The White House has released a statement today about Iran and the fact that they have been charging tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. If oil tankers or any transport is to happen through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is charging tolls. They didn't previously do that, but they started [00:00:17] doing it after Trump decided to begin a war with Iran. Now, the statement that the White House has put out today goes as follows. Trump says this, it's a truth social post. There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Strait of Hormuz. They better [00:00:37] not, and if they are, they better stop now. Okay, he put out that statement today, which is interesting because yesterday, Jonathan Karl from ABC News had spoken to Trump about the fact that Iran controls the strait and has been charging tolls. So are we really going to [00:00:56] engage in a ceasefire or is the war really going to end? when that's still the case. And here's what Jonathan Karl shared with the American people yesterday. This morning I asked President Trump if he's okay with the Iranians charging a toll for all ships that go through the Strait [00:01:12] of Hormuz. He told me there may be a joint US Iran venture to charge tolls, quote, we're thinking of doing it as a joint venture. It's a way of securing it, also securing it from lots of other people. It's a beautiful thing. So why is he pretending like he just found [00:01:31] out that Iran is charging tolls today? And why is he wagging his finger and telling them you better stop when just yesterday, Jonathan Karl disclosed that Trump sees this as a business opportunity for the United States? He thinks we're stupid, but we're not. And so it's important [00:01:49] to call out these disgusting lies that insult our intelligence. Cenk, your thoughts. Yeah, so I think that he, got used to idea that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and get away with it. And that his base would never question anything he says, they're eating cats [00:02:07] and dogs? Sure, they're eating cats and dogs. So he's like, yeah, they dare not charging a toll. Everyone knows they're charging a toll. You can go on CNBC and see the giant headline about how they're charging a $2 million per ship toll. Although I've also seen $2.5 million [00:02:23] per ship, right? So they better not. Well, so wait. They better not. Why? Because they are. Otherwise, why would Donald Trump put out that statement? And so he's like a child going, you better not do it. Yeah, but what are you going to do about it, big guy, right? And [00:02:41] so then the whole joint venture thing is hilarious. Just totally made up out of whole cloth. The Iranians are barely talking to us. The only reason why we have kind of a ceasefire now. [00:02:57] almost completely surrendered. Trump said, okay, we're considering their 10 point plan, we're almost done with this war. Their 10 point plan is everything Iran wants, nothing we want, right? So it's almost a complete surrender, which fine, fine, let's get the hell out of [00:03:12] there, right? But the one thing we have to do is reopen the Strait of Hormuz. And he couldn't even negotiate for that. By the way, if you do want to negotiate for it, there's actually a really easy way to do it. You say to Iran, hey, Israel's got nothing to do with us. You guys sorted out with them, but reopen the Strait of Hormuz for us and our allies [00:03:32] minus Israel, and Iran will take that deal. So, but no, no, no, no, we have to kiss Israel's ass and sacrifice ourselves and the entire world economy on behalf of Israel. So yes, there is definitely a toll, which means the Strait of Hormuz is not open. And so- What [00:03:53] did we get out of the ceasefire? Honestly, nothing. And um I'm still close to okay with it, as long as we don't get deeper into the war, lose more good American men and women, and lose our treasure. And by the way, we're running out of defensive missiles as we keep [00:04:11] telling you. So if we stay there longer, this is only going to turn into a bigger disaster. But Trump having tantrums publicly is not helping, it's only reducing our leverage. it's also embarrassing the American people. I just found out that they're charging tolls, you better [00:04:28] stop that. Just please stop, please stop. Someone take the phone away from him, no more social media, stop embarrassing the American people. Just real quick uh update on something I shared earlier in the show where Trump pretended like he found out for the first time today that [00:04:45] Iran has been charging tolls for transport through the Strait of Hormuz. He had said that they better not. And if they are, they better stop. ah The Iranian embassy in Bulgaria has responded by saying, begging is adorable, but the key is still in our pocket. just spanking [00:05:06] them, spanking them left and right. uh