This is the June 11, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I love the inflation.”

— President Donald Trump,asked for comment about May’s inflation numbers, the highest since 2023

JOE’S NOTE

“I love the inflation.”

Donald Trump’s confession is a revealing one. 

At a time when working Americans are struggling under the weight of higher grocery bills, rent spikes, and punishing interest rates, the president’s bizarre quip is more than tone-deaf. It is political suicide. 

Trump’s callousness underscores a bigger problem for Republicans fighting to win elections in November. 

Their leader has a strange habit of openly discounting the economic pain working Americans are confronting under his presidency. 

And yet Trump keeps dismissing the affordability crisis as a “hoax.” 

When asked what he thought about negotiations as Americans are struggling because of the war, he told reporters, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.”

Maya Angelou said, “Believe someone when they tell you who they are.” Voters will this fall, and that will likely be very bad news for Republicans. 

STEVE RATTNER’S CHARTS

Rattner: “In January, the markets were expecting substantial rate cuts. Now the market thinks interest rates will be higher at the end of this year than they are now, which means higher costs for consumers. This is potentially very bad news for the president, politically.”

ON THIS DATE

On June 11, 1963, Vivian Malone and James Hood enrolled at the University of Alabama, becoming the first Black students admitted into the college and marking the start of school desegregation in the state. Gov. George Wallace, a segregationist, stood in the doorway to block their entry until President John F. Kennedy sent in National Guard troops to remove him. 

Vivian Malone and James A. Hood, both 20, interviewed by reporters as segregation in schools was broken by their entrance to the University of Alabama. 

WHAT THEY SAID

Willie Geist on the Knicks victory 

“It was the most extraordinary sporting event I’ve ever seen in person: With a 29-point deficit, there was no way the Knicks would have won that game, and there’s no way the Spurs would have lost that game — until the Knicks mounted the biggest comeback in the history of the NBA Finals.”

Richard Haass on U.S. strikes on Iran water infrastructure

“The last thing in the world we should want to see is a crisis become a true calamity for the region and the world. Not only will more military action probably not bring the negotiating result, escalation will not serve us. The president knows that.”

Katty Kay on the World Cup 

“It’s a train wreck. This should have been America’s big soft-power debut, but the stories are about the referees who can’t get in, tourists that can’t get the visas, and empty hotel rooms, because nobody wants to come to America at the moment.”

David Drucker on Congress’ inaction

“Over the last 25 years, there’s been a slow degradation of Congress exercising its power. We’ve seen members of Congress of both parties willingly abdicate their authority as long as the guy in the White House is their guy. Our politics gets dysfunctional when one branch doesn’t show up for work.”

EXTRA HOT TEA

48

— The record number of countries participating in the World Cup, which begins today

and a bonus

8

—The number of countries that have won the men’s FIFA World Cup since it began in 1930.

ONE MORE SHOT

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This is an excerpt from the June 11, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

STEVE RATTNER’S CHARTS

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This is the June 10, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter.Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.

JOE’S NOTE

Donald Trump assured us last year that Iran’s nuclear program had been “obliterated” after he launched attacks against three of the country’s nuclear facilities. 

On June 24, 2025, Trump wrote: “It was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability.” 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also declared that same week that thanks to the leadership of President Trump, “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated.”

Reporters who dared to cite an intelligence assessment that contradicted the administration’s fantastical claims had their patriotism questioned.

And yet, earlier this year when Trump officials were trying to justify their coming war with Iran, they had the temerity to warn that the Islamic Republic was only two weeks away from building a nuclear weapon. 

There were, of course, no apologies for members of the media who had accurately called out the president’s previous lies. 

Fast-forward to March of this year. Once again, Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth questioned the patriotism of reporters asking about White House claims that Iran’s military capabilities had been obliterated by a week of intense U.S. airstrikes.

Yesterday, we learned that extreme claim was also false when the Islamic Republic somehow managed to shoot down an Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. 

Trump responded to the Iranian attack by ordering strikes against several strategic targets across Iran — proving once again that members of the media had accurately called out the president and the secretary of defense for overstating the success of their military operations. 

Again, no apologies to the media. Just more bluster, more bombs, and more bullshit. 

Americans now know better because they see the bitter reality staring them in the face every time they fill up their gas tanks.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We’ve won. Let me say we’ve won. You know, you never like to say too early you won. We won.”

