The MeidasTouch Podcast

Tuesday Afternoon Breaking News Updates with Ben — 2/10/26

59 min
Feb 10, 20264 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Ben Meiselas discusses the Epstein files release, focusing on Trump's million-plus mentions in unredacted documents, Ghislaine Maxwell's Fifth Amendment invocations, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik's contradictory testimony about Epstein island visits, and broader patterns of authoritarian fascism internationally.

Insights
  • The Epstein files reveal a coordinated international network of oligarchs using child sex trafficking as currency for blackmail and political leverage across multiple countries
  • Right-wing authoritarian movements globally employ identical playbooks: scapegoating, deep-state conspiracy narratives, and weaponizing real predator concerns to consolidate power
  • U.S. government officials are demonstrating moral rot by normalizing associations with Epstein and refusing accountability, contrasting sharply with international responses in UK, Poland, and Norway
  • The Trump administration's ICE operations target vulnerable populations while claiming to fight crime, mirroring fascist regimes' use of security theater to justify authoritarian control
  • Countering international fascism requires macro-level ideological unity around democracy and empathy, not just daily tactical media responses
Trends
International coordination of right-wing authoritarian movements using shared playbooks across Trump, Orban, Bolsonaro, and other leadersNormalization of predatory behavior and Epstein associations among U.S. political and business elites without meaningful consequencesWeaponization of child safety rhetoric by authoritarian regimes to justify mass detention and deportation operationsProjection tactics where accused predators claim to be fighting pedophilia while covering up their own networksExpansion of private detention infrastructure (Amazon-style warehouses) for immigration enforcement at massive taxpayer costCoordinated state media messaging through Sinclair and Fox News to amplify authoritarian narratives locallyInternational expansion of fascist movements (MAGA Maple in Canada, similar movements in Australia) with backing from oligarch networksUse of Fifth Amendment invocations and legal maneuvering by convicted sex traffickers to avoid accountability while seeking presidential clemency
Topics
Epstein Files Unredacted Release and Trump MentionsGhislaine Maxwell Fifth Amendment TestimonyHoward Lutnik Epstein Island Visits and ContradictionsCommerce Secretary Accountability and Conflicts of InterestICE Deportation Operations and Citizenship VerificationPrivate Detention Center Expansion and Taxpayer FundingInternational Authoritarian Movements and CoordinationChild Sex Trafficking as Political CurrencyPresidential Clemency for Convicted Sex TraffickersUkraine War Strategy and Civilian CasualtiesCanada Bridge Project and Trade NegotiationsHungary Election and Victor Orban's GovernmentFascist Playbook and Projection TacticsIndependent Media Growth and International ExpansionDemocracy vs Authoritarianism Global Movement
Companies
Microsoft
Advertised Microsoft 365 Copilot AI assistant for workplace productivity during episode ad reads
Herbal Essences
Promoted Moroccan argan oil hair care product in episode advertisement
Paddy Power Games
Online gaming platform advertised during episode with responsible gambling messaging
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E-commerce platform advertised as solution for launching businesses in 2026
Midnight Casino
Online casino advertised at episode conclusion with promotional free spins offer
People
Donald Trump
Central focus: mentioned 1 million+ times in unredacted Epstein files; discussed for attacking Canada, Ukraine policy...
Ghislaine Maxwell
Convicted sex trafficker who invoked Fifth Amendment before House Oversight Committee; seeking presidential clemency
Howard Lutnik
Commerce Secretary who testified contradictorily about Epstein island visits with his children; faced Senate question...
Jamie Raskin
House Judiciary Committee ranking member who reviewed unredacted Epstein files showing Trump's million mentions
Todd Blanche
Trump's former criminal defense attorney now Deputy Attorney General; met with Maxwell despite her Fifth Amendment cl...
Mike Johnson
MAGA Republican Speaker who defended Lutnik and refused to call for his resignation over Epstein connections
Justin Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister who responded factually to Trump's threats about the Gordy Howe bridge project
Victor Orban
Hungarian authoritarian leader using same playbook as Trump; connected to Putin and right-wing movements
Steve Bannon
Coordinated with Epstein on right-wing authoritarian strategy; discussed in Epstein files communications
Jair Bolsonaro
Brazilian authoritarian propped up by Epstein and Bannon; part of international fascist network
Peter Mandelson
UK ambassador to U.S. with Epstein connections; removed from position unlike U.S. officials
Keir Starmer
UK Prime Minister whose chief of staff resigned over Epstein-connected appointment recommendations
Nigel Farage
UK Reform Party leader coordinating with Bannon; part of international right-wing authoritarian movement
Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukrainian president facing Trump pressure for unfavorable peace terms; civilian deaths increased 33-40% since Trump t...
