Marc Thiessen: Is Trump Getting Hooked on a Disastrous Iran Deal?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Brian Kilmeade Show

Episode: Marc Thiessen: Is Trump Getting Hooked on a Disastrous Iran Deal?
Date: June 14, 2026
Host: Brian Kilmeade
Guest: Marc Thiessen (Washington Post columnist, Fox News contributor)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Brian Kilmeade and Marc Thiessen engage in a lively, critical discussion about President Trump’s Iran strategy amidst reports of ongoing deal negotiations, recent military actions, and geopolitical implications. They analyze the motivations and consequences of seeking a deal with Iran, weigh in on the latest developments in Ukraine, and touch on shifting NATO dynamics and contemporary American politics.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. State of the Iran Conflict and U.S. Negotiation Tactics

• Recent military hits: The U.S. has conducted significant airstrikes against Iranian targets, hitting radar, command and control centers, and decimating their military capacity. Arab nations have encouraged a pause to negotiate.
  • Brian Kilmeade (00:37): "We know for two straight days the president hit Iran... they need about two more weeks of 400 hits a day to finish off their target list."
• Trump’s Posture in Negotiations:
  • Marc Thiessen (02:59): Expresses concern that Trump appears more eager for a deal than Iran, which gives Iran leverage:

    “He looks like he wants a deal more than the Iranians do. And he’s defining victory as getting a deal, which means that the Iranians have leverage because they can either give him a deal or not give him a deal.”

  • Argues the greatest strategic error is making the deal the only measure of victory. Suggests military pressure should continue to achieve total victory, not a hasty or undermining agreement.
    • Marc Thiessen (03:30): “We took out 82% of their defense industrial base, we sunk their entire navy, we've grounded their entire air force… But 82% is not 100%. And they can rebuild it… We need to get into the end zone.”
• Danger of Restoring Iran’s Assets:
  • Concern that any deal may require unfreezing Iranian assets, essentially reviving the regime.
    • Marc Thiessen (04:32): “A deal would help them up off the mat and recover. And then they will. As soon as Donald Trump is gone, they'll just completely renege on it.”

2. The Political and Public Cost of the Iran Crisis

• Midterms Impact:
  • Marc Thiessen (06:52): Criticizes political hesitancy with the midterms approaching. Argues a lack of decisive victory will result in public anger over economic hardship:

    “Americans have been paying high gas prices now for several months, right? For what?... Unless we have a clear, decisive end to the conflict… they're going to say I've been paying gas prices for what, for the JCPOA?"

• Admiration for Trump’s Resolve Until Now:
  • Marc Thiessen (07:36): "He knows he's the only president who has the nerve to do what’s necessary to stop the Iranian regime… But now it’s like all of a sudden we’re hesitating… finish the job.”

3. Ukraine and U.S. Defense Cooperation

• Ukraine’s Reversal of Fortunes:
  • Marc Thiessen (09:14): “The Ukrainians have completely turned around the war… Ukraine now has the most robust defense industrial base possibly in the world and certainly in Europe.”
• Proposal for Defense Collaboration:
  • Suggests giving Ukraine license to manufacture Patriot missiles, benefiting both nations’ defense and industrial sectors:
    • Marc Thiessen (10:11): “Why don’t we do the same thing for the Ukrainians? Give them a license, let them build the Patriot Interceptors, and as a price for that, they give us 25% of whatever they produce.”
• Repositioning NATO Forces:
  • Recommends punishing non-contributing NATO members, rewarding partners like Poland and Romania, and moving U.S. troops east for greater deterrence:
    • Marc Thiessen (12:47): "There are lots of NATO… there were some countries who are reliable and some that are not. Romania has been fantastic… Let’s move them east, move them to Poland. Let's build for Trump that we shouldn't be…"

4. NATO, Allies, and Geopolitical Tipping Points

• NATO’s Current State:
  • Brian Kilmeade (13:46): Highlights uncertainty as President Trump attends the NATO summit, allies hesitate to open key straits, and the UK defense minister resigns over spending.
  • Both express that NATO is at a crossroads; how they respond will determine their future strength or weakness against adversaries.
• Questioning Effectiveness of International Agreements:
  • References General Jack Keane’s skepticism about compliance with any potential Iran deal.
    • Brian Kilmeade (14:40): “Even if they sign on a dotted line and we get everything we want on paper, what are they going to do in terms of implementation?”
    • Marc Thiessen (14:40): “They’re going to stall it.”

