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Sunday Afternoon News Update: Trump's Iran Cut and Run Plan - 8/9/26
Your midday updates. Paywall free.
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Hi all, it’s Sunday. I’ll keep this quick so you can catch up on the latest news and get back to your day. Later, Ron Filipkowski will be back with his full weekend bulletin.
We’re opening this update to all Meidas+ subscribers. If you are able to join as a paid subscriber and have not yet, consider doing so now. It’s one of the most impactful ways you can support independent media, not to mention it gets you access to all our content here.
Ok, let’s dive right in. Here are the top stories at the moment:
Trump is growing increasingly panicked behind the scenes about the Iran War and is considering leaving without a nuclear deal, just so he can declare “victory” even though he knows he has lost
Iran continues to hold firm on their demands
Israel is threatening to strike Iran, with or without the U.S.
Netanyahu rejects the Gaza “Board of Peace” plan outright
More escalation in the Middle East with downed U.S. drones and refineries on fire
MAGA surrogates try to explain away the brutal jobs report
Trump and GOP attacks on Abdul El-Sayed and Trump’s AI slop posting spree
Trump Looks to Surrender and Claim “Victory”
I’ve long been reporting, that Trump has been increasingly defeated by the war behind-the-scenes. He thought he’d be able to be in and out of Iran, able to move on to his next conquest. But as the war has dragged on, he’s had to come to terms that this wasn’t the little “excursion” he said it was. Now, he is admitting defeat and looking for ways to leave the region while declaring victory. Per the Wall Street Journal, Trump is telling his closest aides that he wants to find some way for Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz, and then he wants to get out without getting a nuclear deal or anything else, for that matter.
You’ll notice that Trump isn’t even talking about denuclearization anymore. Instead, he’s back to his messaging saying that Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been destroyed. Per the WSJ, Trump believes Iran won’t be able to build their nuclear capabilities back up until after his term. In other words, like he’s done throughout his life, Trump created a mess, and now he wants others to fix it for him.
Let me just be clear that I think Trump should never have started this war in the first place, and after he did, he should have left much sooner. As you know, I even acknowledged that as flawed as the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was, it was the best option out of all bad options on the table. Anything at this point that gets our soldiers home and ends this illegal and costly war is good for the country.
Yet, Trump has dragged the war on longer and longer. Now, Iran feels more emboldened than ever. Tehran is holding firm on its terms from the MOU, saying unless those conditions are met, they won’t reopen the strait. Iran wants Israel out of Lebanon, sanctions relief, to keep its ballistic missile program intact, a massive infusion of aid and reparations, and a full U.S. withdrawal from the region. Basically, at this point, while Trump says, “Let’s leave,” Iran is saying, “Not so fast.” They want Trump to give them what they’ve been asking for.
Then, Trump spoke with Axios by phone and told them the U.S. is “low keying” with Iran, whatever that means, and that “it will work out.”
“Like a miracle, it will go away.” Anyone else getting those flashbacks?
Israel May Go At It Alone
While Trump speaks of retreat, Israel is signaling that they may strike Iran on their own, ideally pulling the U.S. deeper into the war once again. Israel’s Channel 13 says the IDF is preparing for the possibility of independent strikes on Iran with or without U.S. approval or support.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has been publicly rejected the so-called “Board of Peace” plan for Gaza that Trump’s been bragging about. Trump had claimed Israel and Hamas agreed to the terms. Netanyahu begs to differ. Netanyahu says Israel flatly rejects the 15-point document laid out by the board, full stop. Netanyahu says the IDF will not withdraw from Gaza unless Hamas disarms completely, and made clear that as long as he is Prime Minister, there will be no Palestinian state.
The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen continue to hammer Saudi interests across the region. They launched ballistic missiles and drones at Yemen’s Al-Mukha port, setting off fires and heavy smokes. This came after the new defense pact they announced with Turkey, which was on top of the one it already has with Pakistan. I told you yesterday that the Houthis would test this “pact” immediately. And they have.
Aramco, the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, also had a facility hit in Jubail, in eastern Saudi Arabia. The facility was still on fire as of earlier today. The Houthis put out a statement claiming responsibility. Some open source intelligence accounts I follow flagged that U.S. E-3G AWACS and Saudi AEW&C aircraft were flying over the area the night before, almost as if they were expecting the imminent attack. And then, a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone out of Chabelley Air Base crashed in Djibouti. We’re not sure just yet if it was shot down or mechanical failure. Either way, it’s yet another piece of American military hardware down in the region.
