Washington Journal Open Phones examines President Trump's demand for seven nations to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz amidst escalating missile attacks on Gulf Arab states and Iran. While caller Michael Patrick criticizes the potential cost as a distraction from domestic healthcare needs, UN Ambassador Michael Waltz defends the strategy, citing that 80% of Gulf oil flows to Asia and referencing historical tanker escorts. The segment concludes with Republican caller Ronald accusing Democrats of treason, framing opposition to Trump's energy dominance agenda as an act against national security. [Automatically generated summary]
Great responsibilities fall once again to the great democracies.
American democracy is bigger than any one person.
Freedom and democracy must be constantly guarded and protected.
We are still at our core a democracy.
This is also a massive victory for democracy and for freedom.
Welcome to today's Washington Journal.
Start with a quick update from the Associated Press.
Trump calls for allies to help reopen Strait of Hormuz.
That's the headline.
It says, U.S. President Donald Trump said he has demanded that about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, saying the U.S. is negotiating with countries that are heavily reliant on Middle East crude to join a coalition to police the waterway.
Gulf Arab states, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain, reported new missile or drone attacks after Iran called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United States and the Dubai International Airport.
Has some flights after a drone struck a fuel tank, causing a fire.
It says authorities said it was quick.
1,800 people in Iran, at least 850 in Lebanon, 12 in Israel.
According to officials in those countries, at least a week, more than 800,000 people, nearly one out of every seven residents of Lebanon, have been displaced.
Well, let's take a look tonight on Air Force One talking about the coalition for the Strait of Hormuz.
And it's very hard to hear that given the sound of the jet.
But this is Politico that has this article about it.
It says, Trump demands about seven countries join coalition to police Iran's Strait of Hormuz.
The President declined to name the countries the administration is negotiating with for protection for the strategic passage.
We are taking your calls this morning on the Iran conflict, whatever you would like to talk about.
We are here to listen and to hear your thoughts on that.
Democrats are on 202748-8000.
Republicans 202-748-8001.
And Independents 202748-8002.
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Iranian people are needing help.
Michael Patrick says this, citizens of the U.S. have argued over the impact of Trump's presidency on the international order.
Some have argued that, quote, America is respected again.
However, considering the lack of response among our traditional allies in this conflict, it's clear that, at least with the countries in NATO, these countries don't want anything to do with what's happening.
Does that show respect?
It's Dr. Shea, who is calling us from Fort Pierce, Florida.
Democrat, good morning.
Good morning, Amy.
How you doing?
Good.
Good, good.
Yeah, I disapprove of this war.
America, I tell you, we're in a mess as it always already was without health care and all that.
And now we're spending all these billions of dollars for a war that we're not God.
You know what I mean?
If he was defending our country that was really, You know, they've been talking for years and years and years about what they're going to do.
Yeah, they're supposed to talk tough because they're trying to defend their own country.
But we should have stayed out of that.
People don't have the subsidies for the health care that they're not even talking about, that they could have extended for poor people to help them with health care.
And it's not hit yet because they try to be slick about it because when it's really going to hard hit the people in this country, it's after the midterms.
They're trying to just baby the loan.
And then after that, it's going to be terrible for people of health care here in America and other stuff that's going on.
I think all that money that could have helped our country and still put in more pain because of the all and all of that.
But we're not God.
We're not God.
And we're just killing folks and stuff.
That is not right.
All right, Shay.
And let's hear from the UN, U.S.'s ambassador to the UN, Michael Waltz.
He was on CNN talking about the security situation in the street.
80% of the oil coming out of the Gulf heads to Asia.
Only about 7-8% heads to the Western Hemisphere.
And thank God for President Trump's energy dominance agenda.
Everything from opening up Anwar, new pipeline in Alaska, incentivizing fracking what we're going to see come out of Venezuela and Guyana in the coming months and years.
This is why we have to be energy independent.
And I have to just say, it's a little rich coming from the progressive left, who has literally been at war against oil.
Literally, we're putting policies in place to drive up the price of oil in order to force Americans to buy EVs and go to wind and solar, are now suddenly celebrating it or decrying the lack of it.
Like I said, it's a little bit rich.
We have the energy dominance in place.
But to your point on escorts, look, back in the 80s, under the tanker wars, then the last time Iran tried to constrain global energy supplies, you had French, United Kingdom, even Soviet Union forces in there escorting their tankers out that were heading to their markets.
And I think that's what President Trump is calling upon the world, saying the entire world is affected.
Iran can't hold your economies hostage.
And we certainly welcome, encourage, and even demand their participation to help their own economies.
And meanwhile, the U.S. military will continue to pound the Iranian military, their missile, boat, and drone forces to keep the straits open.
Wonder what you think about that.
Let's talk to Ronald, Republican, Troy, North Carolina.
Good morning.
Good morning.
I'm calling, and I think the Democrat Party has lost it.
They've offered to deepen.
And to me, it's like treason against our country, against Trump, treason against a nation, what they're doing to America, the Democrat Party, is wrong.
So how do you think President Trump is doing in handling this conflict in Iran?
I think you're doing fine considering what's going on over there.
All the people that's against him, all the nations that don't want to do what they should do.