Trump Plans Surrender after Putin $28 Billion Iran Nuke Deal

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Trump Plans Surrender after Putin $28 Billion Iran Nuke Deal

Date: June 4, 2026
Hosts: Ben, Brett & Jordy Meiselas
Theme:
This episode covers a high-stakes geopolitical shakeup: Russia and Iran signing a massive nuclear deal, President Trump’s chaotic response, and implications for US foreign policy, US allies, and Trump’s own political future. The brothers mix serious news analysis, comedic banter, and biting critique of Trump’s performance in this breaking news cycle.

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Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Russia-Iran $25 Billion Nuclear Deal (01:45–03:46)

• Breaking News: Iran and Russia announce a multimillion-dollar nuclear deal, described by the hosts as “a gigantic middle finger to Donald Trump.”
• Putin’s Statement: Putin emphasizes Iran’s trust in Russia, suggesting future use for nuclear power projects, but hosts note the ambiguous language (“could be used for peaceful purposes”) as intentionally misleading.
• Quote: “Russia asserting itself as the main mediator, arbiter and protector of Iran right here.” (News Reporter, 02:53)
• Geopolitical Undercurrent: This deal unfolds while Trump pressures Iran to relinquish nuclear materials, showing US influence waning.

2. US and Allied Response: Trump Folds to Putin? (03:16–04:48)

• Withdrawing Military Aid: Trump administration cancels Tomahawk missile deliveries to Germany, fearing Russian escalation—a move hosts criticize as weakness.
• US Diplomacy: Trump’s envoys are reported at a Russian conference discussing a bizarre economic project: a tunnel between Russia and Alaska.
• Quote: “Donald Trump is afraid to give Tomahawks to Germany… because that would anger Putin.” (News Commentator, 03:16)
• Security Alert: New warnings issued for US citizens in the Middle East, as the Trump administration gives Iran a failing ultimatum.

3. Trump’s Public Comments on Iran and New Ayatollah (05:54–07:24)

• Trump reacts meekly to Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Abba Khomeini, bizarrely praising his “good reputation in some circles.”
  • Quote: “He’s probably a professional. I don’t know. He’s probably a professional in some circles. He has a very good reputation, actually. You know, sometimes some people say bad, but a lot of people say bad about me.” (Donald Trump, 05:55)
• When questioned about US military operations that killed Khomeini’s family, Trump repeats platitudes, sidestepping condemnation.

4. Shifting Blame: Biden, Obama, and Nuclear Policy (07:38–08:08)

• Trump attacks Biden and Obama instead of criticizing Iran or Russia.
  • Quote: “Our gasoline prices are lower than they were with Biden… He inspired them to have, frankly, a nuclear weapon.” (Donald Trump, 07:40)
• Hosts ridicule Trump’s self-contradictory logic and focus on old political rivals instead of current adversaries.

5. Trump’s Bizarre and Deteriorating Public Performance (08:12–13:57)

• Hosts dissect Trump’s latest press conference, noting he appeared “deeply unwell”—possibly sleeping, mumbling, or misidentifying key officials.
  • Quote: “Yeah, it looked like he was having REM sleep there.” (News Reporter, 08:46)
• Trump veers off-topic:
  • Claims auto industry bans people from “fixing their own cars” (09:23–10:02).
  • Praises Giants quarterback Jackson Dart’s hypothetical dominance in women’s sports (10:08).
  • Bizarre plans for “Trump Promenade” at Lincoln Memorial (10:40) and proposing his face on a $250 bill (11:28).
    • Quote: “There’s been a lot of talk lately about the treasury putting your face on a $250 bill… would you ever tip anyone anything but that?” (Interviewer, 11:30)
  • Calls for a “triumphal arch” to celebrate US military victories (12:17).
  • Claims credit for “ending eight wars” and downplays his and his appointee’s lack of national security experience (13:06).
    • Quote: “A lot of people would say that I’ve ended eight wars and soon to be a ninth.” (Donald Trump, 13:34)

6. Attacks on Hillary Clinton (13:57–15:03)

• Trump returns to 2016 campaign talking points, mocking Clinton’s efforts in Appalachia and retelling oft-repeated stories about miners and computer chips.
  • Quote: “His hands were so large, he couldn’t hold a computer chip…” (Interviewer, 14:28)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Quote / Moment | Speaker | |-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | 02:53 | “Russia asserting itself as the main mediator, arbiter and protector of Iran right here.” | News Reporter | | 03:16 | “Donald Trump is afraid to give Tomahawks to Germany… because that would anger Putin.” | News Commentator | | 05:55 | “He’s probably a professional…I don’t know. He’s probably a professional in some circles." | Donald Trump | | 07:40 | “Our gasoline prices are lower than they were with Biden…He inspired them to have, frankly, a nuclear weapon.” | Donald Trump | | 08:46 | “Yeah, it looked like he was having REM sleep there.” | News Reporter | | 11:30 | “There’s been a lot of talk lately about the treasury putting your face on a $250 bill…” | Interviewer | | 13:34 | “A lot of people would say that I’ve ended eight wars and soon to be a ninth.” | Donald Trump | | 14:28 | “His hands were so large, he couldn’t hold a computer chip…” | Interviewer |

