White House PANICS ON AIR as Trump HIT with DISASTER POLLING

What this episode is about

The White House is experiencing heightened anxiety as Donald Trump's approval ratings plummet, reflecting growing dissatisfaction among his supporters, particularly over issues related to his handling of immigration and crime. Tensions escalated during a press conference where Trump's chief spokesperson, Caroline Levit, aggressively confronted a reporter over perceived biases in reporting, showcasing the administration's increasingly defensive posture amid negative public sentiment.

Key takeaways

• Trump's approval plummets as right-wing commentators swap loyalty for outrage over Epstein cover-ups and hefty pardons.
• In the White House, humor abounds, even when Trump jokes about cancelling elections—democracy or punchline?
• Caroline Levit’s defense of Trump leaves journalists questioning: who's reporting facts and who's writing fiction?
• As European troops eye Greenland, the U.S. still plots its 'acquisition'—history repeating or just wishful thinking?
• Levit claims Trump’s Venezuela support is 'realistic,' showcasing his affinity for strongmen over democratic processes.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Ben Meiselas (Host) · 9 min speaking
• Caroline Levit (Guest) · 6 min speaking
• JB Pritzker (Guest) · 6 min speaking

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 The White House is in panic mode as Donald Trump's approval is crashing on the Real Clear Politics average. Over the past week, Donald Trump's approval has dropped approximately four points there, and it keeps on getting lower. We've also been covering how all these right-wing podcasters are turning against Donald Trump for his cover up of the Epstein files for sending his ICE and Border Patrol Gestapo, these SS like uh armies into peaceful communities to terrorize them or for Donald Trump pardoning the biggest drug traffickers and fraudsters and criminals. People are pissed and the pissed off nature against Trump continues to grow. So, let me show you what went down in the White House where Caroline Levit, Donald Trump's chief propagandist, asks a reporter what the reporter thought was the reason that Renee Nicole Good was killed. The reporter answers the question and gives the opinion that he was asked for. And

1:10 then Levit starts attacking the reporter. Watch what takes place. was incredible.

1:15 Why was uh Renee Good unfortunately and tragically killed? Are you asking me my opinion? Because an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed the unjustified

1:24 Oh, okay. So, you're a biased reporter with a leftwing opinion. What do you want me to do?

1:28 Yeah, because you're a left-wing hack. You're not a reporter. You're posing in this room as a journalist. And it's so clear by the premise of your question. And you and the people in the media who have such biases but fake like you're a journalist. You shouldn't even be sitting in that seat. But you're pretending like you're a journalist. But you're a left-wing activist and the question that you just raised and your answer proves your bias. You should be reporting on the facts. You should be reporting on the cases. Do you have the numbers of how many American citizens were killed at the hands of illegal aliens who ICE is trying to remove from this country?

1:59 Then Caroline Levit declares that there is no more inflation and that Donald Trump has defeated Biden's inflation crisis. She says here, play this clip.

2:09 President has already delivered. Tuesday's CPI report marked the latest confirmation that President Trump has defeated Joe Biden's inflation crisis. Since President Trump took office, core CPI has increased at just a 2.4% annualized rate, substantially lower than the 3.3% annual rate inherited from the Biden administration last January. Next, Caroline Levit is asked about Donald Trump's statements about cancelling elections. Twice in recent days, Donald Trump has said he doesn't want any more elections. And Caroline Levit says that's just Donald Trump joking around. Play this clip.

2:51 My question is, President Trump has talked twice in recent days. Once at the Kennedy Center and then to Reuters again last night about cancelling the election. Why is he talking about this?

2:59 I believe you're referring to the president's interview at Reuters last night. Uh I was in that interview. It was a closed door interview. Obviously uh there was not uh audio or video. The president was was simply joking. He was saying, "We're doing such a great job. We're doing everything the American people thought. Uh maybe we should just keep rolling." But he was speaking facitiously.

3:17 And then one more. So then another reporter asked Caroline Levit if she thinks it's just a funny joke to say that we don't want elections anymore, that this is a humorous topic that presidents should be talking about. Here, play this clip.

3:31 Thank you, Caroline. Uh two questions. First, a follow up on uh one of my colleagues who asked you about the president's interview with lawyers. You said that he was joking about uh cancelling the elections. Uh but Americans for generations have fought and died for democracy, for this democracy. Are you saying that the president finds the idea of cancelling elections funny?

