Kenneth Glad
A military threat dominated a televised appearance before two shorter clips gained attention. The discussion ranged from global security to questions of age.
President Donald Trump threatened Iran with a major American attack while discussing efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during an August 4 interview with Fox News host Trace Gallagher.
During the broadcast, Trump said, “The Strait’s gonna be open very soon, or they are going to get hit very hard and the Strait is going to be open.”
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and serves as a crucial route for international energy shipments. Maritime traffic remains far below its pre-conflict level as Iran and Oman work toward an arrangement governing passage through the waterway, the Associated Press reports.
Trump claimed that Iranian officials had been calling him and “begging” to negotiate. He did not identify the officials or say when the contacts occurred. Iranian representatives publicly maintains that their negotiations concern talks with Oman rather than direct discussions with Washington.
The president also said Iran would not be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. He blamed previous American administrations and other countries for failing to resolve the issue during the preceding fifty years.
“This should have been done by other presidents for 50 years,” he said.
Trump argued that his actions had been necessary because a nuclear-armed Iran would leave the world “a different place.” His threat came as diplomatic efforts continue over access to the strait.
Two shorter clips circulate online
Separate clips from the Gallagher interview received attention as Trump hesitated before naming Iran and discussed the technology he used to record television programs.
While talking about gasoline prices and tensions with Tehran, Trump referred to making a “little journey to the Islamic Republic of…” After a brief pause, he added, “Iran.”
X users quoted by the Irish Star suggested that the president had momentarily forgotten the country’s name.
Trump turned eighty on June 14. When he began his second term in January 2025, he became the oldest person inaugurated as U.S. president.
His age had already become an issue during the previous election campaign. A February 2024 ABC News/Ipsos survey found that 59 percent of adults believed both Trump and then-President Joe Biden were too old to serve another term.
A second clip concerned Trump’s praise for Gallagher’s program. The president said he sometimes recorded the show and watched it later.
“I don’t know what they call it today,” Trump said. “They used to call it TiVo. Maybe they still do. But I love TiVo or its equivalent.”
“DVR,” Gallagher replied.
AOL reported that the exchange prompted criticism and jokes on X, with some users portraying Trump as out of touch. Trump did not dwell on the term and returned to complimenting Gallagher.
“But you do a great job,” he said.
Sources: Fox News, Associated Press, Irish Star, AOL, ABC News/Ipsos