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Brothers’ Analysis & Tone

• The Meiselas’ signature style mixes alarm at Trump’s behavior with biting, sometimes incredulous humor.
• They highlight the international implications of Trump’s perceived weakness towards Putin, his lack of a coherent Iran policy, and his increasingly confused, rambling public persona.
• The brothers ultimately frame this episode as a warning about the dangers of incompetence and complacency in US foreign policy—and the importance of accountability ahead of major elections.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Russia-Iran Deal & Putin Reaction: 01:45–03:46
• US Response & Diplomatic Confusion: 03:16–04:48
• Trump’s Public Statements about Iranian Leadership: 05:54–07:24
• Trump Press Conference Gaffes: 08:12–13:57
• Attacks on Hillary Clinton: 13:57–15:03

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Conclusion

This MeidasTouch episode lays bare a critical moment in US-Russia-Iran relations, while lampooning Trump’s scattershot and surreal leadership. The hosts deliver a potent mix of analysis and comedy, illustrating their commitment to democracy and the need for informed citizens in turbulent times.

Transcript

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[News Commentator]

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[News Reporter]

Trump is panicking as Iran has announced that it just signed a $25 billion nuclear deal with Putin. Putin and Iran forging this nuclear alliance after Donald Trump demanded that Iran return all of its nuclear mater, including nuclear dust. We're hearing now what Putin just had to say following this announcement. He says, quote, Iran is a friendly state for us. I believe that the Iranian leadership and the people of Iran trust us. They fully trust us. And by the way, in the future this uranium could be used once we reduce the enrichment level. This uranium could be used for peaceful purposes, for nuclear power and our nuclear projects in Iran under IAEA control. Notice the key word could Russia asserting itself as the main mediator, arbiter and protector of Iran right here. And this would seem to be giving a gigantic middle finger to Donald Trump and saying, we're not scared of you at all. While you claim to be negotiating nuclear material with Iran.

[News Commentator]

We're going to do a $25 billion

[News Reporter]

nuclear deal with Iran, is what Putin saying. So how does Donald Trump respond? Well, this is breaking news. Moments ago, the Pentagon is expected to cancel plans to provide Tomahawk missile to Germany, citing concerns that Russia could view the deployment as an escalation. In other words, Donald Trump is afraid

[News Commentator]

to give Tomahawks to Germany for defensive

[News Reporter]

purposes because that would anger Putin.

[News Commentator]

But Putin has no problem giving $25

[News Reporter]

billion in this deal to Iran for the generation of more nuclear material in Iran. Putin also said the following about Iran moments ago. The people of Iran have shown cohesion and there to fight. This is a factor that undoubtedly should be taken into account as we find a solution to that crisis.

[News Commentator]

Because he says, we understand that Donald Trump and his administration, well, they are distracted right now. They are forced to tackle this issue now. And he said, you know, Donald Trump didn't expect the Ukraine problem to be so hard, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And Putin goes, some things don't seem too complicated, but as soon as you delve deep into the problem, it turns

[News Reporter]

out there many unknowns. Then Donald Trump sent his envoys, specifically

[News Commentator]

the people who are helping him with his ballroom, to Russia to attend a Russian economic conference where Russian envoy Kirill Demetriev announced that Russia and the US Are working towards a massive economic cooperation deal to build a tunnel between Russia and Alaska in the Bearing Strait. And the guy working on Trump's ballroom was showing off the ballroom at the St. Petersburg Economic conference in Russia. Now, moments ago, we got an alert

[News Reporter]

from the U.S. state Department Security alert

[News Commentator]

for all Middle east countries warning of a potential for hostilities to resume. Instructing US Citizens locate to the nearest shelter immediately after the US has given Iran a new end of week deadline. A new deadline from Donald Trump. Either take our deal or we're going to attack you. Well, Iran and Russia just announced a $25 billion nuclear deal while you're begging to do deals with Putin while screwing over our NATO allies. We know now that multiple U.S. air Force assets are currently airborne in the region with six C17 Globemaster aircrafts leaving the Middle east towards Europe. The IRGC says its forces have been placed on full combat alert with units now instructed to stand ready for immediate execution of the orders. Now, how Is Donald Trump reacting to Putin doing this deal with Iran? Well, here's what Donald Trump said about Mojtaki Abba Khomeini. He says he's a good guy. He's got a good reputation in some circles. Actually, people think the Ayatollah is a good guy.

[Video Clip Operator]

Here, play this clip.

