Special Message from Meidas Co-Founder Ben Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Network Feb 15 By Ben Meiselas Hi, Meidas Mighty, I woke up this morning feeling optimistic. I know there’s a lot of bad news, and it can feel overwhelming. That’s an understatement. But I actually feel good about where we are right now in the tug-of-war between democracy and fascism. Let me explain why I think you should feel more confident today as well. Trump and Musk’s plan was a “shock and awe” authoritarian takeover of the country. They used that term deliberately. The term “shock and awe” was made famous during America’s war against Iraq, which began with massive, overwhelming firepower on March 20, 2003. Baghdad was captured on April 9, 2003. The Trump/Musk Project 2025 plan was designed for Trump to be a “dictator on day one” and for Musk and his minions to dismantle the government within days—just as America initially did in Iraq. Their goal was to crush morale so severely that people would lose all hope and let Trump trample over them. Trump controlled all branches of government, and he got corporate media to submit to his will. Trump and Musk expected to have destroyed all resistance by now. But they failed. Not only that, but in the process, they exposed their incompetence and weakness—along with their glaring vulnerabilities. In many ways, this has allowed a pro-democracy movement to grow and strengthen. So what happened? How did they fail to destroy the will of all Americans as they had planned? First and most importantly, it’s because you are still fighting. It hasn’t been easy, but you refused to let MAGA crush your will to resist. It was a struggle, of course, but you held on. You didn’t let Trump and Musk take away your joy, your love, or your empathy. You know that your family, your community, and future generations need you. What else happened? Second, an international resistance formed to counter Trump and his dark vision for America and the world. Canada helped lead the way, as Canadians of all political parties (with minor exceptions) united in solidarity against Trump, who has continued to threaten them with annexation. A grassroots boycott of American products and tourism is underway in Canada. Prime Minister Trudeau has essentially become a “wartime prime minister” and has struck the perfect tone in standing up to Trump. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also stood up to Trump and did not blink at his antics. Sheinbaum not only defended Mexico but also the sovereignty of Latin American countries that Trump has threatened and insulted. There is nothing Trump fears more than a powerful woman. At the end of the week, European democracies stood together after JD Vance’s humiliating and offensive speech at the Munich Conference. European nations made it clear they will support Ukraine at all costs and never capitulate to Putin, as Trump did this past week. European leaders condemned JD Vance’s speech and showed Trump they were not afraid of him. JD Vance Gets Brutal Reception After Disastrous International Speech Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Network · Feb 14 Read full story What else happened? Trump and Musk’s “shock and awe” strategy depended on their control of all major information hubs. They controlled most of corporate media. But they didn’t anticipate independent media—without outside funding, like MeidasTouch—would surge in popularity and replace corporate media as “the people’s choice” for news. Trump and Musk have flooded the zone with lies and distractions, but most people haven’t fallen for their bait-and-switch scams because the MeidasTouch Network and others have held them accountable. We’ve also seen federal courts—led by judges from both political parties—block some of Trump’s most egregious actions. Democrats in the House and Senate were slow to respond to Trump and Musk’s schemes, but many now seem to be finding their footing. We are also seeing fierce attorneys general from blue states bringing powerful lawsuits against the Trump regime. I anticipate that in the coming weeks, protests will grow larger—and by summer, I expect a “Summer of Democracy” will sweep across the nation. We will be here by your side, leading the resistance against the Trump regime and providing you with all the urgent information you need. The Trump/Musk plan is faltering. The combination of these developments has slowed the Trump/Musk takeover. In some ways, it parallels Putin’s failed plan to take Kyiv in three days—only to be repelled by Zelenskyy and the forces of good. Trump and Musk thought they could do the same to America. They were wrong. Trump’s weakness is showing. His threats of annexation, conquest, and “unleashing hell” have been exposed as farcical bluffs. Trump has not lowered prices; in fact, inflation is rising under his leadership. World leaders are not only mortified, horrified, and disgusted by Trump, but they are also in awe of his utter weakness, bluster, and incompetence. Trump’s corruption is matched by his ineptitude and sheer stupidity. The “yes men” and “yes women” surrounding him are unqualified weirdos—caricatures of Trump’s warped mind. Today in Politics, Bulletin 71. 2/14/25 Ron Filipkowski · Feb 14 Read full story The march of MAGA has been slowed. Make no mistake—MAGA is still an indiscriminate wrecking ball that has already caused major destruction and will continue to weaken and isolate America. However, Trump is now taking hits, suffering losses, and facing challenges that intimidate him—and could ultimately sink him. Folks, this week the MeidasTouch Network also hit a major milestone. We hit 4 million subscribers on our YouTube channel! 4 million! You’ve entrusted us as the leader of independent media, and we hope we’ve met this moment. We’ve brought people together across the world. We’ve provided critical coverage on topics that American corporate media is censoring, and we’ve expanded our international reporting because the MeidasMighty is an international movement. We beat Fox News in digital video views and surpassed Joe Rogan on the podcast charts in audio downloads this month. Despite having zero investors—and growing the network with the support of our subscribers on this Substack—we’ve built the top editorial team, the top research team, and the top support staff in the news business today. The MeidasMighty gives me all the hope and energy I need to know we will get through this together. I’m so honored to stand by your side each day. I hope you’ve been enjoying our exclusive content on this Substack. Thank you to everyone for being part of this incredible community. Of course, we’d love for you to become a subscriber now if you can. We want to add 300 new subscribers this weekend. Your support helps us grow and keep beating Fox News and other corporate media. If you can subscribe or gift a subscription to someone you know, it makes a huge difference. We need to keep this positive momentum going. Let’s keep fighting together, Meidas Mighty! Thanks for subscribing. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.