Joe Rogan Caught in "Michelle Obama is a Man" Scandal & & I'm Giving $1,000,000 Away
PDS Published 06/15/2026
-
Trump's UFC Freedom 250 birthday bash was more embarrassing than expected for reasons you couldn't have imagined. Oliver Tree's unexpected death has people heartbroken. The shocking new FIFA Israel-Palestine controversy has people pissed. And I am giving $1 million away.
We're talking about all of that and even more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco Show, your daily dive into the news.
So buckle up, hit that like button, and let's just jump into it, starting with giving $1 million away.
I can finally announce this. I might have more details coming soon. I want to give 40 people $25,000 a pop.
The reason that I'm able to do this, it's almost an accident. It was not expected. Out of the blue, I got an invite to the MrBeast 50 YouTuber Challenge video, something I definitely didn't expect given my past coverage of him.
Because while I aim to be fair to the subjects of really any of my stories, they're not usually Philip DeFranco fans. And it's also something I normally would immediately decline.
Then I thought, realistically, when am I ever going to get another chance to see the behind-the-scenes of one of these productions for myself? I've covered stories about it over the years. So my thinking was, even getting an on-the-rails content experience could be very helpful.
With 50 people, statistically I'm going to get eliminated. Maybe I get eliminated early. I can look around and then, when the video goes live, compare the experience, what was filmed versus the final edit.
Then I get there, and I almost get eliminated in the first round, but I survive. And then I keep winning and winning, and then I win the whole thing.
And now I get to pluck a million bucks out of MrBeast's wallet and give it to a bunch of y'all.
It's also a thing that I want to stress. This is not me trying to make a bag for myself. I've seen some misleading things and misinformation out there. This is about giving money to my subscribers.
This is for the Beautiful Bastards, the DeFranco Nation. Whether you've been with me for a day or from day one. You know the monkey logo. You're the people that honestly gave me a life that I strive every day to be worthy of.
So it is amazing to be able to give back and do some good in a way that can actually have an impact.
Actually, funny enough, by giving this money away, it's probably going to cost me money. Turns out giving away money like this is very complicated. Depending on how you do it, it can be very involved and very expensive.
Yeah, details are being finalized. More information is going to be announced later. So just make sure you subscribe here. And also, I'd say, on all my social pages.
Something happened three or four weeks ago, and YouTube has just kind of suppressed this channel. I'm getting like half the impressions I was getting the week prior.
And also, do you want a little drama?
I found out over the weekend that I almost got screwed out of this money for you guys.
While Jschlatt was live, I asked him, "Hey, were people trying to rally votes near the end? I heard some kind of murmuring."
And he said this:
"Philip asked if it's true that people were trying to rally votes. I was offered something to not vote for you. Someone else, right? So I still voted for you. I didn't know that was allegedly going on. I thought there was like an old-school YouTuber versus gaming YouTuber thing going on."
So one, I feel thankful to have this opportunity to give you all this money.
And two, extra thankful to all the fantastic YouTubers who voted for me in general, and especially in the face of personally getting some cash themselves, if that was actually happening.
And also, I know some of you are interested in my personal experience there, the things that I noticed that they cut out, and the whole experience. I might do a watch-party thing on Friday, but I'm 50/50 on it right now.
So if you do want that, let me know in the comments.
And then also, subscribe, turn notifications on, and maybe just for good measure, text me at (813) 213-4423 to join the secret-not-secret text line.
Yeah.
With that said, let's talk some news.
-
Last night, professional fighters walked out of the Oval Office, down a red carpet, and into a cage on the White House South Lawn while military bombers screamed overhead.
The Marine Band played, and Joe Rogan put on maybe a child's tie and called the action. He's already a little dude. Why was the tie even smaller?
That was a setup to supposedly help celebrate America's 250th birthday, though it really seemed to be more about Trump's 80th birthday.
As far as the crowd, you had over 4,000 people, including JD Vance, members of Trump's cabinet, Mike Johnson, as well as Mark Zuckerberg and David Ellison, whose Paramount+ actually streamed the event.
The crowd got entertained with knockout after knockout, and ads were everywhere, from Budweiser to crypto.
Actually, it almost didn't happen because a watchdog group called the Public Integrity Project sued to block it. They filed on behalf of two locals who said they frequent the area and were offended by a cage match going up next to national monuments.
They called the setup hideous, grotesque, and disgusting. They argued that the whole thing was corrupt, describing it as a for-profit spectacle benefiting Trump's allies like UFC boss Dana White and David Ellison.
