Trump in Terror over Lindsey Graham Death

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast – Trump in Terror over Lindsey Graham Death

Date: July 12, 2026
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the sudden and shocking death of Senator Lindsey Graham, exploring Donald Trump's immediate response, the political and geopolitical fallout, and intense media coverage. The Meiselas brothers dissect Trump's reactions, including his attempts to pivot away from questions about the escalating conflict with Iran, and analyze the role Lindsey Graham played in recent U.S. policy, particularly regarding Iran and Israel. The episode blends real-time news, audio clips, and the brothers' trademark critical banter, while also pulling in broader themes of media reliability, U.S. military credibility, and the ongoing crises in the Middle East.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lindsey Graham’s Sudden Death and Immediate Fallout

• Graham’s last moments:
  • Trump was reportedly the last person to speak with Graham before his sudden death, officially described as a cardiac event ([03:01], [03:19]).
  • Trump: "When I spoke to him, it could have been, you know, minutes before... it had to be something like that because he was, other than being tired, he was fine" ([03:44]; Trump).
• Official investigations:
  • FBI is dedicating substantial resources to investigate Graham's death ([03:09]).

2. Trump’s Response in Media Appearances

• On Meet the Press and CNN:
  • Trump repeatedly sidesteps questions about the escalating conflict with Iran, citing "respect for Lindsey" ([04:37], [05:02]).
  • Memorable quote: "Out of respect for Lindsey, I'm not talking about that. We hit him very hard last night." ([05:02]; Trump).
  • When pressed repeatedly about Iran and the status of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump's evasiveness is on full display:
    • "It's open as far as we're concerned. Don't talk about it." ([06:34]; Trump).

Notable Trump Soundbites

• “If you don’t talk about it, let’s just pretend the Strait of Hormuz is open.” ([06:14]; Meiselas brothers paraphrasing Trump’s strategy)
• “I think his finest moment was his defense of Brett Kavanaugh... Maybe the worst I've ever seen anyone treated. That includes me. Well, maybe not me, but it includes just about everybody." ([06:46]; Trump)
• "I said, we'll see you soon. Come over anytime you want. He came into the White House a lot because I liked him. Can't do that with everybody." ([11:11]; Trump)

3. Geopolitical Crisis – U.S. and Iran

• Escalation:
  • The U.S. has escalated military action with Iran following Iranian strikes on American bases; Iran claims to have closed the Strait of Hormuz ([04:23], [11:41]).
  • CENTCOM and Trump continue to claim the Strait is open, but hosts present tanker data and satellite imagery suggesting otherwise ([18:06]–[19:06]).
• Media and Military Misinformation:
  • Hosts blame both legacy and independent media for uncritically echoing government statements about the strait’s status ([19:06]–[20:46]).
  • "CENTCOM isn't just lying, they're lying so badly. The Strait of Hormuz is closed right now." ([19:10]; Meiselas Analysis)
• Critique of Right Wing Messaging:
  • Hosts highlight GOP figures misrepresenting or downplaying the crisis—Sen. Jim Banks claiming "gas prices are coming down" and that negotiations with Iran are on the horizon ([23:18]–[24:25]).
  • Ambassador Mike Walls, echoing administration lines, insists the Strait is open, contrary to all data ([25:03]).

4. Lindsey Graham’s Foreign Policy Legacy

• Aggressive posturing on Iran:
  • Audio clips replay Graham's recent calls for attacking Iran and his history of hawkish rhetoric ([14:54], [15:53]).
  • Graham: “They have oil fields out in the open… blow it off the map.” ([15:01]; Graham)
  • “Donald J. Trump is not Barack Obama. He has your back. And to the Ayatollahs… Donald J. Trump is going to kill you.” ([15:16]; Graham)
• Historic advocacy for U.S. military interventions:
  • As far back as 2003, Graham was a leading booster of the Iraq War ([15:51]).
• Comparisons to Hiroshima/Nagasaki:
  • Graham had recently drawn controversial comparisons, suggesting Israel deserves the same leeway in Gaza as the U.S. had in using atomic bombs ([17:15]; Graham).

5. Netanyahu and U.S. Support to Israel

• Netanyahu's praise:
  • “He would tell me, no, I’m gonna go over your head to the Senate because I think you need more [U.S. funding for missile defense]... once or twice he got his way.” ([13:25]; Netanyahu)
  • "If you had one word to remember your friend Lindsey Graham, what would it be?" – "Patriot. Big, big American patriot." ([14:19]; Netanyahu)
• Ramifications for U.S. policy:
  • Graham’s involvement in pushing more aid to Israel—including at the expense of U.S. domestic programs ([13:07]).