Vladimir Putin
Russian leader coordinating with Trump on Ukraine strategy; benefiting from reduced military aid to Ukraine
Dan Goldman
Democratic congressman who cross-examined ICE director Todd Lions about citizenship verification tactics
Todd Lions
Acting ICE director who refused to commit to unmasking agents or acknowledging citizenship verification practices
Eric Swalwell
Democratic congressman who questioned Lions about fired ICE agents and accountability for deaths
Robert Kennedy Jr.
Congressman who demanded ICE agents wear identifiable uniforms; Lions refused commitment
Peter Magyar
Hungarian opposition candidate facing sex tape blackmail threat from Orban's regime; defiant response to coercion
Quotes
"A million references to Donald Trump's name not hyperbolic a million references. More references to Donald Trump in the Epstein files that have been released than to the word Harry in the seven Harry Potter books."
Ben MeiselasOpening segment
"The moral compass has been so utterly shattered that you have mega-republicans being asked questions if they think she should get clemency. And their answer isn't no."
Ben MeiselasMid-episode
"These are sick, freaking people. And they're covering up for other sick, freaking people. That's what they're doing."
Ben MeiselasAnalysis segment
"I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my four children and nannies."
Howard LutnikSenate testimony
"The only way to fight it is to recognize that love and empathy and democracy and broader values need to unite internationally. If it's not an internationally arm-locked movement, you're not going to stop it."
Ben MeiselasClosing analysis
Full Transcript
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The world moves fast. Your workday even faster pitching products drafting reports analyzing data. Microsoft 365 co-pilot is your AI assistant for work built into word excel PowerPoint and other Microsoft 365 apps you use helping you quickly right analyze create and summarize. So you can cut through clutter and clear path to your best work learn more at Microsoft.com slash M 365 co-pilot. Welcome to Ben on breaking news. I'm Ben my cell. This is breaking news. A lot of self incrimination and invoking the fifth amendment right against self incrimination taking place as the reverberations of the Epstein file partial release is being felt throughout this country throughout the world. And the cabal is right there in the center of the oval office. Now we're learning that Donald Trump's name in the unredacted files the millions that have still not been released. Are on those files over one million times. Yep, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee Jamie Raskin. He was able to look at that other batch of documents that's not been produced because what has been produced are the redacted unlawfully redacted documents and folks. A million references to Donald Trump's name not hyperbolic a million references. Okay. So when we were talking about 38,000 references from the redacted files, one million and I would give exemplars like that means with the 38,000 references. There's more references to Donald Trump in the Epstein files that have been released than to the word Harry in the seven Harry Potter books. More references to Donald Trump than references to Jesus in the Bible in the Epstein files. Then you had Howard Lutnik's testimony before the Senate where now he's admitting, yep, I had my children go to the Epstein island with me, but only once. I only did it once. So we went from Howard Lutnik saying that I've never, ever spoken to Epstein since 2005. I bought the townhouse from him and he invited me over. I was there with my wife and I was headed there and I saw a massage table in the center of a living room and I said to him in 2005, what do you have that for? And he said to me, I like the good kind of massage is Howard and I said to my wife, that man is disgusting. I knew he was up to something and I never had any dealings with him again, professionally, family, anything. You understand? Remember that's what he said. Okay, well, now he admits he brought his children. It was in the files. There were eight meaningful interactions between Lutnik and Epstein that we are aware of that were in the partial release of the Epstein files that came out a few weeks back at this point. And he brought his children and the children of his friends to the island inhabited by and used for the purpose of child sex trafficking. What the hell are we even talking about here? We're not having political discussion. We should have this sort of tax policy. We should perhaps our policy should be this versus what are we even talking about? I'm watching the Commerce Secretary at a Senate hearing non-solotently saying, yeah, I lied about it and I brought my children to the island where children are sex trafficked, but I didn't notice anything untoward at the island and I don't see anything wrong with what I did. You don't see anything wrong with what you did. The moral compass has not even been moved. 360 degrees. The moral compass has been shattered. We are dealing with mega-zombified brains who are so vested in their positions in the Epstein class that they think that this behavior, what's wrong with what I did? I didn't do anything wrong. The hell are you talking about? In the past week, Donald Trump attacking the Olympian athletes in the United States, you have Donald Trump photoshopping former President Obama and Michelle Obama on two images of apes. Donald Trump, I'm not going to apologize for photoshopping their faces on apes. What's wrong with that? He says, the video that I posted was very strong on election fraud. How are you talking about the attack Caitlin Collins from CNN? Why don't you smile more, lady? You're a young lady. You don't smile when you ask me questions about child sex, smile more. Let me just think about those stories that just poof, poof. We're supposed to just accept that these Epstein class predators, these psychopaths in the Oval Office, that's just how he is. Yesterday he posts about that China is going to take over the Stanley Cup from Canada and that he's going to shut