualified as you. I've opposed a political picks for Singapore from Democrats. So this is not a partisan issue. I just feel that you are not taking this seriously. And you think this is a glamour posting that you're going to live a nice life in Singapore. But what we need is someone

who's going to actually do the work. I am out of time. I have a couple additional questions related to management that I'll submit for the record. But I want to reinforce again for you right now. You are not currently prepared for this posting, period, and you need to shape up and do some homework. Okay, next you had Kimberly Guilfoyle, yes, Don Jr.'s ex-fiance or girlfriend who was shipped out to Greece after Don Jr. got a new girlfriend, and here she is in her opening statement. This is completely absurd. Let's play it. It is with great and profound sense of honor and deep humility that I appear before you today as President Trump's nominee to serve as the United States Ambassador to Greece. I extend my sincerest gratitude to the President for his faith in my abilities and to Secretary

Rubio and to Sergio Gore here present today, the head of PPO and his amazing team for their collective trust and confidence placed in me. I also thank this committee for the opportunity to be here and for your careful consideration of my nomination. All right. Let me show you now the full context of that exchange between MAGA Republican Senator Kennedy and Richard Painter, the ethics lawyer over this crypto bill here play this clip. Mr. Painter, do you think Senator Gillibrand is a crook?

No, and I do not think all politicians are crooks. And why did you call her a crook? I did not call her a crook. Now Senator, you need to focus on this bill. You're doing this again. You did it the last hearing. You need to read the bill. You published this week that Senator Gillibrand's role in stable corn regulation, $217,000 in crypto donations.

You tweeted that. Yes, I do. And then you said, the crypto industry is buying Congress and the White House. This won't end well. Why do you think the crypto industry is buying Senator Gillibrand? I said, look at the campaign contributions from this industry.

You think they've bothered? I said, look at the campaign contributions. You said they bothered, do you think they bothered? Senator, you need to focus on this bill instead of trying to distort my Twitter. No, you called one of my colleagues, the cro contributions. Senator, you need to focus on this bill instead of trying to distort my Twitter. Last time you were quoting what a Marxist in Chicago said about me. You make no sense. I said there are massive amount of campaign contributions coming into this Congress from the crypto industry. Do you want to apologize, Senator Gillibrand?

I do not want you to have to apologize for passing legislation that destroys our economy. You are distorting what I said just like you did in the last hearing. You're wasting everybody's time, Senator. You're a whack job. Senator, you are a wasting... You are amazingly treatment time. I think we are... I think we are...

Whack job. Is this middle school, Senator? Senators and witness, thank you both for your partnership. I think you are. I think we are. Is this middle school Senator? Senators and uh, witness. Thank you both for your partnership. I think you should apologize Senator. I think Senator you're wasting our time. This is not middle school.

Now just to give you a little bit of background about where Richard Painter was coming from, if you're just confused what happened in that clip I just showed you. Painter said the day before this clip, at the hearing tomorrow on the Clarity Act, I will urge federal regulation aimed at safe and transparent trading in crypto markets enacted and implemented by federal officials free of financial conflicts of interest, and that includes the president. And he shows, for example, how the Trump meme coin was worth $45.47 on January 19th, 2025. And then yesterday it was $8.73. So who made money on this meme coin? He says, well, we know Trump made money on the meme coin. We know the insiders make money on the meme coin. We know Trump earns transaction

fees on the meme coin. So that's who makes money on the meme coin right there. But I wanted to give you context just what that exchange was about. Because you have a lot of senators, and by the way, there are some Democratic senators and Democratic Congress members who take a lot of money from crypto also. It's not just purely the MAGA Republicans,

although there's more MAGA Republicans. And look, my own view of it is, is that there is a place for crypto and Bitcoin, and we should modernize, and we should embrace crypto and Bitcoin, but we've got to do it in a very transparent way. And we can't have politicians abusing their power. I think we have to treat crypto as though it is a security

so that it could be regulated like stocks. There has to be a regulation scheme so people aren't scamming other people. And we see too often, especially with Trump meme coins and Melania meme coins and a lot of these MAGA meme coins that they are scams. All right, going back to Democratic Senator Duckworth, who's just ripping to shreds this ambassador to Singapore. He doesn't know the most basic things here.

