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1h 32m

How Bad Is Trump’s Iran Deal?

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About this episode

Tommy and Ben are back with a week of bad deals, high-stakes elections, and World Cup joy.

The US and Iran have agreed to a deal to end the war, but the Trump administration has refused to release the text to anyone — so the guys parse through what we think we know. The short version: it's a pretty good deal for Iran that meets almost none of the goals Trump set out before the war started, and the nuclear issue hasn’t even been touched yet. Then the guys question if Netanyahu will do something to torpedo the whole thing with his continued war against Lebanon. In England, a special election could reshape British politics and set up a direct challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Meanwhile, a spate of developments across England, Italy, France, and Switzerland signal increasing growth for far-right movements in Europe. In Trump world, there’s both good and very bad news: Trump backed down on installing Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence after bipartisan pushback, and the dismantling of USAID continues to have devastating real-world consequences. And finally, with the World Cup in full swing, Tommy and Ben take a moment to enjoy the fans, from Scots drinking their way across, to Mexican and Korean fans bonding over tequila, and Nigerian fans flying all the way to Mexico just to root against South Africa. At the end of the show, Tommy speaks to CNN’s Senior International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen, about what he saw and heard on his latest reporting trip on the ground in Iran.

Buy Ben’s book All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches  and subscribe to his Substack here.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

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