Saturday Afternoon Update: Trump's Great American Fiasco — 6/27/26
Saturday Afternoon Update: Trump's Great American Fiasco — 6/27/26
Strait of Hormuz strikes continue, Lebanon deal undercuts Trump's own Iran framework, and the 250th anniversary celebration is somehow getting more embarrassing by the day
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Hi all, Ben here. It’s the weekend! I hope you are enjoying your Saturday. There is a lot going on today, so if you want to catch up, now’s your chance! Remember to like, share, and re-stack. First, a quick overview:
Top stories we’re following:
Iran has struck another tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran-linked drones have hit targets in Bahrain following new U.S. strikes
A new U.S.-brokered framework between Israel and Lebanon appears to directly contradict the existing Iran MOU, and that may not be an accident
Trump’s 250th anniversary celebrations continue to flop, from empty National Malls to a “Great American State Fair” with nowhere to sit
Trump’s response to all of this chaos is retruthing approval polls and posting AI images of himself holding up the globe
Katie Phang just won a major court victory in the Epstein files case, and the DOJ is already crying foul
Trump’s showcases new U.S. passports with his own portrait in them, and still manages to mess them up
Iran’s World Cup run ends in heartbreak, mistreatment, and one of the more moving statements you’ll read from a national team this year
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Let’s get into it.
Iran Strikes Again in the Strait of Hormuz Following U.S. Attacks
Iran has hit yet another vessel trying to leave the Strait of Hormuz without going through the route Iran has designated as the only safe passage. This is not a one-off. This is the second tanker hit since Thursday, and it is happening because the Trump regime keeps trying to tell ships to use a different route than the one Iran has laid out, and Iran keeps following through on its warning that it will not guarantee the safety of any vessel that ignores it. And that’s just the start. Other clashes today show that the war is very much active, despite the so-called ceasefire and MOU. More on that in just a moment.
And let me just say, if Iran controls the actual shipping lanes right now, today, in real time, what does that say about how this war is actually going? I’ll get into the satellite imagery in a moment, and it is not what the Trump regime wants you to see.
UKMTO, that’s the UK Maritime Trade Operations center, put out an advisory early Saturday morning saying a tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile, with damage to the bridge. We’ve since learned more. The vessel was the Kiku, a Greek-registered, Panama-flagged VLCC carrying Qatar Energy oil, reportedly sailing with its AIS transponder switched off. It was using the route the United States has been pushing ships to take, the so-called security lane closer to Oman, rather than the route Iran has designated as safe.
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Iran’s position, going back to the Memorandum of Understanding, is that administration of the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran and Oman, not Washington. Iran has told shipping companies again and again that vessels using the U.S.-promoted route do so at their own risk. This is now the second tanker to get hit after ignoring that warning, following Thursday’s attack on the vessel Ever Lovely.
Take a look at the satellite imagery from the Strait of Hormuz right now and you’ll see something the administration really does not want you to notice. The U.S.-backed lane near Oman is basically empty. There is almost no traffic running through it. Meanwhile, ship after ship, including a French-owned cargo vessel, the CMA CGM Galapagos, is now running through the Iranian-designated route instead. More are following, according to people tracking the satellite data. Ships are voting with their rudders, and they are choosing Iran’s terms over America’s.
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When the Trump regime struck Iranian missile, drone, and radar sites late Friday, right after the markets closed (of course they waited until after the close), Iran responded almost immediately with drone strikes targeting Bahrain, where the U.S. has a significant military footprint, and Bahrain itself confirmed the attack and called it a clear violation of its sovereignty. UKMTO has now raised the risk rating in the region from moderate to substantial. People who track this stuff closely are warning that we should expect more U.S. strikes on targets like Bandar Abbas in the coming hours, and more retaliatory attacks against Gulf states from Iran. The cycle is not slowing down, but accelerating.
The Lebanon Deal That Undercuts Trump’s Own Iran Framework
While all of that is happening, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was over in the Middle East brokering a separate framework, this one between Israel and Lebanon, with the United States as the broker. Something does not add up here, and I don’t think it’s an accident.
The Iran MOU, the one Trump’s own administration negotiated, says pretty plainly that Israel needs to get out of Lebanon and that there needs to be a full, permanent ceasefire there. Now look at what Rubio just signed. The new Israel-Lebanon framework allows Israeli forces to remain inside a so-called security zone in southern Lebanon indefinitely, with any further withdrawal tied to Hezbollah fully disarming first, something Hezbollah has not agreed to and was not even a party to in these negotiations. Netanyahu is calling it a major achievement. Israel’s ambassador said directly that Iran is out and Hezbollah is out.
