Republicans Blast Trump's Iran Deal!

Summary

The Parnas Perspective

Episode: Republicans Blast Trump's Iran Deal!
Host: Aaron Parnas
Date: June 17, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Aaron Parnas dissects a whirlwind of political developments, focusing especially on the backlash from Republicans against Donald Trump’s newly signed Iran peace deal—described by critics as “the worst foreign policy blunder in American history.” The show also touches on Trump’s controversial comments about Puerto Rico and Greenland, breaking news about Jeffrey Epstein documents tied to the Trump administration, and a practical fiasco surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Throughout, Aaron brings his signature legal savvy and rapid-fire analysis to each issue, illuminating both the policy substance and political maneuvering at play.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Attempt to Sell Puerto Rico for Greenland

• Context: New reports reveal Trump floated the idea of selling Puerto Rico to acquire Greenland, disparaging Puerto Rico in the process.
• Memorable quote:
  • "Puerto Rico was, quote, dirty and poor. That's not me saying that, that is the President of the United States calling an American territory dirty and poor." (Aaron Parnas, 01:51)
• Parnas’s commentary: Trump’s language and intent underscored his administration’s dismissiveness toward US territories and their residents, which echoes comedic but serious attacks seen at campaign rallies.

2. Trump’s Iran Deal Blasted by Republicans

• Deal Details: Trump signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran, which has inflamed criticism from his own party.
• Senator Bill Cassidy’s criticism:
  • "Ronald Reagan is rolling in his grave. Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future... This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades." (Senator Cassidy, quoted at 03:18)
• Key shortfalls highlighted by analysts:
  • The deal fails to:
    • Halt Iran's nuclear enrichment (including non-weapon enrichment).
    • End Iran's ballistic missile program.
    • Address Iranian support for terrorism.
    • Secure a permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz (instead, Iran and Oman may toll the straits after 60 days).
    • Delay sanctions relief (Iran gets oil export relief from day one).
• Critique of Vice President JD Vance:
  • "The Vice President of the United States, the chief negotiator on this particular project, has not well served the president." (Political Analyst, 05:05)

3. Trump’s Own Take: Blame-Shifting and Motivation

• Trump jokes about the deal:
  • "I like that idea. Sure. This way, if it works out, I'm going to take the credit. If it doesn't work out, I'm going to blaming JD. You better be careful, JD. He's going to turn his plane around and get the hell out of here." (Donald Trump, 05:32)
• Parnas’s take: These comments, delivered as jokes, have a serious undertone: Trump is ready to pin blame on subordinates if things go south.
• Trump’s reasoning for ending the war with Iran:
  • "If I went out and continued to bomb them for another four, just bomb the hell out of them, I'd get bad press on that... Also, we run out of reserves in about four weeks... you want to see bedlam." (Donald Trump, 06:02)
• Implication: Trump frames the peace deal as a pragmatic decision due to oil reserves and optics, not a moral or strategic win.

4. Ballistic Missiles: Trump’s Surprising Stance

• Reporter’s question: Will Iran give up ballistic missiles under the deal?
• Trump’s response:
  • "If other countries have [ballistic missiles], it's a little bit unfair for them not to have some... in relative proportion, I think it's okay." (Donald Trump, 07:19)
• Analysis: This is a notable position shift, given that US policy long aimed to curb Iran’s missile capabilities.

5. Emerging Epstein Documents

• Background: Democracy Forward successfully obtained a FOIA court order compelling the release of Trump administration documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
• Content: Records include correspondence involving Attorney General Pam Bondi, the DOJ, and Trump’s senior staff.
• Significance: These documents are anticipated to fuel further public scrutiny and potential legal exposure for Trump and associates. (07:53)

6. Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Fiasco

• Update: Despite a $14 million renovation, the Reflecting Pool is plagued by algae just before the Fourth of July.
• Internal response:
  • NPS emails describe an urgent mobilization with 12-hour shifts to clean the pool.
  • "The administration had promoted the renovation as a permanent fix... Instead, crews are now vacuuming algae and adding hydrogen peroxide to try to fix it." (Aaron Parnas, 08:23)
• Takeaway: Another instance where the Trump administration’s self-promotion runs into disappointing reality.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Puerto Rico was, quote, dirty and poor." (Aaron Parnas quoting Trump, 01:51)
• "This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades." (Senator Cassidy, 03:38)
• "The Vice President... has not well served the president." (Political Analyst, 05:05)
• "If it doesn't work out, I'm going to blaming JD." (Donald Trump, 05:32)
• "If other countries have [ballistic missiles], it's a little bit unfair for them not to have some." (Donald Trump, 07:19)
• "Employees are being asked to volunteer for 12 hour shifts to assist with scrubbing, pumping and other cleanup operations as officials elevate the effort to a regional and national priority." (Aaron Parnas, 08:33)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:31] - News round-up begins: Trump’s Puerto Rico/Greenland comments
• [03:18] - Republicans blast Trump’s Iran deal; Senator Cassidy quoted
• [04:13] - Analyst breaks down specific failures of Iran deal
• [05:32] - Trump’s ‘blame Vance’ joke at press conference
• [06:02] - Trump explains the war’s end: oil, optics, and strategy
• [07:19] - Trump on Iran’s ballistic missiles
• [07:53] - Emerging Epstein document court order
• [08:23] - Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool algae crisis

