Friday Afternoon Updates: MAGA Mike Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud – 6/26/26
Drones are hitting cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, US bases across the Middle East are wrecked, and Mike Johnson just made a stunning admission about his party
Hi all, Ben here. It’s Friday, and I have got a lot to get through today. Here’s what we’re tracking:
Iran fires drones at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, one slams into a cargo carrier, and Trump calls it a “foolish violation” of his own ceasefire
A new Wall Street Journal investigation reveals just how devastating Iran’s strikes on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia really were
Trump threatens Europe with 100% tariffs over digital service taxes
Trade deficit explodes to $105.8 billion, way above expectations
John Bolton agrees to plead guilty Friday on classified documents charges
A massive legal win for our own Katie Phang, as a federal judge orders the Trump administration to release more Epstein files by July 2
Billionaire Leon Black walks out of his Epstein deposition and gets hit with two subpoenas
Mike Johnson tells Republicans he’ll “run the protection program” if they lose the midterms, and warns of investigations into Trump and other high-level Republicans
Trump’s “Great American State Fair” is a logistical disaster, with dead Ferris wheels and melted ice cream
New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board approves a historic two-year rent freeze, delivering on Mamdani’s campaign promise
Mistrial declared in the Palisades fire arson case
Reporting confirms taxpayers, not Trump, paid for that $689,000 granite walkway at the White House
The Reflecting Pool’s own coating manufacturer contradicts the National Park Service’s “sabotage” story, and the corporate press ran with it anyway
Major Ukrainian drone strikes hit deep into Russia overnight, as Russia hits back with deadly strikes on Ukraine
North Korea tests upgraded missile and artillery systems
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Let’s get into it.
Trump Finally Admits Iran Struck a Ship in the Strait
Iran’s navy has spent the last 24 hours making something very clear to Trump, to Israel, and to every shipping company on Earth: nobody moves through the Strait of Hormuz without the IRGC’s permission. Yesterday it was a Singaporean cargo ship that Iran disabled. Multiple vessels are now reportedly turning around and requesting clearance from Iran directly before even attempting the strait.
Now here’s what is incredibly revealing.
Trump finally admitted, for the first time, that something happened. He posted that Iran launched four one-way attack drones at ships crossing the strait, that one of them hit a cargo ship and caused damage, and that the US shot down the other three. He called it a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire.
Notice what’s missing from that post. CENTCOM didn’t acknowledge this yesterday. Trump didn’t acknowledge this yesterday. He only said something once it became too obvious to bury.
Just yesterday, Trump stood in front of farmers and gave a speech where he claimed Iran “no longer has a navy” and that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz. He also claimed that damaged cargo ship was able to simply continue on its way out of the strait. That part is false.
Trump also told farmers yesterday that Iran has agreed to use all their unfrozen cash to purchase American crops. That’s another blatant lie. A con. Iran has said in no uncertain terms that they will absolutely not be doing that, and that they will have full say over how they spend their money. The signed MOU backs them up.
There’s more on what’s actually happening to US military infrastructure in the region right after this, and trust me, it’s worse than anything the Pentagon wants you to know. If you want to keep getting this kind of reporting without interruption, now is a great time to subscribe to Meidas+.