As our munitions continue to deplete to near-zero, the Pentagon reportedly gave defense companies a 21-day ultimatum to come up with a plan to build new weapons…or else. Or else what? Trump and Hegseth want to keep pushing responsibility onto others to try to hide from their own failures and mismanagement. Trump’s big plan as of now appears to be posting Newsmax articles saying that actually the U.S. has “massive” amounts of munitions.
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More Pathetic Economic Spin from the Trump Regime
Trump’s surrogates were out and about on the Sunday shows today. Republican Senator Jim Banks on Meet the Press bragged about Trump being the greatest peacemaker of his lifetime, and saying Trump deserves an A+ on the economy.
Fox propagandist Maria Bartiromo called it “propaganda” when Democrats point out the economy isn’t doing well. She says it’s doing great. All the CEOs she speaks with tell her it is.
Kevin Hassett, Trump’s economic adviser who is always awkwardly smiling through his lies, told Jake Tapper on CNN that tariffs aren’t an issue and we’re actually in the strongest jobs market of our lifetime. As he said this, the chyron reminded viewers that the U.S. just LOST 23K jobs in July. As Tapper pushed back, Hassett continued to insist that everything is great.
Trump’s AI Slop and Abdul El-Sayed Attacks
Trump and the GOP’s approach to the midterms appears to be a combination of racism, transphobia, fearmongering about communism, and gaslighting about the economy. Overnight, Trump posted a ton of AI slop images on his social media account. In the mix, he posted a meme of him and Melania, besides a photo of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and his wife. He captioned it: “Two VERY DIFFERENT America’s” (yes, that’s how he spelled it).
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El-Sayed was asked about the Islamophobic post. I’ll transcribe his response here in its entirety, because it’s worth reading. Here’s how El-Sayed flipped it right back on him live on CNN:
”Yeah, he's right. One in which your overlords are two people who don't like each other, but joined in the interest of making billions of dollars off of you.
Or two people who genuinely love each other, enjoyed some pancakes together, want to come together to build the kind of America where they can raise a family and know that that family is going to have the good things.
So, yes, you got two different visions of America. Donald Trump's vision is the one you're living in right now. Can you afford your gas? Can you afford your groceries? Do you believe, when you look your kids in the eye, that they're going to have a better future than you did?
And Sarah and I are running because when we look our daughters in the eye, Emmalee and Shireen, we want them to believe that they're every bit as able to have a better future than the one that they could have had under the Trump administration. That they can live together with their sisters and their brothers in America in a way where they lock arms to build the good things that they deserve together.
Where they know they'll have the healthcare that they need and good jobs, and that they don't have to go 15 minutes and know that there are kids who live 15 minutes away whose lives are very, very different than theirs because we've been, for far too long, okay with a level of inequality in this country.
I want them to live in an America where they can breathe clean air and drink clean water.
And actually, Sarah and I like each other. I don't know about the First Lady and the President, but from what I've heard, it's a bit of a rocky road.”
I mean, in Trump we are talking about a man who cheated on his wife with an adult film actress he compared to his own daughter, has bragged on tape about sexually assaulting women, and who was best friends with Jeffrey Epstein. Sure, there are two Americas: the Epstein Class that Trump represents, and the America built on hope, love, and family, which is what the El-Sayeds are modeling.
Republicans, including Trump, keep insisting on using El-Sayed’s full name, Abdulrahman instead of Abdul, in order to scare people about his religion. Same thing they did and continue to do with Obama. Their excuses show how pathetic they truly are. Republican Senator Tim Scott was asked about this by reporter Manu Raju, and he said it’s exactly how people all the time call him by his full name, Timothy Eugene. Sure thing, Tim.
While we’re on the topic of pathetic Republicans, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to confirm Todd Blanche, apparently wants credit for supposedly almost voting no. That’s what he said on Face the Nation, at least. Sorry Bill, that’s not how this works. You don’t get a participation trophy for possibly considering doing the right thing.
Back to Trump, he also kept posting more and more AI slop memes…of the ballroom “drone port,” of Pete Buttigieg and Alfred E. Neuman. You get the point. Our reporters also noticed that Trump has installed signs at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blaming “past administrations,” in other words, Obama and Biden," for issues with the pool (weren’t you one of those “past administrations”). So deeply embarrassing. What a tiny, tiny individual.
That’s all for now. Ron will be back with more later with the full weekend bulletin. And if you haven’t yet, consider preordering our new book, WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy. If and when you do, be sure to let me know in the comments.
See you soon, and shoutout to the Meidas Mighty!
I also find it interesting that Dr El-Sayed's wife was mentioned wearing a hijab. Would it be mentioned if Dr El-Sayed was a Jew and wearing a yarmulke or his wife was wearing a sheitel? These are unintended but significant slips that show the prejudice that we here in the United States still have against those who practice the Muslim faith. As a Jew, I find this continued anti-semitism so very disturbing, a situation that I blame squarely on Trump.
