No. of Recommendations: 16
Here is Trump’s complete Truth Social record on the Strait of Hormuz over six days:
April 1 (primetime address): “The countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage. They must grab it and cherish it.” Also: “The United States imports almost no oil through the Hormuz Strait and won’t be taking any in the future. We don’t need it.”
April 3: “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD.”
April 4: “Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!”
April 5 (Easter Sunday, before 9 a.m.): “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
In 96 hours, Trump said: it’s other countries’ problem → we’ll take the oil → all hell will rain down on them → open the fucking strait, crazy bastards, praise be to Allah.
These are four irreconcilable positions from the same man about the same subject in the same week. Not different framings. Not strategic ambiguity. Incoherence — from the commander-in-chief of an active war that has now shut down 20% of the world’s oil supply, spiked global gas prices past $4 per gallon, and prompted 41 countries to hold a crisis summit that the United States was not invited to attend
Stephen Schmidt
