President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz "open" on Sunday, asserting his administration's control over the vital waterway amidst conflicting reports from Iran and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The declaration came as Trump cut off an NBC News reporter who questioned him about the strait's status.
During an interview on "Meet the Press," anchor Kristen Welker asked Trump about the situation, noting that Iran had claimed the strait was closed while CENTCOM reported it was open. Trump interrupted Welker, stating, "It's open and I don't want to talk about it because I want to honor the life of Lindsey Graham. So I don't want to talk about it, I told you that before call."
The president was referring to the unexpected death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday night. Flags at the White House were ordered to be lowered to half-staff on Sunday morning in honor of the late senator, who was an ally of Trump.
Trump also appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" with Jake Tapper on Sunday. When Tapper asked if Iran's declaration of the Strait of Hormuz being closed was true, Trump responded, "It's open as far as I'm concerned. Don't talk about it, talk about the reason you asked me to speak."
When Tapper inquired if there was any final message for the American people regarding Graham, Trump spoke about the senator's defense of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, describing it as a significant moment in Senate history. Kavanaugh was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2018.