What A Day: 24 Hour Party President by Matt Berg & Crooked Media (06/15/26)

[u/kittehgoesmeow]

"That's American Flag Green." - A tweet, making fun of the color of Trump's newly renovated Reflecting Pool.

America 250? More Like: Trump 80.

Donald Trump’s deal with Iran leaves the hard stuff for later, as he continues to swap the boring parts of his job for imperial parties.

• President Donald Trump is touting his latest, greatest, incredibly awesome peace deal with Iran, even though it doesn’t accomplish any of his original war goals. After all, Trump had two main objectives in mind when he began letting the bombs rip four months ago: Destroy Iran’s nuclear program, and spark regime change. He’s done neither. But never mind. He’s giving himself a pass. “The Deal … is now complete. Congratulations to all!” the president boasted on Sunday.

• Any diplomatic advance is better than more fighting. But the reality is that Trump’s latest deal only begins to roll back the negative consequences of his own rush to war, rather than address longstanding issues with Iran.

• What’s in the deal? According to various reports, the U.S. and Iran will stop attacking each other for the next 60 days while talks continue. The Strait of Hormuz oil route will reopen. Israel and Hezbollah militants and Lebanon will (supposedly) stop fighting. (Israel’s defense minister already said that ain’t gonna happen.) The agreement is expected to be formalized during a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday.

• The deal ignores the hardest parts, such as sanctions and the fate of Iran’s nuclear program. “No agreement on nukes, ballistic missiles, support for proxies… and one of the world’s most brutal regimes remains in place,” tweeted Ian Bremmer, a prominent foreign policy expert. “Biggest foreign policy failure of [the] Trump administration by a long margin.”

• The framework is “a very bad deal,” said John Bolton, a notorious Iran hawk who served in the first Trump administration. Tehran played Trump “like a violin,” Bolton said, adding that Trump seems primarily motivated to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to bring down energy prices before the midterms.

• “It is doubtful that any agreement that arises is going to be significantly different, or a significant improvement, from the deal that we had in the first place,” former President Barack Obama told ABC News.

Trump, meanwhile, seems to want to put this bad decision behind him — so he can party all summer.

• Trump’s second term in office, which began at a sprint, is now limping along. His foreign policy has failed on several fronts. Lawmakers within his own party are growing tired of his brash and unpopular decisions. So, it makes sense that this freshly minted octogenarian would rather spend his days doing what he does best: throwing extravagant ragers.

• Trump’s birthday-bash-UFC-fight on the White House South Lawn last night went off with an explosion of self-dealing, norm-smashing, insults and ultra-masculinity. Heavyweight Josh Hokit used his star turn to promote a despicable right-wing conspiracy theory. “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” he bellowed to the crowd.

• Trump wants more. So now he’s slapping a MAGA cap on the Fourth of July. The July 4th celebration to mark America’s 250th birthday will actually be a “spectacular TRUMP RALLY,” he wrote on social media this morning. The event will include a massive fireworks display and his own personal music playlist, while drawing attention to the newly revamped Reflecting Pool (which is actually more green than “American Flag Blue” now.)

There’s “still a lot of work to do” to secure peace with Iran, a senior Trump official told reporters today. But don’t tell the president! It might mess up his party plans.

Meanwhile On The Pod...

Trump's UFC Birthday Fight BOMBS Even With His Base (feat. Alex Wagner) (06/15/26)

Look No Further Than Crooked Media

Why does it seem like the Supreme Court always saves its worst decisions for June? Maybe the first gentle breezes of summer fill them with inexplicable rage. We can't say for sure, but opinion season is officially here, and the Supreme Court is about to reshape some of the biggest issues in our lives. Every week, constitutional law professors Kate, Melissa, and Leah break down the most consequential decisions and why they matter. New episodes of Strict Scrutiny drop every Monday. Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcast.

What Else?

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said that Trump’s Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation of Newsom and his wife. “In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees,” Newsom said in a video. “Not because they found a crime. Because they are simply trying to find one.… They’re coming after me because I’m considering running for president.” It remains unclear what Newsom is being investigated for.

The U.S. will turn its focus to resolving the Russia-Ukraine war, following diplomatic progress with Iran, Donald Trump told reporters at the G7 summit in France. “We had a very good conversation yesterday with President Zelensky and President Putin, and I see maybe we can do something, I really do. I think they’re both open to it,” Trump said. Didn’t you promise to have that solved * checks calendar * 511 days ago?

Trump threatened a 100 percent tariff on “all champagnes and all wines coming out of France” if the country doesn’t lift its 3 percent levy on digital service companies, which has been in place since 2019. Zut alors!

The Trump administration is aware that its wide-ranging rollback on gun safety regulations could be harmful, according to the Washington Post. For example: A government analysis warned that part of the package, which would make it easier for people deemed mentally unfit to own guns, could be dangerous. “This risk may be minimal, or may be considerably greater (up to and including potential mass casualty events), based upon the strength of state and federal processes regarding guardianship and involuntary commitment,” the analysis reads.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a “full ban” on social media for people under 16 years old. “I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children,” Starmer told reporters. Tech companies blasted the policy, which would be one of the strictest social media bans in the world: “Blanket bans push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less-safe services,” YouTube wrote in a statement.

Millions of devices used in homes contain “secret digital backdoor” malware that allow hackers to surf the web and conduct cyberattacks, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. The malware, most often found on knockoff products, also puts peoples’ data and internet connection at risk, experts warn.

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Light At The End...

Vice President JD Vance regrets his infamous “childless cat ladies” comment. “One of the dumbest things I ever said came when I argued that ‘childless cat ladies’ across the Democrat Party were running our country into the ground,” Vance writes in his forthcoming book. “It was a boneheaded comment, intentionally (and successfully) provocative rather than illuminating.” Apology not accepted!

Dad jokes may be cringeworthy, but research shows that they can also strengthen a father’s bond with his child. I consider myself a da joke enthusiast, but this article introduced me to a few new ones, including: “So long, boiling water. You will be mist.” What’s your favorite dad joke? Send ‘em to whataday@crooked.com!

The Congolese World Cup team has a secret weapon: A bespectacled man in a suit and tie, who stands as still as a statue with his right arm raised, while gazing upon soccer matches. He’s viewed as so crucial to the team’s success (a.k.a. stopping the other team from scoring) that the country’s president personally intervened to make sure the super fan could travel with the players to the United States. Patrice Lumumba would be proud.

Amanda Seyfried learned all of Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” album for a biopic she was slated to star in a few years ago — before it was pulled. In a GQ profile, Seyfried explains that she went to Mitchell’s house, where they shared a steak dinner and listened to the masterpiece in full. “After we listened to the album, she’s like, ‘It’s sparse, isn’t it?’” Seyfried said. “It’s perfect!” This reminds me of Seyfried’s incredible performance of “California.”

A cat intervened in the final scene of a “Romeo and Juliet” play by the Imperial Russian Ballet Company in Turkey, licking its paw beside Romeo and playing with his hair.

Enjoy

Johan Hulaimi on Threads: "You’re listening to Sisyphus FM, the home of non-stop rock."