5. Contemporary American Politics – The Graham Platner Segment

• Discussion of a Controversial Senate Candidate:
  • Graham Platner, described as the “worst candidate,” embroiled in scandals including a Nazi tattoo and questionable online behavior.
  • Marc Thiessen (15:27): Deploys heavy sarcasm, mocking Platner’s excuses and the lack of political accountability:

    "Who among us, in our lowest moment, hasn’t gotten a tattoo with the symbol that Heinrich Himmler had on his uniform, on our chest?"

  • Brian Kilmeade (15:49): Points out hypocrisy and questions his qualifications.
  • Marc Thiessen (16:00): "This is the best candidate that Susan Collins could have drawn… But nothing is disqualifying anymore in politics, as far as I can tell…"
  • Highlights risks of normalization of extreme candidates and a political environment with low standards.

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Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Trump’s Approach to Iran:
  • Marc Thiessen (03:10): “He’s a deal junkie. He loves to make deals. He thinks in his mind success is a deal and he wants to bend the Iranians to his will. And they’re not bending.”
• On the Cost of Negotiation:
  • Marc Thiessen (04:25): “The price of that is giving them back their frozen assets… It’s a lifeline to the regime.”
• Sarcasm on American Political Candidates:
  • Marc Thiessen (15:27): “Who among us hasn’t gotten a tattoo with the symbol that Heinrich Himmler had on his uniform, on our chest? People make mistakes.”
• On the State of Modern Politics:
  • Marc Thiessen (16:18): “Nothing is disqualifying anymore in politics, as far as I can tell.”
• On Ukraine’s Defense Industry:
  • Marc Thiessen (09:43): “Ukraine now has the most robust defense industrial base possibly in the world and certainly in Europe.”

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Important Timestamps

• [00:37]: Kilmeade sets the stage for Iran deal discussion.
• [02:59]: Thiessen critiques Trump’s negotiation mindset.
• [04:32]: Discussion of the dangers of unfreezing Iranian assets.
• [07:36]: Assessment of Trump’s leadership and the stakes for midterm elections.
• [09:14]: Ukraine’s recent military successes highlighted.
• [10:11]: Proposal to let Ukraine manufacture U.S. missile systems.
• [12:47]: Analysis of NATO realignment and the importance of U.S. presence.
• [14:40]: Reference to General Jack Keane’s doubts about Iran deal implementation.
• [15:27]: Sarcastic takedown of Graham Platner and warning about U.S. political standards.

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Tone and Style

The episode’s tone is energetic, direct, and often sardonic, with both host and guest showing impatience with what they view as political naivete or duplicity. Marc Thiessen is particularly sharp and sarcastic in his critiques, especially on the topic of failing political candidates and strategic missteps in foreign policy. The discussion is rapid-fire, plugged into the latest headlines, and aimed at a politically savvy audience.

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Conclusion

The episode delivers a hard-hitting critique of current U.S. foreign policy on Iran, questions the wisdom of prioritizing deals over decisive victory, explores creative solutions for defense partnerships with Ukraine, and lampoons the sad state of American electoral politics. Punctuated with biting humor and inside-the-Beltway insight, Kilmeade and Thiessen’s exchange offers context for headlines and speculation about what’s next on the world stage.

Transcript

[Mark Thiessen]

This Memorial Day, as America approaches the 25th anniversary of 9 11, the Tunnel to Towers foundation paid off the mortgages on 26 homes for gold Star families and families of fallen first responders across 13 states. In tribute to the 343 FDNY firefighters lost on 9 11, Tunnel to Towers has committed to delivering 343 mortgage free homes this year. Their courage will never be forgotten. Join us donate $11 a month at t2t.org Fox News is now streaming live on Fox One.

