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The MeidasTouch Podcast

GOP Gets Quickly Outmaneuvered at Major Hearings

04 Feb 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What significant event occurred with Republicans on Capitol Hill?

0.031 - 20.781 Ben Meiselas

MAGA Republicans had a very bad day on Capitol Hill yesterday as finally Democrats in the House and in the Senate went on the offense in various hearings yesterday to expose the Trump regime to call out the MAGA Republicans and bring transparency to issues that the American people care about.

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21.302 - 47.925 Ben Meiselas

So the Democrats in the House and the Senate, on a bicameral basis, conducted unofficial shadow hearings, as they're called, regarding ICE and Border Patrol terrorism across the country. They had to do these as shadow hearings because MAGA Republicans want to cover up Trump's ICE and Border Patrol forces engaging in these terroristic acts and these killings against people in this country.

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47.905 - 63.282 Ben Meiselas

So, Democrats in the House and the Senate brought witnesses who are survivors and victims of Trump's Border Patrol and ICE terrorism, and they gave some of the most compelling testimony. We'll talk about what went down there.

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63.262 - 89.86 Ben Meiselas

Then, in the House, MAGA Republicans wanted to hold a hearing on what they said is a major issue, men playing female sports, and they wanted to further divide the country with their social and cultural war issues during an election year. I'll show you how Democrats flipped the script, neutralized what the MAGA Republicans were doing, and then went on the offense.

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89.84 - 116.067 Ben Meiselas

Then in the Senate, there was a hearing where the NIH director, Dr. J. Bhattacharya, was called to testify. And you had senators like Bernie Sanders cross-examining Bhattacharya and exposing him and RFK Jr. and the fatal consequences of the Trump regime's assault on vaccines and science and medicine. So let's go through what went down.

116.047 - 134.157 Ben Meiselas

so at the shadow hearings you had the victims and survivors of ice and border patrol terrorism testify one of the witnesses was miramar martinez who was shot five times by border patrol agents back on october 4th 2025 border patrol agents

134.137 - 153.025 Ben Meiselas

then made up a fabricated story that they feared for their life because they said Miramar Martinez attacked them with the vehicle and she rear-ended them and they had to shoot her and that's what happened. They then tried to have her prosecuted federally. They wanted her to go to prison essentially for the rest of her life because they said she attacked them.

153.405 - 174.19 Ben Meiselas

Then all of the videos and contemporaneous evidence showed that what the Border Patrol agents were saying was an utter lie, and the charges against Miramar Martinez were dismissed. But she still suffers as a result of being shot five times. Well, she testified before the shadow hearings before Democrats in the House and the Senate.

174.59 - 181.558 Ben Meiselas

And Democratic Congress member Robert Garcia, who is the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee,

Chapter 2: What were the main issues addressed in the shadow hearings about ICE and Border Patrol?

181.538 - 206.505 Ben Meiselas

He was questioning Miriam Martinez, and he brought out text messages during the questions, which showed that the Border Patrol agents who shot her five times were sending text messages bragging about shooting her. And they would say things like, shot her five times and got seven holes. Great work, boys. That's how you do it, boys.

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207.326 - 231.253 Ben Meiselas

Watch as Congress member Garcia reads these text messages while Miramar Martinez is testifying. This brought tears to my eyes. Let's play it. It's disgusting, shameful, and it gets worse. Ms. Martinez, these are images of texts sent by the agent who shot you. And they're actually disturbing to read, but I think it's important for the public to see this.

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232.074 - 261.587 Ben Meiselas

The agent linked an article about your shooting and texted, read it, five shots, seven holes. I fired five rounds and she had seven holes. Put that in your book, boys. Oh, well, it is what it is. Shit happens. This is someone that works for the United States government. I fired five rounds and she had seven holes. Now he was talking about you.

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263.43 - 272.5 Ben Meiselas

And it's our understanding that he was actually bragging about his aim, shooting an unarmed American citizen. Is that right?

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274.042 - 274.943 Miramar Martinez

Correct.

274.963 - 282.051 Ben Meiselas

I'm so sorry, Ms. Martinez. DHS has allowed the agent who shot you to remove evidence and to potentially destroy it. Is that correct?

Chapter 3: What testimony did survivors of ICE and Border Patrol violence provide?

