Week 84 — The Return – The Weekly List

This week, after days of strikes on Iran, which included a precision strike on a water plant serving 20,000 Iranians, Trump announced a “deal” with Iran on his 80th birthday. While Trump, and his front man on the deal, Vice President JD Vance, trumpeted the one-and-a-half page long memorandum of understanding, they also refused to release it publicly, even to members of the Gang of Eight, even days later.

Terms of the MOU did start to leak out nonetheless, with the NYT describing the deal as Trump winding down a war he started, with all his stated goals unmet. Trump’s main goal of ending Iran’s nuclear program, which he had claimed last June to having “obliterated,” was notably not addressed in any way. Trump continued to tout his deal as superior to former President Barack Obama’s JCPOA, which was negotiated without a war, but emerging details did not back that claim.

Meanwhile, Trump held an unprecedented spectacle on White House grounds for his birthday, incorporating the U.S. military, and using the White House as changing rooms for UFC fighters, in what critics called undignified and worse. The event culminated in the winning fighter referring to former First Lady Michelle Obama as a “man,” which Trump and his regime refused to condemn, and seemed to have been the main lingering vibe of the event. While the White House anticipated 125,000 would attend, the crowd was limited to thousands.

Meanwhile, the rest of Trump’s DC projects were in disarray. After spending $14.2 million to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in flag blue, days later the pool turned green as it filled with algae. Trump tried to avoid removing his name from the Kennedy Center, but lost, and so instructed the regime to cover the center with a giant tarp. Trump continued to fight for his White House ballroom, which he had repeatedly promised would be funded by donations, but as it turns out, looks to cost $600 million, not $400 million, half of which would be covered by taxpayers.

This week, when pressed on the impact of his policies and war on affordability for Americans, Trump said, “I love inflation,” a line likely to be widely featured in Democrats’ midterms advertisements. Trump was, for the first time, losing ground not only with white working-class voters, but also with rural voters. Meanwhile, this week’s list is full of examples of insiders like Elon Musk having the regime do his bidding, and Trump using the apparatus of the federal government to pursue his enemies.

Those of us old enough remember the bicentennial celebration in 1976, when Americans were treated to years-long events in celebration across the country, a time of unity and pride. Fifty years later, the country is in disarray, inequality reigns, corruption rules, and Trump this week threw away all pretensions and announced the July 4th event planned on the National Mall would be a “Trump rally.” That’s where our country finds itself at its 250th anniversary.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just 16% of Americans said it was appropriate for Trump to hold UFC fights at the White House coinciding with his 80th birthday, including 31% of Republicans and 11% of Independents, while 46% said it was inappropriate.
NYT reported for the first time, Trump was losing ground with white working-class voters over his handling of the economy, viewed by voters as the most pressing issue. An NPR/PBS/Marist poll found 44% of these voters were more likely to vote for Democrats, up from 30% in 2018.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that Trump’s approval in rural America was also at an all time low, as farmers faced higher fuel and fertilizer costs and low crop prices. In February 2025, 60% of rural voters approved, 34% disapproved. In June 2026, 50% approved, while 48% disapproved.
On Thursday, WSJ reported that Trump allies were working on a plan to have GOP lawmakers pass a resolution that would effectively expunge Trump’s two first term impeachments. Experts on the Constitution said no procedure for removing an impeachment existed.
When asked about the resolution, Trump said, “It should be done because I did nothing wrong,” and “It was a rigged deal — it was a whole rigged situation.” The plan, which marked Trump and his regime’s latest effort to rewrite history, would be considered after midterms.
Shortly after, in a 195-word Truth Social rant, Trump attacked Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was involved with Trump’s impeachment trial, calling him a “loser in life, who worked endlessly during my First Term to impeach me, and failed miserably,” adding, “EXPEL THE BUM.”
On Friday, a federal judge extended her block on Trump ‘anti-weaponization’ fund indefinitely, after expressing frustration that none of the statements made by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche “have been made under the penalty of perjury.”