6. Media Critique and the Importance of Independent Journalism

• Echo chamber effect:
  • MeidasTouch accuses mainstream outlets of parroting administration and military talking points, not presenting on-the-ground reality ([20:10]–[21:02]).
• Promotion of Ground News:
  • The brothers promote media bias tracking to help people spot slants in coverage ([21:02]–[21:55]):
    • "Ground News is an app and a website that pulls in thousands of articles from around the world that organizes them by story to show you... how is the left, how's the center, how are the right framing stories differently." ([21:07]; Host)

7. New Mappings of Middle Eastern Conflict

• Iran/Israel/US tension:
  • Iranian attacks on U.S. bases across the region, tankers largely immobilized in the Gulf, U.S. supercarriers pulling back ([27:05]–[28:50]).
• Escalation in Gaza and Lebanon:
  • Israeli strikes intensify, and vast sections of southern Lebanon are reportedly flattened (“security zone” doctrine and destruction of villages) ([31:08]–[32:43]).
• Iranian reaction to Graham’s death:
  • Iranian state media openly celebrate Graham’s demise ([31:51]).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump’s paradoxical praise:
  “He was really becoming strong was the Save America Act... and I think he was going to be there very, very strongly under filibuster...” ([09:08]; Trump)
• Media-military disconnect:
  "It's so humiliating that this is what CENTCOM has become... lots of media regurgitate what CENTCOM says." ([19:10]; Host)
• Summation of Graham’s legacy:
  “Lindsey Graham, the anti-Iranian Senator has gone to hell. That’s what they’re saying in Iran right now.” ([31:52]; Host)
• Netanyahu on Graham:
  “When I did this [military aid deal], I said, okay, this is what we need. We don’t need any more. [Graham] said, yes, you do. I said, Lindsey, we don’t need any more. And he would tell me, I’m gonna go over your head to the Senate because I think you need more...” ([13:25]; Netanyahu)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lindsey Graham’s Death Announced & Trump’s First Reaction: [03:01]–[04:12]
• Trump Dodges Iran Questions on Meet the Press/CNN: [04:14]–[07:39]
• Jake Tapper Challenges Trump on Strait of Hormuz Closure: [06:28], [11:41]
• Netanyahu Reminisces on Graham’s Pro-Israel Advocacy: [13:25], [14:07], [14:19]
• Clips of Graham’s Hawkish Rhetoric: [14:54] (Iran), [15:53] (Iraq War), [17:15] (Hiroshima comparison)
• CENTCOM and Tanker Data Dispute: [18:06]–[19:10]
• Right-Wing Media and Political Spin: [23:18]–[25:03]
• Iranian, Israeli, and US Military Developments: [27:05]–[29:44]
• Middle East Conflict Escalation & Gaza Strikes: [30:08]–[32:43]

---

Tone and Style

MeidasTouch maintains a brisk, irreverent, and often scathing tone—mixing rapid-fire news, frequent use of audio clips, direct criticism of both Trump and U.S. institutions, and sarcastic commentary on media coverage and right-wing talking points. Throughout, the brothers emphasize the contrast between official narratives and what they perceive as reality, urging listeners to seek out independent and fact-based journalism.

---

For listeners who missed the episode:
This installment provides a comprehensive, often biting rundown of a historic and tumultuous week in U.S. politics and foreign policy, spotlighting how the sudden loss of Lindsey Graham fits into a much larger, fast-moving geopolitical crisis, and holding both politicians and the press to account.

Transcript

[Host]

Choice hotels get you more of what you value.

[Choice Hotels Advertiser]

Comfort Inn. It's calling your name. Save on the stain. Oh, and free waffles are yours to claim.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Book [e-mail] Best thing that's ever happened to you.

[Carvana Customer 1]

Financially. Go easy.

[Carvana Customer 2]

Sold my car on Carvana. Amazing offer, really.

[Carvana Customer 1]

I hit 200 on the scratcher.

[Carvana Customer 2]

Did the scratcher come to your house and hand you a check?

[Carvana Representative]

No.

[Carvana Customer 2]

How many scratchers did you hit to get that? I hit a button on Carvana.com once.

[Carvana Customer 1]

Okay, that's fair.

[Carvana Customer 2]

It's like the lottery, except you always win.

[Carvana Customer 1]

Not like the lottery at all, actually.

[Carvana Customer 2]

Exactly. Inexplicably good offers worth bragging about. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Are you looking for a beach read this summer? May I suggest your big wireless bill? It's got suspense, mystery, a slightly flat emotional arc, and a shocking twist where you realize you've been overpaying the entire time. Fortunately, though, Mint's story is better. Every plan $15 a month, even unlim. That's it. Happy ending, zero tears. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

of $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or $180 for 12 month Plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes me slow when network is busy See Terms this podcast

[Talkspace Advertiser 1]

is sponsored by Talkspace.