This isn’t a matter of opinion. The Iran MOU and the new Lebanon deal pull in opposite directions, regardless of whether you support either one. And if you read the actual language of the Lebanon framework, there’s a line committing both countries to cease “all hostile or adverse actions in international political or legal fora.” That is diplomatic language for steering clear of international courts, which happens to be very convenient for Netanyahu given the scrutiny he continues to face over the devastation in Beirut.
So you have one U.S.-brokered document telling Israel to leave Lebanon, and another U.S.-brokered document, signed days later by the same administration, effectively legitimizing an indefinite Israeli presence there. Whether you think the original Iran MOU was a good deal or a bad one is a separate conversation entirely. But you cannot tell me with a straight face that an administration this allegedly committed to peace just happened to sign two contradictory frameworks within the same week. This was Rubio’s actual goal. Undermine the Iran deal while pretending to broker peace in Lebanon. Mission accomplished.
Trump’s Great American Fiasco
Let’s talk about the 250th anniversary celebrations some more.
This was supposed to be the easiest win of the year. A built-in moment of national pride, an anniversary nobody could screw up, practically a layup. And yet here we are.
The so-called Great American State Fair is underway and video from the National Mall on Saturday showed crowds so sparse that commentators pointed out an average summer day usually draws more people than this supposedly historic celebration did. I have a little personal history in this space, since I spent years litigating consumer fraud cases before my work with MeidasTouch, including leading the class action against the infamous Fyre Festival. I know a disastrous event when I see one, and this qualifies. Photos from the food court showed families sitting on the ground to eat lunch because there was nowhere else to sit. Someone online dubbed it the “Great American Fyre Festival.”
Meanwhile, National Guard troops were out patrolling the fenced-off Reflecting Pool in the rain, where a surveillance system was recorded telling them to stop loitering and proceed to a designated location. I don’t think I need to spell out how dystopian that sounds. It’s 1984 come to life, right here in the United States.
Here’s the thing that really gets me. Imagine what this celebration could have looked like under different leadership. Literally any other president. Concerts with the nation’s best performers, foreign dignitaries, a real year-long buildup to a unified national moment. Instead we got a highly politicized, bizarre spectacle that pales in comparison to any basic state fair.
DOJ Rushes to Appeal After Katie Phang’s Court Victory on the Epstein Files
A big update here. As you probably know by now, our own Katie Phang just won a major court victory in her lawsuit pushing for transparency on the Epstein files. Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled in her favor, and the Trump DOJ is already racing to appeal.
The DOJ’s official statement is as insane as you’d expect. They’re calling Sullivan’s ruling “perverse” and falsely claiming the judge is ordering them to release victims’ names, while insisting they’ve already turned over everything required and vowing to appeal “with confidence.” Except that’s not actually what the ruling says. Sullivan’s decision doesn’t order any victim names released. It requires the Trump regime to justify its redactions, review and produce more records, and publish the redaction log the law already requires them to publish. The DOJ is manufacturing outrage over a ruling that simply asks them to follow the rules. Congratulations again to Katie. We’ll of course keep following this closely. Remember to follow Katie Phang on YouTube for more updates as well.
Trump’s Passport Fail
The White House unveiled a limited-edition "Patriot Passport" for the country's 250th anniversary, featuring a portrait of Trump set against the text of the Declaration of Independence, with his signature in gold underneath; it marks the first time a sitting president's face has appeared inside Americans' passports. Trump shared the design himself on Truth Social, says the new passports say, "Welcome, but be good!"
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The caption drew immediate mockery online, since, well…U.S. passports are used by American citizens.
Iran’s World Cup Statement Worth Reading
I want to close with something away from the politics for a moment, and move to a story about basic humanity.
Iran’s World Cup run ended in heartbreak against Egypt, with a controversial offside call that, in my view, robbed them of a result they earned. Forward Mehdi Taremi didn’t hide his frustration afterward, calling it a rough tournament. The team had hoped to spend the night resting in Seattle but instead was forced onto a midnight flight back to Tijuana by the federal government. Analyst Sina Toossi argued the team had been mistreated from the start, citing what he called petty U.S. travel restrictions layered on top of officiating failures throughout the tournament.