A judge tossed that case on the grounds that they really hadn't shown standing or any irreparable harm.
Then there was threat number two: the weather.
The Weather Channel warned of a 60% chance of thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour on the South Lawn. The event was even pushed back by an hour.
The West Wing's rapid response account apparently took offense and fired back on Twitter:
"This event is about celebrating America's unmatched greatness after 250 years, which apparently doesn't sit well with the friendless loser who wrote this bullshit clickbait headline."
But that reaction and controversy was nothing compared to the other two big stories of the night.
The first centered around Daniel Cormier, who, if you don't know, is a UFC Hall of Famer and one of the night's commentators alongside Rogan.
He's also the man whose Twitter account posted something that blew up on the internet.
The tweet read:
"I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light. However, I refuse to stay silent. I will not tolerate this type of insider behavior. Shame on anyone trying to ruin this beautiful event."
Along with that was a screenshot of a text exchange that appeared to be between Cormier and Eric Trump.
It looked like the president's son opened with:
"Anything you can tell me about the fighters? Who do you got winning?"
Cormier appeared to dodge.
Then Eric got more direct:
"You placing any bets?"
Another dodge.
Then:
"Are any of the fighters injured that you know of?"
To which Cormier appeared to answer:
"I'm not quite sure why you're asking me this, but I think they're all in good shape."
Then a text allegedly from Eric:
"I'll just cut to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I've been eyeing the Lopez fight and I think an upset wouldn't be too unrealistic."
Cormier appeared to shut it down:
"No, none of our fights are rigged. And honestly, I am appalled that you would even ask me something like that."
So if that exchange was authentic, it would appear the president's son was looking for insider information to bet on a fight, which would be extremely illegal.
Then a number of things happened.
Eric Trump jumped on Twitter saying:
"We are aware of the fake AI-generated screenshots being circulated online. I have never spoken to Daniel."
He added that Cormier had deleted the post, which confirmed it was fabricated.
Cormier, who appeared to delete the post within minutes, seemed to back him up, writing:
"Are people really this dumb?"
To which Eric replied:
"Thanks, Daniel."
Cormier later appeared in a video saying he had been hacked or something similar.
For a lot of people, that was case closed.
But for others, it raised more questions.
People pointed out that multiple journalists claimed they saw the post come from the actual account, not an impersonator. Others questioned how Cormier would fall for a deepfake of himself saying something he knew he never said.
And if he was hacked, how did he regain control quickly enough to delete it within minutes?
There were also people bothered by Cormier saying:
"Why would I tweet that?"
Some interpreted that as suggesting it was fake. Others argued that if it had been real, he simply would have stayed silent.
So generally, that whole thing was a mess.
And that was not where the mess ended.
-
It was very interesting to see the different kinds of celebrations we've seen recently.
Because while there are definitely different levels to it and it's not a one-to-one comparison, it's hard not to look at this and then also look to New York.
If you've somehow been living under a rock recently, you might not have seen that the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94–90 in Game 5, clinching their first championship title in over half a century.
And fans, as many expected, went absolutely buck wild.
Though New York did not go full Gotham, there were still massive celebrations, even with Mayor Mamdani joining people at a bar to celebrate. Just generally, the vibes have been immaculate.
Actually, it's been amazing to watch New York throughout the NBA playoffs. But also, really since Mamdani got elected.
But now we're also seeing a lot of energy surrounding the World Cup.
What you might not know is that while those matches are playing out, FIFA is also working on an upcoming youth soccer tournament.
And today we learned that the organization reportedly wants the opening match to be between Israel and Palestine.
Because it's a youth tournament, the players will all be under 15 years old. They'll be competing here in the United States in September, and it's open to all 211 FIFA member associations, including Russia.
Which is notable because Russia is currently banned from many competitions because of the war in Ukraine.
While the host city hasn't officially been announced, it's expected to be Miami.
And while this series of games will only include boys' teams, there will be a girls' tournament next year.
As far as why FIFA wants to open with Israel and Palestine, sources told The Athletic that FIFA hopes the opening game could help broker peace.
It's obviously a controversial idea.
Palestine's Football Association declined to comment publicly on the plans.
Israel's association did comment, saying:
"Our FA president will stick to what he has said publicly several times at FIFA Congress and elsewhere. We are more than ever willing to use football as an instrument to promote normalization and peace."
Adding:
"Our hands are always extended for a better future for everyone. We hope to find a brave partner on the other side."
Another notable aspect is that this isn't the first time FIFA has tried to insert itself into the situation.