I guess I'd like to ask them, "off air," how they would feel about being addressed by their well-earned advanced degrees. They might have some thoughts about that.
there are two doctors whose races i follow. both seem to have dropped the Dr. in front of their names in the last couple weeks.
Yours is an excellent, easy and effective strategy signifying respect for Drs Abdul and Sarah El-Sayed, their professional achievements and their contributions!
The price America is paying and will pay for generations to come by letting this putrefying tub of lard rape, pillage and plunder wherever and whenever supported by the lowest life forms that suck up for endless grifting. It’s corruption on an industrialized, mechanized scale never seen before, condoned at every level. Trump’s criminal cult must effectively be given the knockout punch in November and the democrats need to prepare for massive, sweeping investigations of all involved including family.
Paolo Zampoli introduced Malaria to donOLD....interesting connections to TATE.
How come MALARIA's background is concealed?
Trump’s Envoy Handed Andrew Tate the Constitution. Tate Promised to Cite It in Court.
Bizarre "interview" surfaces of Paolo Zampolli interviewed by Andrew Tate.
Zev Shalev
Jul 19, 2026
excerpt:
The tape opens with a gift. Paolo Zampolli — the State Department’s special envoy for global partnerships, Melania Trump’s oldest friend, the man Narativ has spent weeks tracing through Russian diplomatic circles — hands Andrew Tate a copy of the US Constitution. Tate thanks him and says the quiet part into the microphone: “I’m gonna read this and I’m g…
https://www.narativ.org/p/trumps-envoy-handed-andrew-tate-the
The Republican Fraud On WE the People
Fraud is an intentional act of deception or a knowing misrepresentation of the truth designed to secure an unfair or unlawful gain or to deprive a victim of their money, property, or legal rights.
One thing is for sure, Republicans have over the last 40y have gradually defrauded WE the People with Reagan’s trickle down economics, a debunked theory that essentially whittled down the middle class and debilitated the unions, making the corporate boardrooms king. Of course for rich donors came the tax breaks for the wealthy.
Remember Reagan’s fraud of the “welfare queen”, which was the beginning of the attack on the social safety net for those less fortunate who supported the wealthy’s tax breaks and continues in earnest today.
Remember how John Roberts and the fascist Heritage Foundation thought up the unitary executive theory and then before Cheeto’s second term got started gave the president immunity from crimes committed during the presidency. This has led to brazen criminal corruption today.
Now the evolving Republican party has become a full blown fascist party and pulled the biggest fraud of all by getting the American electorate to buy into Cheeto’s lies and get a felon elected to the presidency. The fascist Republicans should not be trusted with government’s power again.
The attack on Iran is going down in the books as perhaps the biggest blunder that the United States ever made. A certified catastrophe that we and our allies (if we still have any left) may take years to disentangle ourselves from. We gained nothing and lost everything from this. Classic Trump: a loser with everything he touches. We should hav e listened to his father. He knew his son Donald was a loser.
Remember that there was an INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT in place that IRAN was complying with -
Overview of the International Agreement with Iran
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is the key international agreement concerning Iran's nuclear program. It was established in July 2015 and involves several world powers, including the United States, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
Objectives of the JCPOA
The main goals of the JCPOA are:
Limit Iran's Nuclear Program: The agreement aims to restrict Iran's nuclear activities to ensure they remain peaceful.
Sanctions Relief: In exchange for compliance, Iran would receive relief from economic sanctions that had been imposed due to concerns over its nuclear ambitions.
Trump withdraws U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal. Here’s what you need to know
https://politifact.com/article/2018/may/08/trump-withdrew-us-iran-nuclear-deal-heres-what-you/
NETANYAHU, perennial liar, 'produced documents' that convinced BRAIN DEAD tRump to nullify the AGREEMENT ....besides, that BLACK DUDE negotiated it!
Daffy Don couldn't allow the BLACK DUDE to take credit....after the fact, don't invent excuses for why tRump made a reasonable decision.
IRAN was providing DRONES to RUSSIA to BOMB UKRAINE - which both tRump and REPUBLICANS have betrayed.
ZELENSKY reported that RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE was providing information that enabled IRAN to BOMB and DESTROY U.S. MILITARY EQUIPMENT.
There are 3 MAD MEN who need to be removed to protect the WORLD: PUTIN, NETANYAHU and tRump !
AIPAC = ANTI-DEMOCRACY needs to be MUZZLED and DEFEATED in U.S. ELECTIONS!
