Update on the Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump’s shifting stance on the Strait of Hormuz is a case study in governing by impulse. After escalating tensions that helped destabilize one of the world’s most critical chokepoints, Donald Trump now suggests that other countries should step in and secure the passage. It is a familiar pattern: create a crisis, then outsource the cleanup.

The Strait carries a significant share of global oil, and any disruption reverberates through energy markets and allied economies. Leadership here requires consistency, diplomacy, and accountability. Instead, we get finger-pointing and a shrug.

If the United States is going to flex its influence abroad, it cannot retreat the moment consequences arrive. Allies are not janitors for American miscalculations. Cleaning up your own mess is not just good manners, it is the baseline for credible leadership on the world stage.

You wouldn’t clog a toilet and expect someone else to fix it.