Trump Clears The Strait

The White House just announced that the U.S. Navy has cleared the Strait of Hormuz of all deadly Iranian sea mines. In addition, it has expanded the number of available channels that ships can safely travel through. One U.S. official declared, “The Iranians have lost control over the strait. Now the U.S. controls it.” 

U.S. control over the Strait of Hormuz also means that we control Iran’s oil revenue, which has fallen to zero. Making matters worse for the Iranian regime, the Trump administration successfully pressured the United Arab Emirates, one of Iran’s largest trading partners, to cut off all trade with Iran.

Trump’s economic strangulation of Iran is having a devastating effect. Iran’s currency hit another record low, falling to more than 2 million rials to the dollar.

As more oil flows out of the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices have fallen significantly this week. Barring unexpected events, which are unexpected for a reason, the trend line we’re on now is looking up. 

With the end of summer approaching, when demand for gasoline is highest, prices will start coming down. The Trump administration also issued an emergency waiver to boost gasoline supplies and further lower prices.

Inflation Stable; Wages Up

Today’s mediocre inflation report contained some surprisingly good news. The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge—the personal consumption expenditures price index—rose slightly more than expected last month. It was up 0.2% compared to 0.1% economists had predicted. 

But monthly wage growth was much stronger than expected. The one-month increase in wages equates to roughly 5% wage growth over a year. That is a sign of an economy that is running on all cylinders!

Dolly Parton, R.I.P.

It was sad to hear that legendary entertainer, philanthropist and devoted Christian Dolly Parton passed away yesterday at the age of 80. 

Unlike many celebrities, Parton stayed out of politics. She was once told that when you say something overtly political, you’ve lost half your fans no matter what you say. It is widely believed that she was sympathetic to conservative populism, and she was definitely a patriot. Conservative commentator Mary Katherine Ham noted:

“I, of course, admired Dolly’s music and business acumen. But she also lived with such obvious gratitude, fueled by faith. She came from nothing, but with no chip on her shoulder. Quite the opposite. You can look through the window of her one-bedroom childhood home on display at Dollywood while listening to ‘Coat of Many Colors’ and know she was rich long before she was rich.”

There is a striking contrast between Dolly Parton and the leaders of America’s rising socialist movement. Parton reminded us that America is a land of opportunity. She was the personification of the American Dream. 

Democrat socialists like Zohran Mamdani, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed and Hasan Piker hate America. They were born with silver spoons in their mouths and are part of the “top 1%” of income earners. Yet they constantly claim “evil capitalists” are exploiting the “little guy.”

Dolly Parton was the epitome of the “little guy.” She was the fourth of 12 siblings. Her illiterate father was so poor that he paid the doctor who delivered her in cornmeal. She was serious about her faith, loved America and worked hard her whole life. She never forgot where she came from, and the impact of her legendary generosity may well be her most significant legacy.

In recognition of her remarkable life, President Trump has ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff through Tuesday, September 1st.

The Red/Green Alliance

A poisonous Red/Green alliance is emerging in America and across the globe. Red for Marxism and socialism. Green for the color of radical Islam. This Marxist/Muslim alliance hates Judeo-Christian civilization and threatens our freedom. Read more in my latest public policy update for the James Dobson Family Institute.

Remembering Abbey Gate

Today marks the five-year anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing at the Kabul airport. That horrific event, in which 13 U.S. military personnel were brutally murdered, was so revealing of the rot that had taken root in our own military under the Biden/Harris regime. 

Good men and women died needlessly. But the Biden White House said there was “no chaos.” No one was held accountable. No one resigned in protest. 

The Biden White House and its media co-conspirators did everything they could to memory-hole the heroes who died at Abbey Gate and their families. Donald Trump never forgot them. He invited the Gold Star families to the Republican National Convention in 2024 and to the White House in 2025.

Last year, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that Pentagon Senior Advisor Sean Parnell, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, would lead a special review panel into the Abbey Gate bombing. 

This morning, Parnell reported that his staff “recovered highly relevant classified documents—material that should have been disclosed—stashed and hidden away in safes where they would not be found.” He added that after his team reviewed the documents, “it became clear why someone tried to hide them.” Parnell vowed:

“We are following the evidence to wherever it leads and to whoever it touches. The American people and the families who sacrificed everything are owed the full picture of how and why those decisions were made, and we're going to give it to them.”