Trump Floats Renaming Strait of Hormuz 'Trump Strait' — SkimNews
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- Trump on September 1 floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz as "Trump Strait" on Truth Social, writing "Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name...???"
- The White House posted a map of the Gulf marking the waterway "Trump Strait" and added "It's got a nice ring to it," backing the unilateral renaming.
- Trump has made a string of similar renaming moves since returning to office — renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," reverting Denali to Mt. McKinley, and signing an order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" amid a trade fight with Canada.
- The US Treasury issued $1 coins featuring Trump's face to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, despite federal law barring living presidents from US currency.
- Fighting flared near the strait on Tuesday as US forces launched fresh strikes against what Trump said were Iranian minelaying efforts; Iran said one strike killed four at a wedding, calling it a "war crime," and retaliated against US bases in Jordan, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq.
- Iran has effectively shut the chokepoint — through which a fifth of the world's oil passes — in retaliation for the war Trump began with Israel in late February, now in its sixth month with no resolution in sight.
- The renaming pitch may serve as a distraction from oil-price spikes hitting US consumers ahead of November midterm elections, per the source's framing of the political timing.
Why it matters: Six months into a war with no end in sight, the administration is branding rather than resolving the conflict: the source notes fighting has reignited, Iran says a US strike killed four at a wedding and retaliated across five allied-host bases, and oil prices are climbing for US consumers before midterm elections. The renaming stunt coincides with — and may be timed to distract from — that military and economic pressure.
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