Trump Folds and Gives Hormuz to Iran

Summary

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The MeidasTouch Podcast – "Trump Folds and Gives Hormuz to Iran"

Date: May 6, 2026
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

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Episode Overview

In this episode, the Meiselas brothers break down the political and military fallout from "Project Freedom," Donald Trump's much-touted naval operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz—a campaign that ended abruptly less than 24 hours after its announcement. Through their signature blend of sharp political analysis and irreverent brotherly banter, they contextualize Trump’s “surrender,” the international response, and the implications for both US credibility and global markets.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Project Freedom: Trump’s Boast Turns to Humiliation

[02:04 - 04:30]

• Trump’s Announcement: Trump’s social media post halts "Project Freedom," supposedly a grand military initiative to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, hailing it as “the single greatest military maneuver in the history of the United States military” just 24–48 hours ago.
• Rationale Cited: Trump claims the halt is due to requests from Pakistan and ostensible progress toward a deal with Iran, adding that a “blockade will remain in full force and effect.”
• MeidasTouch Reaction:

  "Donald Trump has backed down and he has caved." (Host, 02:58)
  The hosts call out the backpedaling, noting the disconnect between Trump’s bluster and operational reality.

2. Iranian Sources and Military Setbacks

[03:30 - 06:30]

• Iran’s Response: Iranian officials state Trump’s claims are “riddled with falsehoods” and that Project Freedom failed. Iran refuses direct negotiations until the blockade ends.
• Strait Situation: According to Iranian parliament sources, US naval forces failed to open the strait, with vessels attacked and adrift, escalating the crisis.
• Economic Implications:

  “The straits closure for another three weeks will create the most unprecedented economic and political crisis in the world, especially within America.” (Host citing Iranian sources, 04:10)

3. US Media and Political Spin

[05:21 - 06:37]

• Fox News Coverage: Clips show Fox anchors rationalizing Trump’s reversal, suggesting he is allowing Iran to “save face” or that it’s a strategic negotiation.

  “The president must know what he's doing. And we're about to find out how insane in the brain the regime really is.” (Fox News, 06:15)

• MeidasTouch Commentary: The hosts lampoon the on-air contortions, contrasting them with the facts emerging from the ground.

4. Military Escalation, Chinese Mediation, and Regional Volatility

[06:37 - 09:09]

• Tensions and Missiles: Fresh missile attacks in the Strait, direct strikes on US destroyers, and Trump’s previous threats (“wipe Iran off the face of this earth”) are recounted.

  “Well, Iran did it. As the Navy destroyers looked like they may be heading in. And then Donald Trump did nothing. He backed down yet again.” (Host, 07:00)

• China’s Role: Iranian Foreign Minister Aragi in Beijing, and Trump’s anxiety over his planned China trip, are linked to potential policy shifts.

  “Trump was so worried that his trip to China was going to be called off because Trump really wants that video of him and Xi Jinping with all of the Chinese soldiers standing at attention.” (Host, 07:50)

5. Iran’s New Strait Rules and Propaganda Battles

[09:14 - 11:00]

• Iranian Control Mechanism: Ships must now notify Iranian authorities to receive electronic navigation permits; a new body is set up to regulate this traffic.
• Propaganda War: Trump’s chief propagandist at Axios posts mixed flag emojis, while Iranian state media ridicule the US with images of Trump humiliated underwater.

  “They're posting this photo or this cartoon AI image of Donald Trump in the bottom of the Persian Gulf.” (Host, 09:30)

6. Strategic Analysis from Experts

[11:00 - 12:48]

• Professor Pape’s Assessment: Project Freedom failed instantly; US escalation devolves into “a doom spiral of strategic failure.”

  “Trump just buried Project Freedom with attacks on UAE oil. It already failed on day one. Trump is desperately bouncing from one extreme to another, a doom spiral of strategic failure in the escalation trap.” (Host citing Prof. Pape, 10:40)

• Market and Alliance Fallout: Oil markets react; US allies refuse military participation.

7. US Officials’ (False) Bravado

[12:11 - 14:13]

• DoD and Congress Messaging: Clips of Pete Hegseth and Rubio claim US control and leverage, despite evidence to the contrary.

