What A Day – "A Trumped Up Ceasefire"

Date: April 9, 2026
Host: Jane Coston
Guests: Tommy Vitor (Crooked Media’s Pod Save the World), Matt Berg (Crooked’s Washington Correspondent)

Overview

In this episode, Jane Coston unpacks the complexity and confusion surrounding the recently announced Trump-brokered “ceasefire” between the United States and Iran. The episode covers the conflicting interpretations held by the involved parties, escalating violence in the region, the US administration’s fractured messaging, Netanyahu’s possible motives, and what (if anything) has been achieved by the war and subsequent ceasefire attempt. Later, the episode explores domestic implications for the Trump administration, immigration controversies, and a segment on Kanye West (Ye) being barred from the UK.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disastrous Ceasefire: What Was Actually Agreed To?

• Context: Trump announced a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, but immediate confusion and violence followed.
• Divergent Interpretations:
  • Iranian State Media: Claims "the framework includes an end to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, and an end to all sanctions, and permission for Iran to enrich as much nuclear material as it wants." (00:57)
  • US White House: Denies these terms, stating this is not the US plan. Israel continues strikes. (01:18)
• Quote: "It sounds like they all agreed to a ceasefire agreement, it's just not clear that it was the same one." — Tommy Vitor (03:17)
• Pakistan, the mediator, explicitly said Lebanon was included, contradicting the US/Israel position. (02:30)
• Violence continues: Israel conducts massive strikes in Lebanon even after the ceasefire announcement (over 200 killed, per Lebanese Civil Defense).

2. Netanyahu’s Agenda & Israel’s Calculus

• Netanyahu sees the fight with Hezbollah as separate from Iran:
  • "Netanyahu doesn't want anyone to tell him what to do when it comes to his own border..." (04:23)
  • IDF brags about bombing: “...the IDF is bragging about hitting 100 targets in 10 minutes, is because they are hoping that this is a way to make the cease fire agreement go away...” — Tommy Vitor (04:23)
• Mistrust due to Israel being cut out of negotiations. (04:23)
• Question of war's end: “Does Netanyahu want this war to end with Iran?”
  • "I don't think so." — Tommy Vitor (05:58)

3. The US Political Mess & JD Vance’s Role

• JD Vance's Position: Presented as both anti-war and complicit, having tried to shift policy to either side at various times.
  • “JD Vance has taken every position on this war possible. And the idea that this guy thinks he can come out of this administration and still run is like, J.D. Vance... You did nothing to stop it. You enabled Donald Trump.” — Tommy Vitor (09:30)
  • “It's a farce. Tucker Carlson's gonna run against him and clean his clock from the right and be like, you were part of this war.” — Tommy Vitor (09:31)
• Vance is now leading US negotiations in Pakistan. “Hopefully, JD Vance will bring with him some experts, um, and he will come with the actual authority from Donald Trump to make decisions. But I guess we'll find out." — Tommy Vitor (08:06)
• Administration division: Many players want diverging outcomes; Trump’s own motivations remain unclear.

4. What Has Been Achieved? (Or Not)

• Jane Coston presses the central question: "Have we achieved anything? What are we doing here?” (11:04)
• Tommy Vitor’s Assessment:
  • Iran nuclear program: Still active, now with less oversight ("We no longer have IAEA inspectors... likely that Iran will be more motivated than ever to seek a nuclear weapon as a deterrent." — 11:16)
  • Iranian military: Despite strike campaigns, still capable of significant action ("Iran was still able to fire 30 ballistic missiles a day and 50–100 drones..." — 11:58)
  • Support for proxies: Continues ("Clearly, they're giving them diplomatic support today." — 11:58)
  • Regime change: "We traded Ali Khamenei... for his more hardline son..."
  • Conclusion: “...Iran now has more control over the Strait of Hormuz than ever before and thus the global economy. So it's really... Hard for me to view this one as a big win at the moment.” — Tommy Vitor (12:29)
  • Memorable line: "It's embarrassing. And like, you know, the Financial Times is reporting that the Iranians are going to demand crypto payments for the toll..." — Tommy Vitor (12:53)

