Trump PANICS as Protests KICK HIM OUT…IN MAINE!!!

What this episode is about

Protests in Portland, Maine, have erupted against Donald Trump's administration, particularly targeting the actions of ICE and Border Patrol, which many believe are terrorizing local communities. Amid a plummeting approval rating in the state, now reported at negative 18.4%, residents are also facing economic challenges exacerbated by Trump's tariffs, while federal judges are intervening in cases of unlawful detentions, highlighting the growing tension and unrest in Maine.

Key takeaways

• Maine's approval of Trump dives below -18%, proving even independent streaks can't ignore incompetence.
• Tourism recession bites hard; Maine lost $139M this summer thanks to tariffs and a Canadian boycott.
• Forget 'ICE' as law enforcement—Maine’s residents are dubbing it the 'Gestapo' for a reason.
• Maine’s economic woes show that even picturesque states can drown in tariffs and bad immigration policy.
• A Trump-appointed judge in Maine questions orderliness of ICE; irony not lost on those watching.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Ben (Guest) · 11 min speaking
• Troy Jackson (Guest) · 7 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Donald Trump, Maine, Francois Mukisa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Maine, Lance Walker, Donald Trump, Francois Mukisa
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Susan Collins, Trey Jackson
4. 12:00 – 15:00: Donald Trump
5. 15:00 – 18:00: Trey Jackson

Notable quotes from "Trump PANICS as Protests KICK HIM OUT…IN MAINE!!!"

• Mukesa has no criminal history, according to her lawyer, and has been waiting since a hearing last summer for an answer on her asylum application. I know that she and her family are.

  about Francois Mukisa · at 3:00

• 16 billion dollars of Maine's economy comes from tourism, especially Canadian tourism. But Trump's trade war with Canada resulted in Canadians boycotting Maine this past…

  about Donald Trump · at 4:59

• But we've certainly been dealing with a lot. Susan Collins has been making promises and saying things throughout my entire life. And what we know is you know they've been going around doing all kinds of crazy.

  about Trey Jackson · at 8:24

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Donald Trump — Person · Primary referenced political figure (subject of criticism) · 5 mentions · first at 0:16
  Presented as the driver of policies (tariffs, immigration enforcement) blamed for Maine's economic pain and ICE activity; repeatedly cited as the central antagonist of the episode's narrative.
• Trey Jackson — Person · Main guest (interviewee) · 2 mentions · first at 7:14
  Interviewed as a Democratic candidate for Maine governor; discusses ICE activity in Maine, economic impacts of tariffs, and his policy platform (health care, housing, child care, labor).
• Francois Mukisa — Person · Referenced asylum seeker (case example) · 2 mentions · first at 2:14
  Used as a concrete example of alleged unlawful ICE detention in Maine; her release is ordered due to lack of an administrative warrant, illustrating the episode's claims of overreach.
• Lance Walker — Person · Referenced judge (legal authority in story) · 2 mentions · first at 3:18
  Cited as the judge who ordered Mukisa released, emphasizing procedural concerns (lack of warrant) and criticizing disorderly enforcement; noted as a Trump nominee.
  To affectuate the orderly application of federal immigration law prescribed by Congress. Walker, who was nominated by Donald Trump in 2018, wrote in the order, This is a Trump…
• Susan Collins — Person · Referenced politician (claim source) · 2 mentions · first at 7:38
  Mentioned as asserting ICE is 'retreating' from Maine; both host and guest frame her statements skeptically and use her as a foil in discussing federal enforcement and credibility.
  Start what Susan Collins is saying, you also may have to have the caveat that it's probably a lie. But she's saying that ICE is retreating right now from Maine. We've seen some…
• Christine Hanley — Person · Referenced attorney (quoted source) · 1 mention · first at 3:10
  Identified as Mukisa's attorney and quoted describing the family's reaction and the hardship of detention, supporting the episode's narrative about harm from enforcement actions.
  According to her lawyer, and has been waiting since a hearing last summer for an answer on her asylum application. I know that she and her family are ecstatic, attorney…

