Important Message from MeidasTouch Founder

Hey everybody, it’s Ben Meiselas, co-founder of the MeidasTouch Network.

Happy Wednesday morning.

I always appreciate starting the day with you like this.

Quick reminder—make sure you’re subscribed to this Substack right now. Let’s keep growing this together.

What we’re building here really matters, and it’s growing fast because of you.

Alright, let’s get into it.

You keep hearing Donald Trump say, “Iran wants to make a deal.” He just repeats it over and over. But when you actually look at what’s happening, nothing has changed.

Iran’s been very clear—they’re not giving up control of the Strait of Hormuz, they’re not giving up their missile or drone programs, and they want full reparations. That’s not the posture of a country looking to fold. That’s a country acting like it thinks it has already won.

And then you look at Trump’s approach—he’s talking about negotiations while threatening to kill negotiators. That’s not how this works. That’s not strategy. And it’s clearly not getting results.

Same thing with the so-called “blockade.” We’re told it’s working. But the data doesn’t back it up. Limited traffic, no real shift.

And here’s the simple question I keep coming back to—if the U.S. really has maritime superiority, why is the USS George H.W. Bush carrier group avoiding the Red Sea and going all the way around Africa?

Think about that.

If we won’t send one of our most powerful carrier groups through that region because of Houthi threats, what does that say to everyone else?

You can’t claim dominance and then act like that. It just doesn’t add up.

Back here at home, you’ve got Pam Bondi getting subpoenaed—and just not showing up. No real explanation.

Just a no-show.

Since when is that allowed?

You can’t just ignore a lawful subpoena because it’s inconvenient. That’s not how this is supposed to work.

And people see through it.

Then you’ve got JD Vance doing an event that… honestly, was rough to watch. He was supposed to appear with Erika Kirk and she didn’t show. He’s up there in what looks like a mostly empty venue, getting heckled, clearly thrown off. It wasn’t a great moment.

And the polling is starting to reflect all of this.

There’s a YouGov poll showing Trump now underwater with non-college-educated white voters—52% disapproval. That’s a core group for him. If that’s slipping, that’s a big deal.

On the economic side, things aren’t getting easier either. Wholesale inflation is up 4% year over year.

You’re feeling it, I’m sure... energy bills, utilities, everyday costs.

And what’s really concerning is that prices are already high without fully reflecting the underlying supply shocks.

So the question is, what happens next?

That’s where the real worry is.

Globally, alliances are shifting too.

NATO is barely holding together in its current form. Countries are starting to operate more independently, what some are calling a “new NATO” without the U.S. leading it.

China’s growing stronger. Iran’s more powerful regionally than it was before. And leaders who stand up to Trump are being rewarded politically.

Look at Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney just secured a strong mandate. Steady leadership still wins.

There’s a lot going on. And we’re covering all of it every day across the MeidasTouch Network.

I just want to say, I’m really proud of our team right now. Scott McFarlane, Katie Phang, Legal AF, Aaron Parnas, Adam Mockler, Tennessee Brando, our DC Bureau—everyone is putting in the work and delivering.

And it only works because of you.

So if you’ve been thinking about becoming a paid subscriber, now’s the time.

Join us. Help us keep building this independent network and expanding.

We’re fighting for you. We’re listening to you. Always.

Thanks, everybody.