3:54 Andrew, were you in the room? No, you weren't. I was in the room. I heard the conversation. And only someone like you would take that so seriously and pose it as a question in that way.

4:04 Next, Caroline Levit is asked whether the fact that other nations in Europe are putting special forces and troops in Greenland, will that deter a United States invasion of Greenland? To which Caroline Levit says, "Yeah, if European nations put their special forces there, doesn't matter. our invasion plans or plans to acquire it or take it over by any means necessary and all options are on the table. That doesn't change. In essence, saying that America would go to war against Europe. This is what's going down this morning here. Play this clip right here.

4:41 Well, to your your first question on Greenland, I don't think troops in Europe uh impact the president's decision-making process, nor does it impact uh his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all. Um, to your second question, I mean, anyone uh in their right mind with common sense who's speaking honestly and candidly will say that men cannot get pregnant. And I think I can uh attest to that myself. So, thank you all very much. Next, Caroline Levit was asked if it's still Donald Trump's assessment that the opposition leader of Venezuela, Maria Karina Machado, uh, and the, uh, or Edmundo Gonzalez, who won the election back in July, if they are still ineffective and lack the respect and support of Venezuela such that they should not run the country. And you'll see that uh Caroline Levit says basically Trump's person is Deli Rodriguez who is Maduro's VP. Trump likes the authoritarian regime in

5:40 Venezuela right now. Watch what Caroline Levit says here. Play this clip. Thank you, Caroline. Um is it still the president's assessment that it would be very hard for Miss Machado to leave Venezuela because he says she lacks the respect and support in that country. And will he raise that with her today? I think the president's assessment uh that you just pointed out was based on realities on the ground. It was a a realistic assessment based on uh the what the president was reading and hearing from his advisers and national security team. And at this moment in time, his opinion on that matter has not changed. And then finally, Caroline Levit lies and says that drug prices are now down 500% and that Trump has implemented a most favored nations provision, which is just not true at all. Play this clip.

6:30 Small fraction of those who are within the healthcare marketplace, but every single American will continue to see their costs go down. And I will note that they already are in with respect to prescription drug prices. You look at what the president has done with most favored nations. You've seen these big pharmaceutical companies in the Oval Office saying that this president and his team were non-stop around the clock pressuring us and negotiating with us to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Americans. And we are already seeing that to the tune in some cases of more than 500%. And that Trump RX website is something that the administration will be formally not launching very soon. Um so Americans will have access to those lower uh lower costs of drugs. Now I'm joined by Governor JB Pritsker of the great state of Illinois. Governor, it's great to see you. We see what's happening on the streets of Minneapolis

7:19 and St. Paul right now. Similarly, Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago and the surrounding areas. I mean, you have these ICE agents and border patrol agents terrorizing communities. I mean, what's your message as we sit here today, January 15th, and we see Trump talking about insurrection act? It feels to me whether they formally declare martial law or insurrection act, they've put the troops on the streets doing the same thing that we would envision what those acts are. Anyway, I view this as an invasion. How do you see it?

7:56 Well, that's exactly right. I think you've characterized it exactly properly. Remember, we fought like heck and won finally at the Supreme Court on the issue of whether National Guard could be called in. This is short of the Insurrection Act. And um and remember, they didn't go away. I mean, they they the National Guard went away, but what they did was they doubled down with ICE and CBP in uniforms, automatic weapons in the streets marching through downtown Chicago. Uh not to mention in the neighborhoods and scaring people, you know, throwing tear gas, all the rest of it. And importantly, cuz I know people are now paying attention to it in Minnesota, but someone was killed here in Illinois. uh Sylvio Sylvio Viegas Gonzalez killed and he was just taking his kids just had dropped them off at daycare. Um and and they killed him uh and he had done nothing wrong and the they said you know they lied about it uh

8:58 in the aftermath of that uh and as they have about the killing in Minnesota and uh it's not till you know you look at the video or you get the testimony of eyewitnesses that you find out complete lies coming from the Department of Homeland Security. Uh and they do it over and over again. We had Maramar Martinez shot five times in her car. They claimed that uh that she had boxed them in and that uh she was aggressively going after them. Uh but it you know what all the charges were dropped because it turns out complete BS. So what I would say, you know, to the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota is uh they're they're following the playbook that we had to kind of invent and create uh in Chicago and it's working and as long as you maintain the peaceful part of the peaceful protest, it is hugely beneficial. Uh it does not give them an excuse to bring in troops.