But what struck me most was the note Iran’s players left behind in their locker room in Seattle, following a similar note they left in Los Angeles. It thanked the city for its hospitality and spoke about honor, fairness, and standing tall regardless of the result. Moments like this put a lot of the noise around this World Cup in perspective. These athletes showed up, played with heart, dealt with restrictions and bad calls they had no control over, and still left a message about grace. It’s another reminder that we are all better than our leaders who seem to only lead us into conflict.
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That’s the rundown for this Saturday afternoon. There’s a lot moving right now between the Gulf, Lebanon, the courts, and our own backyard, and we’ll keep tracking all of it for you. Thanks for being here.
JUST A FEW COMMENTS:
Just think. For the next ten years a bunch of people will be presenting that passport as ID to reenter the country. I would be ashamed.
And just think again. If you use that as ID to vote, is it considered campaigning at a polling place?
The good news is that these are special-edition passports. I believe that you can only get one from the passport agency in DC. So people can dodge THAT bullet!
Oh that's good, I guess. At least people aren't forced to get it.
That would be a good definition of "cruel and unusual punishment.
Yes, indeed! 😂
Ok. Thank you for pointing that out. I can't even.
It would be embarrassing to have his image on our passports. His elephantiasis of the ego is prompting him to this, to build his fancy new ballroom and bunker, and to create that embarrassing Arc de Trump. Putting his fist on top of that unwanted excrescence of an arch would be even worse.
As if he looks as good as that picture they used. Add at least 40-75 pounds and add some to the face and jowls. Mouth should also be drooping.
And, to be fair, his eyes should be closed.
Oh,, this is funny. I did forget.
Don't forget the bruising and cuts on his hands as well.
Absolutely. That grimace on his face is just like the one in Trump’s mug shot. His niece Mary was convinced he practiced the expression in the mirror to give an air of defiance. If only it had gone somewhere!
I know what you mean but there are MAGAts out there that'll be proud to show it.
They have the abominable taste of Trump!
Yes. Cult.
Yep, and you can also find pictures of Trump’s White House rooms plastered with the tacky gilded plaques.
The whole regime is an embarrassment for all Americans.
Um.....you left out the world....oh--and the solar system......oh--and the universe! That last one really sums it up!
True but it's not their countries birthday 😔 a milestone birthday at that.
Why does he always want any image of himself to show him glowering? Does he think it makes him look "tough" or "strong"? Ridiculous.
He thinks he's a fucking badass 🙄
It's just so embarrassing. He's not even smart enough to be a badass. It looks like he did it as a joke but of course he seriously thinks it's tough and cool.
I don't think it was a joke. He seriously thinks he's a badass and we're all scared of him. He's delusional.
That's a good point. I worked at the polls for a few years and we had to keep checking outside and inside for anyone trying to put up any posters etc. for any of the people running b/c you are not supposed to do any campaigning at the polling place.
We’ve kicked people out who were wearing political messaging on their hats or shirts. They couldn’t understand why.
I am so happy that my passport is valid until 2029 and it does not look garish!...
I'm jealous!!!!!!!!!!
Katie Phang can now rub this incredible win in the face of MS NOW for letting her go because of her race, her politics and her “tone”.
Meidas Mighty and Democracy win.........MSNOW loses 2X.....Katie Phang and Joy Reid
That is childish. Yes she’s talented. Them letting her go didn’t hurt her. Obviously it looks as nothing will in her future. There is enough “payback” in this world. Let’s celebrate her accomplishment and try to be civil to one another again.
What is "childish" about about celebrating a win against Orange fascist aggression???
The Taco dipshit bottomfeeder regime deseves No Quarter and nothing less.
Read it again please. I said we should celebrate her accomplishment. That person’s comment was about damming MSNOW, not the orange menace.
I am so ashamed of the treatment the regime forced on the the Iranian team. Of course they didn't play their best traveling non-stop. I thank Seattle and LA for welcoming them.
I feel the same way. They were treated so poorly and yet they had the decency to thank the host cities. Goes to show you how much more class they had than the US.
We the people apologize to the Iranian team for the treatment they endured by our fascist government while visiting our country. Only about 33% of our people are as bigoted and hateful as those currently in top echelon of our government. With your gracious thankyou to our cities who hosted your team, you have risen above anything our current leaders are capable of.
