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There’s a phrase that captures what the
has accomplished in building an independent media movement: “Meidas Mighty.” That’s what the Meidas hosts call their massive and motivated audience. That’s what their audience calls themselves.It’s a declaration of empowerment in a moment when the headlines so often breed despair.
In our first public live-stream together, Meidas co-founder
and I advanced a proof of concept about how the news can instigate action.How to oppose a purge
On Monday,
pointed out that Donald Trump’s purge of Biden’s appointees from the Board of Immigration Appeals only received six comments on the Federal Register. A day after we ran that story, there were 121 comments.After we brought the issue to the attention of Meidas viewers, at least 218 comments were publicly posted, but it’s safe to assume that the true number is higher. It often takes weeks for comments to go from submission to publication. What’s visible now are the number of comments that completed the process.
We’ll provide an update when the number of comments received has been updated.
As any political scientist will tell you, posting formal comments in the Federal Register can be a high-impact form of civic action. We quoted a leading expert in our story who said just that. Officials must address the concerns raised by commenters, and if they don’t, their silence could enhance the litigation position of anyone arguing that an agency took an arbitrary and capricious action.
Put simply, speaking up in an online form can help a court strike down an illegal or irrational government action. It’s not a direct democracy or a ballot referendum, but it can force real change in law and policy.
The comment period on Trump’s immigration judge purge is still open until Thursday, May 15.
The other half of the story
Most traditional news outlets wouldn’t provide detailed explanations about how to fight back against a government purge, but it’s ultimately a story about the public’s levers of power in our constitutional order.
That’s the core of our editorial mission.
It’s the missing context news audiences have been craving with every headline about the Trump administration’s attacks on our retirement savings, government agencies, due process and social services. Those are all stories that have been unfolding outside systems of democratic accountability like Congress, whose GOP majority has abdicated the power of the purse given to them in the Constitution.
When telling that story, it feels irresponsible to omit democracy’s antibody response to an authoritarian threat: civic engagement. Audiences want information about how they can act upon the news. They don’t want to be treated like passive spectators to the assault on our institutions. That approach feels unsatisfying and demoralizing, but fortunately, a growing number of influential voices in legacy and independent news are embracing change.
The MeidasTouch Network’s media juggernaut is undeniable. Last week, they hosted a live town hall with some of the top Democratic governors, including former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. They recently topped Joe Rogan’s podcasts in Apple Podcasts and Spotify downloads. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair and many others have analyzed the secret to their success, often focusing on the headlines, packaging, commentary and political moment.
There’s another factor: It’s the mighty. Ben, a civil rights lawyer and lecturer at USC Gould School of Law, and his brothers Brett and Jordy, relentlessly focus on the power of their network and the strength of their news consumers. Their audience responds in kind by putting “Meidas Mighty” on social media handles and protest placards.
It’s the feeling of empowerment that All Rise News also aims to cultivate, even as we report on difficult topics.
In this video, Ben and I discuss Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Alien Enemies Act, the blizzard of Trump cases, and more. It’s heavy material, but we talk about it in a way that hopefully makes you feel informed, engaged and energized.
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