Fox News Calls Trump A Liar

Fox News anchor Bret Baier offered a significantly different assessment while discussing the situation on air.

Fox News Host Challenges Trump’s Claim of “Total Control” Over Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz is facing pushback from an unexpected source: Fox News.

Trump said in a Truth Social post that the United States has complete control over the strategically important waterway and suggested that the country would maintain that control. He also described the U.S. naval blockade as a “wall of steel” and argued that Iran has little ability to challenge it.

But Fox News anchor Bret Baier offered a significantly different assessment while discussing the situation on air.

Baier pointed out that commercial traffic through the strait has dropped dramatically since the conflict began. Before the war, more than 100 vessels were reportedly passing through the waterway each day. Baier said that number fell to just eight vessels on Monday and 14 the following day.

That slowdown is significant because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes. Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply traveled through the narrow passage between Iran and Oman.

The disruption is also showing up in energy prices. Baier noted that the Trump administration recently raised its 2026 projections for both Brent crude oil and retail gasoline. The administration’s estimate for Brent crude increased from $82 to $87 per barrel, while its projected average gasoline price rose from $3.64 to $3.78 per gallon.

Gas prices have already moved higher. The national average has remained above $4 per gallon, according to AAA, while petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan has described the current price level as unprecedented for this late in the year. Brent crude has also been trading around the $80-per-barrel range.

Meanwhile, Iran has signaled that it is considering an arrangement with Oman involving control of the waterway. Iranian officials have also said the strait will remain closed until the United States changes its approach toward Tehran.

Iran’s demands reportedly include an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, a permanent end to the war and the withdrawal of American forces from the region. Tehran is also seeking war reparations, the removal of sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

The conflicting statements highlight the growing dispute over what “control” of the Strait of Hormuz actually means. While the United States has significant military power in the region, the sharp decline in commercial traffic demonstrates that the waterway is not operating normally.

For Americans already dealing with gasoline prices above $4 a gallon, what happens next in the Strait of Hormuz could have consequences well beyond the battlefield. Any prolonged disruption to one of the world’s most important oil routes could put additional pressure on fuel prices and the broader economy.