Author: Xiao Yanyan, Jinshi Data
US President Trump proposed on Truth Social on Wednesday morning local time to consider renaming the Strait of Hormuz to "Trump STRAIT." This waterway is currently at the heart of the ongoing war between the US and Israel over Iran.
“Now that it’s under US control, shouldn’t we rename the Strait of Hormuz to ‘Trump STRAIT’???”Trump wrote.
He then added: “Like America itself, it will be ‘hotter’ than ever before! Thank you for your attention to this. — President Donald J. Trump.”
Trump made this suggestion less than a week after he signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America."
The United States and Canada are currently embroiled in an increasingly heated dispute over this issue. However, it remains unclear how Trump intends to push for the renaming of the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is very far from U.S. territory, and its name is subject to international geographical rules. In contrast, Trump's executive order regarding Lake Ontario required Interior Minister Doug Burgum and his department to update the relevant name in the geographic information system. Canada rejected this renaming decision, but Google and Apple have recently updated their maps. Early in his second term, Trump also announced the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," which was similarly opposed by Mexico and other international partners. The United States shares borders with both Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico, and these geographical names have been used for centuries. As for whether a "Trump Strait" will actually emerge, Trump himself quickly signaled a negative response. When asked by reporters at the White House on Wednesday afternoon local time whether he really intended to push for a name change, Trump replied, "No, no... that was just a casual remark." Meanwhile, the Trump administration continued to emphasize that Iran had lost control of the Strait of Hormuz. However, current traffic volume in the strait remains far below pre-war levels. Ship tracking agencies indicate that the number of ships passing through the waterway has further declined recently due to the resumption of military operations in the region after a several-week hiatus. The Trump administration, however, believes that if pipeline shipments by Saudi Arabia and the UAE bypassing the Strait of Hormuz are included, the region's total oil exports have already exceeded pre-war levels. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday that more than 17 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a record high during the war. In contrast, before the conflict erupted on February 28, approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products were transported through the Strait of Hormuz daily. Trump stated that the midterm elections would not change his stance on the Iran war. Beyond the Strait of Hormuz dispute, Trump also made it clear on Wednesday that the November midterm elections would not influence his decisions on Iran. According to a Reuters report on the same day, four people familiar with the discussions revealed that Trump's senior aides were pushing to lower the intensity of the war before the election to mitigate potential electoral losses for the Republican Party. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he would not adjust his war action against Iran because of the approaching election, emphasizing that he himself was not participating in the election. "I am not influenced by the election," Trump said. “First, I’m not running. But my party is running, and I will help my party. However, I think my party respects the fact that we will not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons.” Trump also stated during a meeting with US tourism executives at the White House on Wednesday: “The Iranian regime is collapsing, a new round of strikes against Iran will not last long, and we are prepared to strike again. We have complete control of the Strait of Hormuz and export millions of barrels of oil from there every day. I hope domestic retail gasoline prices will come down.” These remarks by Trump come as Republicans strive to retain control of the House and Senate. The soaring gasoline prices driven by the Iran war have become a significant political challenge for the Republican Party; according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week, only 36% of Americans support a war against Iran. Trump plans to hold a Republican midterm election convention in Dallas next week to boost Republican voter morale before the election. But at the same time, Trump is also trying to distance himself from congressional Republicans as polls suggest a potential "blue wave" in November that could favor Democrats. In an August interview with Punchbowl News, he stated that Republican grassroots voters were angry at party leadership in Congress, not at him personally. "To be honest, a lot of them are very angry with the Republicans," Trump said. "They're angry with the Republicans, but not with me." Trump also expressed concern at the time about the Republican Party's performance in the midterm elections without his candidacy. In fact, Trump had previously downplayed the impact of the midterm elections on his decision regarding the Iran war. In May, he stated that Iranian leaders mistakenly believed he would abandon his demands for political reasons as the 2026 midterm elections approached. "I don't care about the midterm elections," Trump said at a cabinet meeting on May 27. Currently, in pre-midterm election polls, Democrats have already gained a lead over Republicans in the general election. According to the average of state-by-state polls compiled by Real Clear Politics, Democratic candidates also maintain their leads in several key Senate races, including Maine, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan.
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