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a video that the DOJ had questioned friends and associates of him and his wife, claiming Trump was using the DOJ to seek retribution against his political enemies, especially as Newsom considered running for president.
Newsom’s office said the inquiries started around the time Trump said he planned to nominate Blanche, whom Newsom referred to as “the guy covering up the Epstein Files,” as attorney general. The probe was said to center on his wife.
Propublica reported that the EPA and a section of the DOJ, then under Deputy AG Blanche, dismissed a criminal probe over serial pollution offenses by coal mines owned by Republican Sen. Jim Justice, a Trump ally, despite prosecutors saying they had a strong case.
In a highly unusual move, the DOJ intervened in a pollution lawsuit against Trump donor Elon Musk’s data center in Mississippi for violating the Clean Air Act, saying Musk had the right to run dozens of polluting gas-burning turbines despite not having permits.
The DOJ memo, signed by Stanley Woodward Jr., the №3 DOJ official, also argued that the federal government should have unchallenged authority to stop environmental lawsuits brought by private groups or individuals. The NAACP called the intervention “remarkable.”
A Reuters analysis found that 96% of Trump’s clemency grants during his second regime went to recipients who had access to his inner circles, but did not meet longstanding DOJ guidelines. During his first regime, just 14% did not meet the guidelines. For Joe Biden it was 1%.
Algae appeared at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool less than a week after the completion of Trump’s $14.2 million effort to repaint the bottom of the pool light blue for the 250th anniversary. The pool appeared green, and workers were seen attempting to clear the algae.
WAPO reported a detailed project summary by a contractor for Trump’s White House ballroom revealed that of the $600 million cost estimate for the project, more than half would be paid for by taxpayers, despite Trump repeatedly claiming that it would all be paid by private donors.
Bloomberg reported that the first Trump Mobile T1 phones were delivered to reporters, and were not gold and not made in America, but rather a refurbished HTC phone, noting the limited release left open “the possibility that this could be a doomed business venture.”
On Thursday, the U.S. Postal Service proposed a rule that would allow it to refuse to deliver mail ballots in states that do not comply with the Trump regime’s demand to turn over their voter rolls. Democrats and voting rights groups said they would challenge the federal intrusion.
On Thursday, 25 FBI agents searched the offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a two-decade old group in Cleveland that ran the state’s biggest 2024 voter registration effort, seizing computers and other materials, as part of the regime’s effort to find so-called fraud.
On Wednesday, an NYT bombshell revealed that the Epstein files had engulfed senior regime members and paralyzed the regime in 2025, including frequent meetings in the Situation Room to discuss strategies, even as they sought to downplay it and focus attention elsewhere.
After thinking the story would go away, some senior regime officials eventually came around to releasing the files, while protecting mentions of Trump, who was in many. Trump was against transparency and wanted it buried, then attacked supporters who wanted the release.
Deputy Attorney General Blanche played a key role. A group of Epstein survivors announced their opposition to his nomination as AG, citing the NYT story revelations “confirm our worst fears about the administration prioritizing political expediency over justice.”
On Wednesday, speaking to reporters from the Oval Office after data showed the annual inflation rate was at 4.2%, a three-year high, Trump told reporters, “I love the inflation,” and continued his baseless claim it was “going to come down like a rock” when the war with Iran was over.
Trump also promised more attacks on Iran, telling reporters the two sides were “really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along, they keep playing us for suckers,” adding, “We have the strongest military anywhere in the world, and sometimes you’ll have to use it.”
Trump also bragged, “I can say it now. Something you didn’t know,” claiming, “we’ve been taking out millions of barrels of oil? Nobody knows it.” U.S. officials said he was referring to a previously disclosed mission of U.S. Central Command helping 70 ships pass through.
Later Wednesday, Trump told Fox News that the U.S. had launched 49 Tomahawk missiles in an attack on Iran that he called “violent and vicious,” and claimed “top Iranian officials” called him directly, asking him to stop the bombing. Iranian officials denied his claim.
