The president’s latest move in the Middle East left one Fox News host convinced he “must know what he’s doing” as the action gave room “to find out how insane in the brain the regime really is.”
(Video Credit: Fox News)
Operation Epic Fury’s conclusion brought with it the commencement of Project Freedom, a humanitarian effort that kicked off Monday to guide vessels safely through the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing negotiations.
President Donald Trump’s latest steps appeared to suggest a breakthrough Tuesday when the announcement of a sudden pause in the waterway found Fox News’ Jesse Watters suggesting the commander-in-chief was offering an opportunity for Iran to “save face.”
Sharing the president’s update on the status of Project Freedom on his “Jesse Watters Primetime” program, the host expressed, “We suspect the president is letting the Iranians save face. The enemy just yesterday said they controlled the strait. That was obviously a lie. And watching the Americans escort ship after ship out of the gulf and them not being able to do anything about that was gonna be humiliating.”
“Not only were they gonna lose whatever military prestige they had left in the region, their negotiators weren’t gonna be able to fight for their position after they lost their last bargaining chip,” he went on. “The commander-in-chief must believe that the Iranians are serious about surrendering if he is gonna pause Project Freedom for the sake of a deal. Because you could also continue Project Freedom during the negotiations. You know, you do want to get these foreign ships moving. The president must know what he’s doing. And we’re about to find out how insane in the brain the regime really is. The choice is theirs.”
On social media, Trump stated, “Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed.”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 5, 2026
That post came after a day with press conferences featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine reaffirming America’s objective and confirming that, while Iran had launched attacks on some U.S.-escorted ships, U.S. Navy vessels had successfully escorted commercial vessels through the strait.
Likewise, Trump himself offered remarks from the Oval Office where he criticized the absence of action from his predecessors — namely, former President Barack Obama. “Other presidents should have done this. 47 years, they’ve been toying with these stupid people; in many cases, stupid people. This should have been done by Obama. He went the other way. He was giving them cash.”
.@POTUS: “Other presidents should have done this. 47 years, they’ve been toying with these stupid people… This should have been done by Obama. He went the other way. He was giving them cash… They screwed Obama, ok? That’s not the way we play. We do it the old fashioned way.” pic.twitter.com/6O5DdI61PU
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 5, 2026
Commenting on the commander-in-chief’s contrast to the administration that had begun the doomed Iran nuclear deal, Watters said, “The Iranians realize they’re not dealing with Barack Obama. They’re not gonna string us along for two years, [then-Secretary of State] John Kerry hands them a check, and they make a promise they know they’ll break.”
Hammering home the contrast in tactics, arguably well-established after Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury, Trump said of the Obama administration’s cash delivery to Iran, “After giving them tens of billions of dollars, they screwed Obama, okay? That’s not the way we play. No, we do it the old-fashioned way.”
