U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after delivering remarks at Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., August 5, 2026. REUTERSEvelyn HocksteinFile Photo
On Tuesday, a new “crazy” social media post from President Donald Trump prompted a prominent former ambassador to share his thoughts on how the United States is now perceived on the world stage. The assessment was not optimistic.
Trump had posted an image declaring the Strait of Hormuz “new U.S. territory,” drawing widespread criticism. One such critic was Stanford political science professor and former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul.
“Just crazy,” posted McFaul. “We are no longer a serious country, let alone a respected great power. Hoping the damage [done] right now can be reversed, but it’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of humility.”
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to Trump’s war with Iran has caused oil prices to skyrocket, which has not only roiled the global economy, but resulted in political blowback as polls show the president’s approval has plunged to historic lows while the Republican Party is expected to take major losses during the fast-approaching midterms. In response, rather than committing to serious negotiations that would end the war, Trump has become increasingly desperate to project the image of victory. As the responses of McFaul and many other commentators suggest, few are buying what Trump is trying to sell.
“To be fair,” joked political scientist Ian Bremmer of Trump’s Hormuz meme, “no less credible than the 20 percent toll announced a few weeks ago.” This was in reference to Trump’s recent assertion that the U.S. would begin charging a fee for passage through the strait – a claim that was almost universally ignored.
Trump later made another post regarding Hormuz, this one claiming, “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”
“Who is telling him Hormuz ‘is open and operating’?” questioned U.S. News and World Report Senior National Political Correspondent Olivier Knox. “Some oil is flowing but nowhere near what it was pre-war.”
Another commentator took issue with an apparent contradiction between the president’s claims and those of his own team regarding the negotiations. Former UN delegate Andrew Weinstein noted, for example, “Yesterday: Jared Kushner publicly outlines active diplomatic backchannels with Iran. Today: Donald Trump claims ‘no talks are going on or scheduled’ and the Strait of Hormuz is magically open. Either Donald Trump is completely untethered from geopolitical reality, or his inner circle is running a full-blown Truman Show operation to keep him from realizing what’s actually happening.”
