How Bad Is Trump’s Iran Deal?
6/17/20261 hr 33 min
Tommy and Ben are back with a week of bad deals, high-stakes elections, and World Cup joy.
The US and Iran have agreed to a deal to end the war, but the Trump administration has refused to release the text to anyone — so the guys parse through what we think we know. The short version: it's a pretty good deal for Iran that meets almost none of the goals Trump set out before the war started, and the nuclear issue hasn’t even been touched yet. Then the guys question if Netanyahu will do something to torpedo the whole thing with his continued war against Lebanon. In England, a special election could reshape British politics and set up a direct challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Meanwhile, a spate of developments across England, Italy, France, and Switzerland signal increasing growth for far-right movements in Europe. In Trump world, there’s both good and very bad news: Trump backed down on installing Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence after bipartisan pushback, and the dismantling of USAID continues to have devastating real-world consequences. And finally, with the World Cup in full swing, Tommy and Ben take a moment to enjoy the fans, from Scots drinking their way across, to Mexican and Korean fans bonding over tequila, and Nigerian fans flying all the way to Mexico just to root against South Africa. At the end of the show, Tommy speaks to CNN’s Senior International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen, about what he saw and heard on his latest reporting trip on the ground in Iran.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTommy Vietor· Host0:00
This episode is brought to you by the Obama Foundation. Democracy doesn't defend itself. That's why the Obama Foundation is committed to training the next generation of leaders, building communities, and strengthening our democracy for the future. This summer, the Obama Presidential Center opens as a global hub for change, committed to providing emerging leaders the tools and resources they need to make a real difference in their communities, our country, and our world. But none of that happens without you. These leaders need support now, and your donation makes that possible. We're living through a pivotal moment in history. Now is the time to step off the sidelines and onto the fields. Uh, as you're listening to this, I might be at the Obama Presidential Library, check- checking it out for the first time.
Ben Rhodes· Host0:36
Me too.
Tommy Vietor· Host0:36
Shauna will be there, too. Very exciting. I'm sure it'll be very emotional, and it will remind me of how much President Obama meant to me as a person, to the country, how far we've fallen with the current crop of leaders.
Ben Rhodes· Host0:48
Mm.
Tommy Vietor· Host0:48
And that's uplifting. Uh, but give- It'll be nice to disassociate from reality for a bit. That- that's true. And also, you can donate to the Obama Foundation to get us back to a better brand of co- politics. Join the movement for change. Donate to the Obama Foundation at obama.org/pod. That's obama.org/pod. Mom, can you tell me a story?
Speaker 31:07
Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car.
Tommy Vietor· Host1:10
Was she brave?
Speaker 31:11
She was tired mostly, but she went to carvana.com and found a great car at a great price, no secret treasure map required.
Tommy Vietor· Host1:18
Did she have to fight a dragon?
Speaker 31:19
Nope, she bought it 100% online, from her bed, actually.
Tommy Vietor· Host1:22
Was it scary?
Speaker 31:24
Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.
Tommy Vietor· Host1:26
Did the car have a sunroof?
Speaker 31:28
It did, actually.
Tommy Vietor· Host1:29
Okay,