An NYT analysis of satellite images and videos revealed a U.S. precision strike had hit an Iranian drinking water facility near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media claimed the strike had cut off the water supply for 20,000 people, as temperatures reached above 100 degrees.
Later Wednesday, when Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth was asked about bombing Iran’s infrastructure, and whether it constituted a war crime, he berated the reporter, saying, “That’s precisely the kind of disingenuous question I’m used to from the media.”
Later Wednesday, in a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “I am hereby calling on Republicans in Congress to IMMEDIATELY” advance and pass a third reconciliation bill, and try to add his SAVE America Act to it, despite the act not having nearly the votes needed to pass.
WAPO reported that according to his latest medical report, Trump saw 22 medical specialists, nearly double the number in his first regime, and the most of any president. George H.W. Bush saw five, George W. Bush 12, and Biden 20 when he left office at age 82.
WSJ reported as Trump turns 80, his strategy was for relentless exposure, even as it exposed his at times ailing health, including his bruised hands, stooping posture, often falling asleep, mistaking names of countries and regions and waterways, and losing his train of thought.
On Thursday, Jacob Reses, Vice President JD Vance’s chief of staff who had been with him since the 2024 campaign, resigned and said he would leave the regime at the end of the summer. His future job plans were unclear.
WSJ reported Jeanine Pirro’s U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. sent far-ranging subpoenas to several big banks including JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, as part of a probe into whether they discriminated against conservatives by improperly closing accounts.
Trump had previously complained that his banking accounts were cut off by JP Morgan and B of A in the aftermath of Jan. 6., and had directed banking regulators to investigate “politicized or unlawful debanking.” Pirro’s probe also included other banks such as Wells Fargo.
On Thursday, Chief Judge James Boasberg denied Pirro’s request to vacate his earlier order to quash the subpoenas sent to the Federal Reserve for the third time in a scathing ruling, which included media quotes and links to a YouTube clip.
On Wednesday, 11 House Intelligence Committee Democrats demanded that Bill Pulte undergo a complete security check, including an examination of his financial holdings and foreign contacts, before assuming his post at acting director of national intelligence.
Politico reported Pulte’s ascension came as the mood inside the White House was “angry, insular, grievance-driven and increasingly shaped by a group of loyalists with direct access” to Trump, who was “increasingly frustrated with everyone, from his own team to the Senate.”
On Thursday, the House voted down a last-minute attempt to extend FISA Section 702 authorities, with Democrats and some Republicans pushing back over Trump’s nomination of Pulte. The House then left town.
Shortly after, Trump posted on Truth Social he planned to nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, as DNI, adding, “I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible.” Clayton was also SEC Chair during Trump’s first regime.
On Saturday, Trump said he would nominate James McDonald, a former federal prosecutor who later served as Trump’s personal attorney, as U.S. attorney for New York’s Southern District. McDonald would replace Clayton, and required Senate confirmation.
On Sunday, Trump tried to link his controversial voter identification bill to FISA renewal, posting on Truth Social, “I’m against FISA if it doesn’t come with the Save America Act.” Before his post on Sunday, Trump had urged Congress to renew the FISA.
On Wednesday, Trump delayed Clayton’s nomination hours before he was set to start his Senate confirmation hearing, demanding on Truth Social that his Save America Act be passed along with the FISA renewal, and that his personal attorney Jamie McDonald be confirmed first.
On Thursday, the Kennedy Center board, all Trump appointees, voted to fight the court order to remove his name by Friday. Hours later, Trump’s DOJ filed an appeal of the court ruling. Their argument that removal would cause “irreparable harm” to fundraising had already been made.
When that appeal was denied on Friday, work erecting scaffolding to remove Trump’s name was temporarily stopped, as Trump’s DOJ filed an emergency appeal. Hours later, that appeal was also denied.
