If you ever needed proof that we are living in a banana republic with better branding, today’s live delivered it in triplicate.
We started with something almost too absurd to be real: Trump’s own Department of Justice is investigating what appear to be massive, suspiciously timed bets on oil markets — trades totaling over $2.6 billion — made just minutes before the White House made major announcements about the Iran war. Someone knew what Trump was going to do before Trump announced it. And now Trump’s DOJ is supposed to find out who. That’s not a punchline. That’s the actual situation.
Then we moved to Iran, where the real geopolitical entertainment is playing out. The world — oil markets, foreign governments, global economies — is sitting on the edge of its seat waiting to see how Iran responds to the White House’s 14-point proposal. The Iranians have masterfully positioned themselves at the center of every major decision on the planet, while the administration that sent them the proposal is the one nervously waiting for an answer. Mitch’s read: they’re not done with him yet.
And we closed with Howard Lutnick — Commerce Secretary, Epstein island visitor, and apparently the first cabinet secretary in recent memory to testify before an oversight committee controlled by his own party. His explanation for why he went to the island? He called it “inexplicable.” That’s his word. His own word.
One hour. Three stories. Zero off-ramps. Watch the full live above.