5. Impact on Civilians, Protesters, and Regional Stability

• Protesters in Iran: Now face a regime that is "more hardline, less likely to want to do anything that we would have wanted them to do even before all of this happened." — Jane Coston (11:00)
• Ordinary Iranians lose most: "The Iranian people are the ones getting screwed the most here because they are left with a destroyed country, a more hardline government that is far more willing now to crack down on any dissent, any protests than they were a few months ago..." — Tommy Vitor (13:13)

6. US Political Fallout and Domestic Headlines

(17:14)

• ICE Actions: Over 800 arrests based on TSA tips since Trump’s second term began. Reports of family separations, including an army staff sergeant’s wife detained days after their wedding.
  • “It's pretty telling that people don't like what ICE is doing or what this administration is doing...” — Jane Coston (18:24)
• GOP Troubles in Local Elections:
  • Major Democratic overperformance in Wisconsin and Georgia races (liberal judge wins big; Trump-voting district sees steep drop in GOP margin).
  • “If Trump's not on the ticket, Republicans do way worse. Also, everybody's very mad at Republicans.” — Jane Coston (19:17)

7. International & Culture Segment: Kanye West (Ye)

(20:25)

• Ye barred from entering the UK: Due to antisemitic episodes and controversial public statements. UK festival canceled, British PM says “Kanye West should never have been invited.”
• Ye’s attempted comeback: After several scandals and a Wall Street Journal ad blaming a brain injury, his reputation abroad remains tainted—but he finds support in some circles in the US and Europe.
  • “His career is in this weird holding pattern... the last several years have been very much a hindrance to his success internationally and with most people. And yet there are lots of people who still want to see him do Kanye.” — Jane Coston (21:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It sounds like they all agreed to a ceasefire agreement, it's just not clear that it was the same one."
  — Tommy Vitor (03:17)

• “JD Vance has taken every position on this war possible. And the idea that this guy thinks he can come out of this administration and still run is like, J.D. Vance... You did nothing to stop it. You enabled Donald Trump.”
  — Tommy Vitor (09:30)

• “It’s a farce. Tucker Carlson’s gonna run against him and clean his clock from the right and be like, you were part of this war.”
  — Tommy Vitor (09:31)

• "Iran now has more control over the Strait of Hormuz than ever before and thus the global economy."
  — Tommy Vitor (12:29)

• "The Iranian people are the ones getting screwed the most here..."
  — Tommy Vitor (13:13)

• On US political fallout:
  “If Trump's not on the ticket, Republicans do way worse. Also, everybody's very mad at Republicans.”
  — Jane Coston (19:17)

• On Kanye/Ye:
  "His career is in this weird holding pattern..."
  — Jane Coston (21:38)

Important Timestamps

• 00:57 – Explanation of confusing and conflicting ceasefire terms and immediate violations
• 02:30 – Pakistan's mediator role; inclusion of Lebanon in the terms
• 03:17–04:23 – Discussion of three simultaneous ceasefire agreements and Israel’s motives
• 07:26–09:44 – Analysis of JD Vance’s diplomatic role and ambiguous positions
• 11:04–12:31 – Assessment of US objectives vs. realities post-war with Iran
• 13:13 – Commentary on worsening conditions for ordinary Iranians
• 17:14–18:24 – ICE actions, DHS shutdown, and public reaction
• 18:43–19:38 – Democratic overperformance in local elections and GOP worries
• 20:25–21:38 – Ye’s (Kanye West's) UK ban and global career fallout

Conclusion

This episode of "What A Day" delivers a sharp, skeptical analysis of the so-called Iran-US ceasefire brokered by Trump, which has rapidly devolved into chaos. Jane and Tommy dissect the contradictory narratives, regional power plays, and ongoing violence, showing that no party is operating from a place of clarity or good faith—and that the biggest losers are ordinary Iranians and regional stability. The show also touches on domestic political ripple effects and the bizarre saga of Kanye West’s attempted international comeback.