At midnight, Trump’s DOJ filed an extension, after the regime had delayed the crews’ work, despite the work stoppage for hours during their appeal, and their late start in starting the removal.
At 3 a.m. on Saturday, hours after the missed deadline, crews began to take the letters of Trump’s name off of the center. Before doing so, they erected a curtain to obscure the view for crowds that had gathered, which further delayed completing the removal.
On Saturday, a federal judge granted a brief extension, ruling that the Trump regime must certify by noon on Saturday that it had complied with the court order to remove Trump’s name. The regime said it had complied, but kept the building covered in tarps to obscure the removal.
On Thursday, the Washington National Opera sued the Trump regime to force the Kennedy Center to turn over $17 million in gifts and donations to the opera company, which cut ties with the center after a 15-year affiliation five months ago over Trump’s involvement.
On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump regime from closing the center for two years starting on July 4, saying the board “based its decision on an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information” without considering statutory obligations and adverse consequences.
On Thursday, the Department of Interior said it was investigating a giant “8647” marking traced into the grounds of the National Mall. It was unclear how the markings had been made that turned the grass brown. U.S. authorities said any threat to Trump would be taken seriously.
On Friday, a federal judge rejected two Virginia residents’ effort to halt Trump’s UFC event at the White House, saying the plaintiffs had failed “to establish both a substantial likelihood of standing and irreparable harm” in their lawsuit.
On Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT.” Trump also threatened, “At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas.”
Later Thursday, in an abrupt shift, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had canceled strikes on Iran, claiming the U.S. “just made a great settlement of the war,” subject to the “finalization of documents,” adding that he expected a signing to occur “over the next few days.”
Shortly after, at an event in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that a deal would be signed “Saturday or Monday…We think it’s going to go pretty quickly,” and baselessly claimed that “the strait has been open for a number of months already, and you just didn’t know about it.”
Prior to this claim, CNN reported that Trump had said that a deal with Iran was close at least 38 times, including in social media posts, public appearances, and phone calls with the media.
Trump also went off topic, attacking Somalians in Minnesota, claiming that “Guys like me built the country,” saying of Somalis, “I watch all these ingrates, they’re always complaining, complaining. They didn’t build anything, they couldn’t build anything.”
On Friday, Reuters reported that the UAE was set to release between $10 billion and $20 billion to Iran, on top of the $3 billion already released. The report was in contrast to statements by Vance, who told reporters no funds would be released to Iran simply for signing a deal.
On Saturday, CNN reported that the UAE denied the Reuters reporting, saying in a statement, “these allegations are entirely false and unfounded, stressing that no frozen Iranian funds have been released, transferred, or facilitated through the UAE.”
On Saturday, Trump posted, “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL.” The 60 day ceasefire would allow for negotiations on sanctions relief and Iran’s nuclear program. Iran disputed the timeline.
German news outlet Die Welt reported that the Trump regime planned to pull a third of the aircraft and warships the U.S. provided for NATO operations in Europe, which had served as a deterrent to Russia. The U.S. commitment to Europe had been in place for eight decades.
Politico reported that the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to approve the Trump regime’s name change from the Department of Defense to the Department of War. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of implementing the name change to be $125 million.
The Atlantic reported Hegseth ordered the removal of Daniel “Chappie” James Jr.’s portrait from the Air Force Art Gallery, citing Trump’s anti-DEI executive order.. James was the first Black four-star general in U.S. military history, and flew 179 combat missions across two wars.
Hegseth had also ordered that mentions of Black service members be removed from all military materials. One training instructor said she had planned to serve 20 years for her pension, but decided to leave instead, saying, “I can’t ethically and morally continue down this road.”
The Bipartisan Women’s Caucus’ 28th annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, sponsored by members of Congress to honor servicewomen, was canceled after the Navy, Air Force, and Space Force bowed out, citing the Pentagon and Trump’s anti-DEI policies.