down the bridge that Canada fully paid for between Ontario and Detroit, despite there being agreements that Canada would pay for the full thing. Now he goes, China is going to take over the Stanley Cup. That's not even a story because it's just, yeah, that's the psychopath in the Oval Office. As our editor-in-chief, Ron Philip Kowski writes, can we talk about how batshit crazy it was for Trump to post that China was going to permanently cancel the Stanley Cup if Canada signs a trade deal with them or do we just assume at this point that he's completely psychotic? And it's a fair question to be asked. I haven't even gotten into yet in this intro the fact that Gilein Maxwell, when she testified before the House Oversight Committee yesterday, invoked her fifth amendment right against self-incrimination, the entire deposition when she was asked questions, so are you aware of Donald Trump with underage girls? I have to invoke my fifth amendment against self-incrimination. Where is Donald Trump part of your enterprise? I have to invoke my fifth amendment right against self-incrimination. So that's going to incriminate you to answer that question, wait, you are willing to speak to Donald Trump's former criminal defense attorney who's now the number two at the Department of Justice Todd Blanche. You spoke with him, but now you can't answer these basic questions from the House Oversight Committee. Who are the other co-conspirators? I must invoke my fifth amendment right to silence. Okay? Did Donald Trump promise you a pardon for your silence? I must invoke my fifth amendment right against self-incrimination. That question would incriminate you. And you're already incriminated. You were found guilty of child sex trafficking by a federal jury in sentence to over 20 years in prison. I understand you were moved to club fed and now get VIP treatment by the Bureau of Prisons because the Trump regime anoints the child sex traffickers to VIP status because you're part of the Epstein class. The Epstein class everybody, the Epstein class, but you lost your appeal to the second circuit court of appeals. You lost your appeal to the United States Supreme Court. Three strikes you're out, Madame Delaigne, you're out, you're out of appeals. So you can say, well, I have a habeas petition pending. Three individual who's in prison has the right to a habeas petition. That's just saying that you believe you're unlawfully detained. That's not an appeal. That's invoking habeas corpus, which is under the Constitution or we believed it was under the Constitution before Donald Trump ripped that right away from most people who are here in this country. But that's what you're invoking in order to invoke the fifth amendment against your self-incrimination. You think where that's stupid? By the way, your appeal was still pending before the United States Supreme Court, which has now been rejected when you spoke with Todd Blanche. So it wasn't an imperative for you to invoke the fifth with Trump's guy. But now before the House oversight committee, I must invoke the fifth I cannot hand. But if Donald Trump, this is what she said at the depot, but if I am granted clemency by Donald Trump, I will exonerate him publicly if I am granted clemency. If you're granted clemency, for what? For being a child sex trafficker, you want to be granted clemency? If anything, what's been released in the files shows that you got off lightly. You should be in jail for 20 life sentences. You're lucky you were only sentenced to 20 years. Clemency, and I go back to what I was talking about with Howard Lutnik. The moral compass has been so utterly shattered that you have mega-re-publicans being asked questions if they think she should get clemency. And their answer isn't no. Like James Colmer and Maga Mike Johnson. Well, that's not really for me to decide. We're going to have to see if Donald ultimately makes that call for clemency. For a child sex trafficker, what are you pedo protectors talking about? It blows my mind as I watch this and I try to process this information and data like what the hell? And it's explainable. These mega-zombified Epstein class humans are predators. It's like if you see a zombie movie and you can't tell the zombie why are you behaving like a zombie? There's zombies. This is who they are. They're the Epstein class. They're evil. They're predators. They hate you. They want to hurt you. They want to prey on you. They want to steal your children. To prey on that. They're sick. They're sick. Sick. Sick. Sick. People. That's who they are. I can try to give you intellectual analysis and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and put on my professor, Benke. No, these are sick, freaking people. And they're covering up for other sick, freaking people. That's what they're doing. I mean, in other areas too, you see this in lots of other areas and they're going after the kids constantly. Did you see the pro-publica report from the Dilly Detention Center in Texas where all of these kids were writing these letters? They've been kidnapped by ice and border patrol Gestapo and they're writing letters how the water is getting them sick and they're scared and they're penning these letters. And pro-publica got their hands and they're drawing these photos. I mean, it looks like the types of letters you would see in the Holocaust Museum and it's being written by these young three to five-year-olds, you know, who are talking about the water's making me sick and I want to see my family again and I've been here for days and I don't know what's going on and am I ever going to get out of here. And now the Trump regime, they're buying out like Amazon style warehouses in multiple areas in Haggarstown, Maryland for 102. This is where our taxpayer dollars are going, Epstein class, 102 million dollars in Maryland, 70 million in surprise Arizona, 87 million dollars in Hamburg, 120 million in Tremend, 82 million in San Antonio, 123 million in El Paso. We don't know what the price is in social circle, Georgia. And then a lot of the Republican centers like we don't want these in our town, put them in other towns. And then the one in