Companies & orgs

• Moody's — Company · Referenced entity · 1 mention · first at 4:29
  Cited as a source for economic data regarding Maine's recession.
  Whether you're talking about immigration or the economy, Maine is suffering. take a look at this. Moody's lists Maine as one of 22 states facing recession right now. Mounting…

Places & events

• Maine — Place · Setting · 3 mentions · first at 0:07
  Primary location discussed in the podcast, focusing on political and economic issues affecting the state.
  16 billion dollars of Maine's economy comes from tourism, especially Canadian tourism. But Trump's trade war with Canada resulted in Canadians boycotting Maine this past summer. The Maine Office.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo — Place · Background location · 1 mention · first at 2:46
  Mentioned as the origin country of an asylum seeker in Maine.
  Country for more than a dozen years, having arrived on visas in 2011 from Colombia. They were refugees there from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is the mother of a…

Full transcript with timestamps

0:07 Maine is furious. Maine is fuming. What you saw right there were thousands of protesters in Portland, Maine, protesting against Donald Trump's despicable regime and the ICE and Border Patrol Gustapo that are terrorizing the people of Maine and the rest of this country. We've seen Donald Trump's approval plummet across the country, but perhaps one of the areas where it is the worst and maybe surprisingly so, but not if you know Maine's independent streak in Maine. Donald Trump's approval right now is below netgative8%.

0:49 Just look at Donald Trump's approval in some of these other states right here. I mean, Georgia, he's 18.6. Maine right here, negative 18.4%. Even in Texas, Donald Trump's negative 17.2%. Now in Maine, they're going through a recession in the state induced by Donald Trump's tariffs against the world, Donald Trump's attack on Canada. You know, Maine and Canada's relations are so close that now that Canada's boycotting the United States, that's impacting Maine a ton, especially Canada's tourism boycott. The Trump regime has invaded Maine with ICE and Border Patrol, Gustapo, and it announced that invasion right around the same time as its surge with its invasion of Minneapolis. Now, the Trump regime claims it's pulling out of both Minneapolis and Portland, Maine, but the Trump regime lies about everything, and we've seen some horrifying images, and the people of Portland, Maine, and throughout Maine have experienced

1:56 horrifying situations where ICE is absolutely terrorizing and torturing the community. I mean, just take a look at this story right here from this past week where Maine's top federal judge, a chief judge, ordered ICE to release a woman arrested without a warrant. Francois Mukisa was detained by ICE Gustapo on January 23rd while leaving her neighborhood for work. And Maine's chief judge, US District Court Judge, uh, told immigration officials this past Friday they had to release this asylum seeker, Francois Mukisa, who was arrested as she was leaving her house for work. Just listen to the story.

2:38 Makisa and her family lived in the country for more than a dozen years, having arrived on visas in 2011 from Colombia. They were refugees there from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is the mother of a 12-year-old US citizen and works providing professional support to residents in an assisted living facility, according to court records. Mukesa has no criminal history, according to her lawyer, and has been waiting since a hearing last summer for an answer on her asylum application. I know that she and her family are ecstatic, attorney Christine Hanley said Friday. Even the week-long detention has been very trying for their family and very scary for the family. Now, Judge Lance Walker wrote in his order that Mukesa's status as an asylum seeker had no bearing on his order. Instead, he was more concerned with the lack of an administrative warrant. Quote, I have no difficulty appreciating the Department

3:36 of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be permitted to affectuate the orderly application of federal immigration law prescribed by Congress. Walker, who was nominated by Donald Trump in 2018, wrote in the order, "This is a Trump appointed judge who's the chief judge in Maine. However, I question the notion that the activities that have brought petitioner and others to the court via habius petitions have generally borne the hallmark of orderliness and meticulous observation of statutory details. Now, dozens, perhaps hundreds, perhaps thousands of other main immigrants arrested by ICE and Border Patrol Gestapo in the last year have filed similar petitions alleging that they they are being held unlawfully. And so whether you're talking about immigration or the economy, Maine is suffering. I mean, take a look at this. Moody's lists Maine as one of 22 states facing

