Transcript

TOP Republicans TURN AGAINST Trump as PANIC GROWS!!

From MeidasTouch · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 25 min · 4,215 words · 41 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "TOP Republicans TURN AGAINST Trump as PANIC GROWS!!", an episode of MeidasTouch published January 29, 2026 (25 min, about 4,215 words). It mentions 10 people, works and ideas, including Donald Trump, Tom Steyer, California, Thom Tillis, Christy Noem.

What this episode is about

Republicans are increasingly distancing themselves from Donald Trump as his approval ratings plummet to historically low levels, leading to visible panic within the party. Key figures, including Senator Tom Tillis, are openly criticizing members of Trump's circle, attributing the regime's failures to poor advice while acknowledging that the leadership issues ultimately stem from Trump himself, indicating potential opportunities for Democrats in upcoming elections.

Key takeaways

  • Republican senators are throwing Trump aides under the bus—it's a game of 'Who’s the Worst?' where everyone loses.
  • Trump's negative 38% approval rating screams 'crisis,' yet some still cling to the sinking ship of MAGA madness.
  • Vivek Ramaswamy’s delusions about the economy unveil a fantasy land where billionaires' interests outweigh everyday voters' struggles.
  • Gnome and Miller: the Titanic’s iceberg of Trump’s administration—'Incompetence' is not just a buzzword; it’s their legacy.
  • As GOP panics, Democrats smell opportunity. 2026 could redefine political lanes faster than a viral TikTok dance.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Donald Trump, Christy Noem, Thom Tillis, Steven Little Miller
  2. – 10:00: California, Tom Steyer, Donald Trump
  3. – 15:00: California, Tom Steyer, Elon Musk
  4. – 20:00: Donald Trump
  5. – 25:00: California, Donald Trump

Notable quotes from "TOP Republicans TURN AGAINST Trump as PANIC GROWS!!"

  • Giving Donald Trump bad advice, which they are, but it's also Donald Trump's fault. It starts at the top and this regime is led by the worst of them all, Donald Trump. And I…
    about Donald Trump · at
  • On the ground and that's clearly not the case now. So I mean it's just I mean Steven Miller never fails to live up to my expectations of incompetence.
    about Steven Little Miller · at
  • Senator, do you have faith in Christine Noom as DHS secretary?
    about Christy Noem · at
  • Enterprises in my opinion. That isn't giving you my opinion. And he's out there just kind of chasing Trump further down the rabbit hole. and he's out there. He's running for governor of Ohio and he's saying costs aren't going up.
    about Vivek Ramaswamy · at
  • More. We need to be paying not just our fair share, but we need to be paying more. Let's bring in Tommy Styer, Democratic candidate for governor of California. And Tom, people…
    about Tom Steyer · at
  • In this state and the majority of people in this state are struggling to make rent. We have the highest percentage of people in poverty in the United States of America and the highest in inequality.
    about California · at
  • Torture Americans and all the horrible things that doed it. I always thought could you imagine if someone like an Elon Musk who actually came it doesn't have to be Elon's a…
    about Elon Musk · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Donald Trump — Person · Primary referenced political figure (target of criticism) · 8 mentions · first at
    Central figure blamed for the administration’s failures; repeatedly referenced as the cause of GOP panic and policy incompetence.
  • Tom Steyer — Person · Main guest (interview subject) · 3 mentions · first at
    Interviewed as a billionaire-turned-activist running for governor of California; discusses taxes, inequality, housing, energy monopolies, and resisting Trump policies.
  • Thom Tillis — Person · Referenced speaker (clip) / Republican critic of administration officials · 3 mentions · first at
    Used as evidence of intra-party criticism; in clips he attacks Christine Noem and Stephen Miller as incompetent and damaging to GOP on immigration/border issues.
    This is Tom Tillis, Republican senator from North Carolina, calling out Steven Miller and Christine. Watch him call out Steven Miller and Christine right here. Let's play this clip.
  • Christy Noem — Person · Referenced administration official (criticized) · 3 mentions · first at
    Portrayed as an incompetent cabinet-level official; Tillis and Murkowski are shown criticizing her leadership and calling for removal/resignation.
  • Steven Little Miller — Person · Referenced administration official/adviser (criticized) · 3 mentions · first at
    Depicted as giving bad advice and making inflammatory statements; Tillis clip frames him as repeatedly incompetent and harmful to the president’s position.
  • Vivek Ramaswamy — Person · Referenced political figure (criticized as pro-Trump surrogate) · 2 mentions · first at
    Presented as a MAGA-aligned billionaire/politician “chasing Trump” and minimizing affordability concerns while running for governor of Ohio.
  • Lisa Murkowski — Person · Referenced speaker (clip) / Republican critic of administration official · 1 mention · first at
    Shown publicly withdrawing confidence in Noem; used to illustrate Republican fractures and criticism of Trump administration staffing.
    Yeah, I said that I've lost confidence in her.
  • Elon Musk — Person · Referenced example (billionaire archetype) · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned hypothetically as a type of business leader who could redirect resources toward housing; framed negatively (“terrible human”) and not central to the episode.