On Friday, a federal judge blocked the National Park Service from taking further action under Trump’s anti-DEI executive order, such as removing information and signs related to slavery, civil rights, climate change, and other topics from national parks, calling it “censorship.”
NYT reported ICE was recruiting state and local law enforcement to help enforce immigration. After completing 40-hours of virtual training, officers could be certified to ask about immigration status, check with ICE on status, and take immigrants into custody.
So far several thousand officers had been credentialed in 31 states, including troopers, sheriff’s deputies, police officers, constables, and agencies not directly in law enforcement, all of whom were eligible to receive cash incentives for arrests.
NYT reported the Trump regime planned to deport two dozen people to Central African Republic, of which the State Department warns, “do not travel for any reason,” including two Iranian women, and people from Afghanistan and Syria, who could not be sent to their home countries.
On Thursday, Trump’s DOJ filed an appeal of the court ruling blocking his $100,000 H-1B visa fee. The case was one of at least three filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups against Trump’s anti-immigration policies.
On Thursday, a federal judge reprimanded the Trump regime for failing to comply with his order to immediately resume processing of immigration applications, writing, “There is no excuse this time; the Government has an obligation to immediately comply with this Order.”
NYT reported early in the second Trump regime, adviser Stephen Miller pushed a plan to suspend the right to habeas corpus for unauthorized immigrants to speed deportations. Will Scharf, a conservative White House lawyer, pushed back against the idea in a confidential memo.
Scharf also pushed back on Vance, who wanted to invoke the Insurrection Act to unleash the U.S. military and “crush the unrest in Minnesota” after Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed, saying the law did not fit the circumstances on the ground.
NYT reported the family of Geraldine Owen Delaney, for whom Delaney Hall, originally a halfway house for low-level offenders, was named, called for an immediate investigation into poor conditions there, and depending on the findings to either close it down or rename it.
On Thursday, one day after a federal judge threatened to put Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros on the witness stand in a hearing over potential prosecutorial misconduct, the Trump regime dropped charges of fraud against Loretto Hospital, that had alleged a $300 million fraud.
On Tuesday, the DOJ sued New York state over an alleged Medicaid scheme, claiming the state had a “backroom deal” to funnel millions to co-defendent Public Partnerships LLC, a home caregiver company. The department of health called the suit a “baseless complaint.”
On Thursday, the GOP Chair of the House Oversight Committee notified the Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonprofit focused on defending democracy and the rule of law, that it was under investigation. DDF called it a “political attack masquerading as an investigation.”
On Thursday, federal agents from ICE and HHS made unannounced visits to the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights and Kids in Need of Defense, both of which provide legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children, in what the organizations called intimidation.
On Friday, the Trump regime cited national security concerns in ordering Anthropic to halt all access to two of its latest models by any foreign national, after Amazon’s chief executive reported a ‘jailbreak’ to the regime, precipitating the company pulling the models altogether.
Bloomberg reported the Trump regime asserting authority over Anthropic models, and denying access to foreign nationals, had alarmed U.S. allies. France’s prime minister said, “France must have its own tools” and not rely on the “goodwill of certain partners.”
On Friday, the 14 fighters for Trump’s UFC fights shared a stage at the Lincoln Memorial, a spectacle that critics called disrespectful. On Saturday morning the weigh-in happened at the Ellipse park near the White House, where one fighter was seen throwing up on himself.
On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that a “Great Deal” would be signed with Iran on Sunday, his 80th birthday, saying, “Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me,” and baselessly claiming Iranian leaders “no longer want a nuclear weapon.”
Later Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. and Iran had reached a deal, “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz,” and the “immediate removal” of the U.S. blockade, adding, “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
Bloomberg reported Iran was circulating a competing draft of the deal, which differed in important ways, including the financial relief Iran would get immediately at signing or in the future. The memorandum of understanding would start negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
Reuters reported, according to a senior Iranian official, among the terms of the memorandum of understanding were the ‌U.S. ⁠agreeing to release $25 billion of Iran’s frozen assets, and the U.S. waiving oil sanctions for a period of time.
