A conservative activist's credulous acceptance of the Trump administration's characterization of the Iran war crumbled under kid-gloves pushback from CNN's Audie Cornish on Wednesday.
Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin tried to claim Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-KY) surprise impeachment push against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was a political stunt — then waded into the murky waters of the war.
"Right now in the Strait of Hormuz, a fifth of the world's oil goes through there," she said. "Iran has been willing to plant mines and missiles and try to prevent ships from going through there. Those ships have fertilizer that we need to grow food, it affects our grocery stores. I think that we have to make sure we have control of the strait."
Cornish jumped in for clarification.
"So is this like a 'we broke it, we bought it' situation?" Cornish asked.
Martin repeated administration talking points on the global fuel crisis sparked by Iran's closure of the strait in response to Trump's military action.
"We have to increase our own energy production," Martin said. "I don't think that we broke it. Iran has been at war with us for four [decades]."
Cornish held her up and said the Strait of Hormuz was open before Trump launched the war Feb. 28, but was no longer – a characterization Martin challenged.
"It is now under U.S. control, so there is still ships going through," Martin insisted.
Cornish leaned in and asked her to plainly state whether she believed what she was saying.
"Do you believe it's under U.S. control?" Cornish said, speaking in italics. "Do you think the shipping companies believe it's under U.S. control?"
Other panelists chuckled as Martin stammered and claimed that she did.
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