Concepts & topics

  • FEMA — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    FEMA is criticized in the context of political incompetence and mismanagement within the Trump administration.
    At one point she thought FEMA should be eliminated. To give you an idea of how incompetent I think she is, she actually thought FEMA should be eliminated. And when she had a FEMA.

Places & events

  • California — Place · Setting · 12 mentions · first at
    California is discussed as a key state in the political landscape, with specific focus on its governance and policies under potential Democratic leadership.

Full transcript with timestamps

Republicans are panicking across the country as they see Donald Trump and his regime collapsing. They see Trump in freef fall. Trump's approval is negative 38% the worst in modern presidential history. And it seems like it's only going to get worse. You have MAGA Republicans like VC Rabaswami who have attached their entire identity to Donald Trump just going down the rabbit hole even further. You have other Republicans like on Capitol Hill, Republican Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Macowski and others who are calling out people like Christine Nome and Steven Miller and they're trying to act like it's Miller's fault and it's Christine Gnome's fault and they're the ones giving Donald Trump bad advice, which they are, but it's also Donald Trump's fault. It starts at the top and this regime is led by the worst of them all, Donald Trump. And I think as we head into this 2026 election season, there's

a big lane open for Democrats right now as these Republicans panic. Republicans panic before our eyes. Let me show you. I mean, this is Tom Tillis, Republican senator from North Carolina, calling out Steven Miller and Christine. Watch him call out uh Steven Miller and Christine right here. Let's play this clip.

I mean, at one point she thought FEMA should be eliminated. To give you an idea of how incompetent I think she is, she actually thought FEMA should be eliminated. And when she had a FEMA director said he didn't think it was a good idea, she fired him within 24 hours. Now she understands that that is a important part of her job. These are like amateurish assistant manager sort of thought processes going into somebody who's a secretary in a cabinet level position. It's unacceptable.

Does she need to step down? Does she need to Miller is in the same boat? this guy after doing the stupid comments he made about Greenland getting the president in a difficult circumstance is one of the people that came out publicly and said that this guy was a terrorist before he had even talked with anybody on the ground and that's clearly not the case now. So I mean it's just I mean Steven Miller never fails to live up to my expectations of incompetence.

Why do you think he should be fired? I uh you know I'm going to leave that up to the president. I can tell you if I were president neither one of them would be in Washington right now. But do you think you think Gnome should step down?

I think Gnome needs to decide what uh I mean I I think if Gnome looks at her body of work, I I could not be if I were in her position. I can't think of any point of pride over the last year. She's got to make her own decision or the president does. But she has taken this administration into the ground on an issue that we should own. We should own the issue of border security and immigration. But they have destroyed that for Republicans. Something that got the president elected, they have destroyed it through their incompetence.

Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Senator. Have a good evening. And you have Lisa Marowski, Senator from Alaska. Here she is calling out Christine Nome and saying that there's no confidence in Christine uh from her. Play this clip.

Senator, do you have faith in Christine Noom as DHS secretary? I I've already made a statement on that.

Oh, I I wasn't there for it. Yeah, I I said that I've lost confidence in her. Do you think that President Trump should remove her from the position? Do you think she should resign?

It's obviously up to the president. Um, I think we would be we would be better served with the leadership of the president.

And if she doesn't leave on her own valition or if the president doesn't fire her from the position, would you support something like impeachment?

I I have expressed my um lack of confidence in her and uh my my voice is out there. Um, and we'll see what happens. And one more question. Is it just the, you know, is this just because of how she handled the Alex Prey shooting or do you think that it's a greater

I think that there as I mentioned to just that reporter there. Um I think that there are are other issues.

I supported her. I supported her nomination. I had great hopes for her in the department. Um and I've been disappointed.

Do you regret that vote? Abby just said I have been disappointed. Got it. Thank you, Senator.

But then you have Republicans like billionaire Vake Rama Swami whose uh money and wealth comes from very questionable uh sources and business enterprises in my opinion. That isn't giving you my opinion. And he's out there just kind of chasing Trump further down the rabbit hole. and he's out there. He's running for governor of Ohio and he's saying costs aren't going up. Things are amazing. People just feel this way. No one actually is experiencing it. In reality, it's just a feeling. Here, play this clip. But there is meaningful room now to tackle those issues of affordability to tackle those rising or perceived to be rising costs.

The way that we do it is increase. You know it's just interesting as I reflect on you know uh billionaires like Vive Rama Swami you know who have used their wealth to inflict harm but you know there is a billionaire out there who is uh running for governor of California who's been an activist and he's been fighting for people's rights uh and he uh left the private sector and for you know the most of his adult life now he's been fighting for people I I want to bring him in. is running for governor of California saying, "I'm a billionaire.

Tax me more and tax people like me more." We need to be paying not just our fair share, but we need to be paying more. Let's bring in Tommy Styer, Democratic candidate for governor of California. And Tom, people know your background, but for those who don't, you start a hedge fund in 1986. You founded a bank. You become a billionaire. Then you become an activist helping out uh California and fighting for the people of California throughout your life. You're running for governor right now. And the platform that you're running on is people like me amongst other things.

And we'll talk about other stuff. I want to pay more money in taxes and you penned an op-ed about it. Talk to us about it. Tom, look um the state of California, there are two things, huge things going on. One is the inequality in this state is incredible. We are creating an enormous amount of wealth for a very small number of people in this state and the majority of people in this state are struggling to make rent. We have the highest percentage of people in poverty in the United States of America and the highest in inequality.

Second of all, we really have a revenue challenged state. A awful lot of that is due to Donald Trump's criminal administration in Washington, which wants to take California's money and not send any of it back for services. That's a huge challenge. But in the meantime, people need healthcare. Young people deserve first class education. We have real needs on the ground and we have a tax structure that is not it's honestly we need to restructure how we're doing taxes. And what I've said is look, we are creating immense wealth for billionaires. The biggest corporations in the world are here. They're here because California has invested over decades and a century in an ecosystem that works to start and build companies, which is great. which I'm entirely in favor of. But the truth is we need a state where everybody gets brought along, where we deliver the services that Californians need and deserve. So we absolutely need more tax

money. I have proposed specifically to closing two corporate loopholes that will bring in 15 to 20 billion dollar a year for health and education at the local level. So I'm very much looking at this structure, thinking about what our state should stand for and trying to represent the under reppresented working families of this state who can cannot afford to live here and are not getting the services that they need and deserve.

