‘BLATANT CORRUPTION’: Rep. Moulton BLASTS Trump over IRS protection, Iran

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Jun 3, 2026 #Trump #Politics #Iran

Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts joins Morning Joe to discuss news of the day including the latest on the Iran war and the Trump administration dropping the ‘anti-weaponization fund’ but revealing one part of that settlement will remain in place: the one providing Trump, his family and businesses immunity from current and pending IRS audits. Moulton and the panel also discuss his Senate race as he looks to challenge incumbent Senator Ed Markey in a September primary. MS NOW: My Source for News, Opinion, and the World. » Subscribe to MS NOW: / @msnow » Subscribe to MS NOW’s We the People Newsletter for exclusive content from your favorite MS NOW anchors. Sign up now for free at https://ms.now/joinus MS NOW is the go-to destination for domestic and international breaking news, and best-in-class opinion journalism. For more context and news coverage of the most important stories of our day click here: https://www.ms.now/ #Trump #Politics #Iran

Transcript

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1 second

WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE BEST POSSIBLOUTCOME, THE BEST POSSIBLE WAR, END TO THIS WAR FOR THE UNITED STATES?

8 seconds

THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME IS TO STOP IT NOW AND CUT OUR LOSSES AND TRY TO GET SOME SORT OF DEAL TO REOPEN THE STRAIGHT OF HORMUZ WITHOUT PAYING A WHOLE

17 seconds

BUNCH OF BLOOD MONEY TO THE IRANIANS.

20 seconds

BUT WHEN RUBIO SAYS THAT IRAN IS PAYING THE ECONOMIC WHO IS PAYING THE ECONOMIC COST AND NOT AMERICA?

25 seconds

WELL, GO ASK AMERICANS WHO ARE TRYING TO BUY GAS RIGHT NOW.

28 seconds

WHO IS PAYING THE ECONOMIC COST OF THIS PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BUY FERTILIZER FOR THEIR FARMS IN A FEW MONTHS.

36 seconds

WHO IS PAYING THE ECONOMIC COST OF THIS WAR?

40 seconds

ASK AMERICANS WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BUY FERTILIZER FOR THEIR THEY'RE REALLY AT A DEAD END.

46 seconds

AND IT WILL BE A MIRACLE IF THEY CAN JUST GET THE STRAIGHT REOPENED WITHOUT PAYING OFF THE IRANIANS TO DO SO.

53 seconds

THEN YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK AND START TO NEGOTIATE A NUCLEAR DEAL THAT IF THEY JUST TRASHED WHEN THEY TOOK IT FROM OBAMA.

1 minute

AND YET, CONGRESSMAN, THAT NUCLEAR DEAL, AT LEAST THE CONTOURS OF WHAT THIS CEASE-FIRE DEAL MIGHT PRODUCE, AND AGAIN, THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE ON, THEN THEY'RE OFF.

1 minute, 9 seconds

IT'S KIND OF HARD TO KEEP CONTOURS DO LOOK KIND OF SIMILAR TO THAT OBAMA-ERA JCPOA, YOU'RE FORCED TO SORT OF WONDER WHAT IF THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE

1 minute, 17 seconds

FIRST ITERATION OF IT HADN'T PULLED OUT OF THAT DEAL IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT AREN'T THERE SHADES OF THIS THAT DEMOCRATS HAVE SUPPORTED BEFORE WHEN IT WAS OBAMA NEGOTIATED.

1 minute, 26 seconds

I MEAN, ALI, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT THE DEAL THEY'RE TRYING TO GET BACK TO IS WHAT WE HAD 10 YEARS AGO AND NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE REALITY HERE.

1 minute, 34 seconds

LIKE, WHAT IF WE ACTUALLY THE NUCLEAR DEAL WAS TAKEN TO THE NUCLEAR DEAL. AND TRUMP SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS IS A TERRIBLE DEAL. I DON'T LIKE IT BECAUSE OBAMA DID IT.