At its annual Congress meeting back in April, FIFA's president asked representatives from Israel and Palestine to join together on stage.
But as Palestine's representative approached, he stopped short of standing beside the Israeli representative and instead only spoke to FIFA's president.
While we couldn't hear exactly what was said, he appeared upset and uninterested in an impromptu public peace moment.
Afterward, FIFA's president said:
"We will work together. President Rajoub, Vice President Suleiman, let's work together."
"Let's work together to give hope to the children."
"We have a beautiful Under-15 tournament coming up, where we will invite all 211 countries to participate."
"All the children of the world. Let's do it for that. Please, let's work together."
"You have my commitment. You have the support of the whole room."
The Palestinian representative ultimately walked off the stage and later told Al Jazeera:
"He has the right to try to bring people together. But I think maybe he understands, but he does not know the deep suffering of the Palestinian people."
As far as public reactions, many echoed similar sentiments.
A number of people argued FIFA is completely out of touch for suggesting this.
Some pointed out that Israeli military actions have killed Palestinian athletes. Others argued Palestinian youth should not be forced to play representatives of a state they view as responsible for immense suffering.
Many questioned whether a friendly football match could erase what Palestinians are experiencing.
People also argued there was a particular cruelty in asking children to shoulder that burden.
And this is all happening amid other World Cup-related controversies.
In Canada, protesters unveiled a massive banner calling for Israel to be kicked out of FIFA.
Meanwhile, Iran is playing a game in Los Angeles today, and protests have formed around that as well.
Los Angeles has a large Iranian-American population.
Some demonstrators are protesting Iran's government and calling for democracy in the country.
Al Jazeera reported that some opposition activists view the football team as an extension of the government in Tehran.
Others simply want to put politics aside and enjoy the sport.
But the war has created other tensions.
Some Iranian fans reportedly had tickets for U.S.-based matches revoked.
Iran also remains subject to travel restrictions.
The players have received visas for the games, with Trump's World Cup czar describing it as a gesture of goodwill.
Still, many believe Iran's team and fans have not been treated fairly.
One civil rights attorney argued that these restrictions run counter to the idea of the World Cup as an open, global sporting event.
Saying:
"I think it's disgraceful, unfortunate, and inappropriate. Sports bring people of all backgrounds and beliefs together."
-
But first, let me thank a sponsor and say this:
Nothing spikes your anxiety faster than Googling a symptom and getting results ranging from "drink more water" to "you have six minutes left."
Which is why I stopped letting the internet be my primary physician.
And honestly, it's one of the reasons I use today's sponsor, Zocdoc.
Zocdoc is a free app and website that helps you find and book high-quality, in-network doctors so you can find someone you love.
And it was huge for me because once I finally decide I should probably see a doctor, I need to book it immediately before my brain talks me out of it.
With more than 150,000 providers across all 50 states and over 200 specialties, you can find primary care, dental, dermatology, eye care—whatever you need.
In fact, you can see real-time availability and book instantly, usually within 24 to 72 hours, and sometimes even same day.
You can also filter by insurance, location, in-person or video visits, and read verified patient reviews so you actually feel confident about who you're booking with.
Yes, this is dramatically easier than calling five offices only to hear:
"We're booked until October."
So stop putting off those doctor's appointments and scan that QR code or go to Zocdoc.com to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.
This message is sponsored by Zocdoc.
ZOCDOC
Just go to https://www.zocdoc.com/phil and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today!
-
Diving right back into the news.
The United States and Iran have announced a new preliminary deal to halt the fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
While the details of the agreement haven't been made public yet, it does appear that Donald Trump failed to achieve almost every major objective he set out for in this war.
For example, the future of Iran's nuclear program remains unresolved.
Officials say that issue will be negotiated during a new 60-day ceasefire period set to begin after the signing of a framework agreement in Switzerland.
Interestingly, when Trump announced that a deal had been reached, he didn't mention the nuclear issue at all.
Instead, he focused on celebrating a return to pre-war conditions, writing:
"I hereby fully authorize the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz and simultaneously authorize the immediate removal of United States naval restrictions. Start your engines. Let the oil flow."
He also claimed many leaders had tried to make peace with Iran before him and failed, adding that regional leaders had finally found a president capable of delivering real peace.
Let's remember how we got here.
The United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader, numerous senior officials, and more than 100 schoolchildren.
Trump and his team repeatedly shifted their stated goals for the conflict.
Beyond preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, they cited objectives that included:
Destroying Iran's military and ballistic missile capabilities.
