Donald Trump, often dubbed the “TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) President,” has abandoned his so-called Project Freedom to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, marking what critics call his most embarrassing policy reversal yet. The White House claims the initiative is merely “paused” to explore a potential peace deal with Iran, with Trump asserting “great progress” without providing evidence.
Experts had widely warned that Project Freedom was unworkable and risked reigniting a “hot war” with Iran, undermining the fragile ceasefire. Trump’s abrupt reversal has humiliated his top defence and foreign policy officials, Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio, who had enthusiastically announced the plan. Hegseth, who renamed his role “secretary of state for war,” had called it a “gift to the world,” while Rubio claimed it would rescue 2,000 stranded ships and 20,000 merchant sailors.
Iran’s regime responded by asserting that Trump had “retreated” to “cover up the failure” of his short-lived military strategy. The U-turn is part of a broader pattern of Trump’s foreign policy flip-flops, including threats to invade Greenland, take over Canada, and impose swingeing tariffs that were later withdrawn. His “Liberation Day” tariffs triggered a stock market crash before being suspended for individual deals.
Trump’s inconsistency extends to his stance on Iran’s participation in the upcoming football World Cup in the US, initially opposing it then giving his blessing. His TACO reputation dates back to his first term, with threats of “fire and fury” against North Korea and vows to wipe Afghanistan “off the face of the earth,” both later abandoned. The pattern has even spawned a Wall Street trading strategy known as “TACO trade,” where investors buy stocks after tariff announcements and sell for profit.