1 minute, 40 seconds

BUT INSTEAD OF TEARING IT UP, HE HAD BUILT ON TOP OF IT.

1 minute, 43 seconds

REMEMBER, THE FIRST SOVIET NUCLEAR DEAL DIDN'T END THERE, IT WAS FOLLOWED BY MORE. SO HE COULD HAVE BUILT ON TOP OF THAT.

1 minute, 50 seconds

IF HE HAD DONE THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME, IT WOULD HAVE EMPOWERED THE MODERATES IN IRAN INSTEAD OF PROVING THE HARD-LINERS WE HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT IN IRAN TODAY.

1 minute, 58 seconds

WE MIGHT HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT IN IRAN TODAY.

2 minutes, 1 second

WE MIGHT HAVE SUCCESSFUL PROTESTS WHO EMPOWER MODERATE GOVERNMENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SUPPORTED CLEAR THIS NUCLEAR DEAL AND IRAN MIGHT HAVE NO NUCLEAR

2 minutes, 9 seconds

WEAPONS BUT INSTEAD OF BUILDING ON THAT DIPLOMATIC PROCESS, TRUMP TORE UP THE AGREEMENT OUT OF SPITE FOR OBAMA, HE HE STARTED IN A WAR THAT'S

2 minutes, 17 seconds

GOTTEN 14 AMERICANS KILLED, THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS KILLED, ABOUT 200 IRANIAN GIRLS, LITTLE GIRLS GOING TO SCHOOL DEAD AND

2 minutes, 25 seconds

HAS ACHIEVED NOTHING EXCEPT RAISING GAS PRICES FOR AMERICANS.

2 minutes, 30 seconds

HEY, CONGRESSMAN, I'M WONDERING, WE STILL HAVE TWO CARRIER GROUPS ONLINE IN THE REGION.

2 minutes, 36 seconds

WE STILL HAVE OVER 10 ,000 TROOPS ONLINE IN THE REGION, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AND YET THERE HAS BEEN VERY LITTLE

2 minutes, 44 seconds

TALK I THINK ABOUT THE COST, THE DAILY COST OF THIS WAR TO THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER.

2 minutes, 50 seconds

YOU WANT TO TAKE A BALLPARK ESTIMATE AT THE DAILY COST I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DAILY COST IS, BUT WHEN THEY CAME BEFORE THE ADMINISTRATION,

2 minutes, 59 seconds

WHEN HANKSETH CAME BEFORE CONGRESS AND SAID IT WAS A $25 BILLION DOLLAR WAR SO FAR, I THINK THAT'S A BLATANT LIE.

3 minutes, 4 seconds

REMEMBER, THE FIRST NUMBER THEY PUT BEFORE TO SHOW FOR US WHEN THEY ASKED FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING WAS $200 BILLION.

3 minutes, 11 seconds

AND TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT, BECAUSE WE THROW THESE NUMBERS AROUND ALL THE TIME.

3 minutes, 15 seconds

WE TALK ABOUT BILLIONS EVERY THAT'S ABOUT $1 ,200 FOR EVERY AMERICAN TAXPAYER.

3 minutes, 21 seconds

SO HOW MANY PEOPLE WATCHING THE SHOW THIS MORNING HAVE AN EXTRA $1 ,200 LIEING AROUND ON THEIR KITCHEN COUNTER TO PAY FOR THIS WAR?

3 minutes, 29 seconds

THAT'S RAISED THEIR GAS PRICES AND KILLED 14 AMERICANS. HE KILLED 14 AMERICANS. LET'S SWITCH GEARS NOW.

3 minutes, 35 seconds

BILL PULTY WAS NAMED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AS THE D .N .I., DESPITE ZERO OBVIOUS QUALIFICATIONS

3 minutes, 44 seconds

EXCEPT BEING A TRUMP LOYALIST AND A TRUMP LOYALIST WHO SEEMS TO BE WILLING TO DO THE PRESIDENT'S BIDDING OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPANTS IN TERMS OF GOING AFTER HIS PERCEIVED POLITICAL FOES.