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283.565 - 312.196 Ben Meiselas

Next, I want to share with you what Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett had to say as she flipped the script when MAGA Republicans were trying to do their own hearing, injecting culture war issues. Congresswoman Crockett brought things back into focus, called out Donald Trump's appearance in the Epstein files 38,000 times, and she called out the real issues, that are affecting our country.

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312.316 - 313.878 Ben Meiselas

Here, play this clip right here.

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314.239 - 330.924 Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

I don't understand why and where my colleagues are going on everything else. And now they want to be the protectors of girls and women. I didn't hear them screaming this when Renee Good was killed in the middle of the street in Minneapolis. I didn't hear any protection for Renee Good, a US citizen that was killed by the same people that the vast majority of you just voted to give more money to.

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331.024 - 344.659 Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

I didn't hear the same thing. In fact, it was a lot of crickets, including specifically including the women as we were just lectured about what we need to do as women when it came down to the Epstein files. I heard crickets.

344.739 - 366.238 Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

In fact, we could not get any signatures onto that discharge petition to the extent that we shut down the entire house and there was no business that was conducted in this entire country on behalf of our constituents. But let me be clear, the Republicans are going to protect girls and women because that's what this is all about. It's not about the report because the amendment,

Chapter 4: How did Democrats respond to the Republicans' focus on cultural issues?

366.218 - 374.431 Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

Says it's about a report. Like, miss me on being protectors. Just say that this is what you believe, this is what you're doing.

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374.791 - 392.158 Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

But don't come at us and tell us as women what we should be okay with, what we shouldn't be okay with, because it's just kind of like the same thing where I should be telling a lot of women on the other side of the aisle, I don't know how it is that you are not protecting women as they need protections over their own bodies to make their own decisions.

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392.307 - 404.361 Ben Meiselas

And now I want to show you Senator Bernie Sanders cross-examining NIH Director Bhattacharya. Let's watch this beautiful cross-exam by Bernie Sanders. Here, play this clip.

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404.382 - 413.112 Dr. J. Bhattacharya

We have to address the deep distrust that has developed over the last several years by the public.

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413.132 - 438.598 Ben Meiselas

I'm sorry to interrupt you. I don't have a lot of time. You're right. There is deep mistrust. Do you think that deep mistrust now has something to do when you have an organization like the American Medical Association telling us that vaccines do not cause autism, but you have a secretary of HHS who says the very opposite. Do you think that causes concern and mistrust among parents?

438.578 - 459.26 Dr. J. Bhattacharya

Senator, in 2024, there was a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that said that only about 40 percent of patients still trust their doctors. As someone who went to medical school myself, it's absolutely shocking. And that's before Secretary Kennedy took office. We have to address this distrust, but it has to be a bipartisan effort. Let me ask you a simple question.

459.32 - 462.223 Ben Meiselas

Tell the American people I appreciate your thoughts on measles.

463.604 - 483.297 Dr. J. Bhattacharya

Do vaccines cause autism? Tell that to the American people. Yes? No. I do not believe that the measles vaccine causes autism. Uh-uh. Uh-uh. I didn't ask measles. Do vaccines cause autism? I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism. Okay, thank you.

483.317 - 499.16 Ben Meiselas

Now I want to share with you Miramar Martinez's testimony. I thought this was so powerful and compelling as Democrats brought forward people who survived the terrorism or family members of people who got killed by ICE and Border Patrol Gestapo.

Chapter 5: How did Congress member Robert Garcia expose Border Patrol misconduct?

942.365 - 957.508 Aaliyah Rahman

I pleaded for emergency medical care for over an hour after my vision had become blurry, my heart rate went through the roof, and the pain in my neck and head became unbearable. It was denied. When I became unable to speak, my cellmate pleaded for me.

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957.548 - 981.241 Aaliyah Rahman

The last sounds I remember before I blacked out on the cell floor were my cellmate banging on the door, pleading for a medic and a voice outside saying, we don't want to step on ICE's toes. When I opened my eyes at Hennepin County's emergency room, I learned I was brought there to be treated for assault.