  “Two US commercial ships along with American destroyers have already safely transited the strait, showing the lane is clear. We know the Iranians are embarrassed by this fact.” (Fox News, 12:11) “Operation is over. Epic fury as president notified Congress we're done with that stage of it.” (Political Analyst, 12:48)

• Sanctions Promises: Talk of secondary sanctions on enablers of Iran’s oil trade.

8. Public Perception and Final Takeaway

[14:13 - 15:07]

• Iranian 'Victory' Celebrations: Tehran's celebration is cited as a sign of US humiliation.

  “Trump looks utterly humiliated and embarrassed. Perhaps the most pathetic excursion, the most pathetic catastrophic and unlawful war, the most pathetic thing the United States has ever engaged in.” (Host, 14:30)

• Call to Action: The episode ends with a plea for listeners to subscribe and “stay plugged in” to the truth.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Donald Trump has backed down and he has caved.” (Host, 02:58)
• “The straits closure for another three weeks will create the most unprecedented economic and political crisis in the world, especially within America.” (Host quoting Iranian source, 04:10)
• “They’re posting this photo or this cartoon AI image of Donald Trump in the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Latest press briefing from the depths of the Persian Gulf in ultimate misery.” (Host, 09:30)
• “Trump just buried Project Freedom with attacks on UAE oil. It already failed on day one. Trump is desperately bouncing from one extreme to another, a doom spiral of strategic failure in the escalation trap.” – quoting Prof. Pape (10:40)
• “Trump looks utterly humiliated and embarrassed. Perhaps the most pathetic excursion, the most pathetic catastrophic and unlawful war, the most pathetic thing the United States has ever engaged in.” (Host, 14:30)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• 02:04 – 04:30 | Trump halts Project Freedom and spins surrender
• 03:30 – 06:30 | Iranian sources, US Navy setbacks, economic risk
• 05:21 – 06:37 | Fox News’s narrative spin and attempted face-saving
• 06:37 – 09:09 | Missile attacks, China’s mediation, Trump’s priorities
• 09:14 – 11:00 | Iran’s permit system and online propaganda war
• 11:00 – 12:48 | Professor Pape’s breakdown of US strategic failure
• 12:11 – 14:13 | Pentagon and Congressional messaging, sanctions talk
• 14:13 – 15:07 | Tehran celebrations and MeidasTouch’s closing analysis

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Tone & Style

The episode combines pointed political critique, deep dives into strategic failures, and sharp jabs at both US and Iranian propaganda, all underscored by the Meiselas brothers’ informal and humorous banter.

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For listeners who missed the episode, this discussion unpacks how a highly publicized US military operation devolved into a diplomatic and PR embarrassment for Trump and the United States, leaving the region more volatile and America’s global standing further diminished.

Transcript

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[Political Commentator / Host]

Trump has already caved. Donald Trump is surrendering again. Project Freedom is now over. It lasted under 24 hours. Yes, Donald Trump has folded. Yes it is Taco Tuesday everybody. Donald Trump just posted the following saying he's shutting down that Project Freedom where he claimed he would be escorting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the US Was putting all of its navy behind it and all of its naval power. And Donald Trump also said this was the single greatest military maneuver in the history of the United States military, said that in the past 24 to 48 hours. Now, here's what Donald Trump just posted moments ago, based on the request of Pakistan and other countries, the tremendous military success that we've had during the campaign against the country of Iran and additionally the fact that great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran. We have mutually agreed that while the blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom, the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the agreement can be finalized and signed. Donald J. Trump, as one commentator noted, so he cease firing the unilateral cease fire, he declared. Now Jeremy Sachel at Drop Site News said, an Iranian official told me that Donald Trump's post just now is riddled with falsehoods and his operation to liberate the whole move straight failed completely. Quote, we will not participate in direct negotiations until the United States formally announces the end of the blockade, said the official. And Donald Trump has backed down and he has caved. Now also, a source very close to Iran's head of parliament, M.B. golubov, posted the following CENTCOM has failed in presenting any type of operational initiative to open the Strait of Hormuz. An American destroyer has been attacked by unknown agents and three destroyers are adrift. The Strait of Hormuz is completely closed and no vessel passes through it. Trump's hasty operations have increased the risk of vessel passage and have effectively blocked the strait entirely. In terms of timing, the straits closure for another three weeks will create the most unprecedented economic and political crisis in the world, especially within America. So M.B. golubov, Iran's parliament leader, put that out. Then Donald Trump announces surrender and then MB Golla, Boff's source then says or MB Golla boss proxy says Trump halts his plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after failing to confront Iran. So on state regime media, which called itself fox, they had to grapple with this. Oh, we were just talking up Operation Project Freedom and we were saying this was the greatest military endeavor in the history of the and it was going to escort all of these ships. We had all these people saying that this was the greatest thing and Trump was really in at this time and he was not going to cave and he was super serious this time. So watch what happened on Jesse Waters as Donald Trump admitted complete Surrender. Let's play this clip.