— President Donald Trump on March 11

CHART OF THE DAY

ON THIS DATE

On June 10, 2018, NASA’s Opportunity rover sent its last message from the surface of Mars. Originally expected to serve a three-month mission, Opportunity functioned for over 14 years, traveling more than 28 miles across Mars and revealing fascinating discoveries about the planet’s geology.

WHAT THEY SAID

David Ignatius on President Trump’s limited options

“President Trump’s problem is he can’t finish this war. It’s a war that he desperately wants out of, but can’t seem to find an acceptable formula yet.”

Jonathan Martin on the strain of war

“Politically, it’s straightforward. Gas prices are going to keep going up, and that’s going to increase Trump’s political burden. And that is the burden Trump is putting on his candidates this fall.”

Willie Geist on new reporting on the Epstein files

“Donald Trump absolutely did not want to talk about this. JD Vance was the voice saying, ‘We’ve got to get it out there,’ but Trump would just snap at people bringing it up, which opens the question of why is he so defensive about this?”

U.S. FACING QUESTIONS OVER FIFA WORLD CUP VISA DENIALS

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, draped in the Somali flag, is surrounded by fans following his arrival in Mogadishu on June 9, 2026.

Questions are growing about who the U.S. is allowing to attend the FIFA World Cup.

U.S. officials confirmed that Omar Artan, a Somali referee set to officiate, was barred from entering the country after flying into Miami on Saturday. He would have been the first Somali to referee at the World Cup.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection told MS NOW that the denial was related to “vetting concerns.” Multiple reports cited “an anonymous official” who said — without providing evidence — that Artan was denied for “association with suspected members of terror organizations.”

Iran is also accusing the U.S. of barring members of its team staff, though U.S. officials have said visas for Iranian “athletes and necessary support staff” were issued.

The International Sports Press Association president also says “many” reporters from Iran and some African countries have been denied the necessary visas. The Department of Homeland Security did not comment on those specific cases.

EXTRA HOT TEA

2032

— The year by which Social Security funds are expected to hit a “critical low.” The drop will reportedly be partly driven by reduced immigration and Trump’s tax cuts.

ONE MORE SHOT

Serena Williams competing in — and winning! — her Round of 16 doubles match at the HSBC Championships 2026 women’s tennis tournament at The Queen’s Club in London.

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This is an excerpt from the June 10, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter.Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.

Asked about the numbers this morning, President Trump said: “I love the inflation.”

Q: Are you concerned about the latest inflation numbers that came out this morning?TRUMP: No, I love it. I love the inflation. You know why? Because as soon as this war is over — do you know we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil? You know who doesn't know? Iran until right now.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-06-10T16:08:03.927Z

Meanwhile, wage growth continues to lag behind the rise in the cost of living, for which 70% of Americans blame President Trump. As my colleague Steve Benen writes:

Perhaps most importantly, NBC News’ report emphasized that inflation’s rise “has surpassed wage growth,” which necessarily exacerbates the affordability crisis gripping American consumers.

Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council and the top economist at the White House, has argued in recent weeks that rising inflation should be blamed on Democratic policies in blue states. Those claims, like much of what Hassett has to say, have been thoroughly discredited.

And no one is buying it. The latest national CNN poll found that 77% of respondents, including a majority of Republican voters, agreed that Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living. The same poll found that just 30% of Americans approve of the president’s handling of the economy, a career low for the Republican across both terms. That mirrored the results of the latest national Associated Press poll.

There’s no reason to assume those results won’t continue to get even worse.

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This is the June 9, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter.Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.

MIKA’S NOTE

Donald Trump, top members of his administration, and his allies in Congress, are amplifying baseless claims of voter fraud in California.

The president, along with Speaker Mike Johnson, Vice President JD Vance, and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, all spent time claiming Spencer Pratt‘s defeat in the Los Angeles mayoral race was due to some nefarious scheme against Republicans. 

Donald Trump knows — as does everybody in Washington — that California always takes 30 days by law to count their votes.

That’s what the state did when Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor. That’s what it did when Republicans took back control of the House in 2022. That is what it did when Republicans maintained their House majority in 2024. That’s how California counts its ballots every year.

Donald Trump knows that. Speaker Mike Johnson knows that. Sen. Ron Johnson knows that.

They say elections are only legitimate when Republicans win them. Even in California. Especially now in California.