9:58 uh if you're out there loud blowing your whistles uh walking on the sidewalk and videoing very important everybody pull out your phones uh because it's allowing us to keep them accountable. We took them to court here and won over and over again as a result of the evidence that we were able to put together. So it's uh it's awful what's happening right now. And of course, you know, just to remind you, that the feds are supposed to be fighting to protect your civil rights, not to take them away. And the Insurrection Act is designed only for circumstances where your rights can't be protected by, you know, local authorities or by whatever federal authorities are already there. And then only then can federal troops be brought in to protect your civil rights. This is exactly the opposite. It's like they've turned it on their head on its head. Uh, and your civil rights are being infringed upon by CBP and ICE. And then

10:57 they want to call in troops on top of that, not to protect your civil rights, but claiming that they're protecting CBP and ICE. And it's just false. It's all it's a bunch of lies. We need to stand up and speak out about it and be loud for America. Now I saw in some of the litigation brought by the state by the city of Chicago a stat that in like the 30 40 past years Chicago PD like never used these gaseous noxious substances at all in anything. And Chicago's been through a lot like any major metropolitan area. That just really stood out to me because on a daily basis you'll see these scenes, peaceful protesters and they're loud. Yes, sometimes they're cursing, but they're blowing their whistles and they're out there, but they're peaceful and they're on the side of the road.

11:53 And the scene you see is these ICE or border patrol and it's hard to tell who's who with the masks and they're wearing their military fatigues. They're marching with these weapons of war and then they take these gas canisters. In the case of Chicago and Illinois, we saw Bavino, literally the leader, take one and then they they they chuck them at the people and then the people start choking and I see these scenes and I saw the stat that these are not law enforcement tactics of deescalation or anything like this is a whole new thing that is paramililitary and that what we're used to seeing surround authoritarians. frankly like the Maduros and like the Putins and and these paramilitary groups that surround authoritarian leaders or now I guess Deli Rodriguez in Venezuela who Trump's hoisted up with the Venezuelan collectivos that have people going around terrorizing the pro-democracy proppposition forces there. What do you

12:54 make of just those tactics? Well, does it surprise you? I mean, let let me just, you know, let's step back and and remember that Donald Trump starting back in 2020, um was not only election uh denying, but uh but really threatening to uh seize the ballot boxes uh to bring in the National Guard to try to keep himself in power. Uh now, what he's doing is militarizing our cities, also threatening not to have elections. just this morning he said that, you know, maybe we shouldn't have an election in the midterms because Republicans might lose and that would be bad and therefore we should take away people's right to vote. Um and uh and this is a guy who who over and over again has been all about protecting himself. ICE CBP, why are they building up this massive force? It's it's like a personal army for Donald Trump. They they've got no training. They're hiring people that are MAGA enthusiasts. Uh

14:01 indeed, we just saw that they were using AI and uh what do you know? They brought people in no experience, no ability to and fasttracking them and putting them on the streets. Um because they want this kind of roughing up. They want this kind of uh terrorizing in the neighborhoods. Um, and because it'll make it'll make uh uh those who are undocumented uh you know fearful, but it'll also make US citizens fearful to speak out and ultimately it might make them fearful to vote in 2026. So I'm I'm deeply concerned about the state of democracy right now. I know that this is not the issue on which, by the way, that elections get won. you know, talking about democracy because what people really care about every day is can I pay my electric bill?

14:50 You know, can I go to the grocery store and feed my family? And am I earning enough? Uh those are the things that we really ought to be talking about front and center. But you can't have any of that unless we preserve democracy. So, it's not an eitheror. We got to do both, but we've also got to win the elections uh in order to stop the madness that Donald Trump has inflicted upon the American people. want to talk in a moment about the lessons that you've learned uh over this past year that you would recommend to other governors and and people. But first, just on the issue of uh affordability, you know, there was this event at Mara Lago that's gone viral um where there are these people wearing uh uh dog costumes and doggy heads and they're like and it's really creepy and eerie and it's this let them eat cake moment while they're separating in their in their dog. I don't even know what the

15:42 hell is even going on there at Mara Lago with these people so disconnected from the struggles that people are currently uh facing. Electricity prices are going way up. People can't afford their health care. They're getting kicked off of their Obamacare plans now because of the subsidies not being extended. Groceries the highest over the past five or six years in December alone. And Trump's out there saying this is the golden age. I did it. Like we're we're amazing. So what what's your message regarding regarding that?