4:35 recession right now. Mounting job losses and rising prices are squeezing Maine's economy. If you're noticing your dollar isn't going as far as it used to be, you aren't alone. 13WGME reports. Sure, hoping for grocery prices to come down, but those prices are not there. Eggs are still too high. Bread is still too high is what you would expect given the general tenor of the country. 16 billion dollars of Maine's economy comes from tourism, especially Canadian tourism. But Trump's trade war with Canada resulted in Canadians boycotting Maine this past summer. The Maine Office of Tourism reports the state likely lost $225,000 tourists this summer. And that corresponds to $139 million that stayed in Canada over the summer. And don't get me started on the tariffs against the world which have increased input prices and increased prices on consumers dramatically. Then you have instances like this taking

5:35 place in Maine where ICE agents threaten to assault and illegally arrest a US citizen in Portland, Maine. In this video, a man is legally observing ICE activity in his own neighborhood and watch what the ICE Gustapo do here. Play this clip.

5:53 Hi, how you doing today? Good. And you? Are you following us? Um, yeah. Okay. So, what you're doing is called impeding federal law enforcement. Okay. It's an 18 USC charge 111. I I see

6:03 the first and only warning. If you continue to impede us and follow us, you will be arrested.

6:07 Yeah, except I'm not impeding you. Okay. You just openly admitted that you were following us. So,

6:11 I am following you. I'm not impeding you. I am I'm observing you. It is impeding.

6:16 No, it's actually not. After the one warning, keep doing it. We'll pull you back out and arrest you.

6:20 Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Then there was this clip that went viral out of Portland, Maine in South Portland where ICE take a photo of a peaceful protester and observer of their terrorism. They take a photo and say we have a nice little database and we're putting you on that database now. Let's play this clip right here. Yeah. Yeah. Look at them. Look at them. The ice is here, guys. Be careful. Be careful. We over here.

6:55 It's not illegal to record. Exactly. Yeah, that's what we're doing. Yeah. Why are you taking my information down?

7:02 Cuz we have a nice little database. Oh, good. And now you're considered a domestic terrorist. SO,

7:08 WE'RE videotaping you. Are you crazy? Now, I want to bring in Troy Jackson, candidate, Democrat for the uh governor of Maine in the upcoming election. And Troy, great to see you again. Uh Troy, you know, one of the things with this Trump regime is that they'll say things. We're doing this. We're doing this. And then not only is it a lie, but it is such a lie that it was never even attached to a semblance of reality. So look, the news is out that they Susan Collins is saying, and also when you start what Susan Collins is saying, you also may have to have the caveat that it's probably a lie. But she's saying that ICE is retreating right now from Maine. We've seen some horrific videos of ICE doing terrible things to people uh in Maine. I don't think it was getting enough attention nationally, but they were doing horrible things uh to people in Maine. And so they say that, but they say a lot of things. Why don't

8:08 we start there, Troy? Troy, good to see you, by the way. Yeah. Well, thanks, Ben. Appreciate being on again. Yeah. Well, that's the thing. I mean, uh, obviously what's been happening in Minnesota has been horrific and, you know, that's been taking up, uh, everything. What's been going on in Maine is bad, but not compared to there. But we've certainly been dealing with a lot. Uh, you know, Susan Collins has been making promises and saying things throughout my entire life. And um and what we know is uh you know they've been going around doing all kinds of crazy stuff here in Maine, hauling people out of vehicles, you know, violating their Fourth Amendment rights, uh using kids as bait. Um you know, and it's just been insane what what's been happening here in Maine. And uh yeah, exactly. I mean, they don't let facts get in the way at all of of what's been happening and and uh you know, it's just something that

9:00 shouldn't be. It's not the way that Maine has been. And and you know, we're 47th as far as uh uh immigration uh here in Maine. We're the whitest state in in the nation. And and you know, they're just going around targeting people for no good reason at all. And it's hurting our economy. It's certainly scaring the people in the state. Uh it's hurting the the hospitals. It's hurting the schools. I mean, it's hurting everything. And if anything, Maine needs to welcome immigrants to the state. I mean, we're an older state. We need people to come to it. Uh certainly, if u you know, there's anyone that's violated any law, we want to make sure that that's taken care of. But that's not the case here.