[Fox News Anchor]

Fox News alert. The president says based on the request of Pakistan and other countries, we have mutually agreed that while the blockade will remain in full force, in effect, Project Freedom will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the agreement can be finalized and signed. We suspect the president is letting the Iranians save face. The enemy just yesterday said they controlled the strait. That was obviously a lie. And watching the Americans escort ship after ship out of the gulf and them not being able to do anything about that was going to be humiliating. Not only were they going to lose whatever military prestige they had left in the region, their negotiators weren't going to be able to fight for their position after they lost their last bargaining chip. The commander in chief must believe that the Iranians are serious about surrendering if he's going to pause Project Freedom for the sake of a deal. Because you could also continue Project Freedom during the negotiations. You know, you do want to get these foreign ships moving. The president must know what he's doing. And we're about to find out how insane in the brain the regime really is.

[Political Commentator / Host]

Now, Donald Trump admitted complete surrender. As you'll recall, we were reporting the following. A cargo ship had been attacked with missiles or drones in the Strait of Hormuz earlier today, likely by Iran. This is separate from the South Korean ship and the UAE ship and the port of Fujairah, which was struck yesterday by Iran. Another ship was hit today. We know that Iran was also firing directly at the United States Navy destroyers. And Donald Trump said, if they dare do that, we're going to wipe Iran off the face of this earth. Well, Iran did it. As the Navy destroyers looked like they may be heading in. And then Donald Trump did nothing. He backed down yet again. I think part of all of this also has to do with the fact that Foreign Minister Aragi of Iran is in China right now meeting with Xi Jinping and meeting with his counter part, the foreign minister of China. This was in advance of Donald Trump going to China because Trump's about to take his trip to China. I think that Trump was so worried that his trip to China was going to be called off because Trump really wants that video of him and Xi Jinping with all of the Chinese soldiers standing at attention. Trump wants that photo and Xi Jinping knows that Trump will do anything. I think that has to do with this as well, because I think the timing of Iraqi with Xi Jinping and Donald Trump's being, you know, being in awe of Xi Jinping the king, as Donald Trump calls him, and also being a Putin bootlicker. Also, we learned the following as well. Before Donald Trump made that announcement, a cruise missile launched from Bandar Abbas, Iran, toward the Persian Gulf. We see it. You can use. Can see the cruise missile. Explosions have been heard on Kesham Island, Bandar Abbas and. And Bushir, per Iranian media. Then Iran announced. Before Donald Trump made that announcement, Iran announces. Through their parliament, Iran has launched a new system regulating vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz. According to state tv, ships must first notify Iranian authorities, then receive an electronic message outlining navigation rules. After accepting these terms, they are granted a transit permit. Permits will be issued by a newly established governing body. Now, while this was all taking place, JD Vance was giving a speech. And here's what happened during J.D. vance's speech. It was so utterly humiliating. Here, play this clip. When I see that. When I see Iowa farmers who need to get that E15 to market.

[Fox News Anchor]

What is this? What is.

[Political Commentator / Host]

Zach, you'll have to help me out with her name here.

[Political Analyst / Guest]

I lost my page here.

[Political Commentator / Host]

Okay.

[Political Analyst / Guest]

All right.

[Political Commentator / Host]

Okay. There we go. Sarah Trone Garriott.

[Political Analyst / Guest]

There he is.

[Fox News Anchor]

I'm on the wrong page here.