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984.765 - 1009.092 Aaliyah Rahman

The impacts of DHS detention on my physical, mental, and financial wellbeing and safety have been very severe, but I do not deserve more humane treatment than anyone else, US citizen or not. And I am here today with a strong spirit and a duty to the many people who haven't had the privilege to tell their stories or see their loved ones come home.

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1010.294 - 1035.513 Aaliyah Rahman

I am extremely distressed by the pattern that violence from law enforcement has been happening to black and indigenous communities for centuries and to DHS survivors for over 20 years. We call ourselves a civilized nation, but we lack rules and accountability around what a person claiming to be law enforcement is permitted to do to another human being.

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1035.553 - 1045.407 Aaliyah Rahman

I am not afraid, and I'm not afraid to keep working on this problem even after ICE is gone. Thank you for your time.

1045.606 - 1062.024 Ben Meiselas

Now, this next testimony brought tears to my eyes when I watched it live as well. You had Luke Ganger, brother of Renee Nicole Goode, share what his family is experiencing right now, having lost Renee Nicole Goode. Play this clip.

1062.044 - 1106.901 Luke Ganger

Thank you, Ranking Member Blumenthal and Ranking Member Garcia and distinguished members of Congress. My name is Luke Ganger, and I'm here with my brother, Brent. Renee Good is our sister. We're here on behalf of Nae's big family and those who loved her. We're here to ask for your help. I was talking to my four-year-old last week when she noticed I was not doing well.

1107.823 - 1133.807 Luke Ganger

I had to come here today and talk to some important people. She knows that her aunt died and that somebody caused it to happen. She told me that there are no bad people and that everyone makes mistakes. She has Ney's spirit.

1136.55 - 1171.488 Luke Ganger

The deep distress our family feels because of Ney's losses in such a violent and unnecessary way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress, and desperation for change. In the last few weeks, our family took some consolation, thinking that perhaps Ney's death would bring about change in our country, and it has not.

Chapter 6: What were the key points raised by Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett during the hearings?

1614.26 - 1646.73 Harriet Hageman

This gentleman sitting next to me, he is a man. That's who he is. That is what our title is. That is what we have been described throughout history. This bill does nothing to prohibit men from competing in men's sports. I will repeat, this bill does nothing to prohibit men from competing in men's sports. It does prohibit men from competing in women's sports. It is that simple.

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1646.71 - 1676.269 Harriet Hageman

we have to do is look at what happened during the Paris Olympics, where we watched a dude beat the hell out of a woman in a boxing match. And we have people on the other side of the aisle who actually believe that that is okay. That man is not a woman. He has been tested repeatedly. That is a man, and he will not be allowed to compete against women in the future because he is a man.

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1676.671 - 1679.94 Harriet Hageman

We do not want men beating up women.

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1680.038 - 1700.663 Ben Meiselas

I mean, do you see the difference right there in what the Democrats are focused on versus what the MAGA Republicans were focused on? Now I want to share with you Democratic Senator Hassan's cross-examination of NIH Director Bhattacharya. I thought this was a very powerful moment as well. Let's play this clip right here.

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1700.693 - 1712.924 Dr. J. Bhattacharya

I'm sorry, the patients had the resources they needed to get continuity of care. The commitment the NIH has to funding cancer research is undiminished. Undiminished.

1712.964 - 1728.338 Senator Hassan

Well, my question is, have you done a study to look at the impact, the harms that cancer patients have experienced? If they haven't, doing a good, objective scientific study will show that. But have you done a study?

1728.942 - 1753.414 Dr. J. Bhattacharya

I mean, the NIH fund studies, we don't conduct directly the studies. Let me just say very clearly, I do not believe that patients' care was disrupted because I ordered, if there was any disruptions at all, that the patients would have continuity of care. If there were disruptions, then it is the responsibility of the researchers that were managing the patients, not the NIH.

1753.394 - 1775.891 Senator Hassan

That is really an unacceptable and outrageous response. You all disrupted funding. You can make an edict from Washington, D.C., oh, don't disrupt continuity of care. But that can be a very complicated thing. And I know that in my state, there were disruptions in these studies that have really put patients at risk. And you all should be interested in that data.

1775.911 - 1785.366 Senator Hassan

And you should be working to find out whether it happened. Now, I'm going to move to another topic. No, I've got only about a minute, 20 seconds. So I want to go to my next topic.

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