Ending Iranian support for regional proxy groups.
Enabling the Iranian people to overthrow the regime.
Trump initially claimed those goals could be accomplished within four or five weeks.
He later insisted Iran's only path forward was unconditional surrender.
But months later, U.S. intelligence reportedly showed Iran still retained significant missile capabilities.
And there is no indication the new agreement restricts those capabilities.
Iran has reportedly stated that it intends to continue developing ballistic missiles.
It has also reportedly indicated that it will continue supporting groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
As for regime change, there is no evidence that objective was achieved either.
The same government that survived years of protests and crackdowns remains in power.
There are also no signs that the agreement includes provisions to prevent future crackdowns.
Instead, issues like sanctions relief and access to frozen assets appear tied to whatever nuclear concessions Iran agrees to make during future negotiations.
So based on what we know now, the most difficult issues remain unresolved.
Yet that hasn't stopped Trump from presenting the situation as though only final paperwork remains.
Even before formally announcing the agreement, he argued on social media that he had surpassed former President Barack Obama.
Trump claimed the 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal gave Iran an easy path toward a nuclear weapon.
He also argued that if he had not withdrawn from that agreement, Iran would have already built and used a nuclear bomb.
However, that claim appears unsupported.
Under the Obama agreement, Iran shipped away roughly 97% of its enriched uranium stockpile and complied with enrichment limits through the remainder of Obama's presidency and into Trump's first term.
After Trump withdrew from the deal, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60%, just below weapons-grade levels.
Eventually, Iran accumulated enough material to theoretically produce multiple nuclear weapons, though there is no evidence it actually built any.
One of the major sticking points now is what happens to that stockpile.
Trump claimed the U.S. would eventually recover Iran's highly enriched uranium.
Reports suggest Iran may only be willing to surrender part of its stockpile while diluting the remainder for civilian use.
Another major question is how long Iran would suspend uranium enrichment.
Trump reportedly wants a 20-year suspension.
He later suggested he might settle for 15 years—the same duration as key restrictions under the Obama agreement.
Trump has also insisted that enrichment capable of military use must be permanently banned.
Ultimately, all of this depends on negotiations that have barely begun.
One former U.S. ambassador to Israel wrote:
"For the nuclear issues, there really is no deal. It is possible that no deal will ever be reached."
Experts have also questioned whether the United States has demonstrated the patience required to negotiate a complex agreement involving monitoring and verification.
Beyond the nuclear issue, other disputes remain unresolved.
For example, Trump claimed Iran agreed that the Strait of Hormuz would remain permanently toll-free.
Iran's foreign ministry later suggested that while ships would not be charged tolls, service-related fees could still be imposed.
And reopening the strait itself may take time.
Mines still need to be cleared.
Infrastructure must be repaired.
Shipping companies need confidence that the route is actually safe.
One executive even said it could take weeks or months before he felt comfortable sending vessels back through the region.
Despite all those concerns, markets reacted positively.
Brent crude prices fell nearly 5%, dropping to around $83 per barrel after peaking around $126.
Though still above pre-war levels, investors clearly viewed the agreement as encouraging.
Gas prices in the United States remain elevated, however.
And prices could rise again if the situation deteriorates.
One reason that could happen is Israel's continued military operations elsewhere in the region.
In fact, Israel nearly derailed the agreement before it was announced by carrying out additional strikes in southern Lebanon.
Trump publicly criticized those attacks and warned against further escalation.
Iran claims the ceasefire includes an immediate halt to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Trump has not publicly clarified whether the agreement covers Lebanon.
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah has clearly committed to the arrangement.
Israeli leaders have already stated they do not view themselves as bound by it.
Israel's defense minister said he and Netanyahu oppose any Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
So we'll have to wait and see what happens.
But ultimately, the decision to attack Iran came at an undeniable cost.
Thousands of lives were lost, including more than a dozen Americans.
The conflict caused enormous economic and humanitarian damage.
And at least right now, it appears very little was gained.
Iran was weakened militarily, but not defeated.
And if anything, it may have strengthened its negotiating position by demonstrating its ability to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz and withstand pressure from the world's most powerful military.
-
Speaking of negotiating positions, that actually works as a transition.
SpaceX's share price rose even more on its first full day of trading today.
Which, of course, makes Elon Musk even more of a trillionaire.
After making its official debut last Friday, SpaceX raised $75 billion at a valuation of $1.77 trillion, making it the largest initial public offering ever recorded.
Now things are even bigger.
Shares rose another 6% in early trading, pushing the company's valuation to roughly $2.2 trillion.