3 minutes, 52 seconds

WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS APPOINTMENT EVEN JUST IN THE ACTING SENSE WHERE HE YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TALKING NUMBER OF MONTHS, WHAT YOU FEAR COULD HAPPEN NEXT?

4 minutes

WELL, LET'S NOT SELL HIM SHORT ON HIS QUALIFICATIONS.

4 minutes, 4 seconds

HE DID CREATE THAT MEME OF TRUMP AS JESUS, SO I MEAN HE'S GOT THAT GOING FOR HIM, BUT THE POINT IS THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS

4 minutes, 12 seconds

GUY DOING TRUMP'S CORRUPT BUSINESS ALL DAY LONG, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY DANGEROUS TO PUT HIM IN THIS POSITION.

4 minutes, 19 seconds

REMEMBER, THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE WAS ESTABLISHED TO COORDINATE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES AFTER THE FAILED COORDINATION THAT ALLOWED 9-11 TO OCCUR.

4 minutes, 28 seconds

SO YOU'VE GOT RUSSIA WE KNOW IRAN IS ACTIVELY TRYING TO ASSASSINATE PEOPLE IN THE U .S.

4 minutes, 39 seconds

TODAY.

4 minutes, 40 seconds

TERRORISTS ARE ALIVE AND WELL AROUND THE GLOBE, ESPECIALLY IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS WORLD.

4 minutes, 49 seconds

WHEN YOU APPOINT SOME HACK, SOME CORRUPT HACK TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, THAT'S JUST NOT IT'S NOT BAD, IT DOESN'T JUST LOOK BAD.

4 minutes, 58 seconds

IT MAKES US LESS SAFE.

4 minutes, 59 seconds

IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS APPOINTMENT FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION. ANOTHER TOPIC FOR YOU, CONGRESSMAN.

5 minutes, 6 seconds

THE ACTING ATTORNEY I THINK THE COUNTRY GENERAL DOUBLING DOWN ON A CONTROVERSIAL MEASURE THAT PROTECTS PRESIDENT TRUMP, HIS FAMILY AND HIS BUSINESSES FROM ANY TAX

5 minutes, 14 seconds

TODAY, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS NO LONGER MOVING FORWARD WITH

5 minutes, 22 seconds

ITS 1 .776 BILLION DOLLARS SO-CALLED ANTI-WEAPONIZATION SLUSH FUND, WHICH WOULD HAVE COMPENSATED PEOPLE WHO CLAIM

5 minutes, 30 seconds

THEY WERE VICTIMS OF UNFAIR PROSECUTION BY THE GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING PERHAPS THE PEOPLE WHO BEAT UP COPS AND WERE CONVICTED BY JURYS OF THEIR PEERS ON JANUARY

5 minutes, 39 seconds

THE FUND WAS INITIALLY CREATED AS PART OF A SETTLEMENT AFTER AN I .R .S.

5 minutes, 44 seconds

EMPLOYEE LEAKED PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TAX RETURNS DURING HIS FIRST TERM IN OFFICE.

5 minutes, 48 seconds

HOWEVER, BLANCE REVEALED ONE PART OF THAT SETTLEMENT WILL REMAIN in place.

5 minutes, 52 seconds

The one providing Trump, his family and businesses immunity from current and pending IRS audits.

5 minutes, 59 seconds

Blanche personally signed the document providing those audit protections.

6 minutes, 3 seconds

Senate Democrats say they plan to force votes on both the abandoned anti-weaponization fund and the audit protections.

6 minutes, 11 seconds

Congressman, so this is what you get, obviously, when you put the president's personal attorney in charge of DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

6 minutes, 19 seconds

WELL, YES, AND LET'S NOT FORGET THAT THE WHOLE LAWSUIT THEY'RE TRYING TO SETTLE IS A LAWSUIT BY TRUMP AGAINST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

6 minutes, 27 seconds

IT'S THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THAT LEAKED THESE TAX RETURNS.