These are cynical, autocratic gestures that undermine American democracy.

As for Ron Johnson: He was caught on tape in August 2021, patiently explaining to someone who he thought was a MAGA supporter, telling them that Donald Trump legitimately lost the 2020 election. He went into great detail about how every statewide Republican on the Wisconsin ballot got 51,000 more votes than Donald Trump, and that Donald Trump did not get those votes because he hurt his standing with Wisconsin Republicans. Take a look:

Ron Johnson said the election was legitimate.

After all, Trump lost the 2020 election by more than 7 million votes.

These men know the law.

The only time they say elections in California, or elsewhere in the U.S., are legitimate is when Republicans win.

Or when they know the cameras are rolling — for Trump.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“People are tired of watching the highly political @NBA. Basketball ratings are WAY down, and they won’t be coming back. I hope football and baseball are watching and learning because the same thing will be happening to them. Stand tall for our Country and our Flag!!!”

—President Donald Trump in 2020 after the NBA backed the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-racism protests across the country.

CHARTS OF THE DAY

Source: Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,531 U.S. adults, conducted June 3-8, 2026. Margin of error: +/- 1.5 percentage points

ON THIS DATE

In 1954, during the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings, Army special counsel Joseph N. Welch berated Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, a Republican from Wisconsin, asking: “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?” 

Joseph Welch (seated, left) and Sen. Joseph McCarthy (standing) during the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings.

WHAT THEY SAID

Jonathan Lemire on Republicans’ claims of fraud in California

“There’s no surprise here: What they’re doing is laying the groundwork for two different plays for November. They could claim irregularities, conspiracies, and actively take measures to interfere with the vote, or they could claim the voting result is illegitimate and not honor it.”

Richard Haass on elections

“Don’t be surprised in November if we see voting machines and ballot boxes seized to ‘prevent fraud.’ This is the 250th year of this country, and we’re meant to be honoring the Declaration; instead, we’re facing the most concerted assault on it.”

Jim VandeHei on the U.S.-Israel relationship

“If I were in Israel, or I was a pro-Israel American, I’d be really worried about the next two years. Public support in the U.S. is cratering on both sides, and the White House is looking for the least messy, most publicly defensible way to get out of this mess.”

Rev. Al Sharpton on the Knicks

“New Yorkers were out there for New Yorkers, people were excited to see the championship finals back in the city, and it was one of the most unifying, electric events that I’ve seen in many years. I think the president was the only one who had any negatives.”

Jane Fonda on the First Amendment

“What’s happening now has never happened before in this country to white people. Black people have experienced authoritarianism. Today, all our First Amendments are being destroyed, our voting rights are being taken away, and people are being arrested and deported without due cause. This is not what happens in a democracy — like a pancake, it’ll take an iron and just flatten our cultural discourse. We have to fight back.”

PRIMARY DAY IN CLOSELY WATCHED MAINE SENATE RACE

Primary voters in Maine go to the polls today in one of the most critical races on the 2026 battleground map — a Senate contest that could help decide control of the upper chamber.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins is running unopposed on the GOP side. But it’s her likely Democratic opponent – Graham Platner – who has been grabbing headlines of late.

Platner is expected to win his primary, despite a series of scandals that have engulfed his campaign.

He has expressed regrets for offensive posts online and says he covered a tattoo on his chest after realizing it looked like a Nazi symbol. He’s also denied allegations of physically threatening behavior in at least one previous relationship.

Despite Platner’s personal indiscretions, many high-profile Democrats are standing by him … or at least not asking him to drop out.

EXTRA HOT TEA

10,800

—The number of cases of Noble Oak bourbon stolen in a daytime heist off a truck traveling between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The thieves made off with nearly $500,000 worth of the liquor.

ONE MORE SHOT

Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks shoots the ball between Julian Champagnie (No. 30) and Victor Wembanyama (No. 1) of the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

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The post We’re facing the most concerted assault on the Declaration of Independence appeared first on MS NOW.

This is an excerpt from the June 9, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter.Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.

Source: Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,531 U.S. adults, conducted June 3-8, 2026. Margin of error: +/- 1.5 percentage points

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This is the June 8, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter.Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.

MIKA’S NOTE

Donald Trump’s unspooled performance on “Meet the Press” yesterday was unnerving, not least of all because the sight of any American president looking that unhinged and unhealthy should concern every American who saw his pitiful performance. 