Texas, they've already put a government contract for $1.2 billion to house in a concentration camp like 3,000 human beings who are not hardened criminals, just kids in their family who have been ripped off the workers, children who are now in these Amazon style warehouse concentration camps. And we're the taxpayers, you're telling me, when I have to look at my tax bill in April and I write that check to Uncle Sam, it's funding this versus healthcare, versus affordable housing, versus education, versus mental health programs, versus lunches for kids. No, we're torturing the kids, the Epstein class, they're torturing the kids. That's where our taxpayer dollars are going. It's horrific. Sometimes sick and tired of corporate meat and everybody normalizing this. The sick evil predator perverts sick, it is sick behavior. I'll share this with you, the split screen right here, home of the brave did a good job and getting this and just putting these side by side. We were the ones who unearthed the X-Teen deposition back in 2010 that you're probably familiar with. And they did a side by side at home of the brave of Epstein and Gile. Let me show you what went down. Tell me if you see the similarities here, here play this clip. Have you ever socialized with Donald Trump in the presence of females under the age of 18? Though I'd like to answer that question, at least today, I'm going to have to assert my fifth, sixth, and fourth, amendment right. Are you aware of Donald Trump ever engaging in sexual activity with an individual introduced to him by you or Jeffrey Epstein? I invoke my fifth amendment right to science. How about when Donald Trump was being civilly prosecuted for fraud? What did he do? Did he answer the questions or hear play the clip? So, as Trump, I take it, you are not going to answer any questions about your preparation to stay with your counsel. Is that correct? Then should I say this? Should I have a response of that? For all of the reasons provided in my answer, which is incorporated herein, and it's entirely a decline to answer the question. Same answer. Same answer. Same answer. Anyone in my position not taking the fifth amendment would be a fool, an absolute fool. Now I do recall Donald Trump when he was campaigning in 2016 saying something interesting about the fifth amendment. Let's play this clip. Here's people taking the fifth amendment. Four people plus the guy who illegally did the server. You know, he put it in the illegal server. So there are five people taking the fifth amendment like you see on the mob, right? You see the mob takes it. If you're innocent, why are you taking the fifth amendment? I don't know. Tell me, Donald. What do I know? What do I know? Yeah, maybe that's just how the Epstein class does it. What do I know? It's the Epstein class. Different rules for the Epstein class, right? Different rules. Well, y'all are on islands and New Mexico ranches where you don't have to register as ex-offenders the way Epstein didn't in New Mexico and your own islands, your townhouses that you sell to each other, your massage tables in your living room while you brag about the annexation of Crimea by Putin. Say there's a lot of opportunity there is what Epstein was talking about in the files. As you talk about propping up right wing thugs like Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, the way Epstein and Baton were talking about, right? The way all of that was going down in the fight, I guess that's what the Epstein class does, everybody. Speaking of the Epstein class, Howard Lutnik testified earlier today and he testified in the United States Senate. Here's when Senator Van Hollen said, did you in fact make the visit to Epstein's private island? Again, we all know that Lutnik said that he had before. He never had any interaction professional or otherwise with Epstein. Instead of one meeting in 2005, that's what Lutnik said because he was so repulsed, so grossed out by Epstein. In 2005, he wouldn't even think about ever seeing this guy again. So you brought your kids? You brought your little children to the island where children get raped. That's what you did and we, the people are supposed to be like, yeah, that's Lutnik. That's Lutnik, everybody. Well, okay, I guess we need to move on. First play this Lutnik clip and then I'm going to show you Mag and Mike Johnson's response. Let's play. Lutnik, I think you understand the root of concern here. It's the way you described very emphatically your first encounter with him in his apartment said you were disgusted. We'd never have any contact with him again. Did you in fact make the visit to Jeffrey Epstein's private island? I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my four children and nannies. I had another couple with, they were there as well with their children and we had lunch on the island. That is true for an hour and we left with all of my children, with my nannies and my wife all together. We run family vacation. We were not a part to suggest there was anything untoward about that in 2012. I don't recall why we did it, but we did. Secretary again, as I said there. By the way, I'm glad that Democratic Senator Van Holland was asking him those questions like, I am. Why are we being nice to this guy? Where's the outrage though too? I think Van Holland is a lot of really good things, so I'm not upset that he asked the question. Why are we tiptoeing around? Why wouldn't you just say so you see no problem that you brought your little children to the island of child rape? You were there and you lied about it. You see no issue with that. Is that accurate? You don't, Mr. Lutnik, you don't see any problem in that. Is that what your, your judgment suggests should other families have brought their children? Was it a pleasant day? Was it a pleasant day? And when Maga Mike was asked about what went down, watch Maga Mike's response. Let's play it. Mr. Lutnik had said that he had caught up ties with Jeff B.F.D. in 2005 with the dog him and Mr. Kim out of context. Take that. Democrats and Thomas Mansys should resign. Do you think that Howard Lutnik should resign? Of course not. So, sir Howard Lutnik is a