9:40 They're just going around targeting anyone that doesn't look like me or you. And and that's not the way Maine should be. That's not the way anywhere in the United States should be. And and there's no place for it in Maine.

9:52 Yeah. I mean, you you mentioned the economy and how a state like Maine and places throughout this country need some injections of people who who want to contribute to this economy because things are things are rough and you know, you'd put out a video before uh earlier in January that things were rough before Trump and things were were getting rough and you know, and getting more rough over the years. You know, the thing is is that Trump though said that I am going to fix this. I'm going to make it better. He's made it worse. But worse yet, he's claimed he's fixed it.

10:29 Right now, as we're heading into February 2026, he's doing the victory lap as though what just took place over the last year has saved the people of Maine and the rest of this country. That everybody should be grateful and that this is a mission accomplished. And that to me is also part of the thing that's pissing people off. It's like you made it worse and now you're spiking the foot. We're not stupid, right? I mean there's a component of that.

11:00 Absolutely. I mean the thing about I mean people you're exactly right. I mean they treated voters like they're they are idiots and that is not the case. I mean we know better and here in Maine I mean our healthcare costs are going through the roof once again. I mean, they're going up even more dramatically and and people know that. People can feel it. Food prices are are out of control. Um, you know, our health care, our prescription drugs, and and those are all things that, you know, people have been feeling for a long time. And and like I said in that video, uh, you know, Democrats have to own that, too.

11:34 And Trump said he was going to make all those things cheaper, and he hasn't. And and that's why people are frustrated with all political parties. And I get that very well. And that's the things that u you know we need to fight on. We need to Democrats need to step up and fight for health care, prescription drugs, you know, child care, nursing homes, housing has certainly become a huge issue. And and you know what I've been saying u you know so people across this state understand is that you know the Somalians and other immigrants here in Maine are not my oppressors. They're not the ones that have been driving my health care costs up. Wall Street have been the ones that are driving my healthcare costs up. People like Donald Trump that are making sure that his friends are getting more and more money are the ones that are driving my healthc care costs up, not the immigrants that have come to Maine that are trying to do

12:22 everything they can to fight for their families. And and that's why we have to band together to try and do whatever we can to push back on this, you know, 1% that are, you know, just killing all of us,

12:34 you know. Then of course there are the attacks on Canada that happen every day by this Trump regime. He wakes up. He says, "Now, I'm thinking about 100% tariffs on Canada if Canada enters into a trade pact with China." After Trump said, "I'm fine with the trade pack with China." And the only reason that Canada did that, is because they've been attacked by the United States. So, they're just trying to find somebody else because their traditional ally keeps attacking them over and over again. And now we learn that the Trump regime is working with a separatist movement in Alberta. Allah Putin working with separatist movements in the Danbos to try to get Alberta to secede from Canada. And you think about the close relationship between Maine and Canada and also how this impacts the economy there. And it's like to your point, it's like what are we doing here? Why why are you what's the endgame other than to

13:31 really harm America? Yeah. Well, I mean that that's really close to me for where I live in St. John Valley. I mean they literally made the St. John River the boundary and split families you know one one day the people were you know both sides of the river were Maine and then one day they just split uh the St. John River became the boundary and people went from uh you know Maine and Canada being uh split like that and so uh we have people on both sides of the river that are family members that are you know divided like that and um and that's how close you know our country is to to New Brunswick and Quebec um up in the St. John Valley.

