By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-15 15:15:32 | Updated at 2026-06-16 18:54:58
1 day ago
'Morning Joe' host Jonathan Lemire has maintained that Donald Trump has members of the media to thank for his tentative peace pact with Iran that he touted on Truth Social Sunday.
Lemire, 46, said the president 'should be very thankful to' the MS NOW show for 'just completely eviscerating [him]' every weekday and forcing him 'to get a deal done' on Monday.
The coverage lit a fire under a 'desperate' Trump who had been looking to offer a positive update ahead of 'his UFC birthday party' on Sunday, Lemire argued.
'This is a defeat for the United States,' the anchor maintained, hours after Trump announced the Strait of Hormuz would reopen fully without tolls and that a 'deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete.'
Lemire asserted the announcement was 'meant to distract from Iran being 'stronger now than they were at the beginning of the war'.
'Despite President Trump's celebration last night about the Strait being open and free for everyone to use,' he said.
'A: That's temporary; but also: it already was before the war. That was the status quo. That's how things existed. He made things worse,' Lemire continued, offering the remarks after an exchange with cohost Joe Scarborough.
He claimed the conflict had only 'embittered' a 'hardline regime' that 'certainly [has] no reason to ever trust the United States again.'
Morning Joe's Jonathan Lemire, 46, said Donald Trump 'should be very thankful to' the MS NOW show on Monday
The coverage lit a fire under a 'desperate' Trump, forcing him 'to get a deal done' before 'his UFC birthday party' on Sunday, according to the anchor
'Because we keep bombing them during the midst of negotiations,' Lemire said.
The host then noted the 'cost' of the past four months of fighting: 'Not just the billions upon billions in terms of dollars the United States spent, but also the lives lost,' he said.
'This is a significant, you know, - the United States looks significantly weaker right now in that region than before.
'And to be honest with you, he should be very thankful for us for this,' Lemire said of Trump.
Scarborough claimed other channels would likely cover the Truth Social message more kindly, 'by lying through [their] teeth.'
He offered a similar warning.
'The fact is, Jonathan, people in the neighborhood around Iran have every reason to be scared to death right now,' he said. 'Because this is a more radical, a more enraged and soon-to-be richer Iran. Thanks to this war.'
'I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,' Trump wrote in his Truth Social post.
Trump announced the Strait of Hormuz would reopen fully without tolls and that a 'deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete' on Sunday evening
He went on to attend the UFC Freedom 250 Event that night, which Lemire called the president's 'birthday party'. Trump's 80th birthday coincidentally fell on the same day of the event. The fights were held outside on the South Lawn of the White House
Lemire said the past four months of fighting had only 'embittered' a 'hardline regime' that 'certainly [has] no reason to ever trust the United States again'
'The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!'
The Iranian government confirmed the yet-to-be-released preliminary deal will see the Strait of Hormuz reopened and the US blockade on Iranian ports lifted as the memorandum is signed in Switzerland on Friday over the weekend as well.
Both sides also said that ongoing talks are now focused on Iran's commitment to abstain from producing nuclear weapons.
The draft touted by Trump on Sunday contains a provision that Tehran reaffirm such a commitment, but also has points that oil and some financial sanctions on Iran will be lifted.
Negotiations will take place over the next 60 days, according to Iran’s state-affiliated Mehr News.
