Watch now   MeidasTouch and V from Under the Desk News GO LIVE!!! Ben and I spoke with with V from Under the Desk News in an inspiring Substack live today, reminding us all that we’re not alone, even when the news feels overwhelming. MeidasTouch Network, V Spehar, Ben Meiselas, and Brett Meiselas Aug 14 By Brett Meiselas I had the absolute pleasure of joining V from Under the Desk News for a Substack Live that felt more like a conversation with an old friend than a formal livestream. V and I talked about something that gets lost in the 24/7 chaos, and that’s the power of real communities. Not the hate-fueled echo chambers MAGA thrives in, but genuine, supportive spaces that look out for each other while fighting for democracy. As Ben hopped in, we dove straight into the heart of why MeidasTouch exists — because traditional media too often sanitizes Trump’s unhinged behavior into bite-sized “both sides” fluff. We don’t need another 20-second clip of Trump mumbling “Make America Great Again” while ignoring that the same speech was a three-hour fever dream about Hannibal Lecter, locking up political opponents, and defending Russian hackers. That’s propaganda by omission, and it’s dangerous. We called out Trump’s latest insanity (and there was a whole of it). From his bizarre Kennedy Center stunt to his shameless willingness to give away Alaska’s rare earth minerals to Putin as part of a scheme to turn Ukraine into a Gaza-style occupation, we can not let these actions be normalized. If Biden or Harris even joked about such things, the political world would implode. But Trump does it, the media shrugs, and he walks away with a headline that helps him. That’s exactly why we fight back. And why voices like V and her Under the Desk News platform are so vital. V asked about the breakneck pace of MeidasTouch, our daily 4 a.m. videos, our wide-net strategy across YouTube, Substack, TikTok, and more, and why we refuse to put all our eggs in one basket in case a platform caves to right-wing pressure. We’ve been mass-reported, hit with bogus “fact checks” from far-right outlets to limit our reach, and almost banned outright. But the support we get from you — messages, DMs, people stopping us in grocery stores — far outweighs the hate. This is a generational fight and a pivotal moment. Trump is the face of a decades-long project to dismantle civil rights, empower oligarchs, and normalize authoritarianism. If we do our jobs, this moment could mark the breaking point where truth, empathy, and unity finally crush the cycle. Until then, it’s game on. Let’s stay in the trenches together. I hope you enjoy our conversation in the video above. And after you watch, come join us for a special LIVE episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast tonight at 8p ET/5p PT on YouTube. Just click here to watch, or see the video player below. Warning: we are FIRED UP right now!!! Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. A guest post by V Spehar “GenZ’s Walter Cronkite” - NYTimes Time100 Most Influential Creator '25 Harvard Shorenstein Fellow '25 Webby Special Achievement Winner Hello@underthedesknews.com