He doesn't even know what the amount of the trade surpluses between the United States and Singapore. He doesn't know the most basic things here. He doesn't even know what the amount of the trade surpluses between the United States and Singapore. Here, watch this. I have my doubts. So, my questions are going to be to allow you to assuage my doubts and win my vote. Dr. Sinha, I need to know that you understand some basic facts about Singapore and its critical relationship with the United States. For example, in 2024, did the United States have a trade deficit with Singapore? Yes or no? It did not.

How large was the US's trade surplus with Singapore in 2024? $80 billion. $18 billion. $2.8. You're off by a huge factor. United States had a huge factor. United States had a 2.8 billion trade surplus with Singapore in 2024.

If confirmed, how would you explain our friendship in Singapore to the President? How would you explain to our friends in Singapore the President's threats to slap tariffs as high as 25% on their country, given that the United States has nearly 3 billion trade surplus with Singapore? Thank you for your question, Senator. given that the United States has nearly 3 billion trade surplus with Singapore. Thank you for your question, Senator. We are not walking away for any dialogue between the two countries and two leaders. If confirmed, I will make a personal relation with the government of Singapore and I will make sure the dialogue continues and we settle the issues of trade together.

Do you support increasing a tariff on Singapore, seeing as how we don't have, they buy more of our stuff than we buy theirs. So Senator, you want to put a tariff on them? Thank you for your question Senator. You know that we have, the President has only done 10% of trade increase with Singapore and he's open to dialogue even for that. Do you agree with that 10% increase with Singapore? It seems how we don't have, they don't have a surplus with us? Well, I... Yes or no?

Do you support the President's plan to put a 10% tariff on Singapore, goods produced in Singapore? I mean, Senator, thank you for your question, but I believe in President's decision of a free trade with any nations in the world, and he's resetting the trade numbers with each country and he's open for discussion and dialogue with each country. So you would like to have free trade with Singapore? That's what you would push for as ambassador? Well we always had free trade with Singapore since 2004. So why, so do you support the 10% increase, It's it's it's it's it's it's the dialogue is not a to close the door is not closed. Let's go on to the next thing.

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And so when you see, you know, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary yesterday, Kristi Noem, and she held this conference, and there are some real serious questions that need to be asked about what happened in Texas. In addition to the fact that there were six major vacancies at the National Weather Service, including a key vacancy for the meteorologist coordinator. Local officials say they didn't get the warnings that they needed and they were pointing fingers at the feds and the forecast from the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service, we did give the warnings, but 72 hours went by from the floods before Kristi Noem actually activated some of the emergency equipment to save people's lives. That's completely unacceptable. And so questions

need to be asked. Why did you do that? Why did it take you 72 hours? But instead she wants to attack former president Biden and she somehow accuses him of the fires in Hawaii, which FEMA was there right away. But he, but, but she goes, she tries to imply that as a result of FEMA one in six women were basically sexually assaulted in order to get like aid is, I think that's what she's saying here, play this clip. And then after the wildfires in Maui, residents voiced concerns that every FEMA employee that they spoke with had different answers.

None of them had conversations that resulted in getting assistance that was helpful or any clarity in their situations. The situation in Lahaina was so bad that one in six survivors were forced to trade sexual favors other favors for just basic supplies. And so it's always an attack on focus on what's happening right now in Texas, 120 deaths, 160 people still missing, most of the dead children.

