Sunday Afternoon Updates: Trump Storms Off Meet the Press, Israel Strikes Beirut + More — 6/7/26
A packed Sunday of breaking news, Trump meltdowns, and escalating Middle East tensions
Hi all, Ben here. It’s Sunday, and as usual, there is no shortage of chaos to work through. Thank’s to all who read my morning message earlier.
I also want to remind you about our new Sunday show, On Sunday with Jack Cocchiarella. If you’re reading this soon after you received it, it’s probably still live, but you can always re-watch is after. Today’s guests are Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. Robert Garcia, and journalist Don Lemon. I hope you enjoy it! Click here to watch.
Here’s what we’re tracking today:
Top Stories:
Trump melts down during Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker, calls her “crooked,” rips off his mic, and storms off set
Israel launches airstrikes on Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood, Iran threatens full-scale war response and “Operation True Promise 5”
North Korea ramps up Hwasong-11 ballistic missile production while Trump praises the Ayatollah
Federal lawsuit seeks emergency court order to block UFC event at the White House
Trump’s planned attendance at NBA Finals Game 3 sparks Knicks fan fury
California election updates
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Trump’s Meet the Press Meltdown
Let’s start with the big one. Donald Trump sat down with NBC News anchor Kristen Welker for what was supposed to be a wide-ranging interview on Meet the Press. It did not go well for him, and by the end, he called Welker “crooked,” ripped off his microphone, and stormed off the set. It was a complete crash out.
The interview covered Iran, U.S. troops in the Middle East, American hostages, the impact of tariffs on American farmers, and election fraud claims. Trump grew increasingly unhinged throughout, and Welker, to her credit, kept pressing him with basic, straightforward questions that he simply could not answer.
On Iran, Trump said he plans to resolve the situation either through a deal or by blowing them “the hell up.” He also warned that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon, going so far as to say that if they did, there would be no more NBC, no more Meet the Press. I mean, what is he talking about? His own intelligence community said Iran did not have nuclear weapons capability. Now he’s out here threatening NBC with nuclear annihilation? This is how far gone he is.
He also praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, calling him “younger and more rational” and expressing willingness to meet with him. This from the same guy who, moments earlier, was threatening to blow Iran off the map. The whiplash is remarkable. It’s giving Kim Jong Un love letters all over again — and we all saw how much good that did, but more on North Korea in a moment.
When Welker asked whether Trump had kept his campaign promise of no new wars, he flatly said he never promised anything. He didn’t promise anything. Okay. So all those rallies, all those speeches, none of that counts apparently.
Welker also pressed him on why, if he’s such a great dealmaker, he never finalized an Iran nuclear deal during his entire first term after tearing up Obama’s agreement. Trump’s answer was that it takes years to do these things and it has only been three months. So now the war could take years? Making a deal could take years? His first term was four years. Where’s the deal? Where are the 90 trade deals in 90 days he promised? Where is any deal, in writing, anywhere? There isn’t one, because the whole dealmaker persona is a fraud.
On American hostages potentially held by Iran, Trump said nobody really has an accurate list of who they are or whether they’re even being held. He’s the president of the United States. He’s been conducting military operations against Iran. And he’s telling us he doesn’t know who the hostages are. He told Welker that if she gave him the names, he’d do his best.
On farmers: when Welker cited a statistic that 70% of farmers say they cannot afford fertilizer because of tariffs, Trump said the farmers are doing very well. That’s it.
The whole thing finally came apart when the conversation turned to election fraud. Trump claimed the 2020 election was rigged and that fraud is currently happening in California. When Welker asked if he had evidence, he said, “All I have to do is look.” She pushed back. He called her crooked and stupid, then got up and left.
Israel Strikes Beirut, Iran Threatens Full-Scale War
While Trump was busy storming off a TV set, the situation in the Middle East continued to deteriorate. Israel launched airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood, acting on direct orders from Netanyahu per the IDF. Iran had made very clear, before these strikes, that any attack on Beirut would constitute a violation of the ceasefire and trigger a direct military response against Israel.
That response now appears to be coming. Iran’s IRGC announced it is ready to execute “Operation True Promise 5” against Israel. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has authorized a full-scale resumption of hostilities. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council convened an emergency session. Iranian state TV is promising a “painful and decisive response.” Iran has issued evacuation warnings to residents in northern Israeli territory and transferred coordinates of Israeli targets to its missile units. An Iranian MP warned residents to “look at the sky over the occupied lands tonight.”
This is exactly what was always going to happen. Trump announced a ceasefire weeks ago and declared victory. Netanyahu never accepted it as binding. He kept pushing, kept escalating, kept probing for the moment he could drag everyone back into open conflict. And here we are.