[Talkspace Advertiser 2]

Last year I went through many different life changes. I needed to take a pause and examine how I was feeling in the inside to better show up for the ones who need me to be my best version of myself.

[Talkspace Advertiser 1]

When you're navigating life's changes, Talkspace can help. Talkspace is the number one rated online therapy, bringing you professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatry providers that you can access anytime, anywhere.

[Talkspace Advertiser 2]

Living a busy life, navigating a long distance relationship, becoming a first stepfather, Talkspace made all of those journeys possible. I could speak with my therapist in the office. I could speak of my therapist in the comfort of my home. I was never alone.

[Talkspace Advertiser 1]

I Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with code

[Jerry Insurance Advertiser]

[e-mail] are you noticing your car insurance rate creep up? Even without tickets or claims, you're not Alone. That's why there's Jerry, your proactive insurance assistant. Jerry handles the legwork by comparing quotes side by side from over 50 top insurers so you can confidently hit buy. No spam calls, no hidden fees. Jerry even tracks rates and alerts you when it's best to shop. Drivers who save with Jerry could save over $1,300 a year. Don't settle for higher rates. Download the Jerry app or visit Jerry. AI Libsyn. Today, that's J E R R Y AI Libsyn.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Donald Trump is panicking over Lindsey Graham's sudden death. Donald Trump was the last person to

[Host]

speak with Lindsey Graham minutes before Lindsey Graham died.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Cash Patel over at the FBI says

[Host]

the FBI is putting lots of resources into assisting in connection with the death of Lindsey Graham.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Here is what Donald Trump just said.

[Host]

He called in to Meet the Press and he said that he was the last person to speak with Lindsey Graham. Lindsey Graham died minutes before the death.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Jake Tapper]

And just to make that point, I mean, authorities were called to his home responding to initial reports of a cardiac arrest. Again, his office saying a brief and sudden illness. Do you have any more details?

[Donald Trump]

I would think it would be that, because when I spoke to him, it could have been, you know, minutes before based on, you know, based on the fact that I heard about the call, whatever time that was. So it was shortly before. But it had to be something like that because he was, other than being tired, he was fine. And so it had to be something like that. That would just be a quick end. And maybe that's not the worst way to go. You know, he had some fine moments.

[Host]

Then Donald Trump called into cnn.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He spoke with Jake Tapper.

[Commentator/Analyst]

And Jake Tapper's like, could we just

[Host]

also speak for a moment about the war with Iran? The United States has escalated ir.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Iran responded and targeted numerous American military

[Host]

bases and struck those bases yesterday. So are you back at war with Iran? Who controls the Strait of Hormuz?

[Narrator/Reporter]

And then Donald Trump's like, out of

[Host]

respect for Lindsey, I can't talk about this at all.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I really don't want to have any

[Host]

discussions about what's going on with the

[Narrator/Reporter]

war, whether the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Watch what Donald Trump says here.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Play this clip.

[Interviewer]

He obviously was very supportive of the strikes against Iran. The US And Iran have been engaging back and forth in strikes over the last few days and overnight. Are we back at war? And who controls the Strait of Horns?

[Donald Trump (Interviewee)]

Well, I don't want to out of respect for Lindsey. I'm not talking about that. We hit him very hard last night. So I don't want to talk about it. But I will say we hit him very hard last night. We had a deal with them yesterday. They were giving up everything. And then all of a sudden, two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone. And I said, these people, there's something wrong with them. But I'm talking about a man who had nothing wrong with him, and that's Lindsey Graham.

[Host]

And to his credit, Jake Tapper continues to press Donald Trump and says, I understand that that's what you want to

[Narrator/Reporter]

do, but the American people are very scared right now and are suffering right now and are very confused and we

[Host]

need to know what the hell is going on with this never ending war with what you're doing with Netanyahu. What's going on here? So Iran has declared Strait of Hormuz is closed. And all of the shipping data suggests

[Commentator/Analyst]

it is indeed closed.

[Host]

Is that true? Donald Trump then goes, it's opened as far as I'm concerned. Don't talk about it. Remember Donald Trump during COVID if you don't test, you don't know. There's cases if you don't talk about

[Commentator/Analyst]

it, let's just pretend the Strait of Hormuz is open.

[Host]

And as I'll just show you in a little bit, Donald Trump then had Centcom publish messages saying the Strait of Hormuz is open.

[Commentator/Analyst]

But let's just listen to what he

[Audio Clip Indicator]

says here, play this clip.

[Interviewer]

Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed. Is that true, Mr. President?

[Donald Trump (Interviewee)]

It's open as far as we're concerned. Don't talk about it. Talk about the reason that you asked me to speak.

[Interviewer]

Okay. We appreciate your time. Sir. Before I let you go, is there any other final word that you want the American people to know about Lindsey Graham? What was it about?

