Trump falling 'down the rabbit hole' with 'Alice in Wonderland' policy: ex-Navy admiral

U.S. President Donald Trump at Ocala International Airport in Ocala, Florida, U.S., May 1, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

On Tuesday, May 5, U.S. President Donald Trump announced, on his Truth Social platform, that he was pausing Project Freedom — his plan for the U.S. Navy to guide ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump is claiming that the operation is on hold because his negotiations with Iran are going well and a "complete and final agreement" on the war could be coming soon.

But retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. James E. McPherson is "skeptical."

During a May 6 appearance on MS NOW, the 73-year-old McPherson — who served as acting U.S. Navy secretary during Trump's first presidency — equated Trump's claims with Lewis Carroll's 1865 children's novel "Alice in Wonderland."

When host Ana Cabrera asked McPherson if the Trump Administration's latest Iran war claims sounded like a "real breakthrough" to him, the U.S. Navy veteran responded, "Well, we've heard pronouncements before that we hoped were real breakthroughs, and they eventually broke down in the face of reality."

McPherson told Cabrera, "Ana, a tip of the hat to Lewis Carroll: I think we've slipped down the rabbit hole, and we've now joined 'Alice in Wonderland.' Two days ago, the secretary of state, (Marco Rubio) announced that Operation Epic Fury was concluded. It's over, therefore taking the War Powers Act off the table. And now, we're involved in Project Freedom — which was soon paused by the president."

The retired U.S. Navy rear admiral continued, "Notice the change in wording. We went from an Operation Epic Fury to a Project Freedom. Clearly, operations are military in nature; a project can be anything in nature. And I think it's important to note that wording…. I wish I could be more optimistic, but I'm skeptical."

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