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Tone and Style

Aaron Parnas adopts a brisk, authoritative delivery—combining legal precision, political insight, and a Gen Z media sensibility. He cuts through spin, often highlighting the real-world impacts and political calculations underlying official pronouncements.

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Summary

For listeners who missed the episode, “Republicans Blast Trump’s Iran Deal!” delivers high-level analysis and new insights into Trump’s latest foreign policy controversy, the unexpected Republican backlash, and the broader culture of self-preservation and buck-passing in the Trump camp. Balanced in legal analysis and media critique, Aaron Parnas offers a compelling breakdown for anyone seeking clarity amid the news cyclone.

Transcript

[Political Supporter]

Seriously, why aren't Democrats in Washington doing more to stop Trump?

[Political Advocate]

I know. Have you heard about Phil Weisner in Colorado though?

[Political Supporter]

No. Is he different?

[Political Advocate]

Yeah. A.G. weiser sued the Trump administration 65 times. He's beating Trump in court again and again. Things like protecting Obamacare against Trump's illegal tariffs and he even won against Ticketmaster.

[Political Supporter]

So he actually gets results exactly as

[Political Advocate]

Governor Phil will fight for Colorado.

[Political Supporter]

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[News Host]

which means a busy news update. Everything from Donald Trump wanting to sell Puerto Rico because its residents are quote, poor and the territory is, quote, dirty to Republicans blasting Donald Trump's Iran peace deal calling it the worst foreign policy blunder in American history. We have exclusive reporting on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool project that's gone from bad to worse. And new Epstein information risks revealing some very key documents that this White House desperately wanted to keep private. So to say it's a busy update is an understatement. Lots to cover right now like comment, share and subscribe to my substack link below to support my work. Our next paid subscriber only live will be tonight around 8:20pm on substack. Make sure to subscribe today if you can, and let's jump right in. Donald Trump tried to sell Puerto Rico According to new reporting from the New Yorker, Donald Trump suggested that he could actually purchase Greenland by selling Puerto Rico. Could we swap Puerto Rico for Greenland? He suggested, because in his words, Puerto Rico was, quote, dirty and poor. That's not me saying that, that is the President of the United States calling an American territory dirty and poor. Now, Trump has long attacked Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans remember that Madison Square Garden rally where the President of the United States drew out comedians who were making jokes attacking Puerto Rican residents right before the election? Well, those jokes weren't fully jokes, as you can see here. Even the President himself believed them to be serious, saying that Puerto Rico was dirty and the people were poor. Now, they never moved forward on this. Right. This was it. But that is what the President was saying behind the scenes. And it comes as Trump's 14 point memorandum of understanding with Iran has been signed today. Only problem is, it's upset some Republicans. Here's Republican Senator Bill Cassidy saying that Ronald Reagan is rolling in his grave. Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future. Now Iran gets to build brand new infrastructure under this deal. Before the war pestrate was open, Iran was crushed by sanctions and 13 service members were still alive. Now 13Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted and the bombing has stopped. This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades. He's not the only Republican saying that.

[Political Analyst]

This MOU appears to be, just from the text, a disaster that does not achieve any of the actual signal goals that were set by the administration at the beginning. There were effectively five goals that were set by the administration at the beginning. One was ending the nuclear program. Not just nuclear weapons. No nuclear enrichment, zero enrichment. That is not in the deal. Ballistic missiles ended. That is not in the deal. And the President today suggested that ballistic missiles should actually continue to be held by the Iranians because the Saudis, our allies, also hold ballistic missiles. Then you have the support of terrorism. That is not part of the deal. Anything that looks like an attempt to end terrorism, a permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz toll free. Not only is that not in the deal, the deal appears to have a provision allowing Iran and Oman to attempt to toll the straits after 60 days. And then finally the idea that Iran would receive some sort of sanctions relief after all of those things happen. We are already seeing from day one relief in their ability to ship oil out of Iran. In my opinion, the Vice President of the United States, the chief negotiator on this particular project, has not well served the president.