Of course, the team should have been welcomed and treated respectfully. I hope their interactions with Americans reflected that. Just curious: Your thoughts on the Iranian government. Thanks.
I recommend that Americans familiarize themselves with US intervention in IRAN,
The DULLES BOYS (precursor of CIA) overthrew a DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED LEADER MOSSADAGH because he threatened the British Cash Cow: BP OIL.
Subsequently installed the BRUTAL SHAH.
MUSLIM place a high value on education and Americans would be wise to share that value.
POPPY BUSH armed IRAN and IRAG to fight each other, different WMD supplied to each nation to determine who used them. (SADDAM did not make WMD) WMD smuggled through ISRAEL for IRAN.
The ALLIES drew lines and determined countries, then appointed THUGS they could control.
There was an agreement that limited IRAN's oil production.
Just look this stuff up!
There have been leaders in IRAN that would have promoted DEMOCFACY - not in the US interests. (Much like what the US/CIA has done south of our borders.)
TRUMP has united the Middle East to protect IRAN
This will NOT END WELL!
I'm so glad I renewed my passport last year. I would hate to have that photo of him in it. Looks like he's leaning in to squeeze out a fart or a shit in his diaper on that photo.
I have a lot of respect for the Iranian athletes. After being treated unfairly and rudely by our government, they still took the time to thank the host cities. I have no respect for our leaders who acted cold, callous and petty.
“Great American Fyre Festival.”
Sounds about right. How is the attendance today going? Yesterday it was an epic failure and they used the "weather" excuse to shut it down to spare him the humiliation 😂
Wait until it's 107 degrees next Thursday! 😱
It's a sad day for America when an Iranian jock writes a letter of simple eloquence and puts to shame the ignorant and unintelligent word-salad rantings of the President of the United States.
"Only through fairness and honor can one stand tall before history." Heartening words against the current landscape.
They will do anything in their power to protect the billionaire pedos and the #1 sex offender/rapist/pedo Donald J Trump. Katie's got this!
I weep for the national celebration that could have a uniting event. I take comfort in knowing that all over America, in towns like mine, we'll celebrate the way we always have, with joy and thankfulness and friendship.
I feel like trump has stolen the 250 celebration of our nation from us. I was here for the 200 in 1976 and it was so great all over America.
Yes, it could have been a glorious time., so I have been thinking about how to reframe it. The decisive battle of the Revolution took place at Yorktown in 1781. The treaty was not signed until 1783. Without downplaying the importance of the signing of the Declaration of Independence nearly 250 years ago, I suggest we think in terms of a multi-year commemoration. Then, we need to focus on the years that led to the Constitution. I am still amazed that all the states managed to get together, even if in a flawed way, to start the nation that we have. We need to focus on the Constitution as a living document, which is how it was designed, and kick the originalist nonsense to the curb.
You're the only other person I've seen who speaks to the dozen years it took to get from the Declaration to the Constitution. Now that its weaknesses are so apparent it gives me no end of grief to realize that NO ONE is talking about:
1) that it will take us at least that same time, maybe more, because we must this time operate within the provisions of the Constitution for proposed adjustments;
2) that we can't even begin until January 2029;
3) by my count there are more than 30 different aspects of the document which required attention;,
4) that before we can begin in 2029 we have a midterm to win, then comprehensive and difficult oversight hearings to illuminate what changes need to be made, then candidates to offer, and an election in 2028;, and
5) that all the evidence before us tells us there is a nation to be re-educated to what their responsibilities are over and above the knee-jerk reactions we now see so much of all around us.
Our work is more than cut out for us. It's the "more than" that gives me the willies.
Only trump could turn what should be a patriotic celebration into a 2nd rate circus. He is a disgraceful clown! 🤡
There is a difference between the Lebanon agreement and the MOU signed by the US and Iran. Hezbollah is a non state actor, so it makes sense for it not to be included in the agreement between the state of Lebanon and the state of Israel. Both states want Hezbollah to disarm, something it earlier pledged to do, but has not. In fact Hezbollah is nothing more than an Iranian front which seeks to control Lebanon like the Houthi’s, another Iranian front, controls Yemen. With the MOU, the state of Israel should have been included in both the negotiations and signing. Since it wasn’t, it has zero obligations under the MOU and acts consistent therewith only for prudential reasons. Bottom line: it is a mistake to conflate Israel and Hezbollah.
