GOP senator: Trump’s proposal to slap US tolls on ships in Strait of Hormuz would be ‘crazy’ |
GOP senator: Trump’s proposal to slap US tolls on ships in Strait of Hormuz would be ‘crazy’
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Tuesday said it would be “crazy” for the Trump administration to impose tolls on ships carrying oil, natural gas and other commodities through the Strait of Hormuz, something that President Trump recently contemplated.
Trump told reporters last week that he would like the United States to impose tolls on ship traffic through the critical shipping channel but has since appeared to back away from the idea amid strong pushback.
“I think that that is crazy. That makes no sense. It’s another tariff. You can call it a toll but now it’s a water tariff. That doesn’t make sense to me,” Tillis said, warning the tolls would hit U.S. allies in Asia such as Taiwan.
He said that Asian allies “rely so much on the Strait of Hormuz for their energy.”
“To suggest that we’re going to add a toll onto their energy costs for a condition that existed only because of our legitimate interest in denuclearizing Iran doesn’t sound right to me. Doesn’t sound right for our trading partners, like Taiwan,” he said.
“You got to talk about the people who would be paying that toll, the businesses and the citizens of Taiwan and South Korea,” he said.
Trump last week floated the idea of the United States charging tolls on ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
“What about us charging tolls?” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“I’d rather do that than let them have them,” he added. “Why shouldn’t we? We’re the winner.”
“We won, OK? They are militarily defeated. The only thing they have is the psychology of ‘oh, we’re going to drop a couple of mines in the water,’” Trump declared. “We have a concept where we’ll charge tolls.”
Trump discussed establishing a “joint venture” with Iran to charge tolls on ocean-bound commerce during an interview with ABC New’s Jonathan Karl.
“It’s a way of securing it — also securing it from lots of other people. It’s a beautiful thing,” Trump said.
Trump’s threat to impose tolls on tanker traffic has raised concerns that doing so would violate the Law of the Sea pact, which has been ratified by more than 170 countries but not by the United States or Iran.
The president in recent days has appeared to move away from the idea of charging tolls on ships by instead embracing a Naval blockade of Iranian ports to exert leverage over the Iranian regime.
China, which imports large quantities of oil from Iran, this week issued a statement calling the blockade of Iranian ports a “dangerous and irresponsible act.”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
GOP senators grow uncomfortable with Trump rhetoric, endgame for Iran
TMZ launches DC bureau, tracks down Graham, Cruz on first day
Bessent says order requiring banks to collect citizenship information ‘in ...
Trump denies AI Jesus post was removed due to conservative backlash
Anthropic’s Mythos puts DC, Wall Street on high alert
Speaker Johnson: Cherfilus-McCormick ‘should be expelled’
Swalwell, Gonzales exits shift spotlight to other embattled lawmakers
Chinese tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz, testing Trump's blockade
Cook Political Report shifts 4 Senate races toward Democrats
Tariff refund system almost ready, Customs says
The Supreme Court’s refusal to stand up for press freedom is catastrophic
New York, California compete as disaster tourism destinations for economists
Appeals court halts Boasberg contempt inquiry over Venezuelan deportation ...
United CEO pitches merger to Trump that would create world’s largest airline: ...
Trump slams Meloni in Italian newspaper interview: ‘I’m shocked by her’
GOP senator: Trump’s proposal to slap US tolls on ships in Strait of Hormuz ...
Vermont’s return-to-office blunder is costing the state millions
Trump’s mental acuity in question amid pattern of erratic behavior