[Brian Kilmeade]

When news breaks, we don't just report it. We go beyond the headlines to get the full story. Get live coverage in depth analysis and perspectives from the voices you trust all in one place. Whether you're at home or on the go, Stay connected to the stories shaping our world stream. FOX News on FOX Download today, deal or no deal? Iran getting pummeled yesterday and is about to sign a deal today. Could this outline be linked, be inked in Switzerland this weekend with the vice president of the United States? Let's debate that because we have to see what's happening. We know for two straight days the president hit Iran and strategic to take out their radar, their command, the control center there. They did leave a lot of their missile structure into place. There were so many other targets to hit. Remember, they need about two more weeks of 400 hits a day to finish off their target list and then see where we stand. But the Arab nations, the Gulf states evidently rallied to the president and they said, listen, we could get Iran. We've been talking to them all along. Oh, isn't that nice? And we can get a deal. We just need you to stop the war. So the president's giving them some time. Mark Thiessen joins us now, as you know, Washington Post columnist, Fox News contributor and he's got a great podcast. Mark, your thoughts about where we're at?

[Mark Thiessen]

Well, first of all, I want to make sure that you're, you're able to get your butterfly refresher over there on the, on the left coast because I wouldn't want you to not be refreshed.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Okay, now I have to take a step back. The butterfly refresher is a new drink introduced by the Starbucks Corporation. It's a, it's, you can, it's one of these things that gives you an option of lemonade or no lemonade. And you, by the time you're done, you do feel refreshed. I mean they gave this, they gave this to countless studies, to children and they noticed the children feel refreshed. So now they're trying it on adults now.

[Mark Thiessen]

Try it on radio and TV talk. Show us. Good, excellent. Well, I'm glad you volunteered for this.

[Brian Kilmeade]

So I am full, but I'm not. I didn't get a butterfly today, but I would not hesitate in getting another one. Go ahead.

[Mark Thiessen]

Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I think they need some butterfly refreshers in the negotiating room because this is getting exhausting.

[Brian Kilmeade]

I know it's just same story, but do you think this is different?

[Mark Thiessen]

So, I mean, Trump just put out a post on Truth Social just a few minutes ago saying that the reports in the media of what the Iranians are saying and that their deal contains is wrong. So good, because that deal would be disastrous. So I'm glad that's not the deal, but I don't know what it is. Here's the big problem that Trump is facing right now. He looks like he wants a deal more than the Iranians do. And he's defining victory as getting a deal, which means that the Iranians have leverage because they can either give him a deal or not give him a deal. Right. And so if he defines for the American people success as being a deal, then they are in control. He doesn't need a deal in order to win this. In fact, I think he would be better off not having a deal in this. We stopped at the ceasefire, happened when we were on the five yard line. We had taken it. We took out more like the 20 yard line. We took out 82% of their defense industrial base, we sunk their entire navy, we've grounded their entire air force. Midnight Hammer, buried their nuclear dust so deeply that the Iranians have actually told us in negotiations that they couldn't get it if they wanted to. We would have to come in and excavate it if we wanted to take it out of the country. Right. So we've done enormous damage. But 82% is not 100%. And they can rebuild it and they're, and they're determined to rebuild it. So we have to finish the job. We're at the 20, we're at the 20 yard line. We need to get into the end zone. We have a specific list. I don't know. Honestly, I don't know. Because he's a deal junkie. He loves to make deals. He thinks in his mind success is a deal and he wants to bend the Iranians to his will. And they're not bending. And so I think. And the other problem is, let's say he got the perfect deal, Brian. Let's say they said, okay, we'll never have a nuclear weapon. You come in, you take everything, you dismantle our. Just like what we did in 2004 with Libya, right? We take it all, we put it on a US Military aircraft, fly to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Arab states say, this is wonderful. We're going to join the Abraham Accords. You know, we have peace in our time. What is the price of that? The price of that is giving them back their frozen assets. They're talking about a $300 billion fund for the reconstruction, destruction of Iran. It's a lifeline to the regime. And when the regime. They are on the mat right now, and a deal would help them up off the mat and recover. And then they will. As soon as Donald Trump is gone, they'll just completely renege on it. And you think they're going to abide by any deal Trump cuts with mayor, with President Gavin Newsom or President Aoc or insert your nightmare Democrat into that? You think they're going to care? No. So you see, you don't want to deal. You want to crush them.