Now Tom, I hope I don't offend you here, but this is going to be a question that you I'm sure you you get asked. Billionaires right now are not the most popular of of people and you're a billionaire. And lots of people saw the president of the United States who said he was a billionaire, but now he clearly has made a lot of money grifting off the American people, but who knows the status before, but there's no doubt that he's basically looted and paged this country. And he made all of these promises and da you know what do you say to people who say not another billionaire telling me this that and the other. They're just going to do what the billionaires said. H what? How do you push back against that?

Look at my life. Yes, I started a business. It worked out and I made a lot of money. I also walked away from it 14 years ago full-time to be an activist for working families. And I've been able because I have money to take on corporate interests that were taking advantage of Californians. And I've taken on and beaten at the ballot box corporate interests that no one thought could ever be beaten. The oil companies, the tobacco companies, the multinationals who were jimmying our state income tax. And I'll continue to do it. I will also say as an example, you said I started a bank. My wife and I started a bank 20 years ago that is a nonprofit community bank where every loan is measured in terms of economic justice and environmental justice. So when you say I'm telling you I will take on the interest cuz I don't owe them anything. I will never owe them anything. I am not beholden to them. And

that's why I'm the person who took them on in the past because other people weren't willing to. And I will take them on in the future. I am the billionaire who will take on the billionaires. And you can look at my life and say that is what I've been doing. That is who I am. And I get results. Californians have heard a lot of talk. I think it's time we actually get results and make the changes that are necessary so people can afford to live here. I mean, we can talk about housing. we can talk about my goal and my program to end the electric monopolies that charge us twice as much as the average in the United States of America.

Let's do it. Let's get into the weeds. Let's Let's start with Let's go that one first. Let's go. How would you take on the Right now energy prices are through the roof. When I get my energy bill, sometimes I wonder if that was I I look at it. I don't even know how to describe it. I'm like, "You sure? Are you sure that comma is there? Is it after the comma or is it before the comma? So how do you take on the election that system differently from all the other people who look at that system? And I look at that system is somebody who's look at how businesses run hundreds of times or thousands of times. And there's a rule in looking at businesses. Monopolies deliver something different from any normal business. And we have legal mandated electric monopolies. Here's what monopolies do. They produce the worst service at the highest price because that's what they're interested in doing. And if you don't like it in

most businesses, you go to a competitor. But you know what? We're a monopoly. So you have no choice. This will ne I have a program that starts with oversight at the public utilities commission understanding their incentives are warped understanding they're just doing what they're paid to do but that's got to stop. But what we really need to do is introduce local competition. Micro grids rooftop solar generating electricity for the local. We need to put their feet to the fire so that in fact they understand they can't continue to charge these prices because people won't use them. There has to be competition introduced. And that's what I'm talking about ending the legal monopolies they have. So people can't change and can't go to a lower price service.

Let's talk about housing in California because it could also be a template for uh other states. your plan. You know, one of the things that I've thought about housing is the like, you know, bar none. I think one of the

that's that's the big cost that's eating up a third a half of people's incomes. And when I think about, you know, these masked agent Gustapo running around kidnapping people and I see at a federal level how much money and resources our government has spent to terrorize and torture Americans and all the horrible things that doed it. I always thought could you imagine if someone like an Elon Musk who actually came it doesn't have to be Elon's a terrible human but someone like that you know goes in there you know and with a a president who's businessoriented they put the same resources they've put torturing the American people to putting up homes and rather than seeing mass agents terrorizing our communities we looked around and we seen homes coming up in all of these places and then they were building location I'm like this would be it. This everyone would be happy. And

thank you, Ben. Thank you. That's my vision. Look, when you think about housing, you've got to think about a couple different things. You have to think about the people who are renting, and you have to think about the people who are trying to own a home. First of all, I'm for rent control. And I'm for rent control because people's rent is way too high. Because for policy reasons, we haven't been able to build houses in the state of California for going on 20 years. And that means the existing housing stock, the rental apartments have so much competition for them that the landlords just keep raising the price. So policy failure has discriminated against renters at a shocking level and we need to put a stop to it in the short run.