14:12 the you know our our countries are very well connected and and you know I've had um you know issues uh with in the past in the logging industry but it wasn't the Canadian workers what it what it was was the big land owners that were using Canadian workers to drive down wages over here in the United States. We've always uh had uh that similarity that that uh you know working across borders that trade and and now it's become a real problem. It's it's really challenging for uh logging. It's really challenging for uh farming things like that. you know, people are really feeling the effects of the tariffs across the state and and you know, we're seeing real challenges of people, tourism, things like that that u you know, these tariffs are are hurting the state big time and um and something's got to change. I mean, it it's not working and they can say whatever they want, but but these tariffs, you know,

15:14 are not something that's been good for the state and I don't believe they're good for this country. Troy, but talk talk to us about your platform. If you were to become the governor of Maine, tell us what you're focused on. And as many people will may recall, we had you on about maybe 6 to9 months ago. Um, a lot of excitement behind your campaign as well. There still is. You know, there were lots of uh it's part of the fight the oligarchy tour. um AOC and Bernie and and and you and Platner kind of representing uh a a a generation of Democrats fighting for the people, not fighting for Wall Street and um and and and speaking to that kind of Bernie uh you know you know truth to power, fight the oligarchy, but obviously you know with so much going on and all of the chaos taking place, you know, sustaining that momentum and reminding people every day that the oligarch Archy is still here and we still need to fight them and

16:15 and and that's the tough part of of a job like yours and that's the tough part about politics because you know people in this day and age and this is by design by the oligarchs of Trump people get distracted and and and it's like we got to remind people who you are and what you're fighting for and and what people like like Platner and and Bernie and AOC are fighting for. So talk to us before we go.

16:36 Yeah. Well, there's no doubt. I mean, you know, when all these ICE raids start happening and people start getting hauled off, I mean, you got to stand up for that and, uh, other things go to the back seat. But, uh, I mean, for us, it's always been about economic justice for people. I mean, uh, you know, I started my career, you know, blocking the Canadian border, fighting for people in northern Maine to get better opportunities. And you know, this campaign is about uh you know, people getting better health care, prescription drug coverage, uh nursing homes, child care, you know, housing. Uh these are the things I've been fighting for.

17:10 Economic uh you know, justice, like I said, I mean, we're going to take on big farmer, you know, we're going to take on the big land owners here in Maine that have been holding back the logging industry. I mean, we're going to provide better child care for people that, you know, deserve it. I mean, there's a lot of things that in my time as the main uh state senator, I've passed bills that unfortunately have been uh vetoed by our current governor, and that's why I'm running for governor. I'm not having uh you know, the big lobby uh veto my bills anymore. I'm going to become governor so that we can pass bills that actually help uh mayors out across the state because uh workingclass people deserve somebody in the Blaine House that's actually going to fight for them for a change.

17:50 Where can people learn more about your campaign Troy? Jackson formain.com. Check it out. Troy Jackson, running for governor of Maine. Logger. Just hardworking Maine guy. Great to see you.

18:03 Same here, Ben. Thanks so much, man. Absolutely. Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our Substack at midasplus.com. You'll get daily recaps from Ron Philipki, ad free episodes of our podcast, and more exclusive content only available at midasplus.com.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Trump PANICS as Protests KICK HIM OUT…IN MAINE!!!"?

Ben (Guest), Troy Jackson (Guest).

What is "Trump PANICS as Protests KICK HIM OUT…IN MAINE!!!" about?

Protests in Portland, Maine, have erupted against Donald Trump's administration, particularly targeting the actions of ICE and Border Patrol, which many believe are terrorizing local communities. Amid a plummeting approval rating in the state, now reported at negative 18.4%, residents are also facing economic challenges exacerbated by Trump's tariffs, while federal judges are intervening in…

What is mentioned in this MeidasTouch episode?

9 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Donald Trump, Maine, Trey Jackson, Francois Mukisa, Lance Walker, Susan Collins. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Trump PANICS as Protests KICK HIM OUT…IN MAINE!!!"?

The episode runs 18 min; the transcript is about 3,179 words in 33 timestamped sections.

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