Trump also posted, “The Obuma [sic] Deal was a road to a Nuclear weapon for Iran, cash and all, one of the worst and dumbest (hence Dumocrats!) Deals,” claiming his deal was “a Wall to Iran ever having a Nuclear weapon.” Notably there was no mention of nuclear in the MOU.
Shortly after, Trump said instead the strait would reopen on Friday, when a deal would be signed in Switzerland, saying time was needed for mine removal. Trump told the WSJ that the deal included an agreement from Iran not to obtain nuclear weapons, contrary to his public posts.
Shortly after, Trump told the NYT that the strait would be “permanently toll free,” which notably it was before, and claimed if Iran did not reach a nuclear deal, he would restart strikes on Iran, or make the U.S. “the guardian of the Middle East” in return for 20% of the region’s revenues.
Trump also praised two authoritarians, Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia, for helping with the settlement, complained about the Europeans, and attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for strikes that almost derailed his deal.
Trump told Axios that Israel had struck back at Hezbollah an hour before the deal, saying, “It is so bad — I couldn’t believe it,” and adding, “Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that.”
Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham posted on X, “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” and shifted responsibility away from Trump to “the architect of the deal, Vice President Vance.”
Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro posted on X on nuclear “there really is no agreement,” adding the U.S. appeared to be paying Iran to reopen the strait, and “It is possible that no deal will ever be reached,” or a better one could have been reached through diplomacy.
Later Sunday, Trump hosted the UFC cage match on the White House, an unprecedented spectacle. In attendance along with Trump and his family were cabinet members, billionaires including chief executives who had business before his regime, and Republican lawmakers.
While the Trump regime said it was expecting a crowd of 125,000 at or around the White House complex for the event, called “UFC Freedom 250,” just a few thousand, in addition to the 4,000 granted tickets by Trump to sit under “The Claw” on the South Lawn, attended.
The U.S. military was integrated into the event, with troops from each branch standing guard as Trump and fighters exited the White House, the Marine Band performing throughout the event, and live footage of troops deployed abroad was telecast.
The violent match on White House grounds was also unprecedented. Fighters walked through the White House. At one point, a fighter took the microphone and said of the former First Lady, “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right America?” which drew cheers from the crowd.
Asked for a comment on behalf of the Trump regime for the UFC fighter who disparaged Michelle Obama, White House communications director Steven Cheung refused to condemn him, only commenting on his fight performance and ranking.
Corporate sponsors were prominently featured on the stage, including Bud Light, Crypto.com, Polymarket, and law firm Morgan & Morgan. The UFC said some fighters would receive bonuses in crypto issued by Trump’s company World Liberty Financial.
Reuters reported that Trump and his sons enriched themselves in the crypto market, while investors lost significantly. The $TRUMP meme coin gained $616 million for the Trump family, while investors lost $711 million, with the coin tumbling 97% from its January 2025 peak.
World Liberty Financial, under which Trump and his family receive 75% of the net revenue, gained $1.1 billion for the Trump family, while investors lost $674 million. Trump gained $538 million on ATL5 Sigma, while investors lost $675 million.
On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the July 4th event planned on the National Mall would be a “Trump rally.” Trump had increasingly recast the country’s 250th anniversary around himself and his preferences. Critics called it inappropriate and possibly unethical.
On Tuesday, Trump’s DOJ used a thwarted attack on the UFC fight using drones as a prelude to ask a federal appeals court to allow the regime to continue building Trump’s ballroom, arguing the ballroom was “designed to defend against just such attacks.”
On Monday, in an interview with CBS News, Vance was asked about Iran having access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund. Vance said, “that’s the sort of thing they could have access to, funded by the Gulf Coast Coalition, so long as they honor their end of the obligation.”
On Monday, Vance claimed on CNBC that the strait will be open “toll free” for the long-term, although shippers said that remained unclear, and claimed the MOU gave the regime “leverage,” though there remained “details to figure out,” including on Iran’s nuclear program.