[Brian Kilmeade]

All right, I hear you. Here's what the president said on your True Social Post 28. 28 min ago. Is it. Wait, did you put it on Truth Social? Because this looks like it's old. The fake news media refuses to report how effective the US Blockade is. Okay, maybe I need to be refreshed. I can. Do you have. You have like a special wi fi. Do you. I mean, do you. I mean, there are people that, you know in SpaceX or something.

[Mark Thiessen]

I just got. I just got it off the, off the interweb.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Okay. All right, so we'll see, because this, this would. Did you see the story of how all the Gulf states rallied to the present, almost panicked and said, please, can we stop this? I could deal with Iran. We'll get them to the table.

[Mark Thiessen]

Yeah, I just. Look, we started the combat operations again, but they weren't. And by the way, we kept Israel out of it. We didn't allow them to participate. We were not doing leadership strikes. These were all combat. These were all military strikes designed to bring them back to the table. It's all about the deal. The deal is not necessary. You do not need a deal to win. And this is the biggest problem we have going. Everybody's panicking about the effect of Iran on the midterm elections. You know, you know what the effect of Iran is going to be on the midterm elections if we don't have a victory. That's. That's that's what's going to hurt us in the midterm election. Americans will. If Americans have been paying high gas prices now for several months, right? For what?

[Brian Kilmeade]

They get nothing out of it.

[Mark Thiessen]

If we, if we, we get something, I mean, we've done some damage, but it's hard to understand it if you, that if, if you, unless we have a clear, decisive end to the conflict, then they're going to say I've been paying gas prices for what, for, for a, for the jcpoa. You know, it doesn't make any sense politically, it doesn't make any sense militarily, it doesn't make any sense. And one of the things I've admired so much about Donald Trump until this moment is that he actually was, this was not helping him politically in any way, shape or form, but he was doing it cuz he knows it's important because he knows he's the only president who has the nerve to do what's necessary to stop the Iranian regime from getting a nuclear weapon. And he, and so he's like, politics be damned. I'm going to do the right thing for the country and for the world. But now it's like all of a sudden we're hesitating because we're getting close to the midterms. It's like finish them, finish the job.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Right? You know, they're still far away. He's worried about his birthday. UFC, July 4, November 4, November 5. That they try anything like this, that'll be a totally different story. So I want to fast forward if I can to Ukraine. They want $20 billion and they said they could finish off Russia. They just need pat. They're not even asking for drones that for cash. They want Patriots Thaad missile system to be able to stop the rockets. Word is that in Russia they, for the first time they're not able to replenish their defeated forces and their dead forces and. But they are planning for a winter hailstorm of missiles and rockets. Do you think Putin lasts that long if things continue like this?

[Mark Thiessen]

Well, you know, it's funny, while we've all been focused on Iran, the Ukrainians have completely turned around the war in Ukraine. They're now on the offense. Russia, last month for the first time in a couple of years, the Russians had a net loss of territory on the ground. Ukraine has been firing deep into Russia. They're producing their. One of the things that untold stories of this war is that Ukraine now has the most robust defense industrial base possibly in the world and certainly in Europe. So There's a real easy solution. We've used a lot of Patriots in the Persian Gulf. We've used a lot and we've given them a lot of Patriots. We need to rebuild, restock. One of the things we do with Japan is we give the Japanese a license to produce their own Patriot Interceptors, right? So why don't we do the same thing for the Ukrainians? Give them a license, let them build the Patriot Interceptors, and as a price for that, they give us 25% of whatever they produce. So not only is Ukraine producing its own Patriots, but they're refilling our stockpiles as well. And the American and Americans are making money off the process. There's lots of creative ways to solve these problems, and that's certainly one of them. And we could be doing that with all sorts of weapons systems. Let's go into business with them. We're going into business with them in the minerals sector. Why don't we go into business with them in the defense industrial sector as well?

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[Mark Thiessen]

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[Mark Thiessen]

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[Brian Kilmeade]

Yeah, how do you feel about us pulling back a third of our our air force from NATO? NATO bases?

