This is the April 13, 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
“Many believers will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”
— Matthew 24:10-12
CHART OF THE DAY
A CONVERSATION WITH FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON
In Hungary, Viktor Orbán conceded a stunning election loss this weekend after 16 years in power, even as the White House openly campaigned for him. And after peace talks collapsed in Islamabad, the U.S. military this morning enacted a blockade of Iran’s ports and coastal areas, sending oil prices surging above $100 a barrel. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined “Morning Joe” today to discuss both foreign policy developments — and what comes next.
MB: What does Viktor Orbán’s loss mean for Europe, and for the U.S.?
HC: It’s a significant win for the Hungarian people, for Europe, for democracy — and, I hope, for Ukraine. And it’s a significant defeat for Putin, for Trump, and for the forces of authoritarianism around the world.
Anti-corruption was a driving force in the outcome. This was a historic turnout — more than 77% of Hungarians voted. Given the chance, people will not tolerate the kind of oppression Orbán was imposing — dominating the government, the judiciary, and the press. In the end, voters rejected it.
And I’d just point out the irony: When JD Vance was there propping up Orbán, he kept talking about saving Western civilization. Well, voting Orbán out is a win for Western civilization — for accountable government, for the rule of law, for checks and balances.
JS: What is it about Putin, Trump, and those around them that made them go all in for Orbán?
HC: What we have here is really an unholy alliance among autocrats and wannabe autocrats. Viktor Orbán morphed from an anti-communist, anti-Russian young student leader into a toady for Vladimir Putin. And this isn’t the first election Putin has interfered in — as I know very well — and it won’t be the last.
What we should be learning is that you cannot allow one-man rule — because it leads to corruption, oppression, and the destruction of democratic institutions. Some of what Orbán was doing — taking over universities, strangling the free press — may sound very familiar.
JS: What are the political lessons here for Democrats?
HC: The two themes should be affordability and accountability — you can’t have one without the other. That’s exactly what Péter Magyar’s campaign was about in Hungary: the economy, the cost of living, but also accountability.
Accountability starts with reining in the corruption in this White House — because it’s not just about the amounts of money Trump and his family are taking in. It’s about who they favor, who gets the benefits, often at the direct cost of middle-class families and working people. Every single thing they do has a transactional cost that benefits them.
MB: How should Democrats handle Trump’s rhetoric while staying on message?
HC: We need to hold leaders accountable for what they say as well as what they do — because words, especially from an American president, have real consequences. When you look at the last week: threatening civilizational genocide, threatening Pope Leo, posting himself as Jesus. It’s just disgraceful.
JS: If you were Secretary of State today, how would you approach Iran?
HC: There is so much damage that’s been done that it’s going to take a lot of hard work to repair. This is hard, disciplined work — you don’t just show up in Geneva or Islamabad, talk for a few hours, and go away.
When we negotiated the Iran nuclear deal, it was a slow, deliberative process — with physicists and nuclear weapons practitioners at the table who actually knew something. You would have to wipe the slate clean and get back to real negotiations.
And I’ll tell you something that’s shocking: Trump said nobody told him Iran might close the Strait of Hormuz. Every war game I was ever involved in — that was the first thing we assumed Iran would do.
You would also need allies at the table. We had the “P5 plus 1” — the original [United Nations] Security Council members plus Germany. That’s what a serious negotiation looks like. Right now, the United States is in a very weak position. Iran should be the one on the back foot, held to account. Instead, we’ve lost the leverage and initiative we once had.
MB: How do U.S. allies view America right now?
HC: I think our allies believe we’ve lost our mind — because they wake up in the morning like we do and see what’s coming from the president of the United States. So they’ve come to the realization they have to strengthen their own alliances, their own defenses, and their own position.
We don’t want to be dismissing our allies — we want them involved, because they have a big stake in this. And right now, they’re adjusting because they’re not confident in U.S. leadership.
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JS: So where does this go from here?
HC: There’s something called the “domain of loss” — which means when a leader feels like he’s losing, he becomes more reckless. And I fear that with Trump. He’s found something in ordering the military to act — watching from the Situation Room — and I think it’s giving him a dopamine hit. I worry he will get more reckless.
This is a call to Congress — including Republicans — to step up and do your constitutional duty. Rein in this president before he causes absolutely irreparable damage to our country, our military standing, and our leadership in the world.
This conversation has been condensed and edited for brevity and clarity.
ON THIS DATE
In 1742, German-British composer George Frideric Handel premiered “Messiah” in Dublin’s Great Music Hall, where 700 people crammed into the 600-seat auditorium. Newspaper advertisements urged women to forgo their “hoop skirts” and men to leave their swords at home — maximizing capacity, 18th century style.
“Messiah” went on to become the most frequently performed oratorio in the world, a Christmas tradition that has endured for almost three centuries.
THE UNRAVELING OF ERIC SWALWELL
Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor Sunday night amid allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women, which he denies.
Swalwell apologized on X for “mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” but vowed to fight what he called “serious, false allegations.”
MS NOW spoke directly with the former staffer at the center of the allegations and reviewed text messages and medical records corroborating her account. The woman, who worked for Swalwell for almost two years, says he assaulted her on two occasions when she was too intoxicated to consent. MS NOW does not publish names of people alleging sexual assault unless they agree to go public.
CNN separately spoke with three additional women making similar claims, which MS NOW has not independently confirmed. The Manhattan district attorney has opened a criminal investigation.
Swalwell’s own gubernatorial and congressional staff publicly sided with his accuser, writing in a joint letter: “We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward.” His campaign co-chairs, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries all called on him to exit the race.
Now members of both parties are pushing to remove him from Congress altogether. George Santos, the only living former member ever expelled from the institution, offered a stark warning: “There is NO dignity in being expelled — if I could go back in time I’d do it differently.”
EXTRA HOT TEA
600
— The number of locations from the Plains to the Northeast that could face record-breaking high temperatures this week
ONE MORE SHOT
Remnants of an Iranian missile lie near the border between the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and Syria.
CATCH UP ON MORNING JOE
Former Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., is co-host of MS NOW's "Morning Joe" alongside Mika Brzezinski — a show that Time magazine calls "revolutionary." In addition to his career in television, Joe is a two-time New York Times best-selling author. His most recent book is "The Right Path: From Ike to Reagan, How Republicans Once Mastered Politics — and Can Again."