16:20 Well, I mean the you know what's what's crazy uh is that I think there are a whole bunch of people who voted for Donald Trump, good well-meaning people who voted for Donald Trump. Not all of them, but many of them well-meaning because they they just wanted some help. They thought Donald Trump was going to be answer to the challenges that they're having because he promised that he was going to do that. Uh and then he's done none of it, right? Prices. No, he didn't end inflation on day one. Uh no, he has not brought electricity prices down.

16:54 Indeed, his policies are raising prices for people because he's getting rid of uh renewables. Uh and then what do we see in the midst of people suffering through his administration? He's tearing down the ballroom at and building a new beautiful ballroom uh gold laden at the White House with their money, by the way. Um because he says it's not with their money. But the reality is that everything around it is costing you money, the taxpayers, that is the architect, the things that are going into tearing it down. Uh and then ultimately like what does that have to do with addressing the problems that you're facing? It's a distraction that it's all about him personally arrandizing himself. So it's disturbing and and you're right, Mara Lago. I mean, you know, I like to say I guess I would like to respond to if Donald Trump is threatening to invade Greenland because he says it's in his strategic interest

17:52 uh to control Greenland. I'd like to say that Illinois is going to go take over Mara Lago because it's in our, you know, interests. It's in our strategic interests to control Mara Lago. I mean, who should stop us from doing that? Um, and it just strikes me that he's run a muck as president. He thinks he has he's all powerful. The Supreme Court seems to agree with him on many fronts. And it's just it's a danger to our future that the that we're allowing him to do that. And that's why people have to stand up. And thank you for for calling that out as well. Before we go, overall message to other governors, message to the American people. Um, you've been at this now for what, 7 years since the initial inauguration. Um, but a year into this term. Um, so what do you what's your message to everybody about how how do we go about this in 2026 where it seems that there's a clear escalation of the

18:55 authoritarian tactics? Well, I guess one one of the things that I would say to you is that, you know, we have shown in Illinois and I think in a few other places around the country, Portland and elsewhere, that you can fight them and we can win. There are members of the judiciary who will do the right thing. There are elected officials that will do the right thing. You're starting to see that some of the MAGA Republicans are stepping back and saying, "Wait a minute. This isn't what we wanted. this isn't what we voted for. Um, and it's because people are speaking out. You know, I have a t-shirt that says, "Be loud for America because that is what it's going to take you." And you're seeing it. I I'm I'm so happy and proud of the people of Illinois. People have who never protested before, have never been out there doing anything. They came out of their suburban homes with whistles to blow the whistle on these

19:53 ICE and CBP officers uh because they were violating people's civil rights. And I just I I guess my message to people is this is the moment if you're ever going to stand up for America. If you believe in the concept and the and the Constitution um and the concept of freedom, this is the moment for you to stand up and show your patriotism. And that's what I would ask people to do. And it's working. It's working. But we need more people to stand up and speak out. You saw it at the No Kings rallies, but now we're just talking about in everyday life. Look, look at Minnesota, but you're seeing, you know, people in New Orleans, you're seeing people in Memphis, places where you might not have expected it. People are upset about what's happening. And more and more uh impetus, I think, for the American people to to just take a little bit of time and effort and speak your mind about standing up for your

20:49 civil rights and for the future of our country. Illinois Governor JB Pritsker. Thanks for fighting for democracy and we appreciate you joining us here at the Midas Touch Network.

20:59 Thanks, Ben. 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 Philipski, ad free episodes of our podcast, and more exclusive content only available at midasplus.com.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "White House PANICS ON AIR as Trump HIT with DISASTER POLLING"?

Ben Meiselas (Host), Caroline Levit (Guest), JB Pritzker (Guest).

What is "White House PANICS ON AIR as Trump HIT with DISASTER POLLING" about?

The White House is experiencing heightened anxiety as Donald Trump's approval ratings plummet, reflecting growing dissatisfaction among his supporters, particularly over issues related to his handling of immigration and crime. Tensions escalated during a press conference where Trump's chief spokesperson, Caroline Levit, aggressively confronted a reporter over perceived biases in reporting,…

How long is "White House PANICS ON AIR as Trump HIT with DISASTER POLLING"?

The episode runs 21 min; the transcript is about 3,588 words in 33 timestamped sections.

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