By Ben Meiselas
Hi everyone, it’s Thursday. That means at 8p ET/5p PT, my brothers and I will be going live on the MeidasTouch Podcast on YouTube. I hope you’re able to tune in.
Let me catch you up on the latest news quickly.
After weeks of chaos and terror in Minnesota under what the regime labeled “Operation Metro Surge,” Donald Trump is pulling back. He dispatched Tom Homan to announce that ICE and Border Patrol personnel deployed as part of the operation will be withdrawn. Homan stated plainly: “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this search operation conclude.” He added that “a significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue through the next week.”
Translation: they are leaving.
Minnesota did not fold. Minnesotans exercised their constitutional rights. Local leaders pushed back. Communities documented abuses. And now, the Trump regime is drawing down its forces.
Governor Tim Walz addressed the state today following the news of DHS’s retreat and called for accountability, calling out the damage and destruction caused by the Trump regime. “You don’t get to break things and just leave without doing something about it,” he said. Walz made clear that Minnesota expects the federal government to pay for the harm inflicted and warned that trust has been eroded. He also emphasized that peaceful protest and civic engagement made a difference. “Express your constitutional rights. Stand up for your neighbors. Speak out when you need to speak out. Do so peacefully,” he said.
Walz also spoke about the human cost and the generational trauma instilled by the regime’s attack on the city. “We’ve got children that a core memory for them will be their classmate being taken away,” he said.
The political fallout is spreading beyond Minnesota. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt canceled a bipartisan Governors Association trip to Washington after Trump refused to recognize Democratic governors as part of the event. Trump responded with personal attacks, per usual.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump is spiraling over the disastrous testimony of Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the Epstein files. Trump took to social media praising Bondi’s performance as “fantastic.” Anyone who watched the hearing knows that is detached from reality. Frankly, even MAGA isn’t buying it.
During the hearing, members of Congress confronted Bondi with direct questions about senior administration officials whose names appear in Epstein-related materials. She repeatedly dodged, yelled, and pivoted bizarrely to underrated topics like the Dow Jones.
Representative Joe Neguse highlighted another alarming development yesterday that isn’t getting enough attention. He played body camera footage of Jared Wise, an individual who yelled “kill him!” at police officers on January 6 — and who now works at the Department of Justice. When asked about Wise’s employment, Bondi acknowledged he works there and noted he had been pardoned by Trump, as if that makes it okay. Neguse responded by underscoring the absurdity of expecting law enforcement officers to take seriously an administration that hires someone caught on video yelling violence at police.
This morning, even Senator Rand Paul confronted DHS officials over the conduct of officers during the Minnesota operation. In one exchange, he asked whether yelling at officers constitutes assault. The answer from officials was “No, sir.” He also asked whether filming ICE or Border Patrol is a crime. Again, “No, sir.” When it comes to the use of force against individuals engaged in verbal protest, Paul elicited agreement that physically throwing someone down for words alone is not appropriate.
Meanwhile, Republicans continue to play games on the issue of DHS funding, and they are refusing to make concessions. As a result, it appears DHS will shut down tomorrow night. It’s worth noting the House has finished voting for the week, and is on recess again next week.
In other big news, a federal judge has ruled that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth cannot penalize Senator Mark Kelly over the video in which Kelly reminded service members that they take an oath to the Constitution and must refuse illegal orders. Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, blocked the Pentagon from pursuing disciplinary action against Kelly after finding that an effort to cut his retirement benefits was likely unconstitutional.
Judge Leon’s ruling is a direct rebuke to the idea that loyalty to Trump supersedes the rule of law, and it comes shortly after a federal grand jury refused to go along with the DOJ’s attempt to indict Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers for their speech. One of those lawmakers, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), warned earlier that she believes DOJ may attempt to indict them again tomorrow.
The Minnesota operation is ending. Federal courts are checking retaliation. Governors across the political spectrum are pushing back against pettiness and exclusion. Members of Congress are demanding answers about Epstein and the integrity of the Justice Department. And in response, Trump is lashing out online and pretending Bondi delivered a masterclass.
He did not. She did not. And by the way, Pam… The Dow has dropped back under 50,000. Does that mean you can prosecute those who committed crimes in the Epstein files now?
What we are seeing is a regime under pressure. Pressure from the courts. Pressure from states. Pressure from lawmakers. Pressure from the American people who are tired of chaos and cover-ups. And they can’t handle it.
Minnesota proved that organized, peaceful resistance and clear-eyed leadership can force change. The federal judge’s ruling proves that the Constitution still has defenders on the bench. And the hearings in Washington prove that there are members of Congress willing to confront misconduct directly, all while Trump and Bondi show that they are spiraling.
We will continue monitoring the drawdown in Minnesota to ensure it is complete and not simply a public relations maneuver. We will track the fallout from Judge Leon’s ruling and any further attempts at retaliation. And we will continue pressing for transparency and accountability regarding the Epstein files and the conduct of this Justice Department.
Ron Filipkowski will publish his full Thursday bulletin later today. Thanks for reading, liking, and sharing these posts. I’ll see you soon.