[Donald Trump (Interviewee)]

I think his finest moment was his defense of Brett Kavanaugh, who's the terrific guy and was treated very, very unfairly by the Democrats. Very unfairly. I've never seen anything like it. Maybe the worst I've ever seen anyone treated. That includes me. Well, maybe not me, but it includes just about everybody. He was treated so unfairly. And Lindsey, as you remember, had that moment. And, you know, I'll tell you, Jake, I think it was the top 10, maybe a top five moment in the history of the Senate. It was an incredible. And he did it from the heart. He felt strongly about Brett and he did it from the heart. And it turned that whole thing around. He was really amazing. That was it. That was one they should replay.

[Interviewer]

Well, I know you don't want to talk about any other issues out of respect for Lindsey Graham, but we would love to have you back sometime because I do have a lot of other questions for you, sir.

[Donald Trump (Interviewee)]

Sure, we'll do that.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And then Donald Trump says to Jake

[Host]

Tapper, we want CNN to go a

[Narrator/Reporter]

little bit more normal.

[Host]

Hey, Jake, can you. Normal.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As you know, Donald Trump has his right wing oligarchs who took over cbs. They're now acquiring cnn.

[Host]

And Tapper's like, well, I feel like we're normal right now, sir. I think we're on a normal path. And then just notice this is a quality of Donald Trump. He's a keyboard warrior and he'll talk a lot of trash and say horrible things on social media posts.

[Commentator/Analyst]

But when Jake Tapper says, we are

[Host]

normal, sir, Donald Trump goes, you are, you are.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And by the way, do you hear

[Host]

how sickly Donald Trump sounds? Donald Trump sounds deeply sick. And what's interesting was before Lindsey Graham

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

passed, I mean, he's a, he was

[Host]

sick in the head, in my opinion, but he didn't sound sick.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Lindsey Graham, unlike Trump, who sounds very sickly. Here's what Trump says.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Interviewer]

Thank you for calling.

[Donald Trump (Interviewee)]

I'm trying to have CNN go on a normal path and we'll do that.

[Interviewer]

Well, I'm on a normal path right here, sir, and I appreciate your time and thank you for calling in.

[Donald Trump (Interviewee)]

Okay, thanks a lot, so much.

[Interviewer]

We'll be right back after this quick break.

[Host]

And then Donald Trump's like, okay, this

[Narrator/Reporter]

is the reason that I'm calling.

[Host]

Jake, let me explain to you what Lindsey Graham's death means to me and to this country. I think Lindsey Graham would have been there very strongly to help me eliminate the filibuster. Jake, a moving tribute by Donald Trump.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Donald Trump (Interviewee)]

Bit of a different attitude, but we got along on it. Essentially we agreed and essentially we agreed on almost everything. Where he was really becoming strong was the Save America Act. That was, he was really. And I think he was going to be there very, very strongly under filibuster. He was against terminating the filibuster. And I think he was doing that because he said we have a budget coming up and we have debt ceiling coming up and the Democrats will, you know, they've deranged in many ways and they're not going to be able to do it. So he was, he was coming aboard, I think, for the filibuster. Terminating the filibuster but we, before we did that, he was going to, he was a strong advocate for Save America. And that's what he called me about last night. I mean, I think of it, I spoke to him just he had already landed. He was probably at his place. I don't know where he was, but I spoke to him. And then I got a call a few hours later saying late in the evening, at two o' clock in the morning, actually. But they found out about it, I think about 8 o' clock about his problem. But so it had to be something very quick because he was fine when I spoke. Other than being tired, he was fine.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He obviously, then when Donald Trump was on Meet the Press, he said, regarding Lindsey Graham's death, this is a big blow to the Save America Act, Trump's voter suppression bill.

[Host]

This is a big blow to that.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And so that's how Donald Trump will remember Lindsey Graham. Lindsey Graham would have helped Donald Trump more pass the voter Suppression Act.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Donald Trump]

Anybody like him? He was so intent. I mean, he literally called me about the Save America Act. That's why he's, you know, that's where I heard, think of it. He's traveling for many, many hours. That's a long flight. That's a long trip. And he, you know, calls me about the Save America Act. He thought we were going to get it passed.

[Jake Tapper]

Do you remember the very big, yeah,

[Donald Trump]

this is a big, this is a big blow to the Save America act, let me tell you.

[Jake Tapper]

Do you remember, Mr. President, what was the last thing you said to him? What was the last thing he said to you?

[Donald Trump]

I said, we'll see you soon. Come over anytime you want. He came into the White House a lot because I liked him. Can't do that with everybody. But he'd come in, by the way.

[Commentator/Analyst]

And then Kristen Welker says, hey, Donald,

[Host]

Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is closed. CENTCOM says it's open.

