{"id":4985,"date":"2026-08-19T05:06:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T05:06:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=4985"},"modified":"2026-08-19T05:06:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T05:06:32","slug":"no-longer-a-serious-country-former-ambassador-unloads-on-crazy-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=4985","title":{"rendered":"‘No longer a serious country’: Former ambassador unloads on ‘crazy’ Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

On Tuesday, a new \u201ccrazy\u201d social media post from President Donald Trump prompted a prominent former ambassador to share his thoughts on how the United States is now perceived on the world stage. The assessment was not optimistic. <\/p>\n

Read more The media is missing the real midterm story \u2014and it\u2019s a GOP nightmare<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump had posted an image declaring the Strait of Hormuz \u201cnew U.S. territory,\u201d drawing widespread criticism. One such critic was Stanford political science professor and former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust crazy,\u201d posted<\/u> McFaul. \u201cWe are no longer a serious country, let alone a respected great power. Hoping the damage [done] right now can be reversed, but it\u2019s going to take a lot of work and a lot of humility.\u201d<\/p>\n

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to Trump\u2019s war with Iran has caused oil prices to skyrocket, which has not only roiled the global economy, but resulted in political blowback as polls show the president\u2019s approval has plunged to historic lows while the Republican Party is expected to take major losses during the fast-approaching midterms. In response, rather than committing to serious negotiations that would end the war, Trump has become increasingly desperate to project the image of victory. As the responses of McFaul and many other commentators suggest, few are buying what Trump is trying to sell.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be fair,\u201d joked<\/u> political scientist Ian Bremmer of Trump\u2019s Hormuz meme, \u201cno less credible than the 20 percent toll announced a few weeks ago.\u201d This was in reference to Trump\u2019s recent assertion that the U.S. would begin charging a fee for passage through the strait \u2013 a claim that was almost universally ignored.<\/p>\n

Read more MS Now anchor throttles GOP over its legion of criminal candidates<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump later made another post regarding Hormuz, this one claiming, \u201cThere are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is telling him Hormuz \u2018is open and operating\u2019?\u201d questioned<\/u> U.S. News and World Report Senior National Political Correspondent Olivier Knox. \u201cSome oil is flowing but nowhere near what it was pre-war.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another commentator took issue with an apparent contradiction between the president\u2019s claims and those of his own team regarding the negotiations. Former UN delegate Andrew Weinstein noted<\/u>, for example, \u201cYesterday: Jared Kushner publicly outlines active diplomatic backchannels with Iran. Today: Donald Trump claims \u2018no talks are going on or scheduled\u2019 and the Strait of Hormuz is magically open. Either Donald Trump is completely untethered from geopolitical reality, or his inner circle is running a full-blown Truman Show operation to keep him from realizing what\u2019s actually happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Backed into a corner\u2019: Republican stunned by Tapper\u2019s pointed Trump question<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Tuesday, a new \u201ccrazy\u201d social media post from President Donald Trump prompted a prominent former ambassador to share his thoughts on how the United States is now perceived on the world stage. 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