[Donald Trump]

Person. But with that being said, he's probably a professor. I don't know. He's probably a professional in some circles. He has a very good reputation, actually. You know, sometimes some people say bad, but a lot of people say bad about me. It's totally false, of course.

[News Commentator]

Then Donald Trump says, you know, I don't want to meet with him, but if I did, it would be an

[News Reporter]

honor for me to meet with him.

[News Commentator]

I'd be very respectful to the Ayatollah.

[Video Clip Operator]

Here, play this clip.

[Interviewer]

Know what we had to do.

[Interviewer Follow-up]

And we heard you want to meet with the new Ayatollah, the new supreme Leader.

[Donald Trump]

I don't want to meet, but if I did meet, I'd be honored to meet him. I'd like to see if we make a deal.

[Interviewer]

But if we make a deal, it's possible that I would meet him. I'd be okay with it.

[Interviewer Follow-up]

Did that happen here in the US

[Donald Trump]

I haven't really heard too much about it. I didn't suggest it, but some people have suggested it. If it happened, it would be happened. I'd be respectful.

[News Commentator]

Well, Donald, what about the fact that Operation Epic Fury killed Mojtaba's father, wife and child?

[Video Clip Operator]

Let's play this clip.

[Donald Trump]

I'd be respectful.

[Interviewer Follow-up]

Do you think because Epic Fury killed his dad and his wife and his kid, that he's got hard feelings and wouldn't want to be?

[Donald Trump]

Well, I would say I'm not his favorite person. But with that being said, he's probably a professional. I don't know. He's probably a professional in some circles. He has a very good reputation, actually. You know, sometimes some people say bad, but a lot of people say bad about me.

[News Commentator]

But it seems that Donald Trump is more interested in attacking Biden and Obama than criticizing the Ayatollah after Iran entered into this deal with Vladimir Putin. Here's what Donald Trump said about that.

[Video Clip Operator]

Let's play this clip.

[Donald Trump]

Or the military operation. You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. And everybody agrees to that.

[Interviewer]

No matter.

[Donald Trump]

Almost everybody. But wait a minute. Our gasoline prices are lower than they were with Biden without that. And he would have let them have. In fact, he inspired them to have, frankly, a nuclear weapon. Him and Obama. Obama Picked the wrong country. You know, that and the Obama deal, I terminated that or they would have had a nuclear. That was a.

[News Commentator]

Now, Donald Trump also spent a lot

[News Reporter]

of time at this bizarre.

[News Commentator]

Our press conference that I just showed

[News Reporter]

you, which took place moments ago, looking deeply unwell. It appeared that he was sleeping for most of it. Let me just show you what he was doing.

[Video Clip Operator]

Let's play this clip right here.

[News Commentator Assistant]

Warmth of a job, an economy, a community, a family. And for too long, you saw Democrats who were telling these coal miners they should just learn to code. And what we saw during the Biden administration at the epa, for example, was regulation after regulation after regulation trying to strangulate out of existence.

[News Reporter]

Yeah, it looked like he was having REM sleep there.

[News Commentator]

Then he just started, like, mumbling words.

[Video Clip Operator]

Play this clip.

[Interviewer]

Thank you, President Trump. Thank you. Thank you, Secretary Burgum.

[Donald Trump]

Thank you, Lee Zeldin.

[News Commentator]

He didn't know his energy secretary, Chris

[News Reporter]

Wright was right behind him.

[Video Clip Operator]

Play this clip right here.

[Donald Trump]

Better man than me for that one.

[Interviewer]

Not in all ways you feel that, but in one way in energy you do.

[Donald Trump]

And that was Chris, right? Where's Chris? Right here.

[Interviewer]

Right behind you. He's a hard one to find. And Chris has done it.

[News Commentator]

He then rambles on about how you're not allowed to fix your cars anymore

[News Reporter]

and that people are banned from fixing their cars.

[News Commentator]

I have no clue what he means here.

[Video Clip Operator]

Let's play it.

[Interviewer]

And the job he's done is great. We had the auto industry in yesterday. They don't want people to fix their car. I said, that's strange. I never heard of that. They have a thing to. Nobody's allowed to fix their car. They gave a man seven years in jail, actually, because he fixed his own car. So I thought we'd do something about that. But we'll get. We'll get it all straight going. Can you believe it? They want a bill that prohibits people from fixing. So if you're mechanically inclined, you know, I grew up, I went to school with some guys, did well in some cases, horrible students.

[News Commentator]

He then praises how handsome Giants quarterback Jackson dart is.

[Video Clip Operator]

Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

We had the quarterback. Jackson was the quarter, is the quarterback for the Giants. He's a big, strong guy. And I said, how do you think you do in women's sports, Jackson? He said, pretty good, sir. He didn't know I was joking. He was not worried. Let me put it that way. He would have been the greatest athlete in the history of women's sports. You got to see the size of this guy, like A male model, and

[Interviewer]

he's going to be a great quarterback.

