Trump Baselessly Claims His Unpopular War 'Diminished' IranPresident Donald Trump on Friday fiercely defended his war against Iran as a memorandum of understanding he signed is garnering widespread criticism."The War has diminished Iran!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, rejecting suggestions that Iran "is better off now" than it was before the start of the war."How stupid can some people be??" Trump asked.Despite Trump's claims, his war did not accomplish any of the goals the White House had set out for the military action, while also leaving Iran's government emboldened and with major financial leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.Trump's post comes as U.S.-Iran talks scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday were postponed.Latest Live UpdatesPresident Donald Trump Unveils The New Air Force One, A Converted Qatari JetANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday showed off the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet that has been converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft.The new aircraft eschews the Kennedy-era robin’s egg blue exterior of the old plane for a bolder look, with the underbelly of the plane painted navy blue with a red stripe above it. The plane’s left side, where the president boards, features the presidential seal, while the tail of the aircraft has a massive American flag on it.“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before,” Trump said from inside the massive Andrews Air Force Base hangar, as a couple hundred assembled Air Force personnel looked on. He spoke after stepping off the new plane in a dramatic flourish, as his signature tune “God Bless the USA” played.Read more:Trump Says U.S. Has To Keep Netanyahu ‘A Little Bit Sane’President Donald Trump told Axios that Israel respects him and “they do as I say,” but that the U.S. has to keep Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "a little bit sane.”“If it weren’t for Donald Trump, Israel would have been eviscerated,” he said in an interview released Friday.“It’s good,” he said when asked about their relationship amid the war with Iran, “but we have to keep him a little bit, uh, sane.”He added that he believes he’ll be able to keep Israel from attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of a preliminary peace agreement with Iran, saying: “They have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say.”The interview was released hours after Israel launched fresh attacks overnight in Lebanon, straining certainty on whether a lasting peace deal could be achieved. A ceasefire was later announced.Trump on Wednesday said he thinks Netanyahu "gets a little excited sometimes" and “could do better with respect to Hezbollah.”DOJ Investigating MLB For Religious Discrimination Over Pride Hat DebacleThe Justice Department is investigating the MLB for religious discrimination after the organization reprimanded San Francisco Giants players for writing Bible verses on the Pride Night caps they were given to wear during a home game last week."The three players expressed their opposition to MLB's pro-Pride orthodoxy," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a letter to the MLB commissioner. "The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League's vehicle for pro-Pride messages."Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker all wrote the inscriptions on their Pride-themed hats, which featured rainbow team logos. In an interview with The California Post, Brubaker said he didn't want "just to go along with it," adding, "Those are our beliefs." Pitcher Sam Hentges, didn’t wear a Pride cap at all, saying it's "just something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don’t morally support it."Following fan outrage, the MLB warned the players about rules against defacing uniforms. Dhillon argued in her letter that this was a "double standard,” pointing to the MLB allowing players to wear Black Lives Matter patches at previous games.Trump Fawns Over Chinese President Xi’s Looks, Confidence And Intellect In Axios InterviewPresident Donald Trump gave some of his highest praises to Chinese President Xi Jinping in an interview with Axios that paid particular, fawning attention to the world leader’s looks.“He’s a strong man. He’s no games,” he told Axios White House correspondent Marc Caputo of Xi, whom he called one of the two leaders he likes the most “in terms of leadership.”His second pick was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi."Modi's great. President Xi is great. Classics, you know. I mean, if you were going to make a movie about either one of them, you wouldn't be able to find the man in Hollywood. I'm telling you,” Trump said.