Trump Honors Dead Friend, Restarts War

Episode of Pod Save America · July 14, 2026 · 1 h 19 min

Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor discuss the resumed Iran war, Lindsey Graham's death and McConnell's health, then Lovett interviews Brian Tyler Cohen about his book.

Summary

The hosts opened with the collapse of the ceasefire with Iran, Trump's notification to Congress that strikes had resumed, and his plan for the United States to become "Guardian of the Hormuz Strait" and charge a 20% toll on cargo. Vietor argued a permanent escort mission was costly and risky and predicted the toll was an empty threat, while Lovett said the MOU had only postponed a fundamental impasse. They also discussed Democratic opposition to the NDAA, led by Sen. Brian Schatz, and the administration's large Pentagon spending requests.

The hosts then reflected on the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, criticizing Trump's self-focused tribute. Lovett traced Graham's reversals on climate and immigration and argued he became a "vassal" to Trump, while Vietor cited Graham's own admission that he sought relevance. They assessed the South Carolina Senate race, the skepticism around Mitch McConnell's proof-of-life hospital photo, and how the two absences complicate Republicans' agenda, including Todd Blanche's attorney general confirmation and a war supplemental.

The hosts also criticized the administration's subpoenas of four New York Times journalists over reporting about the use of the old Air Force One, and asked whether cuts at the CDC under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. worsened a national cyclosporiasis outbreak.

In the final segment, Lovett interviewed Brian Tyler Cohen, who argued Tucker Carlson's turn against Trump was opportunistic, that the suppression of the Epstein files would alienate right-wing voters, that a Democratic House should investigate Trump administration corruption, and that a future Democratic government should be willing to circumvent norms to deliver policies such as Medicare for All. Lovett agreed on greater aggression but stressed that Democrats must show democracy is worth playing by its rules.