6 minutes, 30 seconds

BUT THE BOTTOM THE TRUMP FAMILY WOULD NOT NEED THIS PROTECTION IF THEY WERE FOLLOWING THE LAW.

6 minutes, 35 seconds

THEY WOULD NOT BE INSISTING ON HAVING THE IRS PREVENTED FROM AUDITING THEIR TAX RETURNS IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY HONEST THEIR TAX RETURNS,

6 minutes, 44 seconds

SO ALL THE REST OF US, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE PROTECTIONS AGAINST THE IRS BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY ARE TRUTHFUL IN OUR TAX RETURNS AND WE KNOW IF WE LIE, WE MIGHT GET CAUGHT.

6 minutes, 54 seconds

TRUMP HAS HE HAS CLEARLY, CLEARLY PUT IN CORRUPT TRACK TAX RETURNS.

6 minutes, 59 seconds

THERE IS STEALING MONEY FROM THE REST OF TAXPAYERS.

7 minutes, 2 seconds

YOU KNOW, HE IS NOT PAYING HIS FAIR SHARE AND THAT'S WHY HE NEEDS THIS PROTECTION THAT HE'S BEGGING FOR FROM HIS OWN PERSONAL LAWYER.

7 minutes, 9 seconds

YEAH, IT'S IRONIC, SETH, THAT WHAT HE'S SUING OVER IS SOMETHING PRESIDENTS NORMALLY DO, WHICH IS RELEASE THEIR TAX RETURNS, WHICH IS KIND OF WEIRD WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

7 minutes, 20 seconds

THIS CASE AT THIS POINT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BLANCH DOUBLING DOWN ON GIVING THE PRESIDENT AND HIS FAMILY WHO

7 minutes, 29 seconds

HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LEAK AND HIS BUSINESSES, THIS IMMUNITY FROM ANY KIND OF TAX CONSEQUENCES, GIVES

7 minutes, 36 seconds

THEM A FREE TICKET TO STEAL MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAT BELONGS TO THE TAXPAYERS.

7 minutes, 41 seconds

AND SO DOESN'T THIS KEEP DOESN'T THE COURT NOW HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE A HEARING

7 minutes, 49 seconds

AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS A REAL LAWSUIT IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WHETHER FRAUD WAS COMMITTED ON THE COURT BY THE WAY THIS SETTLEMENT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COURT,

7 minutes, 57 seconds

AND ISN'T THIS GOING TO KEEP THIS ISSUE ESPECIALLY IF WE TAKE THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE IN NOVEMBER?

8 minutes, 3 seconds

ISN'T IT GOING TO KEEP THIS FRONT AND CENTER IN TERMS OF TRUE LEGISLATIVE GUARDRAILS? I MEAN, IT CERTAINLY SHOULD.

8 minutes, 10 seconds

I MEAN, IT CERTAINLY SHOULD BE CONTESTED BY THE COURTS.

8 minutes, 13 seconds

OF COURSE, UNTIL IT GETS TO THE SUPREME COURT WHICH IS BASICALLY BOUGHT OFF BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

8 minutes, 17 seconds

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, LET'S JUST BE HONEST, YOU DON'T YOU DON'T NEED IMMUNITY IF YOU HAVEN'T CONDUCTED A CRIME.

8 minutes, 24 seconds

YOU DON'T NEED A PARDON IF YOU'RE NOT GUILTY.

8 minutes, 27 seconds

SO CLEARLY, THEY ARE JUST TELLING THE ENTIRE WORLD AND THE U .S. JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAT THEY WE ALL PAY OUR TAXES.

8 minutes, 37 seconds

WE EXPECT TO PAY WHAT WE OWE THE GOVERNMENT FOR ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE GET, INCLUDING PAYING OUR TROOPS WHO ARE ON GUARD RIGHT NOW IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND AROUND THE

8 minutes, 46 seconds

THE FAMILY DOESN'T THINK THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.