This is Donald Trump’s weakness on full display. The whole world sees it. Netanyahu is using Trump, and Trump either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, because the alternative is admitting he has no control over what’s happening.
North Korea: Missiles and No Love Returned
Speaking of Trump’s brilliant diplomatic instincts — while he was on Meet the Press praising Iran’s new Ayatollah and talking about the “great respect” and “bravery” he sees in him, North Korean state media published footage of Kim Jong Un inspecting a defense plant and personally reviewing the fulfillment of ballistic missile production plans for the first half of 2026. The scale of Hwasong-11 production currently underway is massive, per state media.
Trump said Kim Jong Un and he exchanged love letters. He called him talented. He said they had a special relationship. North Korea has spent every day since then expanding its nuclear arsenal. The whole world sees this pattern. Flattery doesn’t work on dictators who are pursuing weapons of mass destruction. It just gives them cover.
Lawsuit Seeks to Block White House UFC Event
A federal lawsuit filed this week is asking a court to immediately halt Trump’s planned UFC event at the White House before it takes place. The suit, first reported by MeidasTouch’s Scott MacFarlane, calls the scheme “deeply corrupt” and argues that Trump is using public property — including the White House grounds and the Lincoln Memorial — to enrich political allies.
The event is called “UFC Freedom 250.” UFC CEO Dana White is a close personal friend and political ally of Trump’s. VIP packages are reportedly being sold for between $1 million and $1.5 million per person. Corporate sponsors are paying to have their brands displayed alongside the Executive Residence and Reflecting Pool. And no American will be able to watch what’s being billed as a “celebration of America” without first paying for a Paramount+ subscription.
The suit also notes that the event happens to coincide with Trump’s 80th birthday, raising the question of whether this is really a national celebration or just a very expensive birthday party being funded by people seeking access and favor.
Attorney Brendan Ballou told MeidasTouch: “The basic question we need to ask as a country is whether we want to use our most sacred national monuments to enrich the President and his allies.” An emergency court order to stop the event before it takes place is being sought.
Knicks Fans Are Not Happy
Trump has also inserted himself into the NBA Finals, because of course he has. His planned attendance at Game 3 at Madison Square Garden has forced the Knicks to notify ticket holders they need to arrive at least two hours early due to security requirements. For fans who paid thousands of dollars for their seats, that’s a significant disruption.
The reaction on the Knicks’ official social media was overwhelmingly hostile. Among the most-liked comments: “Why should the rest of us have to suffer because of one person’s decision to go, especially when he probably can’t even name three players on the team.” Another comment with nearly 3,000 likes simply asked: “Why y’all let him in??? We don’t want him there.”
Loud boos are expected when he enters the arena. New York is going to let him know how they feel.
California Governor Primary Update
Now to California, where the primary results continue to update as votes get processed.
Xavier Becerra has advanced to the general election, leading the field at 27.0% with about 1.8 million votes and 70.6% of expected votes counted. That means the story now turns to the fight for the second spot in the general. For those who don’t know, in California, the top two candidates in the primary advance, regardless of party. Republican Steve Hilton currently sits at 26.1%, while Democrat Tom Steyer is at 21.3%. With roughly 2.8 million votes still to be counted, Steyer faces a deficit of about 320,000 votes against Hilton. The math is difficult for Steyer. At this point, it is looking increasingly likely that California’s general election for governor will be a Becerra vs. Hilton matchup — a Democrat against a Republican in one of the bluest states in the country. That being said, we’ll keep on monitoring this as the results come in.
California Mayoral Primary Update
In the Los Angeles mayoral race, the latest vote drop from Friday’s election shows progressive Councilmember Nithya Raman not only hitting the numbers she needs to advance to the general election against Karen Bass, but blowing way past them. In the most recent batch, Raman took 40.2% to Karen Bass’s 33.0% and Spencer Pratt’s 17.7%. Raman is overperforming her benchmark against Pratt by 14 points. Pratt is now sitting at 27.3% overall — and for context, Trump only got 26.5% in Los Angeles in 2024. In spite of all the media hype, Pratt may end up finishing below Trump’s own total in this city. Raman is all but certain to advance to the general alongside Bass.
That’s the Sunday afternoon update. A lot happening, as always. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and remember to like and subscribe. And please add the MeidasTouch Podcast today anywhere you find podcasts like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It’s a great and free way to help us continue to grow.
Ron will be back later with his weekend bulletin, so stay tuned.
See you soon!
I've been very pleased to see that A-listers are snubbing Trump's cage fight. Even better if the fight is cancelled.
What a flipp'in oversized fat BABY