[News Commentator]

He talks about how he wants to do a new promenade at the Lincoln Memorial.

[Video Clip Operator]

I'll share this with you. Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

We're doing something that just came up. We'll have a little breaking news here because nobody's heard of it. But at the Lincoln Memorial, the front was supposed to be the back. The back was supposed to be the front. It never got built because they built two roadways behind it after it was built. And it shut off the gateway to the water. That was really going to be the main entry. And we're going to be doing that.

[Interviewer]

We're going to.

[Donald Trump]

It's called the promenade. Be the promenade. They want to call it the Trump Promenade, but I don't know if I

[Interviewer]

want to do that.

[Donald Trump]

But it's going to be beautiful. It's a beautiful project. And it's going to take the Lincoln Memorial right down to the Potomac.

[News Commentator]

Here he is talking about his $250 bill that he wants to put his face on a $250 bill again. What are you even talking about?

[Video Clip Operator]

Let's play this clip.

[Interviewer Follow-up]

There's been a lot of talk lately about the treasury putting your face on a $250 bill. Have you seen a mock up of the Trump $250 bill? And if that winds up being currency, would you ever be able to tip anyone anything but that?

[Donald Trump]

Well, I think I probably leave it for. I have actually seen something just about two days ago. I know it's been pushed by a lot of our supporters, and I'm honored that they're doing it. But we'll see how that all works out. But I have heard about it, and there is a group of people, they really like the job we're doing. So that's a great honor. Yeah, please.

[News Commentator]

He talks about we need a triumphal arch because we need people to bow to our military victories.

[Video Clip Operator]

Let's play it right over here.

[Donald Trump]

And I'd like to know how you're doing on that and how are you doing on the great triumphal arc? So every city, just about every major city has a triumphal arc. This is an arc. That's a real bow, a beautiful bow to your military and military victories. Nobody has had more military victories, including recently, than we have. And they never got the Ark built. It's been. The Civil War stopped it. That circle has been sitting there for a long time, for many, many years.

[News Commentator]

And then he talks about solving eight wars.

[News Reporter]

And even though Bill Pulte, who Runs

[News Commentator]

Fannie and Freddie and the National Finance Agency doesn't know anything about national security.

[News Reporter]

Trump's like, I don't know anything about national security.

[News Commentator]

And look how quickly I learned.

[Video Clip Operator]

Here, I'll show you this. Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

It's not a permanent. He's not going to be permanent because, you know, I don't think he'd want to be permanent, but he's a very smart guy, and he may find out the rigged elections, et cetera, et cetera. I think you'd like to do it. I'd like to. I think he wants to do it very much. Got a lot of energy, but he'll be very good. Again, it's not a permanent position we're looking at. We're interviewing people right now, but it's somebody just to take it over for a little while.

[Interviewer]

Does he have a necessary, in your

[Donald Trump]

view, Mr. President, the necessary national security experience to take on that position? Well, I do, and I think he does, actually, because he's smart. Because a lot of national security. Look, I would. I wasn't greatly experienced in national security, and I think I've done a really great job with it. A lot of people would say that I've ended eight wars and soon to be a night. I hope that works out, too, you know.

[News Reporter]

And then he attacks Hillary Clinton.

[Interviewer]

Let's play it is in Wyoming and Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota and New Mexico. And they're going to. They're all going back to work. You know, it's interesting with the mines, that famous scene of Hillary when we

[Donald Trump]

went to West Virginia and she had

[Interviewer]

just left another state, and she was trying to convince everybody that they should go into technology, no longer be miners. And these guys in West Virginia, they

[Donald Trump]

didn't want to hear about it.

[Interviewer]

They wanted to be. Remember that scene around the table? And they talked to this beautiful, big, strong miner, and they wanted him to make computer chips. She said, we'll teach him how to make computer chips. His hands were so large, he couldn't hold a computer chip. He's looking at a computer. He had fingers that were like three inches around. They're talking about making a computer chip. And he didn't like it. And he ended up being one of our best dads ever. She was. And she did rather poorly. She lost. I think she lost by 77 points

[Donald Trump]

or something like that.

[Interviewer]

Pretty tough to go knock your knock call, and then you go two weeks later to West Virginia to try and win the state. It didn't work out well for well,

[News Reporter]

we'll keep you posted every step of the way.

[Video Clip Operator]

Right there.

[News Commentator]

But you see what Putin did? That's Trump's response.

[News Reporter]

We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

[News Commentator]

Hit subscribe. Let's get to 7 million subscribers.

[News Reporter]

Thanks for watching everybody. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our [e-mail] you'll get daily recaps from Ron Filipowski, ad free episodes of our podcast and more exclusive content only available at midasplus.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Com.