I understand it's a one and you know, it's unprecedented event event, but you can't keep saying unprecedented unprecedented nothing we could do act Yes, there is things you can do stop it cut it out Of course, there's things that you can do and here she is saying, you know what at the end of the day We must respect states rights states rights matter the most they should be handling this not the feds here play this clip State and local leaders know that their communities And what, what they, they know what they need better than the government ever could. They know their exact needs and they know how best to prepare. People forget that the states are older than the constitution and that they created the

constitution that federalism matters and states rights need to be respected. We need to focus more on helping, not hindering and state states' rights need to be respected. We need to focus more on helping, not hindering, and state and local authorities need to be empowered. We don't take charge of them. We give them the opportunity to lead the way. Really? Because y'all federalized the National Guard right away in Los Angeles to attack the citizens of Los Angeles, but you had to wait 72 hours before taking any action when it came to the floods in terms of bringing some of the critical emergency equipment. What the hell is wrong with these people? And speaking of what the hell is wrong with

these people, here's the mayor of Kerrville and here's this guy. He's being asked basic questions and he's like, guess what? I'm not going to answer you. You're going to do it my way or the highway, okay? Here, play this clip. To use that morning, I'm sorry, I do not know. Listen, people are yelling and I didn't really want to. If you offer only three questions, then you're gonna have to.

And guess what? You're in Kerrville and we're gonna do it my way. I understand that. Morgan Chesky, please. That's how you're answering it. I'm the mayor, you're in Kerrville. All right, well, you clearly don't even know how to handle emergency Management in your own city. So you probably shouldn't be the mayor of Kerrville

You know what all this is all this good old boy, you know, yeah, that would do it Why would we ever do that? Why is the government these are not competent human beings? Okay, they're not competent human beings They're just not doing their jobs and then when something happens nothing we can do about it. Just gotta pray Just gotta pray nothing we can do about it. Just you know, it is what it is. No, that's not true That's not freaking true. Stop gaslighting us with this crap Here the Kerrville mayor is asked an important question about flood warnings. Shouldn't you have flood warnings? Ah, I don't want to talk about that. Here, play this clip.

The concept of flood warnings have been discussed at least two dozen times by the county. What's the biggest reason that these systems have not gone into place at this point? You know, Morgan, you and I grew up here. And I wasn't an officer in those discussions. And frankly, I'm more focused on the future than the past as you know. What I can say is the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the Texas House have all provided us support and they have all said this is a priority for the upcoming special legislative session as mayor of Kerrville, as someone who grew up here.

I'm grateful for their support and I look forward to what they propose during the special session. Okay, I'm sorry that inconveniences you to talk about things, but we need a reckoning of what the hell went down. And here he goes, ah, my wife's a first grade teacher. Stop acting like first graders here play this clip. I'm married to a retired first grade teacher And I learned a little bit about classroom management from her If you yell questions at us

We're probably gonna pick someone else to answer. Okay So you feel the need to yell your questions. I Will feel the need to not answer your question. In first grade, they raised their hands. That might be a good start. Yesterday was a disaster and I was embarrassed. Our town was embarrassed. Your viewers were embarrassed. And I don't want that to happen again. Stop acting like, what are these people talking about? Finally, I'll show you this. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin took to the Senate floor and he talked about how the Trump regime is rescinding all of the funding for public TV.

And he's like, also public TV plays a major role in disaster warning. So can we not cut funding for something that was once always bipartisan? Here, play this clip. This request would cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Do you listen to public radio, public TV? Are you aware of what it does for your community?

This would eliminate any federal assistance for a corporation for public broadcasting. It includes $700 million that's eliminated to provide critical funding for local public media. This would devastate more than 1500 public radio and TV stations across this country. Bottom line, do you think we're better off with less information as Americans or more?

Bottom line, do you want a choice to pick your own source of information? Do you want that choice to include corporation for public broadcasting? The president says that no, we're not gonna provide the assistance for that to continue. What it means is for small towns in downstate Illinois, all the way up to Chicago, and the classrooms there,

public media stations provide essential nonpartisan news coverage, life-saving emergency and weather alerts, and educational program for our kids. I don't know the circumstances in Texas for this terrible flooding, and I don't want to presume anything. But as a general rule, more emergency information available to American families is better than

worse. Well, there you have it, folks. Let me know what you think. We're going to hold them accountable every step of the way. I'm not afraid to report this stuff. I'm just telling you the truth. Hit subscribe. Let's get to six million subscribers.

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