[Commentator/Analyst]

Which is it?

[Host]

Donald Trump goes, it's open. I don't want to talk about it. We thought we had a deal. Iran really wants a deal. It's open.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Everything is going great here.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Play this clip.

[Jake Tapper]

You obviously launched a fresh round of strikes overnight. Iran said overnight, the Strait of Hormuz is closed. CENTCOM came out this morning and said the Strait of Hormuz is open. Which is it, Mr. President?

[Donald Trump]

And I don't want to talk about it because I want to honor the life of Lindsey Graham. So I don't want to talk about it. I told you that before the call. Yeah, it's open. We bombed the hell out of them last night. They're very, very evil and sick people. We had meetings with them for the last. They agreed to a deal yesterday, a perfect deal for us. No nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing. They gave up everything. And then after that, they left the room. And then within an hour, they launched a drone at a ship. I said, you people are sick. You're sick people. And so it's one of those things. I don't want to talk about it.

[Jake Tapper]

Finally, before I let you go, I

[Donald Trump]

want to talk about one person today, Lindsey Graham.

[Jake Tapper]

As we should, Mr. President. Just finally, before I let you go, what then?

[Narrator/Reporter]

State regime, media, Fox brought on Donald

[Host]

Trump's bud, Benjamin Netanyahu. And Netanyahu says, let me tell you about Lindsey Graham. When Israel would get aid from Trump in the United States, Lindsey Graham would

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

say, let me give you more American taxpayer dollars.

[Host]

Netanyahu, we want to give you more

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

money is what Lindsay would always say to me. And I said, lindsey, you want to give me all of that money? We should take it away from the American people's health care and from helping Americans buy homes and from helping the American people afford things to give it to Israel. Lindsey, thank you, Lindsey. We're so grateful.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Benjamin Netanyahu (Clip)]

Trump sort of a 10 year MOU memorandum of understanding where America gives Israel much valued support. Now, I, when I did this, when I negotiated this, I said, okay, this is what we need. We don't need any more. He said, yes, you do. I said, lindsey, we don't need any more. And he would tell me, no, I'm gonna go over your head to the Senate because I think you need more on missile defense or whatever. Okay? And I think once or twice he got his way.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

And then Netanyahu says, lindsey was a patriot. That was what a real giving money to Israel. That's what defines patriotism.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Jake Tapper]

Appreciate you joining us.

[Interviewer (Prime Minister Segment)]

Yes, Prime Minister, thank you for joining us. And actually, if I could just one last quick 10 second question. If you had one word to remember your friend Lindsey Graham, what would it be?

[Benjamin Netanyahu (Clip)]

Patriot. Big, big American patriot.

[Interviewer (Prime Minister Segment)]

All right, thanks for joining in.

[Donald Trump]

Thank you.

[Interviewer (Prime Minister Segment)]

Thank you very much.

[Alex Hogan]

Let's bring in Alex Hogan.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Now. Six days ago, Lindsey Graham was mocking his death, of course, during the Ayatollah protest, Lindsey Graham was prominently featured as one of the targets of the Iranian not protest the mourners rather at the Ayatollah. Com funeral, which also turned into a protest against the Trump regime.

[Host]

And just to remind you of some

[Narrator/Reporter]

of the things that Lindsey Graham had been saying recently.

[Host]

He talked about blowing Iran off the map.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Let's play it.

[Lindsey Graham (Clip)]

I've been saying for six months now, hit Iran.

They have oil fields out in the open.

They have the Revolutionary Guard headquarters. You can see from space, blow it off the map.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He said that his message to the

[Host]

Ayatollah you is Donald Trump is going to kill you. We're going to kill you.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

He said here, play this clip.

[Lindsey Graham (Clip)]

Donald J. Trump is not Barack Obama. He has your back. And to the Ayatollahs, you need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is going to kill you. Change is coming to Iran. It'll be the biggest change in the history of the Mideast to get rid of this Nazi regime. To the people of Iran, help is on the way.

[Host]

But even when you go back to

[Narrator/Reporter]

2003 with Lindsey Graham, you know, he

[Host]

was one of the, when he was

[Narrator/Reporter]

younger and Senator, you know, he would

[Host]

say he was one of the main people pushing, yes, Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Lindsey Graham (Clip)]

I believe that Saddam Hussein is beginning giving aid and comfort training and assistance to Al Qaeda murderers, that he has weapons of mass destruction. He is lying when he says he doesn't. And he will never voluntarily disarm. 500 inspectors, 5,000 inspectors are not going to make him disarm. He is a danger to our country and the world. He has killed his and you're not going to disarm him. But diplomacy is going to take force.

[Host]

Or how about Lindsey Graham back in January? Iran's days are numbered.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

They're numbered.