Chapters

1:30
Introduction
Favreau welcomes back the hosts and previews the episode's topics.
2:20
Iran war resumes and Hormuz toll
The hosts discuss the collapse of the Iran ceasefire MOU, Trump's plan to guard the Strait of Hormuz and charge a 20% toll, and reported Iranian assassination plots.
12:39
Democrats and the NDAA
The hosts debate whether Democrats should follow Brian Schatz in voting against the defense authorization bill amid huge Pentagon spending requests.
20:10
Death and legacy of Lindsey Graham
The hosts react to Trump's tribute and assess Graham's shift from bipartisan dealmaker to Trump ally in pursuit of relevance.
30:07
South Carolina Senate race
The hosts weigh whether Democrat Annie Andrews has an outside shot at Graham's seat and review likely Republican contenders.
31:29
McConnell's proof-of-life photo
The hosts discuss conspiracy theories about Mitch McConnell's hospital photo, his staff's opacity, and the political stakes of his absence.
41:18
Republican congressional agenda and ICE killings
The hosts review pending confirmations and legislation, recent ICE shootings, and how thin margins hamper Republicans.
44:02
Subpoenas of New York Times journalists
The hosts criticize the administration's leak investigation targeting reporters over Air Force One coverage.
47:55
Cyclosporiasis outbreak and CDC cuts
The hosts ask whether RFK Jr.'s cuts to public health agencies worsened a nationwide diarrheal outbreak and discuss long-term damage to government expertise.
55:11
Brian Tyler Cohen on right-wing media
Cohen discusses Tucker Carlson's break with Trump, Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro's feud, and the Epstein files backlash.
1:07:53
Democrats in power after Trump
Cohen outlines how a Democratic House should investigate corruption and argues Democrats should push past norms to deliver outcomes, while Lovett adds caveats.
1:16:18
McConnell revisited and wrap-up
Lovett and Cohen return to skepticism about McConnell's health before closing the interview.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Tommy Vietor
Vietor predicts Trump's Hormuz toll plan is an empty threat for leverage that the White House will soon walk back.
“my guess is that this is an empty threat designed to create leverage from the white house and they'll probably walk the whole thing back in a couple days”
Listen from 5:35 · Strait of Hormuz
Linked moment · 6:49Skip to 6:49 using a listen link in the info box.
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues it is not the traditional role of the U.S. military to be a permanent security detail for oil tankers.
“it's not traditionally, in the conception of Americans, the role of the U.S. military to be the permanent security detail for oil tankers”
Listen from 6:49 · Strait of Hormuz
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues no Iran deal can work because Trump needs one better than Obama's while only worse deals are available.
“not demonstrably better than the Obama deal, but the only deal that will ever be on offer is one that's demonstrably worse”
Listen from 9:01 · United States war with Iran
Tommy Vietor
Vietor says Iran is correctly betting that Trump does not want to return to war before the midterms.
“they're betting that Trump doesn't want to go back to war before the midterms. And I think they are right”
Listen from 9:43 · United States war with Iran
Tommy Vietor
Vietor says voting against the NDAA is an easy call but expects many Democrats to support it out of dated political instinct.
“This is an easy no for me, but there's a lot of Democrats who I think will have a lot of muscle memory”
Listen from 15:57 · National Defense Authorization Act
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues congressional Democrats should use every tool available to put up roadblocks to Trump's war.
“you might as well throw everything you have at it uh if you're in congress to try to put roadblocks up”
Listen from 16:37 · National Defense Authorization Act
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues Graham sold his soul to stay relevant and ended up a sad vassal of Trump.
“Lindsey Graham sold his soul to try I think to stay relevant”
Listen from 22:15 · Death of Lindsey Graham
Tommy Vietor
Vietor views Graham's career as a cautionary tale about staying in Washington too long and caring about the wrong things.
“I think it's a cautionary tale about what happens if you're in D.C. too long”
Listen from 24:21 · Death of Lindsey Graham
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues Graham's personal, deal-making style of politics could not work with a partner like Trump who rejects democracy.
“practicing what you view as the best way you do democracy with a collaborator who actually doesn't believe in it at all”
Listen from 29:29 · Death of Lindsey Graham
Jon Lovett
Lovett says a Democratic win in South Carolina is hard but not impossible, depending on the Republican nominee.
“So is it hard? Absolutely. Is it impossible? No. It depends on who the person is”
Listen from 30:36 · 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues public skepticism about aging politicians' health is reasonable given past concealment.
“it is, I think, not unreasonable to be skeptical when you hear from politicians that they're ancient and fine”
Listen from 35:11 · Mitch McConnell health speculation
Tommy Vietor
Vietor blames McConnell's office for the conspiracy theories because it withheld information for weeks.
“this is 100% Mitch McConnell's office's fault. Like, their boss went into the hospital on June 14th”
Listen from 37:29 · Mitch McConnell health speculation
Jon Favreau
Favreau predicts the Iran war supplemental funding bill will not pass given vulnerable Republican senators.
“I got to say, I think that supplemental is never getting through”
Listen from 43:17 · United States war with Iran
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argues the subpoenas of Times reporters are meant to punish and intimidate rather than find a leaker.
“This is just an obvious effort to punish and scare these journalists because a normal leak investigation would figure out who in the government had access”
Listen from 44:46 · Freedom of the press in the United States
Jon Lovett
Lovett notes that Garland-era protections for journalists were rescinded by Pam Bondi.
“Garland put in place protections for journalists to protect against this exact kind of thing. Pam Bondi rescinded those protections”
Listen from 47:15 · Freedom of the press in the United States
Jon Favreau
Favreau warns that a future administration will struggle to replace experts fired from public health agencies.
“It's going to be incredibly difficult to replace all of these experts and officials because you can't just like people got other jobs”
Listen from 50:42 · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues presidential inattention to public health threats carries a hidden cost of incompetence.
“it's the cost of incompetence that just shows up in people being sick after going to Taco Bell”
Listen from 52:35 · Cyclosporiasis outbreak
Brian Tyler Cohen
Cohen argues Tucker Carlson's turn against Trump is a savvy anticipation of Trump's decline rather than a principled stand.
“Tucker recognizing not where the puck is, but where the puck is going”
Listen from 56:51
Brian Tyler Cohen
Cohen argues Trump's suppression of the Epstein files will create disaffected voters on the right.
“it's gonna create a lot of, I think, disaffected voters on the right”
Listen from 1:02:04 · Jeffrey Epstein
Brian Tyler Cohen
Cohen predicts Republicans' culture-war playbook will fail this election cycle because they control all of government.
“I think that they're going to run up on a wall in this election cycle because obviously they're all trying to do it again”
Listen from 1:05:47 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Brian Tyler Cohen
Cohen criticizes Merrick Garland's Justice Department as too slow in prosecuting Trump.
“the fecklessness of Merrick Garland's DOJ is in large part why we're here”
Listen from 1:08:30 · The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World
Brian Tyler Cohen
Cohen argues a Democratic House should investigate Trump-era corruption to pave the way for future prosecutions.
“by getting a lot of this stuff out there and starting these investigations, hopefully you pave the way for the DOJ to pick up”
Listen from 1:09:28 · The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World
Brian Tyler Cohen
Cohen argues Democrats should emulate Trump's disregard for norms for virtuous ends such as Medicare for All.
“Democrats should look at what Trump's doing and use that for virtuous reasons, to deliver Medicare for all”
Listen from 1:11:51 · The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues that, unlike Trump, Democrats must show that democracy's rules are worth following.
“we're trying to make a case to people that democracy is a game worth playing”
Listen from 1:13:32 · The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World

