Tuesday Afternoon News Update: Trump Locks Out the Press While His Iran War Spirals – 7/28/26

U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and other officials attend the funeral service for late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 28, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Hi all, Ben here. It’s Tuesday, July 28, 2026, and there’s a whole lot going on.

Thanks again to all those who continue to let me know you preordered the book I wrote with my brothers, WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy. If you preorder your copy today, be sure to let me know in the comments!

Here’s what we’re tracking today:

• Trump keeps the press out of the Oval Office during meetings with Zelenskyy and Netanyahu

• Trump posts “head for an eye,” quoting Rubio on Iran “begging” for a deal

• Trump brags about fake TikTok numbers while the war rages on

• Iran’s IRGC warns any country touching its frozen assets gets barred from the Strait of Hormuz

• Saudi refineries burning, including a total shutdown at the Jazan refinery

• Trump calls into Fox and falsely claims he personally controls the Strait of Hormuz

• Trump again threatens to level Iran’s bridges and power plants

• Trump insists tariffs “stopped eight wars,” including one between India and Pakistan

• Fox presses him on new tariffs against Canada, Brazil, the UK, the EU, Australia, and more

• Trump is attacking Dr. Fauci again

• Lindsey Graham’s memorial service

• A new Washington Post report shows Trump’s deadly boat strikes off Venezuela haven’t cut cocaine supply at all

• Israel’s Defense Minister brags about leveling Lebanese villages and 70% of Gaza, and pushes to strike Iran’s energy grid

• FIFA’s Gianni Infantino reportedly shopping a stake in the World Cup to private equity for billions – and a Kushner may be involved

Let’s get into it.

Trump Doesn’t Allow the Press In