SUCH A HUGE DAY BECAUSE OF YOU!! MeidasTouch Network and Ben Meiselas May 20 Hey everybody, it’s Ben Meiselas. I just wanted to thank you all for your birthday wishes yesterday. You truly filled my day with love and joy, and I’m so grateful to have you all in my life. Thank you as well to everybody who joined as members, subscribed, and helped grow this platform. And if you have the ability to subscribe right now, I’d truly appreciate it. Let’s keep growing this community together. You know, on my birthday, I couldn’t help but watch some of these congressional hearings. I know some of you are probably saying, “Ben, you should have unplugged and enjoyed your birthday.” But honestly, I did enjoy it. I went to my favorite bagel spot, Bagel Boss, with my wife and daughter. More family came by later. We grilled outside. I took one of my usual walks around the neighborhood. And for me, those walks are often when I watch congressional hearings. I genuinely enjoy it because it helps me process what’s happening in this country and the world in real time. It’s half meditation and half news consumption. But I have to say, watching the hearing with CENTCOM Commander Admiral Morad Cooper left me stunned. Here was someone I thought carried himself as a non-political military leader with integrity, and instead I watched him refuse to answer basic questions and squirm through issues that demanded direct answers. He refused to acknowledge that “showing no quarter” is a war crime under the U.S. military manual and refused to address why Donald Trump claimed Iran’s nuclear facilities were “obliterated” if they clearly were not. He also refused to answer basic questions about investigations into the slaughter of children at an Elementary School in Iran and other war crimes that the Trump regime committed. Watching that level of evasion was disturbing and disqualifying. Then I watched Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testify and claim he didn’t know basic details about the Epstein investigation, while also saying he speaks with Epstein survivors which are claims the survivors themselves have denied. Senator Van Hollen’s questioning exposed glaring contradictions in real time. It was surreal watching senior officials dodge such straightforward questions under oath. And then there’s Donald Trump himself, standing outside near the demolition site of the East Wing talking about building a “drone empire,” claiming the ballroom is somehow protection from drones, talking about secret underground hospitals, and calling the reflecting pool a “lake” that needs to be waterproofed. Honestly, what are we even talking about anymore? The level of absurdity would almost be funny if the stakes weren’t so serious. Meanwhile, there’s the $1.776 billion settlement involving January 6th insurrectionists that deserves far more scrutiny. Buried in the agreement are provisions that appear designed to shield the US from liability associated with those those funds, but it also broadly insulates Donald Trump and the Trump Organization from scrutiny related to tax issues and financial misconduct by forever banning claims against Trump for failure to pay taxes. In my view, that deserves intense public attention because the implications could be enormous. And as all of this unfolds, it feels like we are drifting closer and closer toward open conflict with Iran again. The rhetoric, the instability, the constant false promises of “deals,” the strain on strategic reserves, all of it points toward escalation. If Trump moves in that direction, I believe it would be a catastrophic mistake that could destabilize the Middle East and severely damage the global economy. Then we learned from the Government Accountability Office that fraud and abuse under the Trump regime increased again year over year. So that’s the backdrop. That’s the reality we’re all living through together. But through all of it, I felt your support yesterday. I truly did. Your messages, your kindness, your encouragement and it meant a lot to me. This community means a lot to me. I don’t take any of it for granted. I’ve gotta jump now and record my morning video, but I just wanted to say thank you again. I’m grateful to call so many of you my friends. Let’s keep fighting together. And if you can, please subscribe now and become a paid subscriber if you’re able to. Thanks, everybody. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.