US President Donald Trump used a North Dakota appearance to claim that record numbers of vessels are leaving the Strait of Hormuz, placing a major global shipping route into the frame during a ceremony otherwise centered on presidential history.
What Trump said in North Dakota
Trump arrived aboard what was billed as “the Freedom 250 Train” for the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
Standing in front of Spanish-American War reenactors, a setting subtle only by historical pageant standards, he said that ships were leaving the Strait of Hormuz in record numbers. The report did not include supporting figures for the claim.
He also described Communism as the “greatest threat”, making the remark during the same appearance.
Why the Strait of Hormuz reference matters
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most closely watched maritime chokepoints, because a significant share of global oil shipments passes through the narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