[Host]

And this is what he would always say, you know, your days are numbered.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

This is right here. Play this clip.

[Lindsey Graham (Clip)]

There are a lot of headlines out there that are, in my view, not accurate. President Trump's resolve is not the question. The question is, and when we do an operation like this, should it be bigger or smaller? I'm in the camp of bigger. Time will tell. I'm hopeful and optimistic that the regime days are numbered.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And then Lindsey Graham also compared the United States dropping nuclear weapons on Hiroshima,

[Host]

Nagasaki, and he goes, that's what Israel should be doing in Gaza.

[Narrator/Reporter]

That's what Israel is doing. Why wouldn't we support them in doing that?

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Lindsey Graham (Clip)]

So when we were faced with destruction as a nation after Pearl harbor fighting the Germans and the Japanese, we decided to end the war by bombing Hiroshima, Nagasaki with nuclear weapons. That was the right decision. Give Israel the bombs they need to End the war they can't afford to lose and work with them to minimize casualties. Say this, why is it okay for America to not to. To drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war? Why was it okay for us to do that? I thought it was okay to Israel do whatever you have to do to survive as a Jewish state.

[Host]

Now let me show you what CENTCOM posted moments ago. They posted two things this morning. This is from centcom. This is what CENTCOM US centcom, right? They post claim the Iranian commander for

[Narrator/Reporter]

the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recently said

[Host]

on state owned media that no foreign

[Narrator/Reporter]

vessels may pass through the Strait of

[Host]

Hormuz without being identified, tracked and monitored by Iranian forces. CENTCOM goes false. Then they go fact. This is what CENTCOM says. Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. It remains an international waterway. US forces are positioned and prepared to keep it that way. Then CENTCOM post the Strait of Hormuz

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

is open to all vessels seeking to

[Host]

lawfully transit the international waterway. U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available. Despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment threats and arbitrary declaration. Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic is flowing. When you look at the marine traffic, when you look at the data of the tankers leaving the Strait of Hormuz,

[Commentator/Analyst]

CENTCOM isn't just lying, they're lying so badly.

[Host]

The Strait of Hormuz is closed right now. Even after the MoU was entered into.

[Narrator/Reporter]

At peak you were having 35 to 30 tankers leave the Strait of Hormuz. Whereas before Trump did this catastrophic war with Netanyahu, there was 135 to 150

[Host]

tankers in each day. Then that went down to 35 peak. Now maybe it's one or two and they're Chinese tankers or they're Iranian aligned tankers. And when the US tries to push out tankers through its own route and not go by the Iran route, Iran strikes those ships.

[Commentator/Analyst]

We saw what just went down in the past 12 hours and of course for the past several months and CENTCOM saying it's open, we know it's closed. And it's so humiliating that this is what CENTCOM has become, but it's also humiliating that not just state regime media, not just Fox and CBS and Newsmax and the usual suspects, but lots of

[Host]

media then regurgitates what CENTCOM says.

[Commentator/Analyst]

CENTCOM says it. So we must say what CENTCOM says.

[Host]

I mean take a look right here. Ground News show aggregates all of These

[Commentator/Analyst]

articles and they just report verbatim, traffic is flowing in the strait of Hormu.

[Host]

Centcom says a lot of coverage on the right wing, a lot of coverage

[Commentator/Analyst]

center, even left wing media is covering that all which is why the Midas touch networks. Like we need to change the way the media landscape is. It's why independent news is so important because you have all the media.

[Host]

And yes, there is a right wing

[Commentator/Analyst]

slant here, but all of it's just

[Host]

regurgitating what centcom's saying and not showing graphs and data and charts and explaining what just took place last night.

[Commentator/Analyst]

I mean that's horrible stuff. You know, it's why I use Ground News as well, because I want to

[Host]

study what it is that corporate media

[Narrator/Reporter]

is covering and how they're covering it.

[Host]

And so Ground News is an app and a website that pulls in thousands

[Narrator/Reporter]

of articles from around the world that organizes them by story to show you how is the left, how's the center, how are the right framing stories differently. For every story they have a color

[Host]

coded layout which makes it easy to

[Narrator/Reporter]

see the political bias of each source.

[Host]

I can filter for high factuality sources

[Narrator/Reporter]

and see which sources are independently owned or owned by large media conglomerates with corporate interests.

[Host]

This lets you compare reporting on the

[Narrator/Reporter]

same issue in one place so you can form your own conclusion.

[Host]

And as I was just studying, how

[Narrator/Reporter]

was the right wing, center and left wing covering this?

[Commentator/Analyst]

Centcom? You know, it's just astonishing that there were that lots of media from all

[Narrator/Reporter]

sides were covering this.

[Host]

So Ground News has that dedicated blind spot feed to let me see left

[Narrator/Reporter]

wing, right wing, center, what they're covering.