Long-term, we need to build houses. Absolutely. the thing that you pointed out. We're putting making it an urgent issue to solve all of the problems that are preventing us from building affordable housing have to be addressed with urgency and priority. And that includes the permitting process, the zoning, and beyond that the ability to build at a lower cost per square foot so people can afford to buy. There's a number, you know, I keep, it's a cliche. There's no silver bullet. There are silver buckshot. And we need urgency at every step along the way so that we can build houses in this state for a price that people can afford.

So many CEOs have bent the knee to Donald Trump. They've capitulated. Their silence is complicity. Or in the case of Tim Cook hanging out at the White House watching this freaking Melania movie, complicity is complicity or bringing golden bars to Donald Trump and you know leaders who I once respected. I I don't anymore. And and it's and these are such a critical moment where you know you'd hope that people stand up you know and and I guess here's a point that I want to ask you as well. You know, when I've always heard people use this term, and I don't love this term because it's just it's a crappy term, but people are like, I've got FU money, you know, I've got this FU money, and I'm always thinking, well, if you have FU money, why would you want to spend your whole life now after building up wealth and whatever, having Donald Trump basically boss you around? Like, what's the point of FU money if you have to

like bend the knee of Donald Trump of all people? So, I'd love your perspective though on CEOs in general, you know, and and the way they've behaved and for you as a successful business leader. Why why do you think these people who you know like why why do they do this? They they need that much more. They need $50 billion. Three billion is not enough. No, it's not. Look, let me say this. One of the great disappointments of 2025 and 2026 is that the leaders of civil society have refused to speak up. The silence is deafening.

The idea that they haven't stood up and spoken about murder on our streets, about the invasion of Minneapolis by a lawless reckless ICE organization that can do what it wants with impunity to me is amazing. And so to a very large extent, if you're going to be a leader of civil society, you have to stand for something. And their silence implies that the only thing that they stand for is money. The only thing that they're willing to fight for is their bottom line. And look, I have been a business person. I went to business school. My point is, if that's true and you can't stand up for democracy, the rule of law, you can stand by for coldblooded murder of American citizens on our streets. Okay.

But then you forfeit your right to be a leader. You forfeit your right to talk about things that are not about money. Okay? If you're just a coldhearted business bank machine, okay, I understand that and you know that's part of our society. But that's a part of our society that doesn't get to talk about education. It doesn't get to talk about the rule of law. It doesn't get to talk about Martin Luther King. All you get to talk about is business and money because that's all you care about. And I think that that is I want people if you're going to be a leader, stand up. If you're not going to stand up, you don't get to talk. Sit down and be quiet unless we're talking about your money. And that that is a sad state of affairs because the truth is we've built up these and nurtured these institutions that are strong worldleading institutions now going along out of fear because every one of them is worried

that if they stand up no one else will stand up with them and therefore they'll be attacked. And they're right they might be attacked but you know what that's the way it goes. Someone is invading our country. Someone is killing our citizens on the streets with impunity. It seems to me that's a line that can't If you can't stand up for that, I don't know what you can stand up for to be honest. And long term, what Donald Trump and his administration are doing is so destructive to America, so destructive to our economy, so destructive, destructive to our way of life that has been built up mostly by poor uneducated people sacrificing for hundreds of years to build up a this society. And so not being willing to stand up for that society, not being willing to honor the people who built it over hundreds of years at risk of life, at loss of life.