Trading is still ongoing as I'm recording this, so it's a moving target.
But it has firmly established SpaceX as one of the most valuable companies in the world.
And Elon Musk added fuel to investor enthusiasm by saying on Sunday that SpaceX could generate $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2030.
That optimism is helping drive Wall Street's excitement around a company involved in everything from rockets to AI.
But there's a big difference between 2030 projections and present-day reality.
SpaceX reported $18.7 billion in revenue in 2025 and has yet to turn a profit.
Because of that, many analysts remain skeptical of the company's valuation.
In fact, even before the IPO, Morningstar published an analysis arguing that SpaceX was worth less than half of its IPO target.
Their estimate placed the company closer to $780 billion.
One reason for skepticism is that SpaceX made only about 5% of its shares available to the public.
That's significantly below the typical 10–20% range.
Because so few shares are available, analysts argue demand may be artificially inflating the stock price.
Axios compared it to the Girl Scouts making 1,000 boxes of cookies but putting only 50 up for sale.
Naturally, people would bid aggressively for the limited supply.
But if hundreds more boxes appeared later, prices could fall.
Of course, if demand remains enormous forever, prices could stay elevated.
That's not the only concern.
IPO documents showed that nearly all of the company's projected $28.5 trillion market opportunity is tied to future AI expansion.
The Washington Post noted that these projections rely on ambitious, and in some cases far-fetched, assumptions.
Those include:
Millions of satellites.
Space-based AI data centers.
Vast expansion of Starlink.
Starshield government and defense networks.
The Post also noted that SpaceX has lost billions of dollars in recent years.
Since the beginning of 2023, losses reportedly totaled around $13 billion.
Last year alone, the company lost approximately $4.9 billion due largely to AI-related spending.
Still, that gamble may be paying off.
Revenue reached $18.7 billion last year, up 33% year over year.
With all that said, there are two things I'd note.
First, investing in Elon Musk companies often seems less about traditional financial metrics and more about belief in Elon Musk himself.
For years, critics have argued that many of his companies are overvalued and that the numbers don't make sense.
People joke that the stock market is based on vibes and operates like a casino.
Historically, however, betting on Musk has often worked.
Second, many are wondering whether this IPO provides a roadmap for other major AI companies.
SpaceX's debut is being viewed as a litmus test for companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, both of which are expected to go public later this year.
Some are asking whether SpaceX's success proves there is enormous demand for AI-focused giants.
And if those companies have similarly successful IPOs, some experts believe it could fundamentally reshape the stock market.
But time will tell.
-
The final thing we need to talk about today is some very sad news.
American musician Oliver Tree is dead at 32.
He was killed when the helicopter he was riding in collided with another helicopter over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning.
Six people reportedly died in the crash.
He was in the middle of the biggest tour of his life.
Seventy shows. Thirty countries. Every continent.
As of right now, nobody knows why the two helicopters ended up in the same place at the same time.
Both aircraft came down on top of a car dealership lot.
One landed among a row of electric vehicles, triggering fires that spread to roughly 15 to 20 cars.
According to Rio's military fire department, five victims were in one helicopter while the sixth person was in the other.
Brazilian authorities have opened an investigation.
At this stage, there are no public conclusions about what went wrong.
One reason this story has resonated so strongly is that Oliver Tree was enormously popular.
His top songs have accumulated more than 700 million streams combined.
His Spotify page alone attracts more than 11 million monthly listeners.
The outpouring of grief from fellow artists, creators, and fans has been massive.
Many tributes focused not only on his music, but on who he was as a person.
People described him as talented, funny, generous, and genuinely strange in a deliberate, artistic way.
A true one-of-one.
As for the other passengers, they reportedly included:
A Brazilian music producer.
An Argentine video director.
A 23-year-old Argentine creator named Gaspar Premé Díaz.
His audience knew him as Gatsby.
He had more than 2.8 million subscribers on YouTube.
His streaming channel, Blender, posted a tribute describing him as:
"An artist with magic and sensitivity."
As of right now, the pilot of the second helicopter has not been publicly identified.
Unfortunately, all of this serves as another reminder that you never know what is around the corner.
Love the people in your life while you have them.
Tell them you love them.
Live your life.
Because none of us knows how or when we will leave this planet.
Ideally, what remains are the relationships we built and the people whose lives we touched.
And it is on that somber note that we end today's show.
Thank you for watching another daily dive into the news.
Thank you for being a part of my life.
I love your faces.
And I will see you right back here tomorrow.