[Mark Thiessen]

It's not a good idea. Look, I'm completely in favor of punishing the countries like Spain and Britain who are not helping us. But there are lots of NATO. Everyone thinks about NATO as a whole. It's not a whole. It's a bunch of individual countries. And there were some countries who are reliable and some that are not. Romania has been fantastic. Poland has been fantastic. Greece has been fantastic. There have been a number of countries that have really stepped up and helped us. Let's reward those countries. And besides, we don't need troops in Germany the way we did during the Cold War because we're not trying to stop a Soviet invasion across the Fulda Gap anymore. Those troops are there as a legacy of the Cold War and World War II. Let's move them east, move them to Poland. Let's build for Trump that we shouldn't be. I'm completely in favor of having the Europeans take the lead on their own security, but we need to be there as well. And we need to move our forces east as a deterrent to Russia.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Yeah, we'll see what happens. Because the President is going to the NATO conference. I was surprised at that. So he's going to be over there in a week. So we'll see what he's going to say to our allies. I mean, they could have opened up the strait. That would certainly have helped. Instead, they said they might do something after the war is over. So now the President stopped asking, but they certainly had the equipment to be able to do it. And we see that the UK has just had their defense minister resign because they would not spend on defense and he could not be a part of it. So this really is a Tipping point for our allies and our enemies. They're going to view whether NATO's gets stronger through this or gets weaker through this, and. And ultimately will decide how to act. Although Russia, when they're done with Ukraine, will not be prepared to act many places. So we'll see what happens. Here's what General Jack Keane told me this morning. Basically, this cut, 12. Even if they sign on a dotted line and we get everything we want on paper, what are they going to do in terms of implementation?

[Mark Thiessen]

They're going to stall it,

[Brian Kilmeade]

and that's what they're doing. Now, I got to ask you about the worst candidate in my lifetime. Graham Platner. Shocker. He was on Tinder. I could have knocked me over the feather. I had no idea that he would leave kick for Tinder. Or you do both at the same time. How does he. No wonder his oyster production was so low. He spent all this time online. I mean, he made five. He's the worst oyster farmer ever. He made. He paid $5,000 in oyster sales. I mean, is it. He's got to get his pitch better. Oh, wait a second. You know who he sold it to? His parents restaurant. This guy's a total phony and a danger. So a woman just came forward and said, yeah, he knows exactly what the Nazi tattoo is and all this thing. So does this matter, though?

[Mark Thiessen]

So I think we're all being very too hard. I think we're being too hard on Graham Platner. Who among us, in our lowest moment, hasn't gotten a tattoo with the symbol that Heinrich Himmler had on his. On his uniform, on our chest? People make mistakes. You know, I think we need to. I think we need to lighten up a little bit. You know, it's like, you know, we there but for the grace of God, go you, Brian.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Well, I know you're being sarcastic, so why does he get more money after this? And do you think that. And do you think that Susan Collins is gonna have her hands full with this candidate?

[Mark Thiessen]

Well, yes, but first of all, this is the best candidate that Susan Collins could have drawn if he could. If she created one in a laboratory to run against. But we all saw what happened with Jay Jones in Virginia, where you had a guy who's running for chief law enforcement officer of the state of Virginia and literally wanted to see his opponents, like children killed. Right? And that wasn't disqualifying, and he won with the votes of suburban women. So nothing is disqualifying anymore in politics, as far as I can tell. But you know. Yeah, this is Maine is always hard. Susan Collins almost never wins a poll and never loses an election. So, you know, I think she's got a very good shot. But it's always competitive. This guy could be in a United States senator. So we've this is, this is a, you know, a guy who was on a app that the national center for Sexual Exploitation on sexual exploitation called a predator's Paradise. There's no reason to be on this app for that is benign. So, you know, what was he doing there? We need to know.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Mark Thiessen, that's a cliffhanger. What was he doing there? What is he doing anywhere? I have no idea. Mark Thiessen, thanks so much.

[Mark Thiessen]

Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Because behind every headline is a bottom line, whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe [e-mail].