Trump Is Bringing Back His Strait of Hormuz Plan After Just 48 Hours |
Trump Is Bringing Back His Strait of Hormuz Plan After Just 48 Hours
America’s latest terribly named and extremely risky military operation is back, baby.
President Donald Trump scrapped “Project Freedom” on Tuesday, just two days after unveiling it, after Saudi Arabia and Kuwait expressed concerns and cut off U.S. access to its air bases and airspace.
Under Project Freedom, the U.S. military planned to escort shipping vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade passageway that has been closed since the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran in late February.
But a few days and phone calls later, the Gulf countries changed their minds. They lifted the airspace restrictions Thursday afternoon, according to multiple U.S. and Saudi officials who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had reportedly worried if they helped the U.S. with Project Freedom, Iran would retaliate by striking the Persian Gulf, and that the U.S. may be unwilling or unable to come to their defense after the fact. The Journal called the diplomatic fracas “the biggest dispute in Saudi-American military relations in recent years.”
Adding to the national embarrassment was the fact that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were gloating to press about Project Freedom just hours before Trump tabled the plan.
“As a direct gift from the United States to the world, we have established a powerful red, white, and blue dome over the strait,” Hegseth said in a press conference. “American destroyers are on station, supported by hundreds of fighter jets, helicopters, drones, and surveillance aircraft, providing 24/7 overwatch for peaceful commercial vessels.”
It’s not exactly clear why the Gulf countries changed their mind and agreed to support the plan.
Project Freedom will now see U.S. aircraft and naval destroyers attempt to protect commercial ships from Iranian drones and missiles as they try to sail through the Strait. It doesn’t sound like the most relaxing boat ride.
Protests Erupt as Tennessee Republicans Erase Only Democratic District
Tennessee Republicans have carved up the city of Memphis, eliminating the only majority-Black district in the state.
On Thursday, Tennessee Republicans forced through a new congressional map that eliminates the state’s only majority-Black and only Democratic district, prompting protests in the state Capitol.
In a special session, the Tennessee state House of Representatives voted 64–25–3 to approve the new map, which had only been released to the public the day before. Every Democrat voted against the bill along with Republican Representatives John Gillespie and Mark White, whose districts include parts of Memphis divided in the new congressional map. Three other Republicans abstained.
During and after the vote, protesters filled the crowded chamber, shouting and using loud horns. Democratic Representative Justin Jones burned a Confederate flag after leaving the House chamber. Democratic Representative Justin Pearson’s brother, KeShaun Pearson, was arrested by Tennessee State Troopers during the legislative session.
⚡️ WATCH — JUST NOW — 99% white Tennessee House Republicans pass a racist 9-0 map stripping majority Black Memphis of congressional representation pic.twitter.com/OYwTWZK2i1— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 7, 2026
⚡️ WATCH — JUST NOW — 99% white Tennessee House Republicans pass a racist 9-0 map stripping majority Black Memphis of congressional representation pic.twitter.com/OYwTWZK2i1
The Senate later passed the new map 25–5, with every Democrat voting against the bill except state Senator Charlane Oliver, who protested the vote by standing at her desk, unveiling a banner reading “No Jim Crow 2.0, stop the TN steal.”
WATCH: The racist Republican map stripping Memphis of representation passes the senate 25-5 — with Senator Charlane Oliver standing on her desk in protest (From WSMV) pic.twitter.com/DcRLiD20Cu— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 7, 2026
WATCH: The racist Republican map stripping Memphis of representation passes the senate 25-5 — with Senator Charlane Oliver standing on her desk in protest (From WSMV) pic.twitter.com/DcRLiD20Cu
The new map comes after the Supreme Court gutted the landmark Voting Rights Act last week, allowing racial gerrymandering to take place. It now heads to the desk of Republican Governor Bill Lee, who will sign it into law.
Trump Somehow Still Spending Billions to Shut Down USAID
The Trump administration is trying to divert billions in funding to finish shutting down the agency.
The Trump administration wants to take $2 billion away from global health programs to pay to finish closing USAID.
CNN reports that the administration wants to use the money to pay for legal costs, invoices, and asset sales resulting from its closure of the aid agency last year. Congress originally appropriated $1.2 billion of the funds to go to international development, and the rest to go to programs that take on malaria, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, nutrition, global health security, HIV/AIDS, and other world health issues.
Taking away that $2 billion could lead to 121,000 preventable tuberculosis deaths and 47,600 preventable deaths from malaria, according to estimates from the Health Security Policy Academy. It could also lead to 22.9 million children under 5 losing critical nutrition, and 5.7 million women losing safe places for childbirth, according to a CNN source.
This would add to the rising death toll resulting from the closure of USAID. As of........