AI Summary
5 min readTrump Honors Dead Friend, Restarts War
The ceasefire with Iran has collapsed, and the Trump administration is back to full-scale military operations—this time with a proposed 20% toll on all cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz and a new mission the White House is reportedly calling "Operation Bitch Slap." Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham died suddenly over the weekend, and Mitch McConnell released a hostage-style proof-of-life photo after three weeks in the hospital, fueling conspiracy theories even among fellow Republicans.
The Iran Ceasefire Falls Apart
The MOU of Versailles, the ceasefire agreement Trump's team negotiated with Iran, is dead. Trump has formally notified Congress that military action has resumed, reinstated the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and declared the U.S. will henceforth be known as "the guardian of the Hormuz Strait." He's also proposing a 20% toll on all cargo passing through the strait—which, as the hosts note, Marco Rubio called a violation of international law just last month. Iran continues firing rockets at U.S. targets across the Middle East and openly threatening revenge.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:39) **Ceasefire With Iran Collapses, War Resumes** - Trump notifies Congress of renewed military action and reinstates a naval blockade; announces a 20% toll on cargo through the Strait of Hormuz.
- 2 (12:32) **Israel Warns of Iranian Assassination Plot Against Trump** - The hosts briefly discuss how the intelligence may be influencing Trump’s actions and rhetoric.
- 3 (13:57) **Democrats Face Dilemma on $1.5 Trillion Defense Authorization** - Congress considers the NDAA; Lovett and Favreau debate whether Democrats should oppose it as a protest against the Iran war.
- 4 (21:09) **Lindsey Graham Dies; Trump Offers Self-Serving Tribute** - Graham dies suddenly at 71; Trump’s Fox News tribute focuses on himself, calling Graham a bad golfer who called too much.
- 5 (33:03) **Mitch McConnell’s “Proof of Life” Photo Fuels Conspiracy Theories** - McConnell releases a single photo after a three-week hospital stay; Ron Johnson claims the photo is old.
- 6 (45:02) **Trump Subpoenas NYT Journalists Over Air Force One Story** - The DOJ subpoenas four reporters for reporting on a security-related switch to an older plane; FBI Director Kash Patel oversees the investigation.
- 7 (49:01) **Cyclospora Outbreak Highlights Decimated Public Health Agencies** - A severe intestinal illness outbreak is underreported because CDC surveillance was cut; RFK Jr. is blamed for the agency’s incompetence.
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Show Notes
Sen. Lindsey Graham unexpectedly dies and President Trump notifies Congress that the military has resumed strikes against Iran. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett discuss Trump's announcement that the United States will become "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT" and begin charging a 20% toll. Then, they discuss the legacy of Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell's unexpected and unconvincing proof-of-life photo after his own brush with death, and how both senators' absences will affect Trump's legislative agenda—before touching on the administration subpoenaing four journalists at The New York Times and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s role in an outbreak of explosive diarrhea across the country. Finally, Brian Tyler Cohen stops by to talk to Lovett about his new book, "The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World."
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