U.S. President Trump Urges Abolition of Lengthy Debates: Government May Shut Down in September if Lengthy Debates Are Not Abolished.
Declares U.S. May Manage Strait of Hormuz in the Future
U.S. President Trump: We may “operate” the Strait of Hormuz in the future. If the U.S. takes the lead in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. will be paid. We will be the guardians of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran Always Breaks Agreements, So We Have to Hit Them Hard”
U.S. President Trump, speaking about Iran: “They are a bunch of bad guys. We should have acted against Iran 47 years ago. Every time Iran sends drones, we hit them hard. We had an agreement, everything was finalized, but they broke the agreement. Iran always breaks agreements. We’ve had 10 agreements with these people, so I’m going to hit them hard.”
Resume Blockade of Iran, Charge 20% Fee on Cargo Transport
U.S. President Trump: The Strait of Hormuz is open, and it will remain open with or without Iran. We will resume the “blockade of Iran” operation, so named because it only prevents Iranian ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will use the strait fairly and openly. From now on, the United States will be known as the "Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz." However, as guardian and in accordance with the principle of fairness, the U.S. will charge a 20% fee on all cargo shipments to compensate for all costs incurred in providing security and guarantees to this volatile region of the world. The relevant procedures and organizational work will begin immediately.
Notification to Congress of Resurgence of War Against Iran
—Trump has formally notified Congress of the resurgence of war against Iran. This has further escalated the dispute between Congress and the White House. Although both the Senate and the House of Representatives had previously voted for the president to end the war or seek approval before continuing the action, the White House insists that Trump, as Commander-in-Chief, is acting within his constitutional authority.
Preview of Thursday's Prime-Time Speech—According to MS NOW: U.S. President Trump will address foreign interference in the 2020 election in his speech on Thursday (Friday morning Beijing time).
According to The Hill, when asked if he would reveal the content of his Thursday prime-time speech in advance, Trump said, "It's just a speech, much like many of my previous speeches."
Vows of Severe Strike Against Iran—Trump stated on Monday (Eastern Time) that he would launch a severe strike against Iran tonight and tomorrow. The plan includes destroying Mount Kailash (possibly an Iranian underground nuclear facility).
A Trump executive order related to land protection in Utah was signed.
Middle Eastern allies should pay for protection.
Trump stated that the US is protecting several wealthy Middle Eastern countries and therefore should receive compensation from them. He specifically named Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, stating that the US is maintaining the security of these countries, as well as Israel. He said the US invests funds locally, so it is appropriate for the protected countries to share the costs. Trump also stated that the US possesses abundant oil resources, "including oil from Venezuela and other places, the US controls more than half of the world's oil supply," therefore the US itself "does not depend on Middle Eastern oil"—the US's actions in the Middle East are "primarily to protect allies."
A deal with Iran is still possible. Trump told reporters at the White House that he still believes a deal with Iran is possible, stating that "Iran wants a deal and has resumed contact with the US." Refuses to Specify How Long the New Conflict Will Last
—Trump described the resumption of US bombing operations against Iran as a "military conflict," denying it marks a new, protracted phase of the fighting, but refused to specify how long the conflict would last. Although the current fighting has far exceeded the initial four- to six-week timeline set by the US government, Trump downplayed the potential for the conflict to continue indefinitely. Trump did not provide details of his plans for ultimately ending the war, only insisting that he would eventually be able to negotiate an agreement with Iran. However, he acknowledged that an agreement in the short term was unlikely.
Washington D.C. Gets a Makeover, Crime Rate Hits Historic Low!
—US President Trump: The Reflecting Pool will be fixed soon, and it will be better than ever. Sixty monuments and fountains in Washington D.C. have been cleaned and completely renovated, and the crime rate has dropped to a historic low! Washington has never looked better, and it has never been safer.
Trump Denounces ABC: Report on Draining Reflecting Pool "Seriously Distorted"
—US President Trump: ABC News and its unreliable anchor David Muir claimed that draining the Reflecting Pool was to address "paint peeling" and "algae bloom" issues. This report is "fake news" and seriously distorts the facts, deliberately avoiding the real cause of the problem—sabotage.
