President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz remains “open” during a tense exchange with NBC News anchor Kristen Welker.
Trump called into Meet the Press on Sunday morning, where Welker pressed him on the status of the critical shipping route, which has become a focal point in the escalating conflict between the US and Iran.
Welker asked: “You obviously launched a fresh round of strikes overnight. Iran said overnight the Strait of Hormuz is closed. CENTCOM came out this morning and said the Strait of Hormuz is open. Which is it, Mr. President, and how are you going to respond?”
The president interrupted her and responded sharply: “It’s open and I don’t want to talk about it because I want to honor the life of Lindsey Graham. So I don’t want to talk about it, I told you that before call.”
Graham, the South Carolina senator, died unexpectedly on Saturday night at the age of 71.
According to multiple reports, a 911 call reporting a “cardiac arrest” was made from the Republican senator’s residence at around 8.30pm, though an official cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
On Sunday morning, Trump ordered American flags at the White House to be flown at half-staff in tribute to the late senator and longtime ally.
Trump also appeared on CNN with Jake Tapper on Sunday morning, where he gave a similarly curt response when questioned about the war.
The president made it clear that he only wanted to speak about the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday morning
He was repeatedly asked by reporters about the status of the vital waterway that has played a major role in the ongoing war between the US and Iran
‘Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed,’ Tapper said. ‘Is that true, Mr. President?’
‘It’s open as far as I’m concerned. Don’t talk about it, talk about the reason you asked me to speak,’ Trump quipped at the journalist.
Tapper then asked him: ‘Ok, we appreciate your time, sir. Before I let you go, is there any final word that you want the American people to know about Lindsey Graham?’
‘No, I think his finest moment was his defense of Brett Kavanaugh, who’s a terrific guy, and was treated very, very unfairly by the Democrats. Very – I’ve never seen anything like it,’ Trump replied, speaking of the US Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
‘He was treated so unfairly, and Lindsey, as you remember, had that moment. I think it was the top 10, maybe the top five moments in the history of the senate. It was an incredible display, and he did it from the heart,’ he added.
Trump’s comment refers to when Graham fiercley defended Kavanaugh against sexual assault allegations during the 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
The senator blasted the hearing as the ‘most unethical sham’ he ever witnessed in politics, and said that Kavanaugh had ‘nothing to apologize for’ before urging Republicans to support the judge.
Despite stating that he didn’t want to talk about the war, Trump gave Welker a bit more information about the current situation with Iran.
When Meet the Press anchor Kristen Welker asked Trump about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump quickly cut her off and said he only wanted to speak about Graham
Graham, a South Carolina senator and Trump ally, unexpectedly died on Saturday night at the age of 71
He also gave similar treatment to CNN’s Jake Tapper when the journalist asked a similar question about the war on Sunday morning
‘It’s open,’ he said in regard to the waterway. ‘We bombed the hell out of them last night. They are very, very evil and sick people. We had meetings with them.
‘They agreed to a deal yesterday, a perfect deal for us, no nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing, they gave up everything.
‘And then after that, they left the room, and then within an hour, they launched a drone at a ship. I said, “You people are sick, you’re sick people”. And, so, it’s one of those things,’ he said before pivoting to talk about Graham.
He recalled Graham being ‘like a member of the family to him,’ and that the two of them had spoken over the phone on Saturday night, just hours before he died.
Trump also revealed that Graham called him to discuss the passage of the SAVE America Act, which Graham co-sponsored in the US Senate.
‘He actually said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act, and I said, ‘Well, we’re going to get it done, Lindsey. We’re going to get it done. I’ll see you, like, soon,’ Trump noted on Meet the Press.
The SAVE America Act has been passed by the US House of Representatives three times, but has not been passed by the Senate, where it needs 60 votes due to the filibuster.
The office of Graham, who has represented South Carolina since 2002, announced in the early hours of Sunday that the senator, ‘had passed away from a brief and sudden illness.’
An ambulance and a fire truck transported Graham to George Washington Hospital’s emergency room on Saturday night in DC
Graham had been in Ukraine to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion and announced that an agreement had been reached to advance legislation targeting countries buying Russian energy
Earlier this year, Graham called Trump ‘an awesome golfing buddy, who I have yet to beat.’ The two are pictured golfing together in November 2025
Trump had earlier shared a tribute to the late Senator on Truth Social shortly after the announcement was made.
‘Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Graham was one of Trump’s closest allies in the US Senate, consistently voting to enact the president’s agenda.
The senator was also a staunch supporter of Ukraine and Israel, and he advised the president on foreign policy matters pertaining to Russia and Iran.
In late March 2025, just a little more than a month after Trump took office, the president posted a lengthy endorsement of Graham, referring to the senator as ‘a wonderful friend.’