People

In the conversation

Jon FavreauCo-host of Pod Save America and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama
Jon LovettCo-host of Pod Save America; diarization split of the same speaker during the economics segment
Tommy VietorCo-host of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World who conducted the Josh Turek interview
Brian Tyler CohenProgressive online commentator cited as an independent media success

Discussed

Lindsey GrahamU.S. Senator named by Kelly as an advocate for the Iran war
Mitch McConnellRepublican U.S. senator from Kentucky
JD VanceVice President of the United States
Marco RubioU.S. Secretary of State who defended the Iran campaign at a cabinet meeting
Pete HegsethU.S. Secretary of Defense overseeing the Iran campaign
Brian SchatzDemocratic senator involved in housing bill investor provision
John McCainLate Republican senator discussed by Buckley Carlson
Mark LeibovichJournalist who interviewed Graham for the New York Times Magazine in 2019
Peter BakerNew York Times White House correspondent
Annie AndrewsCharleston pediatrician and Democratic Senate candidate in South Carolina
Nancy MaceRepublican U.S. Representative from South Carolina running for governor
Ron JohnsonWisconsin senator who claimed McConnell's photo was old
Scott JenningsConservative commentator who praised the Iran deal
Andy BeshearGovernor of Kentucky
Kash PatelDirector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Jay ClaytonU.S. attorney and former SEC chair nominated as Director of National Intelligence
Todd BlancheDeputy Attorney General named acting Attorney General
Pam BondiU.S. Attorney General reported fired during the episode
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Health secretary whose appointment Jesse Kelly cited as coalition-building
Candace OwensConservative commentator and podcaster cited as a top-ranked show
Charlie KirkAmerican conservative activist and podcast host assassinated in September 2025
Merrick GarlandFormer attorney general under Joe Biden

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From the publisher

Sen. Lindsey Graham unexpectedly dies and President Trump notifies Congress that the military has resumed strikes against Iran. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett discuss Trump's announcement that the United States will become "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT" and begin charging a 20% toll. Then, they discuss the legacy of Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell's unexpected and unconvincing proof-of-life photo after his own brush with death, and how both senators' absences will affect Trump's legislative agenda—before touching on the administration subpoenaing four journalists at The New York Times and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s role in an outbreak of explosive diarrhea across the country. Finally, Brian Tyler Cohen stops by to talk to Lovett about his new book, "The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World." 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.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 30, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·News Commentary