Sky News presenter Sean Fletcher halted the usual broadcast to bring viewers a breaking update as Donald Trump made a sudden U-turn. The president had announced on Monday he was imposing tariffs on ships entering the Strait of Hormuz.
Breaking News from Washington
"Some breaking news from Washington now," the broadcaster said. "US President Donald Trump has scrapped plans for a 20% toll on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He has just posted on social media to say oil is flowing like never before thanks to the awesome power of the United States military."
Fletcher read out Trump's Truth Social post which said "the Strait of Hormuz is open to all ship traffic except for Iran", as he explained he had made the huge decision "to replace the 20% United States reimbursement fee with trade and investment deals that the various Gulf states will be making into the United States." Trump claimed those "investments will be massive" and boasted, "America is winning again, winning like never before."
White House Meeting
Fletcher then cut to images from the White House showing Trump welcoming Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, telling viewers, "we'll bring you any updates from that meeting, as and when we get them."
Correspondent James Matthews then joined him to discuss Trump's about-turn and made his feelings very clear. "Much hyperbole in that Truth Social posting about victory and all the rest of it. But the guts of it, the newsline is the stunning climb down, slap bang in the centre. 'I have decided to replace the 20 per cent United States reimbursement fee with trade and investment deals that the various Gulf states will be making into the United States,'" he said.
Analysis of the U-Turn
"24 hours ago, he was saying that for the cargo that was shipped and that the United States would protect, they were going to cream off 20 per cent of the value. That was yesterday, and Donald Trump was howled down by people who pointed out, 'Well, hang on a minute- that's at odds with your administration...'" Matthews noted.
"It was also pointed out to him that logistically this would be extremely difficult...so all sorts of problems when he made that announcement yesterday. And what Donald Trump appears to be doing right now is correcting the mistake of yesterday, not for the first time. This 20% he's saying is going to be wrapped up in what he says will be investments..."
Matthews continued: "If I was in the Oval Office, I would say, 'Well, hang on a minute. You've contradicted yourself in the space of 24 hours. Did you not actually just make a mistake yesterday, and you're presenting this this story, this headline of investment today? Something that cannot necessarily be traced.' It's entirely in keeping...with a lack of a strategy, a president who needs a headline every day because of a conflict that he has dragged his country into and can find no way out of. Not for the first time, Donald Trump appears to be riffing on this conflict, making it up on the hoof, and is posting on social media with much explanation still to be made," he concluded.
