The MeidasTouch Podcast Senator Baldwin Calls Out Trump’s Disastrous Shutdown
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Oct 12, 2025 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin joins to discuss the detrimental impacts of the shutdown on healthcare, farmers, and federal workers. She highlights looming healthcare premium increases due to ending ACA subsidies and shares poignant stories from local nonprofits and agricultural workers struggling under economic pressures. Baldwin condemns the chaos caused by the shutdown and stresses the importance of protecting healthcare access and addressing the financial strains on farmers. With a call for accountability, she advocates for extending tax credits and improving the ACA.
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Shutdown Blamed On Political Strategy
- Donald Trump and House Republicans are being blamed for the shutdown and its harms to federal workers and services.
- Ben Meiselas frames the shutdown as politically driven to cut health care and inflict pain on people.
Threats Of Pain And Permanent Job Losses
- Trump publicly threatened to inflict economic harm and permanent job losses during the shutdown.
- The show highlights his shifting messaging from negotiating to threatening pain on workers and budgets.
Back Pay Refusal And Legal Confusion
- Trump refused to commit to back pay for federal workers, deflecting to Democrats while citing he follows the law.
- The hosts portray this as callous and contradictory given legal expectations about back pay when government reopens.