Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Trump is clueless. His new attempt to troll Iran proves it.

Trump is clueless. His new attempt to troll Iran proves it.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/18/800086108/news/trump-strait-of-hormuz-iran-truth-social/ 

Trump is clueless. His new attempt to troll Iran proves it.

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President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House about Dulles International Airport modernization, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
President Donald Trump, shown in July.AP

President Donald Trump’s “edgy” antics have lost their luster. Once upon a time, they roiled markets and created drama in world capitals. Now many just roll their eyes.

Trump’s latest trolling effort, coming via Truth Social, is the claim that the Strait of Hormuz is “U.S. territory.”

On his withering Truth Social platform, Trump posted an image showing the Strait of Hormuz, with a circle encompassing parts of Iran, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. The caption: “New U.S. Territory.”

A Truth Social post from President Donald Trump, made on Aug. 18, 2026, showing an image with the Strait of Hormuz marked as a U.S. territory.
Truth Social (screenshot)

This has about as much credibility as his maps of annexed Canada and Greenland. In fact, given his losing war with Iran, the post is mostly a reminder of Trump’s impotence.

The war has left Iran effectively controlling the Strait, disrupting global shipping and roiling the world economy. And Trump’s much-ballyhooed ceasefire plan did nothing to solve the problem. Its vague language over control of the strait was so bad that Iran claimed the deal recognized its authority over the waterway. The agreement also promised $300 billion in reconstruction incentives if a final deal could be reached.

As one Emirati political strategist said at the time, “Iran saw the deal as a recognition it was in control. Now countries in the region are paying the price. … It’s a disaster, and we are back to square one.”

The deal was such a disaster that it looked like Trump was willing to sign anything if it let him declare victory and walk away from the mess he created.

Except he didn’t get to walk away. The ceasefire collapsed. Iran continued attacking ships. The strait remained largely closed. Oil prices surged. And now Trump is threatening to bomb Oman—an ally!—while pretending a waterway thousands of miles from the United States somehow belongs to us. 

Iran is seemingly no longer afraid of U.S. bombs. Bombs can destroy things, but they can’t control territory. And if those bombs hurt the Iranian people? What do the mullahs care? They slaughter their own people indiscriminately.

Children wade in the water with cargo ships at anchor in the background and a fisherman nearby, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
Children wade in the water with cargo ships at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 30.AP

Worse, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handed the Iranian regime exactly what authoritarian governments crave: an external enemy around which to rally their people.

A regime that had faced massive public demonstrations now appears to be firmly back in control, digging in for a long fight and betting it can wait out that doddering old fool in the White House. Whatever hopes existed that the Iranian people might finally rid themselves of their murderous regime are now vastly diminished.

And Trump? All he has left are words and stupid AI memes. Or, as they say in Texas, he’s all hat, no cattle.

Trolling doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz. It doesn’t lower oil prices. It doesn’t defeat Iran. And it sure as hell doesn’t magically turn Iranian, Omani, and Emirati territory into American soil.

But here’s the funny silver lining. Just weeks ago, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, ruling that children born in the United States to undocumented or temporarily present parents are U.S. citizens under the 14th Amendment. 

So Trump might want to think through this whole “U.S. territory” thing. Because if he really wants to declare those parts of Iran, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates to be American territory, he might also be volunteering to give a whole lot of Middle Eastern babies U.S. citizenship.

Is that what MAGA really wants?

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  1. Comment by WisconsinGuy123.

    Only the most radically MAGA congress people (and the MAGA masses) actually support T****. Cooler heads in the Republican Party see the destruction he is causing to them overall. Privately, they would love to be rid of him.

    So, let’s say Republicans lose both the House and the Senate in the midterms. There will be T****-inspired consternation over the results, which will be upsetting but ultimately futile (I hope to be right on this, but Democrats are prepared for the fight).

    After the smoke has settled, wouldn’t establishment Republicans (now secure in their seats) consider joining Democrats in impeachment? Putting Vance in place greatly improves his chances in 2028.

    As an excuse, they can argue that demands for the navy to reimplement century-old technologies (steam catapults, battleships) and stupidly declaring the Strait of Hormuz American territory show that T**** has lost the ability to lead due to mental instability.

  2. Comment by SafeAsMilk.

    Still, the Republican Party views Diddling Donny as their demigod. They won't abandon him. Ever. He's their guiding light. Effectively, the GOP has been dissolved at least since 2024. There is only the GOP by name. There is no substance to their claim that they are a free-standing political party. They are all sycophants with no independent relevance. They are ONLY DONNY'S MOUTHPIECE.

  3. Comment by kamachanda.

    But but but, Natalie likes it.

  4. Comment by AMusingFool.

    Surprised he didn't just jump straight to "Strait of Trump". Or maybe "Strait of American Oil".

  5. Comment by Mr Completely.

    Jack-of-NO-trades; master of even LESS!

  6. Comment by Ar Feeto.

    The post makes a valid point: People born in an American territorial Strait of Hormuz would indeed be American Citizens by law. This result would, of course, thwart Trump's immigration objectives. More significantly, though, it's a devastating argument for Trump's irrationality, providing further evidence that his decisions rest not on logic but on emotions, biases, or false assumptions.

    • Reply by Joefree.

      Your reply makes a valid point but I need to ask why you ever thought Trumpy would act rationally. He is defined by ego and greed - neither of those imply rationality.

    • Reply by Ar Feeto.

      The inference that I ever thought Trump a rational actor is invalid. My comment states that his desire or threat to annex the strait provided *further* evidence that he was indeed irrational.