[Political Commentator / Host]

Now, Barack Ravi, Donald Trump's chief outside propagandist over at Axios. He posts US Flag, Iranian flag ship emoji. Trump suspends Hormuz operation, claims progress on Iran. Deal. My report. This guy's like Trump's stenographer. What's Iran posting? Iran's posting photos of their fast boat, saying these boats control everything. Efficiency matters, not size. They're posting this photo or this cartoon AI image of Donald Trump in the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Latest press briefing from the depths of the Persian Gulf in ultimate misery. Let's check in with Professor Pape, who's been, I think, spot on on Donald Trump's escalation trap and the escalatory ambiguity that Trump's created, which was clear that Donald Trump in the US Were never going to achieve their objectives and that Trump had no clue what he was doing. Here's what Professor Pape just posted. Trump just buried Project Freedom with attacks on UAE oil. It already failed on day one. Trump is desperately bouncing from one extreme to another, a doom spiral of strategic failure in the escalation trap. The first 60 days of the Iran war didn't go wrong. They followed a script. And that script is now forcing the US into a far more dangerous phase. Uber overreach. Denial. Escalation. 60 days in, Iran's nuclear stockpile remains intact. US allies refused direct military participation. Oil repriced around Hormuz risk $95 to $115 per barrel on the futures market. Those aren't mixed signals. They are markers of strategic failures. If the US Were succeeding, Professor Pape says Iran would be negotiating on Washington's timeline. Allies would be committing forces, markets would be stabilizing. None of this is happening. In how the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins shows how corporate success turns into collapse. Hubris, overreach, denial, desperate gambles. That same logic is now driving the Iran war. When great powers fail early, they don't stop, they escalate. Wars don't usually end. When initial objectives fail, they enter a phase where leaders try to prevent that failure from becoming visible. That's where the war is now. And when I hear that, I also think about Putin invasion invading Ukraine. The same hubris, the same psychotic ness of Donald Trump. Now, just this morning, folks, just this morning, Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, said Iran is embarrassed because we control the strait. They do not. Hexit said this this morning. Here, play this clip.

[Fox News Anchor]

Two US commercial ships along with American destroyers have already safely transited the strait, showing the lane is clear. We know the Iranians are embarrassed by this fact.

[Political Commentator / Host]

They said they control the strait. They do not.

[Fox News Anchor]

So American ships led the way, commercial

[Political Commentator / Host]

and military shouldering, shouldering the initial risk from the front, as Americans always do. And right now, hundreds more ships from

[Fox News Anchor]

nations around the world are lining up to transit.

[Political Commentator / Host]

And Rubio said this morning the operation is over in epic fury. We're winning here. Play this clip.

[Political Analyst / Guest]

I think you're linking it. The operation is over. Epic fury as president notified Congress we're done with that stage of it. Okay. We're now onto this project of freedom as far as a negotiation is concerned. I think the President's been clear that part of the negotiation process has to be not just the enrichment, but what happens to this material that's buried deep somewhere that they have still have access to if they ever wanted to dig it out. That has to be addressed and that's being addressed in the negotiation. I'm not going to go further on what progress has been made on that topic because I don't want to endanger the negotiations. But suffice it to say that the President and this entire team is aware of the centrality of that question and that will have to be addressed one way or the other.

[Political Commentator / Host]

And Rubio said that the new goal is we'll take control of the Strait of Hormuz. Here, play this clip.

[Political Analyst / Guest]

Actor that enables Iran's sanctions evasion is going to face secondary sanctions exposure and a loss of access to the US Financial system. As President Trump has said, and the facts clearly bear out, the United States of America holds all the cards. There is no scenario here in which if they decide to join a ladder of escalation, they wind up getting the last say. But our preference is for these straits to be opened to the way they're supposed to be open back to the way it was. Anyone can use it. No mines in the water, nobody paying tolls. That's what we have to get back to. And that's the goal here. Every day the conflict continues, however, our leverage on Iran will continue to increase and their position will continue to weaken, especially as the blockade really begins.

[Political Commentator / Host]

And folks, we've been seeing this every night in Iran. The people out there in Tehran Square just celebrating having the time of their life. Apparently as they've defeated the United States in war, they've brought down Donald Trump. Trump looks utterly humiliated and embarrassed. Perhaps the most pathetic excursion, the most pathetic catastrophic and unlawful war, the most pathetic thing the United States has ever engaged in. One of it certainly up there. I've never thought that the US Would be viewed as such a loser, but that's what happens when you have a loser in the Oval Office. So disgusting. Hit subscribe everybody. Let's get to 7 million. Thanks for watching. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our [e-mail] you'll get daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski, ad free episodes of our podcast and more exclusive content Only [e-mail] Foreign

[Ryan Reynolds]

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