Totally agree. I didn’t like one-bit the language and tone of the Meidas item. I wrote the following email to them—
“The deal the U.S. just brokered between Lebanon and Israel is a great achievement, if Lebanon (with help from the U.S. and Israel) can actually deliver on Hezbollah. Which this time there’s a pretty good chance it can.
“Who cares that it’s at odds with the (totally fictional) MOU? Here’s what’s important: Finally, the Administration has done something right; it has managed to put together an arrangement for two countries that want to live in peace and prosperity (yes, prosperity) with each other, which they did in the past and can do again if they get rid of Hezbollah. Why should the U.S. have not gotten this real deal with Israel and Lebanon, just because of the not-real deal MOU with Iran.
“Here’s a general principle that Meidas might want to keep in mind with regard to its reporting on Iran: You never get anything out of Iran unless you can demonstrate that you don’t need to get anything out of Iran. So, if we were serious about opening the Strait, we would be puting together an international naval warship armada to escort ships 24-7 through the strait, which we can do; Iran would pay a very heavy price for trying to stop it.
“At the same time, we should be building a big overland oil pipeline to a safe port (or ports, including Haifa). If we did that, it would make the Strait totally superfluous. The engineers can do it. Smaller pipelines already exist. You could do a big favor — dare I say a mitzvah — for the world by finding out why we are not doing that. Not some handout propaganda, but the real deal.
Holy mackerel the note from the Iranian players is amazing. Thousands of years of placing honor above victory. WOW such a contrast,,, in the US the entire GOP and probably most sports teams place victory above all else...honor, integrity, fair play. I think we need to be more like Iran on that issue!
Few people in the world approve of a lot of things the regime in Iran does. But I think there are lots of nations that many in the world do not approve of including the GOP's darling Russia. But it seems to me there isn't much wrong with how Iran is conducting this was, and for sure in their eyes as in they eyes of anyone who believes the Bible, this is a just war...they were invaded and not because of any harm the had ever done to the US. They did not just role over when being invaded but chose to engage in a just war against the aggressor. And they seem to stick to their world. They responded by saying if you do this, we will do this, and then they followed through. While no one in the world can rely on anything the US says, it seems Iran it true to it's word. And they give fair warning. I am having a hard time finding fault with how Iran is conducting this war. They were invaded, they are fighting for sovereignty, they say if you do this we will do this and they keep their word. I don't know what to make of all that, but it seems lots of other nations do and they are choosing Iran over the US as evidenced by the ships that are choosing that route and Iran's conditions to pass through the Strait. Seems to me other nations are saying let Iran be Iran and let us take care of our people. I say good for those other nations.. they are taking care of their own pretty much at no expense except new tolls thanks to trump. But they were not concerned with Iran getting a nuclear bomb before and they still are not.
FIREWORKS!
AS FIREWORKS SEASON APPROACHES, SOMEONE JUST REMINDED ME....
Look at the chemicals in FIREWORKS and the environmental contamination:
Provincetown is starting a new tradition on NYE: a drone show
In This Place
https://www.capeandislands.org/in-this-place
Holiday Lights and Holiday Hikes
https://www.capeandislands.org/show/the-point/2025-12-23/giant-holiday-sculptures-a-drone-show-in-provincetown-and-holiday-hikes
CAI Local NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands
The Point
Holiday Lights and Holiday Hikes
By Mindy Todd
Published December 23, 2025
We start the hour with Michael Magyar, sculptor and glassblower who creates the lighted giant sculptures we see in Sandwich and around the Cape this time of year.
https://www.capeandislands.org/show/the-point/2025-12-23/giant-holiday-sculptures-a-drone-show-in-provincetown-and-holiday-hikes
Then we hear about a lighted drone show planned for First Light in Provincetown. Dan Riviello Assistant Town Manager explains why the town is choosing drones over Fireworks this year.
Here is a link to an article spelling out some of the impacts of Fireworks on the environment and wildlife:
https://earth.org/environmental-impact-of-fireworks/
We end the hour with a round up of First Day Hikes planned for January 1. From a sunrise hike in Chatham to a QiGong meditative hike in Harwich we talk with Sue Sullivan from Barnstable Land Trust about the many options to get out and enjoy nature in the New Year.
FROM EARTH.ORG:
Crowd-Pleasing Fireworks Are Not So Pleasing to the Planet
https://earth.org/environmental-impact-of-fireworks/
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