great, comrade secretary who's done an external jet with country and Thomas Mansys should stop me. Do you think of sirs about Lutnik's ties with us? I don't know anything about that. I know Howard is an individual and I trust his word on it. I mean, I don't know of the timing and all that. I'm not sure you have to ask other questions. I don't know the timing of all of that going to the rape island and everything. You're going to have to ask some others. But of course he shouldn't have to resign. He's a really good guy who brings his children to the child rape island and then starts exchanging nannies with Jeffrey Epstein and then Epstein gives him gifts for awards that he's receiving. Then they go into business together. But of course that shows really good judgment right there. Let's also ignore the fact that Howard, you know, Lutnik's children are now running candor Fitzgerald and they're profiting off of a lot of the horrors that are taking place in this regime and we could ignore those conflicts of interest as well. And I just think that Lutnik is a great, he's a great guy. I mean, that's the moral rot in the United States right now. At least when you look in other countries, if you look at what's happening in the UK, if you look at what's happening in Poland, if you look at what's happening in Norway, if you look at what's happening in other areas, there is at least an understanding that even second hand associations with Epstein could be and should be disqualifying. You know, even remember the seven degrees of Kevin Bacon? Like if you're two degrees away from Epstein, that in many countries is disqualifying alone. Right. Peter Mandelson, the ambassador to the United States from the UK, had the direct relationship with Epstein, appeared far less than Trump does in the files, but I'm not going to argue, which is more grotesque than the others. Obviously, he needs to go and he gets removed and banished from the labor party. Okay. But then the guy who recommended him, the chief of staff to Prime Minister Starmor needs to go. He resigns. And then lots of people were putting pressure on Starmor to go. I think one of the issues is that labor party still controls parliament at least through 2029. It's not exactly like the Tories or the Reform Party. You know, I mean, like the Reform Party, you've got Nigel Farage who was coordinating with Bannon. And we know Bannon's are also, you don't let them off, you know, and that's a major issue because they were behind a lot of the kind of right wing takeovers that we've seen across the world. And then the Tories don't deserve a pass. But my point is at least you're like, that's bad affiliations with this guy, bad. And then here in the United States, of course not, of course not. And even we're going to take our first quick break of the show. We will be right back. I will see you shortly. You know, every new year we say that we're finally going to launch that thing we've been dreaming about. 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I'll show you more of Latinac in a moment, but I also want to share with you, you know, Donald Trump's post attacking Canada again. Over and over again. And it's just like Trump's view on Ukraine. It's just like Trump's view on the 2020 election. I think Canada realizes as Ukraine realizes. Trump is not as and Greenland has to realize and Europe has to realize in the rest of the world. He's a demented sociopathic malignant narcissistic animal. And he's never going to stop. He's never going to stop. So with Ukraine, all he's trying to figure out is how he gets Ukraine to fully surrender. And so there aren't really peace talks happening. That's bullshit. What's really happening is Trump trying to work with Putin to simply figure out how you apply the pressure on Zelensky in order for Trump to do the economic deal he wants to do with Russia, which we've now learned more details about because Zelensky smoked it out in the United Arab Emirates. It's a fake $12 trillion deal when the entire Russian GDP is $2 trillion. And so Donald Trump is now telling you Ukraine, there's never going to be a ceasefire between Russia doesn't want a ceasefire. But you need to do a referendum where Zelensky has to run for election again and let's do this election in May. And there's got to be a referendum to Ukrainians about giving up most of eastern Ukraine to Russia. That's and you need to do this in May. Zelensky's point actually is even though we think that's not prudent, we'll do it if we can have it like a 30 to 45 day ceasefire so we can at least create the circumstances to make people feel comfortable to show up on an election to do a referendum. But we need a ceasefire first. Russia says no ceasefire. How are you supposed to negotiate with that? You can't. So what Donald Trump is doing behind the scenes is the PAC-3 missiles that go into the Patriot missile system that Ukraine has. All of a sudden the US says there's a shortage. There's a PAC-3 shortage. Sorry. So we're not able to get those anti-air, anti-air, anti-drone missiles. The anti-ballistic missile systems to you in time. What we've seen is a 33 to 40% increase. In Ukrainian civilian deaths since Donald Trump has been in office. Think about that. For all of the Armstrong and Putin would do this a 33 to 40% increase in civilian deaths in Ukraine since Trump's been in office. And in terms of the Shahid drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missile strikes, those have increased dramatically as well. I mean, at that same or more percentage, significantly more. And then when it comes to Canada, it's every, you know, Trump cycles through it. And then every 30 days or 20 days, he comes up with a new one. And now a billionaire American family that owns the other private, the only, it's a private bridge that exists right now called the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Ontario. And the Moron family or the Moron family owns a private bridge. They make a ton of money. It's a weird thing to think about. That the main bridge between the United States and Canada from Detroit to Ontario is owned privately by this oligarch family called the