Trump Vows to Declare Strait of Hormuz “U.S. Territory” — and Urges Americans to Accept Higher Gas Prices

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President Donald Trump told a rally on Long Island Friday that once the U.S. “finishes defeating Iran,” he will “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory. The comments came as Trump also urged Americans to accept continued high fuel prices as the war with Iran disrupts shipping through the strategic waterway.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said with a chuckle during a political rally at the Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, New York. “It’s true,” he added.

The White House later clarified that Trump was “joking” when he made the remark. Wall Street Journal reporter Brian Schwartz, citing an unnamed senior White House official, wrote that Trump “has not met with his advisers about declaring the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory post the war and was joking during his speech”.

Iran’s Response:

Iran quickly rejected Trump’s claim. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated: “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an order, or an election speech”. Tehran reaffirmed that the strait “will remain Iranian”.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran had not decided to resume talks with the U.S. and that Washington must meet Iran’s conditions on the strait for shipping to resume.

Trump Urges Americans to Accept Higher Gas Prices

Trump also addressed the economic pain of the war head-on, telling Americans to brace for continued high fuel prices.

“For you to pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline, just remember, you’re doing it so that a very evil country cannot have — a country, really, it’s the No. 1 state sponsor of terror in the world — we don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

He doubled down, saying he will “never apologize” for starting the war in Iran. “I did the right thing,” he insisted.

The Numbers:

The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline was about $4.08 yesterday, up 29% from a year earlier. Gas prices have never gone above $4 per gallon after August 12 in any year on record. Only two vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday with no crude oil shipments visible, compared to more than 130 ships that traversed it daily before the war.

USS Abraham Lincoln Being Replaced

Trump confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is being replaced in the Middle East, amid concerns about prolonged deployment conditions faced by American sailors. Trump described a 260-day deployment by a U.S. aircraft carrier supporting the war effort as “not nearly long enough”.

Midterm Anxiety: GOP Fears Losing Congress

With the midterms less than 80 days away, Republicans are increasingly anxious that the war and soaring gas prices will cost them control of Congress.

Trump’s $30 Million War Chest:

Trump’s political operation is preparing a $30 million war chest for the 2026 midterm elections as Republicans face growing pressure to hold onto their House and Senate majorities. The massive spending push comes amid concerns over Trump’s approval ratings, the Iran war, and rising gas prices. CNN reported that Trump has “finally given the green light to pour millions of dollars from his personal PAC toward boosting vulnerable Republicans in November”.

However, some top campaign advisers privately acknowledge that Republicans’ chances of keeping control of both the House and Senate are dwindling. The GOP is fighting to hold dozens of House districts and a handful of critical Senate seats amid voter backlash over rising prices and the deeply unpopular war in Iran — with no end in sight on either problem.

Historic Democratic Turnout:

Democratic primary voters are turning out in historic numbers this year. Wisconsin Democrats cast nearly 800,000 ballots in Tuesday’s primary — their highest total for a midterm in more than 20 years. Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary drew more than 1.5 million voters, the state’s highest midterm turnout ever. Earlier this year, Democratic participation also spiked in Texas and Georgia, both featuring competitive Senate contests this fall.

David Axelrod, former top adviser to President Barack Obama, said: “The big news is that Democrats are getting huge turnouts. That’s been a steady story throughout this period”.

The Bottom Line

The Iran war has now dragged on for nearly six months. Trump is vowing to declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory — a claim his own White House later called a “joke.” Iran says the strait “will remain Iranian.” Trump is urging Americans to accept higher gas prices, telling them he will “never apologize” for starting the war.

Meanwhile, Republicans are “running scared” as Democratic primary turnout surges to historic levels. Trump is belatedly preparing to pour $30 million of his own money into saving GOP majorities, but even his campaign advisers privately acknowledge that Republicans’ chances of keeping Congress are slipping away.

For working families, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

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