  7. Comment by Audri.

    This is NOT NEWS

  8. Comment by evancooper.

    Excellent article, provides a straightforward summary of the orange crybaby's self-made debacle. Thanks.

  9. Comment by WawaintheBay.

    The last part about all those new American citizens with the “wrong” color skin for MAGA…😂

  10. Comment by aurochs25.

    The answer to this problematic out of control president is to have congress remove him from office. There is a mechanism for removal without article 25, without impeachment and it lies with recognizing that the president is sick. He is no longer fit for office. For those fanatical republican ideologues well there is JD Vance. How dangerous could he be?

    • Reply by Simnsays.

      I think it's time for us to start screaming, "Impeach Trump" every chance we get. We can't take 2 more years of his corruption and stupidity.

      We need a national, "impeach Trump" rally.

    • Reply by A Noah Count.

      Not merely impeached, but convicted in the Senate and removed from office.

      Impeachment alone does not remove him from office.

    • Reply by Simnsays.

      Yes.

  11. Comment by BuffordTPusser.

    Will Trump sign an EO demanding that from this point forward, the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding countries are now known as US territories, just like when he arbitrarily changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America?

  12. Comment by Feithlin.

    Please explain why he now has picked a fight with Oman??? I guess his advisors all have shite for brains...

    • Reply by Joefree.

      Brains???

  13. Comment by Mich Again.

    Just name the Strait of Hormuz a US Territory? Easy peasy! It is unbelievable that no previous President didn’t think of doing that. Maybe he should just do the same thing with Russia and Ukraine?

    • Reply by BuffordTPusser.

      We all know Trump is a trailblazer....NOT! He strives to be the first one to do anything while falsely asserting that he's the only one who can.

  14. Comment by rhlang.

    Make everything US property. Easy.

    • Reply by Mr Completely.

      Reminds me of a character in an old Monty Python skit who said "I think we should tax all foreigners living abroad."

    • Reply by dbutch.

      Send Lutnick to collect all those juicy taxes in person. I'll be at the betting window betting on "Lutnick never seen again." as the result.

  15. Comment by noofsh.

    Rumpbutt does not have a single idea in his head other than how to scam someone.

    • Reply by Joefree.

      Not quite so, you left out 'ego-stoking' his #2 motivator after $$$

  16. Comment by lpeacock.

    The mfg is not "clueless", he's a traitor.

  17. Comment by citixen.

    He’s more than ‘clueless’. He’s living in his own fantasy world, with people surrounding him making sure he can continue to cling to those fantasies…including that chick, Natalie Harper, who appears to be totally devoted to him. Beware! History is littered with female ‘confidantes’ of male leaders who end up having a dark side and their own agenda. From Romania’s Elena CeauÈ™escu; to Mao Zedong’s wife, Jian Qing; to Imelda Marcos…though, admittedly, they were all wives. But imagine what goes through DJT’s head when he’s introduced to the harems of Saudi Arabia’s royal males? For DJT…this is as close as he’s going to come to “living the life” he’s always imagined, where he is the center of attention, and he’s always ‘the hero’.

    • Reply by mjw51295.

      I don't think he is clueless at all. He is raping Americans for billions of dollars, America is no longer the world leader, and never will be again. He is destroying American farmers, no one is even talking about what is happening with food prices. He is destroying the US because he is a convicted felon and Adjudicated sex offender. He is accomplishing just what he set out to do.

    • Reply by citixen.

      I certainly don’t have a problem with that sentiment! Lol.

      Even if he actually *knows* about all that destruction he’s causing, he wouldn’t care. If it’s not him, it’s someone else’s problem. He ‘won’. He gets to be King. Everyone else can go suck it.

  18. Comment by Betty Lou.

    Trump was never qualified for the position he now holds, clueless doesn't even begin to describe him. His claim to fame was being a host on The Apprentice where he told people they were fired but even that show was made to look like he was the big cheese even back then. Trump was a failed businessman with several bankruptcies and a T.V. reality show host nothing there to think he was remotely qualified for the position he now holds far from it. He loves the attention, cameras and people clapping and praising him and that's the role he has now that's all he wanted it's all he wants, running a country is the last thing on his mind. Having the power to do what he likes and a way to make even more money no matter how it's done at the expense of the American people bothers him not one iota. He's inept, dangerous, mentally and physically unfit for such a prestigious role as POTUS a role he should never have been allowed to obtain to start with seeing as he's a convicted felon. It's past time for the 25th amendment to be acted upon he's far too unstable to be allowed to continue in the position as POTUS.

    • Reply by citixen.

      100%. Imagine…he could never have achieved - reaching the top of America’s political structure - what he’s achieved, without the twin corruptions of a Federalist Society-groomed, partisan, SCOTUS majority (suddenly making a crackpot ‘Unitary Executive Theory’ a legitimate legal concept, in Trump v United States (2024)); together with a REDMAP-engineered legislative constituency (both state and congressional) providing the insider-support that forced the GOP to keep him on the ballot in 2016!

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDMAP

      The former would never have happened with a Democratic nominee-that-was-a-former-president; and the latter could not have happened without unscrupulous mega-donors who sponsored Thomas Hofeller in 2006 to research and author what became REDMAP, which manufactured an extremist legislative constituency we today call the Freedom Caucus by 2012, in roughly half the states. That extremism - and the threats they make to RINO’s - is what is making Congress lame!

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hofeller

      en.wikipedia.org
      REDMAP - Wikipedia

  19. Comment by spn09.

    Thanks for the diary, it is insightful and humorous.

  20. Comment by x174.

    the Felon is such an asshole, he has TwoAnuses

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