Morones. And the kid, I think his name is Michael or something. He owns it now. And he's been always working behind the scenes with Trump in order to kill a bridge project that began many, many years ago to build another bridge that could actually be owned by both Canada and Michigan for the well-being of Canada and Michigan, not a billionaire family. Okay. So this new bridge, the Gordy Howe bridge, just set to be open soon, which has actually employed lots of people from Michigan. It's constructed, was fully funded by Canada. I just want you to know what the facts are about this because sometimes we move past these stories quickly. It was fully funded by Canada. Because America wouldn't fund it, but wanted it. Then it was going to be recouped. The costs were going to be recouped by Canada through the fares. And also it would be jointly owned by Michigan and by Canada through Ontario. That was for the benefit of both. And then Trump makes a post saying, well, China's going to take it over. And China's going to steal your ice hockey and China this and China that it's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. So Prime Minister Karni is asked about this today. And let me show you Prime Minister Karni's response when he was asked about, well, what do you make of Donald Trump's latest threats? And watch how Trump swatched the difference between Karni and the difference between Trump. Let me show you Prime Minister Karni. Pardon me. So the first thing to say is there's a big game today. And as a president, I discussed the kind of the U.S. game. And of course we're all behind our team. Secondly, we discussed a number of issues, international issues. Thirdly, we discussed the bridge. I explained that Canada was paid for the construction of the bridge over $4 billion. That the ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the government of Canada. And that in the construction of the bridge, obviously there's Canadian steel, Canadian workers, but also U.S. steel, U.S. workers. And we're involved. This is a great example of cooperation between our countries. Look forward to it opening. And what is particularly important, of course, is the commerce and the tourism and the voyages of Canadians and Americans that will go across that bridge. So the conversation turned to a series of issues that we will raise and we're going to follow up on. I'm not going to go into detail on those issues. These would be specific issues in parallel to the Kuzma negotiations. Final point is the president asked appropriately that his investor was from Michigan, of course, play a role in smoothing the conversation in and around the bridge. So his positive conversation is big in today. So it's all too bad. Yeah, I mean, that's just coming with facts, a fact-based approach. I'm going to read this and Jeremy, I'm going to send this to you right now. There's some breaking news out of Hungary. The lead candidate to win Hungary's upcoming election against Victor Orban, Rimmer Orban, Tromb Putin, all connected. Peter Magiar says that tomorrow a sex tape of him with his then-girlfriend is going to be released, hinting at a Russian style active measure by Victor Orban's embattled government. Yes, I'm a 45-year-old man. I have a sex life with an adult partner, Magiarites. I have three minor children whom this vile family-friendly regime obviously does not give me damn about. Deer frightened for death supporters. Go ahead, release everything you have, fabricate whatever you like. I will not yield to black male or threats. And so you see what's going on there. And it should be noted as well that in Hungary, one of Orban's big platforms, similar to one of the Trump platforms, which is we're going to get rid of the petos. And that there's a deep state of petos out there, and you need Orban to get rid of them. Then it turns out that Orban's government through their juvenile prison system, in Budapest, was involved in a massive sex trafficking operation of underaged children through their juvenile prison system. Just want you to think about that. And they were covering that up. It's an interesting parallel to think about the script, the playbook of right-wing authoritarians, and how they're able to win elections, infect the minds of populations. And I think what's important to note is that Trump is not unique in this. He is a vessel of a broader right-wing authoritarian playbook that uses hate and hyper-nationalistic language, anti-immigrant language, deep state, woke. All of that is actually an intern is an international playbook that's been adopted by Trump. I'm going to show you how that's connected to the Epstein files in a moment as well. Part of that is they weaponize the reality that there are all these petos among us. And they say, we know who they are and we're going to stop them. And that's how Trump and Maga weaponized the Epstein files. That's how Orban weaponized it in his ascent, you know, to power. And we see that play out over and over again. And within the files, Epstein is actually a central player in the spread of right-wing authoritarianism. Because part of the playbook is that when you cause mass disruption, that creates financial opportunity for the oligarchs. The oligarchs were using child sex trafficking as their currency to blackmail each other, to interact with each other as the entry fee, sick and disgusting to think about it like that. But that was part of it. But then they also were using a playbook and exchanging tips and Epstein in the messages is a middle man in exchanging the tips. I mean, when you see the messages between him and Bannon, you have Epstein saying to Bannon, man, I don't like that Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, so like I think in 2018 or 2017, was saying all these negative things about you, you know, make Bannon great again. He should be wearing the make Bannon great again. And Bannon's like my power stems from the fact that nobody knows what I'm doing behind the scenes. And so I get my power by people thinking I don't have the power. The deep state, right? And then they project that concept onto everybody else that which they are doing. So when