NYT reported that based on what was known of the MOU, Trump would be winding down the war without accomplishing any of the core goals he had laid out at the start of the war. In declaring victory Sunday, he was only solving a problem of his own making, reopening the strait.
Citing these and other issues, the NYT Editorial Board wrote, “Trump Lost This War,” calling the deal a “humiliating comedown,” and adding the U.S. would emerge weaker “militarily, diplomatically and economically” and “pay strategic costs for years to come.”
Also Monday, while attending the G7 in France, Trump was asked about the terms of the deal which had yet to be released. Trump said, “I think pretty soon” and “It’s a powerful document,” adding, “It’s not like the Obama document, which was just a terrible document.”
The Trump regime had yet to brief the Gang of Eight on the MOU. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expected the regime to brief lawmakers. Sen. Mike Rounds said any deal “needed to be ratified.” Sen. Thom Tillis said, “If it is a secret deal, then how can I take it seriously?”
Later Monday, Trump disputed what Vance told CBS News that morning and a U.S. official told reporters, posting on Truth Social, “the story that the U.S. is paying Iran 300 million Dollars is Fake News, put out by the Dumocrats!!!”
Bloomberg reported at the G7, while Trump claimed the strait would fully reopen by Friday, European allies doubted that trade could resume that quickly and cited additional complications, and said issues remained before they could commit to de-mining missions and patrols.
U.S. officials differed on the stated timeline for when the MOU would be publicly released, with Trump saying by week’s end at the earliest, while other senior regime officials saying in the next two days. European allies also had yet to see it.
Later Monday, Axios reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Trump and other senior officials that intelligence gathered by U.S. intelligence agencies raised serious doubts as to whether Iran was actually willing to make nuclear concessions.
Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Hegseth expressed concerns on the MOU based on the intelligence that “Iranian intentions are not in line with their commitments under the deal.” Vance, and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner advocated for it.
WSJ reported Trump raced to come to a deal on his birthday, with one regime official saying he was clamoring to come to a deal and move on. The regime sent out talking points to allies to cast the deal as a big win that would lower prices, keep America safer, and avoid a “forever war.”
NYT reported the Iran War had altered the global economy. China was set to be the biggest beneficiary. Trump provoking the war, his chaotic policy making, and the inability of the U.S. military to guarantee free navigation of the seas would undermine its security role in the region.
Reuters reported according to Department of Energy data, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve had fallen to 340.3 million gallons, the lowest since 1983. The regime drew down 172 million barrels from ⁠the facility in an effort to keep oil prices down.
On Tuesday, Vance backtracked, calling out media “propagandists” on Fox News, saying, “Not a single cent of American money goes to Iran. Not $300 billion, not $24 billion,” adding Iran does not “get any of that stuff unless they totally transform themselves as a country.”
Vance also said the MOU text could be released “as early as tomorrow,” and admitted enrichment was “on the table” for Iran, adding similar to Obama’s deal that Trump struck down, “If they want the benefits of the bargain…verification and inspections is going to be on the table.”
On Tuesday, WSJ reported the deal included a provision that would waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales effective immediately upon signing the agreement. The deal would also waive banking and transport sanctions to facilitate transactions.
On Tuesday, Reuters reported the Iran deal also included a $300 billion private fund, half of which was committed, that included money from companies based in the U.S., the Gulf Arab states, Asia, South America and Africa toward energy, logistics, manufacturing, and transport.
On Tuesday, at the G7, Trump praised his relationship with Netanyahu as “very good” and “unbelievable,” but claimed, “If it weren’t for the United States of America, with me…Israel would not exist right now. Israel would have been blown off the face of the earth.”
On Wednesday, at the G7, Trump told reporters that the MOU was “not final,” adding, “It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head.”

Alex Pereira, left, fights Ciryl Gane in a heavyweight title bout during UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)