I just don't think that's okay. I don't think that's within a million miles of okay. I interviewed Governor Walls today of Minnesota, a state that is quite literally under invasion from the Trump regime, and we've seen what Donald Trump's done there. Donald Trump attacked the state of California. Talk to us about if you were governor of California, what does it mean to stand up to Donald Trump if he does a surge and start sending in ICE and Border Patrol Gustapo at the levels that we saw for a period of time in Los Angeles, but does that at large and then to an even greater extent, you know, what he's done in Minnesota. If he brings that to California, what what do you do as governor? I I think there I've thought about this, Ben, and I want to say I think there three things that I would want to do. One is of course we're going to use the legal system. We're going to use all the state laws. We're going to use the federal

laws. We're going to sue till the cows come home. Rob Bont has done that. As attorney general, we are going to use what remains of our legal system um particularly the state legal system to hold people to account. That is the first step. The second step is we need to channel what the civil rights movement did when a violent, corrupt, illegal government was attacking African-Americans across the country and killing them sometimes. And that is to win in the court of public opinion. And I think it's absolutely critical for the governor of California, for me as governor of California, to be all over the place documenting, speaking, and describing the different system that Cal and values that California stands for, making the comparison extremely clear that what they are doing is wrong.

And we have a system that's been built over a long time about protecting people, rule of law, um, democracy, all the things that they're attacking, we need to be standing up for all the time and making the point, using videos in particular as a way of making a very clear distinction about what we're trying to accomplish and what they're doing. But lastly, I think the third thing is this. I said three things. The third things I would go there. I would try and be a presence on the ground. I would want to be part of the organized resistance to make the point that civil society, the leaders of civil society are on the ground. I don't think there's any substitute for physical presence. And I think that's critical. I think it's important to be on the streets in the streets representing the values and the people of California in the face of invasion and violence.

Tom, where can people learn more about the campaign? Well, Tom Snyder forgovernor.com. Uh, you know, we're on all the social media platforms. We are trying very hard to reach Californians where they are and to represent the working people of this state. You know, I am when I started running, I knew that this was going to be a critical time in multiple ways. I believe it will only get more critical and the willingness to stand up and tell the truth. Whether it's about fairness in taxes in our society and take on the interests, whether it's standing up to a criminal administration, I think California is at the crossroads.

And I want to say this, we can do something amazing here, Ben. We have the ability to create a society that is better than any society in the history of the planet Earth. And we're going to have to fight to get that done. and we're going to have to stand up for it and we're going to have to imagine it. We're going to have to understand what it is we're trying to create together. So that in fact all of the decisions about corporate tax loopholes, all of the decisions about health care, all of the decisions about what we do with our community colleges fit into a vision of what this society, this state, this 40 million people stand for and what we're creating. And I believe that is why I'm running for governor is to have that vision, to make those specific decisions fit that vision. and basically have the state that creates the future and brings everybody along for the prosperity.

Tommy Styer, thanks for joining us. Ben, thank you very much for having me. Everybody, hit subscribe. Let's hit that 6 million subscribers this month. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our Substack at midasplus.com. You'll get daily recaps from Ron Philipki, add free episodes of our podcast, and more exclusive content only available at midasplus.com.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "TOP Republicans TURN AGAINST Trump as PANIC GROWS!!"?

Ben (Guest), Tommy Styer (Guest), Tom Tillis (Guest), Lisa Macowski (Guest), Vivek Ramaswamy (Guest).

What is "TOP Republicans TURN AGAINST Trump as PANIC GROWS!!" about?

Republicans are increasingly distancing themselves from Donald Trump as his approval ratings plummet to historically low levels, leading to visible panic within the party. Key figures, including Senator Tom Tillis, are openly criticizing members of Trump's circle, attributing the regime's failures to poor advice while acknowledging that the leadership issues ultimately stem from Trump himself,…

What is mentioned in this MeidasTouch episode?

10 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Donald Trump, Tom Steyer, California, Thom Tillis, Christy Noem, Steven Little Miller. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "TOP Republicans TURN AGAINST Trump as PANIC GROWS!!"?

The episode runs 25 min; the transcript is about 4,215 words in 41 timestamped sections.

More from MeidasTouch

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 30, 2026.