you read the files and when I talk about an Epstein class, this is what I'm referring to, play out. And all of this stuff is connected, not make conspiratorial lens, but in the reality. So let's go back to the hearing from earlier today with let Nick. Van Hollen asks another question. So why do the Epstein files show you coordinating meetings with Epstein in 2012? Let's watch what Howard let Nick says in response to this. Let's play secretary let Nick, as I said in my opening statement, you led people to believe that you had cut off all contact with Jeffrey Epstein after the 2005 encounter you and your wife had in his apartment. But as I'm sure you know, Epstein files show a very different record of interaction. Why did the Epstein file show you coordinating a meeting and planning a visit with Jeffrey Epstein on his private island in December 2012? Thank you for the question. I'm glad to be here to make it clear that I met Jeffrey Epstein when he moved when I moved to a house next door to him in New York. And and then over the next 14 years I met him two other times that I can recall two times. And that is none for six years. So six years later I met him and then a year and a half after that I met him and never again. Probably the total and you've seen all of these documents, of these millions and millions of documents, there may be 10 emails connecting me with him, probably about 10 emails connecting me with him over a 14 year period. I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person. Okay. Secretary Lutnik. I want to next share with you another hearing taking place. And this other hearing is with Todd Lions, the acting head of ICE. So if you want to see what this predator class, this Epstein class looks like in theory as well, you had Lutnik in the Senate and then you had Todd Lions testifying before the house. So Todd Lions was cross-examined by Democratic Congress member Dan Goldman. Do you realize that when you're requiring proof of citizenship, what other types of countries did that hear play this clip? Now you are aware of course and there's well-documented, numerous well-documented instances of people, American citizens being asked to show and prove their citizenship. Do you know what other regimes in the 20th century, century required similar proof of citizenship? Yes sir. What? So there's very nefarious, regimes that did that. Is Nazi Germany one? Yes, but I, is the Soviet Union one? I honestly, I'm asking the questions. Is the Soviet Union one? Yes sir, but I totally, I totally, this is the wrong type of question. No, I'll tell you what the wrong type of thing is. It's Holocaust Museums. It's claiming my time to be an experience. If you want to claim my time, Mr. Chairman, not the men and women of ICE that are out there doing it every day. So to say it to men and women of ICE and the government, I'm reclaiming my time. I would like my time back please. Please give me another 15 seconds because he was unnecessarily speaking. You said in your show you another clip right here where lions claims that they don't request citizenship anyway. So what are we even talking about here? Let's play this other clip of lions. Five minutes of questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Lions, what guidance have you given to your agents about asking people walking on the streets of America to show proof of citizenship? Sir, as I stated earlier, the men and women of ICE deportation office, especially agents, we conduct target intelligence driven operation. We don't walk around on the street to asking people about their American citizenship. Really? So all of those individual American citizens who have been randomly asked are lying. Is that what you're saying? Sir, if the men and women of ICE are conducting an investigation whether it be for titillating immigration enforcement or titillating cruel enforcement, they'll ask someone their nationality. Right. But that's not targeted because they're asking all sorts of American citizens, including off-duty law enforcement. Now have you directed it? Next you have Congress member Swalwell across examining lions about how many ICE agents have survived? How many ICE agents have been fired for their conduct under your leadership? Sir, I can get you that data. I'll get that back to you. Is it more than one? I'm not going to speak about personal actions, but I'll get you that data. Can you tell us if at least, God, I hope at least one person has been fired for their conduct since these operations have begun? Are you telling us you can't even say one person has been fired? Sir, I'm not going to talk about personal actions, but we will get back to you. But two people have been killed so far. Is that right? A nurse named Freddie and a mom named Good. Two people have been killed so far. Yes, sir. Next he's asked by Congress member Kennedy if he would commit to unmasking the agents. Let's play this clip. Will you commit, yes or no, to immediately unmasking every agent conducting immigration enforcement and requiring them to wear standard uniforms with identifiable badges? No. Well, it's a sad response. Your answer is completely unacceptable. People who are proud of what they do aren't hiding their identity. We're a nation of laws and you, your boss, secretary, gnome and Donald Trump are not above the law. Now, let me show you finally the tactic of fascism, the projection, accuse the other of that which you are covering up and or involved in. Today's big theme with the Magga Republicans is to say we're out here to get the pedophiles, the rapists and the murderers. So here's Magga Republican Congress member Tom Ember saying that. Let's play it. Pedophiles. Rapists. Murderers. And drug traffickers. These are just a few of the criminal illegal aliens that the brave men and women of immigration and customs enforcement have taken off the streets of Minneapolis in the recent months and weeks. Okay, let's take a look at what Congressman McLean said. Let's play our clip. We got Congressman McLean and then let's also show you what Caroline Levin had to say. Let's play the Caroline Levin clip. Why aren't more people outraged? I don't get