The president spewed a stream of lies and conspiracy theories targeted at the most ignorant members of his dwindling base. His frantic attempts to change the subject away from the endless war he started, high gas prices, which he cares nothing about, and the failed Republican candidates in California seem to only make Trump look more diminished and desperate. 

Eleven years after the reality host entered U.S. politics, his behavior on the Sunday show seems to prove the media still has much to learn about how to best handle his madman routine. 

In a July 2016 meeting, Trump told Lesley Stahl that he attacks the press “to discredit” and “demean” reporters so that when they write negative stories about him, “no one will believe them.” So when members of the media are attacked as “fake news” peddlers for reporting the facts about the 2020 election, they MUST forcefully respond with facts that make it into the clip low-information viewers will see: 

“Mr. President, 63 federal judges threw out all of your 2020 election claims. Many of those federal judges were appointed by you.”

“Mr. President, the high court that you have called ‘My Supreme Court’ rejected every one of your false claims about a stolen election.”

“Republican election officials from Pennsylvania to Arizona also refused to buy into your lies.”

“Georgia’s secretary of state and governor rejected your lies and even recorded a call where you tried to get the secretary of state to find enough votes to rig the election.”

“Mr. President, you are lying to my audience right now, and if you continue, we will have to end this interview. Please stop lying to the audience.”

Yesterday, Donald Trump continued stumbling over facts and then started screaming about how the California elections were being rigged because officials were still counting votes six days after the June 2 election. 

It’s hard to imagine the president of the United States doesn’t know that almost all states count votes well beyond a week after Election Day. When Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected governor in 2006, the vote count took 30 days — as required by California law. When Republican congressmen get elected in California this November, it will take 30 days to count and certify those votes in their districts. 

Donald Trump knows this. 

But his howling protests toward Kristen Welker were aimed not at the host or regular viewers, but rather at Americans who don’t follow the news and will likely only see a clip of his false outbursts on social media. And many will accept Trump’s ravings at face value. That’s why the media has to up its game going into an election that the president desperately wants to undermine. We must all be more aggressive than ever in getting facts out to viewers, and go into every interview armed with facts and ready to fight back. 

His lies must be met with facts. 

His insults must be answered with the truth he does not want to hear. And his Cabinet’s efforts to blur reality must be knocked down at every turn. The lies and insults toward the free press must be answered.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I call the shots. I call all the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn’t call the shots.”

— President Donald Trump, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have to accept a deal with Iran

CHARTS OF THE DAY

Source: YouGov survey of 1,106 U.S. adults conducted January 27-30, 2026. Margin of error: 4 percentage points

ON THIS DATE

In 1949, George Orwell published his final novel, “1984.” The dystopian work of speculative fiction — drawing on themes from wartime rule in Britain and the Soviet Union — was the driving force behind words like “Orwellian,” “groupthink” and “doublespeak” entering the contemporary lexicon. 

WHAT THEY SAID

David Ignatius on Iran-Israeli strikes

“Donald Trump says he is in control, but the events yesterday showed how far that is from true — Trump is observing these events, not controlling them. The distance between Trump and Netanyahu today is one of the most striking factors of the conflict.”

John Heilemann on midterms 

“The president is at a historically low place in his approval rating. He has lost ground with independents to a dramatic degree. It’s very hard to change the trajectory of an election now.”

Ben Smith on CBS’ tilt toward Trump

“A slight agenda shift is not what Donald Trump is looking for from the media. Now CBS is not only facing skepticism from its traditional audience — which includes a lot of Democrats — but also from the White House. This is not a strategy that’s pleasing anyone.”

Pablo Torre on Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals

“Sports, like America, has an affordability crisis right now, and now you can’t even be outside the Garden, let alone inside. I thought the Knicks were ours as a city. Turns out, none of it is ours. It belongs to the same guy that we’ve spent hours this morning talking about.”

EXTRA HOT TEA

$1.9 billion

—The box office numbers for this year’s Broadway season, the highest grossing in history. 

ONE MORE SHOT

Lorne Michaels and the cast of “Schmigadoon!” which won Best New Musical at the 79th Annual Tony Awards.

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This is an excerpt from the June 8, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.

Source: YouGov survey of 1,106 U.S. adults conducted January 27-30, 2026. Margin of error: 4 percentage points

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