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The MeidasTouch Podcast

Rep. Jayapal Discusses MAGA Mike Destroying the GOP

22 Nov 2025

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

1.263 - 13.669 Unknown

Valvomme kun muut nukkuvat. Eläinsairaala Mevet päivystää Helsingin pitäjänmäessä vuoden jokaisena päivänä ja yönä. Tervetuloa Mevetiin. Evidensia.fi kautta Mevet.

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15.303 - 38.723 Ben Meiselas

Checking in on MAGA Mike, Republican Speaker of the House. What's going on, MAGA Mike? There you are. You look sad, MAGA Mike. You look confused, MAGA Mike. Well, now one of the things that MAGA Mike is doing after the discharge petition led to the release of the Epstein files. having at least a law, something signed into law. We'll see ultimately what the Department of Justice does.

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38.783 - 59.215 Ben Meiselas

I think they're gonna obstruct further the release of these files, and I think they're gearing up for some disgusting and despicable behavior. But now, what Mag and Mike's doing in response to the fact that there likely may be some other discharge petitions, on the way because MAGA Mike's just following whatever Donald Trump tells him and it's gonna destroy the MAGA Republicans in the midterms.

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Chapter 2: What issues is MAGA Mike Johnson causing for the Republican Party?

59.275 - 80.815 Ben Meiselas

And so they're trying to figure something out. But now, MAGA Mike Johnson told Axios that he's gonna try to figure out ways to basically kill the concept of discharge petitions. He's gonna try to make the threshold higher and change the rules so there could be no discharge petitions at this point. So there can't be people making end run around him by changing the rules.

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80.795 - 98.095 Ben Meiselas

He goes, they've just become too common. What do you mean they've become too common? It's like there's one so far, and it related to the Epstein files that actually made its way through Congress. And I just think he sees that there's an avalanche of these things coming based on his behavior.

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98.416 - 110.83 Ben Meiselas

I mean, you're seeing a lot of MAGA Republican Congress members kind of speak out against what MAGA Mike's doing. People, especially in vulnerable congressional districts, who are likely going to lose based on the trajectory of things.

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111.17 - 133.853 Ben Meiselas

MAGA Republican Congress member Mike Lawler saying, but the discharge petition is a tool of every member to ensure important issues that have the support of the majority of the House see the light of day. And he goes, I oppose this. Or then in California, MAGA Republican Congress member Kylie is so pissed at the fact that MAGA Mike didn't stand up against Donald Trump's

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133.833 - 163.063 Ben Meiselas

um gerrymandering of of the entire map this is what kylie says to the extent there was any point to begin with which i don't think there was i don't even think you've got a partisan advantage on this and in any way shape or form justifies it but that's not going to happen it looks like and with this court decision out of texas saying that the texas gerrymandering was unlawful in race it's even more in doubt it's just so utterly foolish so meg and mike they're calling you utterly foolish in your own party right now but he is i mean look at him

163.043 - 176.075 Ben Meiselas

So what Maga Mike was saying, why he didn't support the discharge petition to release the Epstein files, even though he then had to vote for it because he knew that he was going to lose. He goes, it's going to create new victims, new victims.

176.475 - 187.926 Ben Meiselas

And by that, I know it's disgusting, but by that, he means that the rich and powerful men who were talking to Epstein and who were in these files, that they're the new victims, according to Maga Mike and Donald Trump. Here, play this clip.

188.166 - 213.703 MAGA Mike Johnson

The discharge petition could create new victims, okay? Yeah. Because it requires the DOJ to release information, even in cases where the DOJ or the FBI has already reviewed it and determined it is not credible. It is false information. Doing this and requiring this to come out could ruin the reputations of completely innocent people, such as those who may just have known Epstein.

214.224 - 229.118 Ben Meiselas

Ah, just people who knew him, hung out with him, chatted with him, hung out at Mar-a-Lago. His name's maybe Donald Trump. Then he said this at an earlier press conference. He goes, remember like Brady Bunch, Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. He's like, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein. Why is everything about Epstein? Here, play this clip.

Chapter 3: How is MAGA Mike responding to discharge petitions?

269.228 - 275.721 Unknown

It should be seditious conspiracy and punishable by death. Do you have any response to that?

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275.701 - 286.318 MAGA Mike Johnson

I know the DOJ and the Pentagon are looking into the legality of all that. But what I can address is what everybody knows that was wildly inappropriate. It is very dangerous.

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286.479 - 305.355 Ben Meiselas

He attacks the Democratic Congress members and doesn't respond to Donald Trump saying that he wants to have these Democratic Congress members and senators killed. Help us make sense of this. To help us make sense of this, let's bring in Congresswoman Jayapal. Congresswoman, it's great to see. I don't even know where we start with Maga Mike.

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305.375 - 324.523 Ben Meiselas

I guess we start though at the, where all stories begin, at the beginning. So you and Maga Mike were actually in the same like congressional class back, what, in 2016 and 2017. Could you have projected that Maga Mike was gonna take this course and then just be a stooge for authoritarianism?

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324.757 - 347.828 Rep. Pramila Jayapal

No. And actually, when we came in, you know how they ask you, like, which member of which member of Congress on the other side would you like to work with? And Meg and Mike and I both said each other and we actually did one good thing, which was we expanded this program that addressed opioids. And it was a pilot program that started in Seattle.

348.145 - 368.164 Rep. Pramila Jayapal

And we worked together to get money for it, to make it across the country. But then it was all downhill. And, you know, actually a couple of days before he became speaker, I was in the halls late at night, one night we were waiting, you know, the house was in complete chaos. They had gone through like 12 or 15 people who hadn't been able to get the votes on their side.

368.184 - 380.987 Rep. Pramila Jayapal

And I was like, hey, Mike, what's going to happen here? You got somebody who's eventually going to be a speaker. And he leaned over and said, I think it's going to be me. And sure enough, a couple of days later, it was him.

381.423 - 401.901 Ben Meiselas

So you went from being in the same class as Maga Mike and saying, we want to work with each other and then trying to figure out bipartisan things to do. And then you fast forward to 2025 and you've got Maga Mike covering up a child sex trafficking ring while holding up the Bible. And so that's where we are right now.

402.022 - 422.561 Ben Meiselas

And even though this, thanks to the discharge petition, which Maga Mike and Trump opposed at all points has been now signed into law, The reality is Trump had the authority to release these before. And I'm sure what Bondi and everybody told him is like, just sign the thing. It's no different than we would have done before. Let's just delay it this way. Give the people the signature.

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