“As an example," he went on, "the look of Xi, he's got a great look. Looks don't matter, right? We don't like to, they say don't talk about looks, but he's tall. He's 6 foot 2. He's got a great stature. He's got great confidence, and he is smart.”Modi has his own advantages, he said, while applauding him as a “tough cookie” who’s “highly respected.”Juneteenth Celebrations Kick Off Across U.S. As Obama's Presidential Center Opens In ChicagoHundreds of cities across the U.S. are kicking off celebrations for Juneteenth today, with parades, picnics, cookouts, fireworks and, in Chicago, the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center.The center honoring the nation’s first Black president opened its doors Friday with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama personally welcoming the first visitors.It’s the fifth year since Juneteenth, which recognizes the end of slavery in the U.S., became a federal holiday.As the nation grapples with deep political divides and questions on racial progress, the Obama museum’s director told The Associated Press that they’re “inviting people to bring change home, however change may be defined, both small or large.”Read more from the AP here:Trump Ignores Juneteenth Once AgainPresident Donald Trump's public schedule for the day makes no mention of Juneteenth, and he has yet to acknowledge the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S.His schedule only features a stop at Camp David and a meet-and-greet with U.S. Air Force service members at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. On Juneteenth last year, Trump complained on social media that there were “too many nonworking holidays in America” and that they were costing the U.S. “billions of dollars." His complaints came amid his ongoing crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion practices. And his silence around Juneteenth this year comes a day after an appeals court upheld his administration's right to remove a slavery exhibit from the site of President George Washington's former home.Then-President Joe Biden designated Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021.Obama Says U.S. Is 'Maybe A Little Bit Worse Off' Due To Iran WarIn an interview with NBC's Craig Melvin released on Friday, former President Barack Obama said the U.S. is probably a "little bit worse off" compared with when it went to war against Iran in late February."We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you know, put enormous strain on our military. A lot of people have died. And it feels like we're back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse off," the former president said.Obama's assessment directly undercuts President Donald Trump's claim that the conflict he started has "diminished Iran." Trump also lashed out at critics who have suggested the Iranian government is emboldened as a result of his war."How stupid can some people be?" Trump asked, referring to his detractors.Iran Plans To Meet With U.S. In The Coming Days After Postponing Friday’s Discussions: ReportsIran's Foreign Ministry said Friday's planned meeting to discuss ending the war with the U.S. has been postponed, with efforts underway to reschedule the talks in the coming days, according to reports.The ministry said it’s no longer urgent for both sides to meet since a memorandum of understanding on ending the war was signed digitally, Reuters reported.Negotiations starting on the final peace deal will hinge on specified terms, outlined in the memorandum, being carried out, ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.Iranian officials earlier said that fighting in Lebanon would need to stop before talks on ending the war could take place, The Associated Press reported, citing three regional officials and a fourth person familiar with the matter.Vice President JD Vance had planned to travel to Switzerland to resume negotiations on Friday, but scrapped his plans on Thursday evening.Trump Allegedly Frustrated Over Vance's Defense Of June 2025 Iran Strikes: ReportDonald Trump was allegedly frustrated at JD Vance last summer, contending that his vice president did not adequately promote his declaration that U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities "totally obliterated" Tehran's nuclear program, according to an excerpt of a forthcoming book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan obtained by Politico.In an interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl in the hours after the strikes, Vance was asked if Iran's nuclear facilities were actually "obliterated" as a result of the strikes."Well, Jon, severely damaged versus obliterated, I’m not exactly sure what the difference is. What we know is we set their nuclear program back substantially," Vance said.That apparently wasn't enough for Trump."Everyone needs to say fucking 'obliterated.' … That’s the word. Everyone just needs to copy what I say. Obliterated. Obliterated,'" Trump allegedly told one associate, per the book.Trump also reportedly did not take well to Vance's suggestion that he soften his language on the June 2025 strikes, telling his VP: "I know what I'm doing.""Seemingly irritated by Vance’s second-guessing, Trump turned his back on the vice president without saying any more," Haberman and Swan write, per Politico.Read more at Politico:Israel, Hezbollah Reach Ceasefire Agreement, U.S. Official Tells ReutersIsrael and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire starting at 4 p.m. local time Friday, a senior U.S. official told Reuters.“We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire,” the official reportedly said on background.Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 people overnight in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said. Israel said four of its soldiers died.See All Updates