ISRAEL is losing support for its atrocities and GENOCIDE.
In addition, tRump has surrounded himself with LOSERS! WHISKEY PETE needs to go and be prosecuted for WAR CRIMES (no statute of limitations).
Firing BLACKS and WOMEN in the military?
It’s becoming glaringly apparent that Trump and his entire administration have no plan for absolutely anything. All they do is post hate speech against their opponents and stupid memes. They’re running on that. No plan on how to make things better for Americans because they don’t care about anyone but themselves. All Trump cares about is how much money he can grift off of any and everything and plastering his name and face on everything. He’s a greedy imbecile who is incompetent and morally disgusting.
Tim Scott is a disgrace to the African American community
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed impresses me as an extremely intelligent compassionate caring individual who is married to an extremely intelligent woman who happens to be a psychiatrist . So yes there is a bit of a difference in these two couples when Trump and Melania present as soulless, heartless people living separate lives and having nothing in common with the American public.
Would love to see Netan-the-yahoo crash and burn politically. Let him be on his own. He's half responsible.
I just love Abdul! His come backs are quite the digs on Trump. That’s why Abdul got two votes from this household 💙💙💙💙
Just…FUCK trump, Netanyahu, putin, miller, bessent, voght and to each their associates, not enough space to list, those dirt bags THAT ARE DESTROYING THE WORLD JUST BY THEIR EXISTENCE !
Lindsay Graham observed last Spring that the Republican Party is now Trump's party. In your communications, please use "the Trump Party" instead of "the Republican Pary" or "the GOP". The Grand Old Party, the Republican Party, is dead. The sole goal of the Trump Party is to stuff the Family's pockets with tens of billions, from all sources, including we taxpayers.
With the Blanche confirmation, the Trump Party Senators confirmed to the world that they are now employed by the Trump Family. Who are stealing from us. These Senators are actively working against the interests of their own constituents. They can't claim fidelity to their voters while they are helping the Trump Family steal from them.
You’re right of course, but I jut can’t say or type his name. I would argue that it is no longer what could be considered a legitimate party. It’s a cult, in service only to him. I’ve settled on Maggot Cult for the time being, and it deserves to wiped out, eliminated, destroyed, crushed from existence.
Unless I'm quoting something, and even then it depends, but my phone won't capitalize trump. It leaves it lowercase. Unless it's the first word, it's automatic. I hit the button for lowercase and type trump. Shows no respect imho. Which I have zero for him. I'm beginning to not like typing maga because they're a cult and more the party of trump cultist. I start typing party, and my phone gives me of trump automatically. Smart for some things, this phone is, dumber than dumb for other shit....lol
I call it the maga party. The Republican Party died. The felon doesn't deserve to have it called after his name...he's destroyed too much, imo.
Graham said there's no more republicans, they're all the party of trump. And if you're not careful trump will destroy you. To clarify myself, here's Graham's statement:
Graham stated that any Republicans who try to politically "destroy" Donald Trump or stand in the way of his agenda will lose, emphasizing, "You can disagree with President Trump, but if you try to destroy him you're going to lose, because this is the party of Donald Trump."
What I think Graham forgot, was his tweet from 2016.
Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC
If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed....and we will deserve it.
4:03 PM May 3, 2016
It’s amazing to me that 90% of the people in the US aren’t reading and comprehending all the lies tRump spouts day in and day out! He’s giving us all the reason we need for a blue wave in November and again in 2028!! Protect our elections!
Can we all start calling him Senator Timothy Eugene Scott, pretty please?
Yes, of course. 2 different Americas!
Lovely stable and intelligent couple versus a felon and his nude model! Yes, definitely a contrast.
Would anyone be surprised if the war criminal Netanyahu engineered a false flag attack on U.S. troops to make it look like Iran in order to tie Trump's hands before he can get out? If anyone thinks this is too far-fetched, please google the USS Liberty.
First of all, Isreal started this Iran war! Netanyahu asked for DJT to join him! I still believe Netanyahu, like Putin, has some damning information on DJT! Anyway, Netanyahu will continue this war without DJT. I believe we should pay reparations for the school and for destroying water facilities,. Isreal can pay reparations when they are done! We may lean a little more to the right because of DJT and his administration! Hopefully the judge will go hard on Blanche and his redactions. Allowing Blanche more time is ludicrous! Some of these survivors have spent years trying to get authorities to listen to them! A 13 year old didn't have the words to say what was done to them, or why they were in that situation! They didn't know who these men were! Perpetrators and co-conspirators need to be prosecuted and not after they are dead and buried! What president ever spent the night posting A I of himself as God, Dr, General, King etc? He has so much time on his hands!