Fox News host Bret Baier has called BS on Donald Trump’s big war brag.
The president has repeatedly claimed that Iran’s military capability has been ground to dust, that the U.S. Navy has control of the Strait of Hormuz, and that he is in a powerful negotiating position.
But with war now in its fifth month, Baier reported that things may not be as rosy as Trump has claimed.
Speaking on Special Report on Wednesday, he explained that the flow of vital oil and gas supplies is still being constricted from the Persian Gulf.
“Despite President Trump claiming total control over the strait, traffic has slowed really to a trickle,” he said.
“If you look at this, before the conflict, more than 100 vessels a day were crossing. Monday, eight vessels crossed. Yesterday, 14.”
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows through the narrow strait, which was first closed after U.S. bombs fell on Iran in February.
It has sparked a global energy crisis with ramifications around the world, including at the pump for everyday Americans.
“Now those are constraints, and that’s changing the government’s energy outlook,” Baier continued. “The Energy Information Administration raised its forecast for the average price of a gallon of gasoline over the full year by 14 cents... it also raised its 2026 forecast for Brent Crude from $82 a barrel to $87 a barrel.”
The 56-year-old noted too that the closure will have knock-on effects running far into the future, as the stockpiles dwindle.
“And there’s another problem building as well. The International Energy Agency says global crude oil inventories fell by 2.2 million barrels a day in July. It expects a global supply deficit of 1.8 million barrels a day in the third quarter. That’s more than double its previous estimate.”
There have been direct consequences for the U.S., too. In response to the crisis, the Trump administration released 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to soften the impact of the shortage.
Data from the Energy Department showed that as of Friday, the U.S. had 298.7 million barrels sitting in reserve.
It means that the country’s stockpile has sunk below 300 million barrels for the first time since the 1980s.
That is despite Trump telling reporters on Tuesday, “We totally control the Strait of Hormuz. We have control over it. Nobody else. Only us. Our navy is unbelievable, and things are going great for our country.”
The president’s words come following a report yesterday from the Military Times, which revealed several members of the crew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is involved in the U.S. blockade and has been at sea for nine months, had attempted to jump overboard.
Family members told the outlet about their loved ones’ struggles, although the Navy has not released totals regarding the number of incidents of sailors trying to harm themselves.
Asked for comment, a spokesperson referred the Daily Beast to a Truth Social post from Trump on Wednesday.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, before yelling, “I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!
“Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ‘A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it. They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the IRGC is decimated and fleeing, and their “Leadership” is uncertain, at best! They have No Money - Their country is ‘shot.’ All they have is FAKE NEWS and 300% INFLATION, and getting worse! Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer."
Then, in an astonishing sign-off, he added, “Praise be to Allah!”
