Important Sunday Message from Meidas Founder MeidasTouch Network and Ben Meiselas Oct 5 By Ben Meiselas These Sunday messages are my most important articles of the week. It’s when we reflect together on what happened and where we are headed. This week has been the most utterly deranged week of Trump’s term yet, and that’s saying a lot. Let’s discuss. Before going further, I want to thank our Substack subscribers. Thanks for helping MeidasTouch remain the most-watched news network in the United States. More people watch us than Fox, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, and any other news network online. If you aren’t a subscriber, the MeidasTouch Network would love your help by becoming one today. It’s the biggest difference-maker when you subscribe. Let’s get back to my Sunday post. Donald Trump shut down the government this week. He and MAGA Mike have ordered Republicans to take a paid vacation all of next week and not show up to work. Trump has ordered Republicans not to speak with Democrats at all and to have no negotiations. The official message from the White House spokesperson was for Democrats to “go fuck yourself” for fighting to save healthcare for Americans. Trump continued to post messages about how the shutdown was a “great opportunity” for him. He posted weird AI images showing he was having fun and enjoying the shutdown. MAGA Mike Johnson and Republicans seem to be having fun seeing Americans struggle. It’s like a party for them. Fortunately, the American people recognize that Trump and MAGA control all branches of government, and their refusal to even speak with Democrats shows they are to blame for the shutdown. All nine major national polls show that the American people overwhelmingly blame Trump and MAGA for the shutdown. Trump has been golfing during the shutdown. The fact is that Trump loves the shutdown because he hates the government. He views the shutdown as a way to accelerate his Project 2025 agenda to destroy the government and rule as a dictator. I don’t think he ever wants to reopen the government for the rest of his term. When the No Kings Protest happens on October 18, I suspect the government will still be shut down. During the first days of the shutdown, Trump has accelerated his military invasions against Americans. His ICE agents, serving as a personal military force, have been engaged in crimes against humanity and chemical warfare against Americans. We’ve seen unthinkable war crimes committed by ICE against people living in the country. The language used by Trump and his regime is that of fascists, demanding ICE engage in war crimes against people in this country. The MeidasTouch Network continues to track all of this conduct across the country. Yesterday, a Trump-appointed judge in federal court in Oregon made a critical ruling. Judge Karin Immergut ruled that Trump’s deployment of troops in Portland violated the Constitution. The Trump-appointed judge had strong words about Trump’s unlawful conduct and said that Trump was propelling the country into a state of constant martial law. In essence, America is under the martial law of a dictator—and even this Trump-appointed judge called it out for what it is. As soon as the order dropped in Oregon blocking Trump’s military deployment, I was able to get the first exclusive interview with the Oregon Attorney General. Similarly, the MeidasTouch Network got the definitive interview with Democratic Leader Jeffries, where he challenged Trump, Vance, and MAGA Mike to meet in front of the press. That interview with Jeffries is widely considered the pivotal moment in House Democrats deploying the type of aggressive approach people have always been looking for. MeidasTouch Network has been at the center of all news surrounding the shutdown. Trump has never looked more pathetic and unhinged. But this also makes him very dangerous. His desperation manifests in more authoritarian behavior. Trump has a knack for exploiting the crises and problems faced by others, but he’s an utter failure at handling a crisis when he’s in charge—which is why he’s bankrupted so many companies in his life. He doesn’t take the action to stop the bleeding; he causes his companies to bleed out. We all need to continue to find our power in the face of this authoritarian regime. We all need to stick together and remain in the fight. It’s time we make a massive push through the No Kings Protest. MeidasTouch will continue to be the main network of the resistance, and we will continue to report fearlessly during these perilous times. If we stick together, I promise we will make it out of this mess. The cracks in this regime continue to grow each day. Before I go make a video now, I just wanted to remind you to subscribe to this Substack. Help the MeidasTouch Network continue to beat Fox and all other news on digital so we can get accurate information out to the people. Thanks for spending this time with me on Sunday, and thanks for subscribing. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.