[Host]

I believe in Ground News so much, I'm going to let you have a massive discount.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The biggest discount we've offered yet on the same plan that I use.

[Host]

It's called the vantage plan. Take 40% off the same Vantage plan

[Narrator/Reporter]

I use for my research.

[Commentator/Analyst]

So go click the link in the

[Host]

description or go to Ground News MTN or scan the QR code up here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's one of the biggest discounts they've ever offered.

[Host]

If you want to support this channel

[Narrator/Reporter]

and get a clearer understanding of the world, try out Ground News.

[Host]

Because I'll tell you who's trying to

[Narrator/Reporter]

grind news to the ground though. And this is why we need the truth.

[Commentator/Analyst]

I mean you then have all these

[Host]

right wing Trump MAGA puppet sycophants. They then go on today like Senator

[Narrator/Reporter]

Jim Banks of Indiana and he's like,

[Commentator/Analyst]

gas prices are coming down, things are

[Host]

looking great, Iran's ready to get to

[Commentator/Analyst]

the negotiating table with us again.

[Host]

Once Iran realizes how much they need

[Commentator/Analyst]

us, the gas prices will go down.

[Host]

That's your say. You're a United States senator, and that's your assessment.

[Commentator/Analyst]

After all of this, Iran doesn't want to make a deal that gives up

[Host]

its leverage that it won in the

[Commentator/Analyst]

war, the US Lost the war. And by the way, in the past 12 hours, the US hit was hit hard by Iran. US bases were struck hard by Iran. What just took place in the last 12 hours was actually a humiliation for

[Narrator/Reporter]

the United States military. But here's what Jim Banks says.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Play this clip.

[Senator Jim Banks]

Aware, Senator. And all this is politics, right? Is the midterms as the result of this conflict spiraling? The average price of a gallon of gas today is $3.88 nationwide. That is a lot better than $5, $6, but it is still a high enough number that it could cost your party the midterms.

[Senator Jim Banks (Response)]

Well, look, President Trump has brought gas prices down. Democrats for four years under Joe Biden fought to permanently increase the cost of a gallon of gas. And President Trump did, took immediate actions at the beginning of the second term to bring down gas prices. They have ticked up in the last week. But we know as soon as Iran can come to the table and understand that they have no other choice but to do what it takes to sign an agreement with the United States of America, that they will never have a nuclear weapon, that they can't control the strait, that they can no longer funnel money to terrorist proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, that they can no longer get away with that. Then gas prices will come back down to where we want them to be.

[Host]

Then you have Mike Walls, the ambassador

[Narrator/Reporter]

to the United nations, was like, oh,

[Host]

the Strait of Hormuz is clearly open. Ha, ha, ha.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Of course it's open right now.

[Host]

It's not open right now at all.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Here, play this clip.

[Carvana Representative]

The President Trump has hit back. He's hit back proportionally, but at the end of the day, Iran is going to pay the price.

[Alex Hogan]

Yeah. And the president is threatening consequences should the Strait of Hormuz not be open. There seems to be a struggle over the Strait of Hormuz becoming the number one flashpoint here. Is it open or not?

[Carvana Representative]

Oh, it's open, as Central Command has said. And most of the targets that we've hit the last several nights have been directly aimed at Iran's radars, sensors, drones, and missile batteries right there on the strait to eliminate and degrade their ability to attack the global economy. So we're going to take that leverage off the table. Our great military and Pete Hegseth continue to do that. But at the same time, let's not forget we have more talks going on in Lebanon. We're taking that off the table too. For, for the first time perhaps ever, the Israeli government, the Lebanese government are working together to eliminate and disarm Iran's proxy Hezbollah. We've completely flipped the script there. We're taking the leverage off the table in terms of the Straits of Hormuz. The negotiations are continuing on the nuclear power program and oh by the way, Maria, oil prices are the same as they were pre war. Our Energy Department and Secretary Scott Beth Bent, by the way, is doing a phenomenal job. Just sanctioned the Ayatollah's money man who's running a global luxury real estate empire around the world. We're turning the screws on the economy and President Trump will ensure Iran never has a nuke.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This is the message from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority which was set up by Iran.

[Host]

Dear Applicants, Due to recent illegal movements

[Narrator/Reporter]

of US Military forces in the area,

[Host]

traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is currently not possible. As soon as stability and calm are established, all applications will be reviewed and

[Narrator/Reporter]

the necessary permits will be issued based on the schedule.

[Host]

The only way to obtain a traffic permit is through the PGSC website.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Follow our social media account on X

[Host]

to get the latest updates.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Thank you for your patience and support.