[News Host]

So he says Vance has not well served the president.

[Political Analyst]

Well.

[News Host]

Trump himself thinks that if the deal goes bad, he could just blame Vance.

[Political Analyst]

Some element to this where you send the Vice President. If it works out, great, you look like a genius for sending him. And if it doesn't work out, it's the vice President.

[Donald Trump]

I like that idea. Sure. This way, if it works out, I'm going to take the credit. If it doesn't work out, I'm going to blaming JD. You better be careful, jd. He's going to turn his plane around and get the hell out of here. Yeah, I like that idea. I think it's a good idea. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.

[News Host]

He's joking about it. But these jokes become a little more serious with each passing moment. And while it comes, as Trump admitted, the real reason for ending the war so quickly, because oil was running out, get bad press.

[Donald Trump]

I know that now. If I did the opposite, if I went out and continued to bomb them for another four, just bomb the hell out of them, I'd get bad press on that. No, there's nothing I can do. But what this does is it allows the ships to go. If we keep bombing, those ships won't be going. And you're talking about 500, 600, $700 million a day. It's a lot of money. A lot of money. That's why the world is okay, it's liquid, it's fine. Also, we run out of reserves in about four weeks. You know, there are reserves all over the world and we would really run out and there'll be a time when you wouldn't be able to get it and you want to see bedlam. So for all those so called geniuses that want to show me how smart they are, ask them why didn't they blow up General Soleimani? Ask that of the general and a couple of other people that I like very much. But boy are they wrong. Go ahead.

[News Host]

How about you says that the reserves were running out. The reserves are running out. Well, a key part of all of the Iran negotiations was ballistic missiles. Will Iran give up their ballistic missile capabilities? And today Trump says no. The press conference, you said you don't

[Donald Trump]

mind Iran having ballistic missiles. Can you elaborate on that?

[News Host]

I want to make sure we understand your position.

[Donald Trump]

No, I want, I'm saying that if other countries have, have them, it's a little bit unfair for them not to have some. A ballistic missile is not the same thing as what we're talking about when we talk nuclear. But if Saudi Arabia and Qatar and they all have some, I would say in relative proportion, I think it's okay.

[News Host]

That's what I mean, in relative proportion. He says it's okay for Iran to have ballistic missiles despite the fact that the goal of this war in part was taking out Iran's ballistic missiles. I mentioned the big Epstein news. These documents are going to have to be released sooner rather than later. Group called Democracy Forward was able to successfully FOIA information concerning Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump, specifically records relating to the correspondence between Trump and Epstein from Attorney General Pam Bondi, Todd Blanche, the Associate Attorney General or Acting Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, Senior Advisors, Chief of Staff, all of them. These documents are going to have to be released to the public under the new court order issued today. And finally, this is what the Reflecting pool looks like today. That is green. That is algae. And in exclusive reporting tonight, I can confirm that just weeks after completing a more than $14 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the Trump administration is urgently recruiting additional federal workers to help combat worsening algae problem before the Fourth of July. According to an internal National Park Service email that I, Scott and I saw myself, employees are being asked to volunteer for 12 hour shifts to assist with the scrubbing, pumping and other cleanup operations as officials elevate the effort to a regional and national priority. The administration had promoted the resident renovation as a permanent fix for leaks and recurring algae blooms. Instead, crews are now vacuuming algae and adding hydrogen peroxide to try to fix it. And well, this is what it looks like tonight, so we're going to see what the night brings. There'll be much more news throughout the night into tomorrow and I'll have updates every step of the way, so make sure to like comment, share and if you can subscribe to my substack link below to support my work. We're going to have our paid subscriber only live tonight, which I'm very excited for. I'm going to be on Ms. Now at wait 11:15 tonight, so spread the word, subscribe to keep me caffeinated and keep me awake and I'll see you soon. Hey folks, thanks so much for watching. Feel free to add this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you watch for the latest breaking news and daily hits throughout the day. Make sure to follow subscribe. See you soon for more.

[Political Supporter]

Seriously, why aren't Democrats in Washington doing more to stop Trump?

[Political Advocate]

I know. Have you heard about Phil Weiser in Colorado though?

[Political Supporter]

No. Is he different?

[Political Advocate]

Yeah. A.G. weiser sued the Trump administration 65 times. He's beating Trump in court again and again. Things like protecting Obamacare against Trump's illegal tariffs and he even won against Ticketmaster.

[Political Supporter]

So he actually gets results exactly as

[Political Advocate]

governor Phil will fight for Colorado.

[Political Supporter]

Paid for by Phil Weiser for Colorado registered agent Nana Nasgese.