8 minutes, 50 seconds

THEY THINK THEY CAN BILK ALL THE REST OF US, LET US CARRY THE COST OF TRUMP'S WEEKLY GOLF TRIPS OR DAILY GOLF TRIPS HE'S NOT GOING TO PAY FOR THAT.

9 minutes, 1 second

HE'S NOT GOING TO PAY FOR THAT. HE'S NOT GOING TO PAY HIS FAIR TAXES, NO. HE GETS PARDON FROM THAT. HE GETS IMMUNITY.

9 minutes, 6 seconds

THIS IS THE MOST BLATANT HIGH LEVEL CORRUPTION YOU CAN IMPORTANT TO SEE IF ANYTHING

9 minutes, 13 seconds

IS IMMINENTLY DONE BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME REPUBLICANS TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO BLOCK OFF THE FUND FROM A LEGISLATIVE PERSPECTIVE.

9 minutes, 21 seconds

WE'LL WATCH TO SEE IF ANYTHING IS I DON'T HAVE MUCH REASON BEHIND IT IN THIS CONGRESS.

9 minutes, 24 seconds

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LARGER MIDTERM LANDSCAPE, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL FACTOR IN.

9 minutes, 28 seconds

BUT I THINK YOUR RACE IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT IS YET ANOTHER POTENTIAL LITMUS TEST FOR THIS IDEA OF OF THE ESTABLISHMENT VERSUS THE INSURGENT, RIGHT?

9 minutes, 36 seconds

AND YOU'VE GOT POINTS OF THE AND YOU'VE GOT POINTS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT LAST NIGHT EVEN TUESDAY'S ELECTION DOING WELL.

9 minutes, 42 seconds

PEOPLE LIKE JOSH TURICK WHO YOU WERE THE ESTABLISHMENT CHOSEN CANDIDATES, PEOPLE LIKE CHUCK SCHUMER.

9 minutes, 46 seconds

AND THEN OF COURSE IN MAINE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'VE GOT THE TALKING ABOUT A SCHUMER CANDIDATE GENET MILLS LEAVING THE RACE BECAUSE THAT WASN'T WHERE THE ENERGY WAS.

9 minutes, 53 seconds

SO WHEN YOU TAKE IT IN TOTALITY AND THEN APPLY IT AND LAYER IT ONTO YOUR RACE, WHAT ARE YOU YOU SEEING, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING AND WHAT ARE YOU HEARING AND WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM

10 minutes

PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THIS SO-CALLED ESTABLISHMENT, THE KNEE-JERK REACTION IS YOU BACK THE INCUMBENT WHICH IS SENATOR MARKEY BUT WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'RE SEEING

10 minutes, 8 seconds

PEOPLE WANT CHANGE, AND ESPECIALLY DEMOCRATS.

10 minutes, 11 seconds

I MEAN, IF YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT IN AMERICA TODAY WHO HONESTLY THINKS THAT THINGS ARE GOING WELL, THAT IT'S GREAT WE'VE GOT A SECOND TERM OF DONALD TRUMP THAT WE CAN'T SEEM TO WIN

10 minutes, 19 seconds

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ELECTION AGAINST A CONFICTED FELON, IF YOU THINK THAT THE SCHUMER GERONTOCRACY, THE 80-YEAR-OLDS IN CONGRESS AND IN THE SENATE SHOULD

10 minutes, 27 seconds

BE RUNNING THINGS, IF THEY should vote for the establishment. But that's not what I'm hearing.

10 minutes, 33 seconds

I mean, one of the most popular positions I've taken just from day one of this campaign is that I do not support Senator Schumer.

10 minutes, 40 seconds

Senator Markey and Senator Schumer are joined at the hip.

10 minutes, 42 seconds

You know, they're very close FRIENDS AND THEY'RE GOING TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. I THINK IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE. I THINK IT'S TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP.

10 minutes, 48 seconds

I THINK IT'S TIME FOR DEMOCRATS TO START WINNING ELECTIONS.

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