[Host]

Iran's Retaliation and Attacks after the US attacks in Iran's southern soil, here's what

[Commentator/Analyst]

the IRGC targeted and then there's been

[Host]

satellite images confirming the following an MQ9 drone hangar and command center at Princessan

[Narrator/Reporter]

Air Base in Jordan, targeted, damaged.

[Host]

A fighter jet maintenance and repair hub center at the US Al Udid base

[Narrator/Reporter]

in Qatar targeted, struck, damaged.

[Host]

The supply, logistics and refueling platforms for US Navy aircrafts in Dukum, Oman, targeted by Iran and damaged U.S. patriot systems, ammunition depots and radar sites at a U.S. military base in Kuwait hit with Iranian drones, communication systems, radar sites and other infrastructure at the US Military base in Bahrain also targeted and hit with visuals as well.

[Narrator/Reporter]

When you look at the Strait of

[Host]

Hormuz, we're seeing a China managed oil

[Narrator/Reporter]

tanker Bergstar transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

[Host]

That's basically the only ship that's leaving right now. We can see the data.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Carl Quintanilla posted this graph right here

[Host]

which shows Hormuz commercial cargo vessel crossings. This is before Trump and Netanyahu's catastrophic war. This is, you'll see as we get closer to kind of Late June ish. After the MoU, you'll see a little bit of a spike, but not a lot of tankers leaving. And now that's going right back to

[Narrator/Reporter]

where it was right after Trump and

[Host]

Netanyahu launched their catastrophic war. As you know, that we noted yesterday as well.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Remember how we reported that the US sent their two super carrier groups, the USS Abraham Lincoln and George H.W. bush, pretty close to the Iranian coast?

[Host]

Well, if you looked at the satellite image today, those ships have actually moved

[Narrator/Reporter]

back from where they were previously positioned.

[Host]

As they were getting close, they now move back.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And I want to point this out as well. Iran has been publishing images this morning

[Host]

of an intercepted American Tomahawk cruise missile

[Narrator/Reporter]

launched from a US Destroyer in the Gulf of Amman toward Iran. The missile was shot down by the Iranian air defenses in Karamabad, Lauristan Province yesterday.

[Host]

And I think this is significant and important because Trump says they don't have any air defense systems. So Iran has offensive capabilities. They have air defense systems. They have their navy. If anything, they probably have built up more during the ceasefire period than they had before. Now they know the US Tactics, They've studied them.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Iran has strategies. Unlike Donald Trump who rants and raves like a lunatic and goes and thinks that he's the smartest person in the room and doesn't follow the intelligence from the CIA or anybody, he goes with his gut, which has bankrupted him his entire life.

[Donald Trump]

And,

[Narrator/Reporter]

and Iran has a plan and a strategy that they're executing on while the Trump regime is flailing around right now.

[Host]

Also, it should be noted that Netanyahu

[Narrator/Reporter]

sees Trump flailing and Netanyahu has of

[Host]

course continued to escalate in Gaza.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The genocide in Gaza continues. More strikes, more innocent people being killed as well, and more people being killed in general. This is footage from the moment of an Israeli bombing in Gaza earlier today.

[Audio Clip Indicator]

Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

Then.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Israeli fighter jets struck the Al Sina area in western Gaza City. You can see right here.

[Host]

Also, the IDF has been carrying out

[Narrator/Reporter]

pretty massive strikes in southern Lebanon outside of the so called security zone, which is just a way that Israel claims it takes over territory but tries to act like it hasn't taken it over. But it does by calling Lebanon territory security zones. There were casualties reported there. I'll share with you what Iranian media had to say about Lindsey Graham's passing. One well known host on Iranian media said, I congratulate the Iranian nation on warmongering anti Iran US Senator Lindsey Graham being sent to hell. Another Iranian TV anchor says Lindsey Graham, the anti Iranian Senator has gone to hell.

[Host]

The news is so good that I

[Narrator/Reporter]

want to read it to you once more. Lindsey Graham, the anti Iranian Senator has gone to hell. That's what they're saying in Iran right now. Meanwhile, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz has been making his rounds on podcast and here's what he's had to say. I said that southern Lebanon would become Gaza. We would apply the Rafah model. We would destroy everything there. We would deal with them exactly the same way. That's what we did. The infrastructure has been Destroyed. Homes in 24 villages along the border, villages that had existed for hundreds of years that were used by Hezbollah as military outpost against Israel have been demolished. The army systematically flattened villages with bulldozers and explosives. 90% of the houses are gone. In Lebanon. Southern Lebanon between 15,000 and 20,000 homes have been destroyed. Anyway, thanks for watching everybody. Hit subscribe let's get to 7 million subscribers.

[Host (Closing)]

New Midas merch Drop. Check out the latest pro Democracy sticker packs, T shirts, hats, sweatshirts and more [e-mail] touch.com.