Donald Trump's Deeply Weird 24 Hours and His Baffling Strait of Hormuz Update
Donald Trump is desperately trying to take credit for progress towards an end to his war in Iran, akin to an arsonist moving his car to let a fire engine park near the building he just torched and demanding a medal for heroism. The situation shifted rapidly early this afternoon when Iran declared it would re-open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping for the duration of the ceasefire in Lebanon. It remains unclear whether the US and Iran will reach a deal acceptable to Trump before the ceasefire ends next week. However, a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, or as Trump called them in a Truth Social post today, Hezboolah, likely indicates some progress.
Trump's Contradictory Statements on the Strait of Hormuz
In a flurry of Truth Social posts this afternoon, Donald Trump announced in all caps that Iran had declared the Strait of Hormuz open and ready for shipping. He mistakenly referred to it as the "Strait of Iran," though he has stopped trying to make "Strait of Trump" happen. Just 20 minutes later, he contradicted himself by stating that despite Iran opening the strait, the US would still be blockading it. Trump wrote, "THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE, BUT THE NAVAL BLOCKADE WILL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS IT PERTAINS TO IRAN, ONLY, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE." He added, "THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP."
Not a Mission Accomplished Moment
Iran has stated the Strait will remain open for the duration of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, causing oil prices to initially plummet. However, Trump continues to push for maximalist concessions from Iran on their nuclear programme, insisting the US must remove all nuclear material from Iran before lifting the blockade. He wrote, "The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear 'Dust,' created by our great B2 Bombers - No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form. This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah situation in an appropriate manner. Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!"
Trump's Rants Against NATO and Media
Trump seized the moment to criticise NATO, claiming they called him offering help after Iran opened the Strait, and he told them to stay away. He said, "Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!" Meanwhile, Britain and France announced they would launch a "peaceful mission" to secure the Strait "as soon as conditions allow," though details remain vague.
Trump also lashed out at The New York Times and CNN for not giving him credit for the crisis he created. He wrote, "The Failing New York Times, FAKE NEWS CNN, and others, just don't know what to do. They are desperately looking for a reason to criticize President Donald J. Trump on the Iran situation, but just can't find it. Why don't they just say, at the right time, JOB WELL DONE, MR. PRESIDENT, and start to gain back their credibility???"
Self-Inflicted Gaffes and Embarrassing Moments
Trump needs to update his stump speech after making a self-contradictory statement in Las Vegas. He said, "A year ago, our country was an embarrassment. All over the world, they laughed at us." Since Trump was inaugurated for his second term on 20 January 2025, this comment implies the embarrassment was under his own administration, highlighting a lack of awareness.
He also admitted that a recent photo op with McDonalds was "a little tacky." Trump described meeting a woman named Sharon Simmons, who delivered McDonalds to the Oval Office, calling it embarrassing but noting it garnered significant attention online. He referenced a previous stunt involving a bin lorry, which supporters mimicked at rallies, saying, "We do these things in politics, they're a little embarrassing... but you win by landslides. So we gotta keep doing them."
Out-of-Touch Remarks and Bizarre Singalong
While discussing tax cuts in Vegas, Trump read from a prepared script mentioning "corner stores" and then paused to ask, "What is a corner store? I've never heard that term. I know what a corner store is but I've never heard it described - a corner store. Who the hell wrote that?" This remark underscores his disconnect from everyday Americans.
Additionally, Trump kept a modest audience waiting for over an hour, during which they were led in singing the Christian hymn How Great Thou Art to pass the time, adding to the surreal nature of the event.
