I can't figure if this is Trump's attempt to do a sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean, or if it's The Sopranos, forcing people to needlessly pay protection money. I guess it's also how Trump "brings down prices"? On February 27, 2026, it cost nothing to move goods through the Strait of Hormuz. Now it costs 20%, and that likely based on Trump's assessment of value, not any Bill of Lading. Remembering how he valued his NYC apartment at $300 million, and even his bean counter said that's "give or take $200 million", trade is going to cost a lot. And what if shippers refuse to pay? Is Hegseth going to sink their boats? Is he going to build a toll booth and put Eric in it to collect the funds (so Eric can make up for his recent $600 million loss on crypto)? The world is increasingly broken, and it's the fat old cow in the China shop doing almost all of the breaking.