it. I got to share with you. I don't get it. These folks are monsters. They're criminals. They murder. They sexually assault young women, minors and and you know what the Democrats want to do. Let's release them in your communities and let's celebrate the criminals. Let's villainize the ICE agents and celebrate the people who are raping your children. That is crazy. It is not and let me correct the record. Number one, the Trump administration has been clear from day one that any illegal alien present in this country is subject to deportation. However, the priority of course is going after the convicted criminals, the worst of the worst, the murderers, the pedophiles, the rapists in this country. Interestingly, in the CBC, now I just show you that so you understand the tactics. So you understand that they do that, right? Then they have their state regime media, Fox, CBS, corporate news, pool, flood the zone with that, local news, Sinclair, all of those, you know, local networks which are owned by right wing all the garks. And so when people get their local news, they get all of that pushed to them and they don't necessarily hear all of this stuff. Now they do because of the scale and scope of the Midas touch network and our growth. But that's their game plan. That's how they coordinate this and that's how they push it out. And then they go, ah, what this is really about is we're going after the pedals. It's right and connected to what I said before. It's right out of a broader international, it's international, international, Epstein class playbook that pushes this. And so the question is, is that how do you fight against an international Epstein class of Trumps and Orbans and Le Penz and Faraj's and Jair Bolsonaro's and Bukheli's and people like that? How do you push back against it? Well, first, you're very, people would be very naive to wrecking, to not recognize it's on the scale and scope of that I'm describing. The moment you buy in to the gamified politics of who's up this day, who's up that day and the kind of day-to-day drama, which is okay. But unless you recognize the broader game that's being played internationally, then you are not going to be able to rebut it or to fight it. But you see, you're never going to be able to defeat the international Epstein class and the broader movement of authoritarian and fascism with the Putin's, the Trump's, the Orbans, all of those people that I'm mentioning. And by the way, the Maga Maple movement that was trying to form and still exists in Canada, the Maga Maple, the Maga movement that was trying to form in Australia and these other areas that were pushed back last year during elections there. But the way you have to stop it, though, is also at a macro level, then at a surgical level. The macro level is big ideas are going to beat these big, bad ideas. And that's why I talk about love and empathy and and community and inclusiveness and that diversity is a good thing because if you're fractured on the big macro picture of the direction of the world, you're going to be bulldozed over by these broader, bad forces that are pushing down people. So the only way to fight it is to recognize that love and empathy and democracy and broader values need to unite internationally. If it's not an internationally arm-locked movement, you're not going to stop, it's impossible. It's impossible to stop it. It's one of the things that the Epstein files revealed is what's actually at play. The real deep state internationally working behind the scenes, Epstein was a middleman in that with lots of other individuals brokering right wing authoritarianism, disruption equals money to them, Trump as a vessel for that. Do you see what's happening here? Sex trafficking, the currency for these despicable evil predators. So we have to push back on it with love and empathy and truth and honesty and integrity and all of these things and push back in that direction. Now on the surgical level, we still have to go through our reps every day. I got to wake up at 4 a.m. in the morning. I got to do my videos. I got to do my 530, my 7, my 830. I got to write my substack post at minusplus.com. I got to build out other YouTube channels. I got to continue the growth. I got to help other independent media creators. You have to still do the blocking and tackling every day that we're going to do here. That's never going to stop. But if you don't recognize those broader forces, then you don't really know what's going on. That's what's happening. And we need to stop it. It's existential and we have to reflect on what it is. Part of not being able to stop it was not being able to diagnose what this thing even was. That's why to me, one of the biggest commitments here is international expansion right now. Right. And that's vital because this is an international tsunami of fascism and Epstein. We have to tsunami him back. Just the day-to-day media shit is not going to do it. Right. So anyway, that's my final reflection right now that I'll leave you with right here. We're on our way to six million subscribers. So double check that you're actually subscribed and help us get to six million. You may think you're subscribed but you may not actually be subscribed. So double check. Also, go join our substack, Midasplus.com. The intersection with Michael Popak is on tonight at 5 p.m. 5 p.m. Pacific. 8 Eastern. Watch it. I love that. I love Popak show. The intersection. Check that out. Subscribe to the Legal AF YouTube channel. Subscribe to Katie Fangs YouTube channel. Aaron Parnas' YouTube channel. Tennessee Brandos YouTube channel. Subscribe to the Midas universe of YouTube channels. And that's all I got for you. It's been Unbreaking News. I'm Ben. This has been your Breaking News. Shout out Breaking Newsers. Come on with something better. Shout out Midas mighty. With hot slots, jackpots, live casino roulette and Blackjack at the ready. Come and play your way. Get 100 free spins when you spend 20 pounds on eligible games. Search Midnight Casino or download the Midnight app today. Midnight Casino Dumbair. You decide. New customers only. Restrictions and TNCs apply. 18 plus BeGumbleAware.org