Trump downplays importance of failing Iran deal that he previously celebrated

If the president expects his post hoc rationalization of failure to persuade anyone, he’s likely to be disappointed.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 TODAY'S TOP MADDOWBLOG POSTS Trump downplays importance of failing Iran deal that he previously celebrated Trump downplays importance of failing Iran deal that he previously celebrated If the president expects his post hoc rationalization of failure to persuade anyone, he’s likely to be disappointed. MORE Rep. Adam Schiff sheds new light on Trump’s taxpayer-financed banners in D.C. The displays don’t show a commanding figure, they show a flailing politician pretending to convey strength. MORE Rep. Adam Schiff sheds new light on Trump’s taxpayer-financed banners in D.C. The displays don’t show a commanding figure, they show a flailing politician pretending to convey strength. MORE Trump keeps changing his story about the alleged ‘gash’ in the Reflecting Pool When administration officials can’t keep their story straight about dubious details, it’s a big hint that they’re probably making stuff up. MORE Trump keeps changing his story about the alleged ‘gash’ in the Reflecting Pool When administration officials can’t keep their story straight about dubious details, it’s a big hint that they’re probably making stuff up. MORE One day later, Trump abandons his plans for legally dubious tolls on Strait of Hormuz The president said his radical policy would “begin immediately.” Perhaps that wasn’t his best choice of words. MORE One day later, Trump abandons his plans for legally dubious tolls on Strait of Hormuz The president said his radical policy would “begin immediately.” Perhaps that wasn’t his best choice of words. MORE MORE FROM THE MADDOWBLOG Trump embarrassed by another leak, freaks out on New York Times for sources Maddow: Trump caught in desperation spiral as his opposition grows Hegseth intervenes in yet another investigation, shrugs off safety standards GOP’s Ron Johnson shares, then retracts, a conspiratorial ‘rumor’ about Mitch McConnell Stumped on ICE killing, Mike Johnson keeps struggling with the basics of current events Trump, despite his record, eyes prime-time address on foreign election interference OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR Biddeford Maine today - fatal ICE shooting "THIS IS BLOOD" Witness: Body, blood on the sidewalk for hours Jay Thomas McCue sat on the back deck of his Pool Street home Monday after the road had been opened back up. He heard the gunshots early in the morning. When he looked out the window, he saw dozens of cars, law enforcement officers and someone lying on the ground. What bothered him most, he said, was that the body of the victim was on the sidewalk for the next five hours. "That blood was going back five or six feet," McCue said, pointing to the sidewalk. The corner of Pool Street and Hill Street is lightly stained with red. A woman who asked not be be named dropped a handful of sunflowers at the corner, pulled out a pack of chalk and wrote "THIS IS BLOOD" where the body had been. (Rachel shares the Portland Press Herald's live blog) ICE suspends traffic stops in wake of Maine fatal shooting, sources say (Reuters) (Rachel shares a YouTube video from the Retired Judges Initiative "Wall of Justice") E. Jean Carroll finally gets Trump’s $5 million — plus interest — Despite the president’s repeated attempts to block Carroll from receiving the money, $5,625,005.48 was disbursed to Carroll’s legal team this week. (MS NOW) "Iran has been preparing for this type of asymmetric conflict for decades now," said Jason H. Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and a former Pentagon official. "I think they're starting to demonstrate why no other U.S. president since Reagan has elected to engage at this level of conflict with Iran, because they have that ability to completely disrupt the Strait of Hormuz." (CBS News) Pollution from Musk’s unpermitted xAI power project hits hardest in Black communities — Elon Musk's xAI has installed far more gas turbines without federal permits at its Colossus 2 data center project in Tennessee than it has publicly acknowledged, and the pollution is hitting predominantly Black neighborhoods the hardest, a Reuters analysis found. (Reuters) "Trump had pitched the tariffs as a catch-all fix for the economy, bringing factories back to the US, getting better trade deals and closing the deficit in the federal budget. But the deficit, which had become a little smaller last year thanks to the tariff income, is now growing again. It hit $1.367tn in the first nine months of the fiscal year, up 2%." US refunds $81bn in Trump tariffs after supreme court ruled them illegal (The Guardian) "Instead, Hall said lawmakers in these Republican-led states are pushing for changes because they simply "disagree with their voters" on popular issues like reproductive rights, raising wages and paid sick leave." Some states will ask voters to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments (NPR)   Follow Rachel Maddow on Bluesky here. PRE-ORDER NOW! Rachel has a new book! "Department of Fate: The Promise, the Power, and the Collapse of America’s Most Consequential Institution" comes out November 10 but you can pre-order now. See MS.NOW/DepartmentOfFate for links and options to pre-order. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up to follow it yourself or send this sign-up link to someone you know would appreciate it. NEWS TIPS? 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