Richard Haass’s smug assertion that no one controls the Strait of Hormuz hands America’s adversaries exactly the doubt they crave. President Trump rightly emphasized U.S. naval dominance over this critical chokepoint, and the former diplomat’s contradiction only underscores how establishment voices prefer hedging to strength when confronting Iran. Energy security, global trade, and deterrence against Tehran all suffer when Washington projects hesitation instead of resolve. The Constitution vests the executive with authority to safeguard vital national interests abroad, not to outsource credibility to retired bureaucrats who treat American power as an embarrassment. Secure sea lanes have always been essential to the free exchange of goods that sustains liberty at home. Weakening that posture in the name of false equivalence invites aggression and raises costs for every American family. Strength, not apology, keeps the Strait open and our interests intact.