‘War has been a failure’: US politicians call Trump ‘unhinged madman’ after expletive-laden threat to Iran

On Easter Sunday morning, US President Donald Trump startled both supporters and critics with a strongly worded social media post, warning Iran that it would face severe consequences if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

"Open the F****n' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, hours after the US armed forces carried out a daring operation to rescue a missing crew member of a fighter jet shot down inside Iran.

He said that if the passage remains closed to maritime traffic, he would order strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges this Tuesday. In his message, which included profanity, Trump warned that the country would be “living in hell” if the route is not reopened.

Here's how politicians reacted to Donald Trump's threat

Jake Auchincloss, a Democratic lawmaker and former US Marine, said on Fox News on Sunday that Iran views its control over the Strait of Hormuz as even more strategically important than developing nuclear weapons. “Strategically, this war has been a failure,” he said.

Ro Khanna, a Democratic lawmaker, told CNN that while Trump is “using profanity and threatening actions that could amount to war crimes,” he is also “failing” US troops in Iran, who Khanna said are still under attack despite the president’s claims of having crippled Iran’s military.

Speaking on Meet the Press, Khanna said, “We need to end this war now. We need an immediate ceasefire. Iran, Israel, and the United States must stop the bombing and move toward a negotiated settlement.”

"On Easter morning, this is what President Trump posted," Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican and former US Representative (or Congresswoman) for Georgia's 14th district, said on X.

"Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshipping the President and intervene in Trump's madness," she added.

"This is the first war fought in this age of social media with this president. I think he does things very differently," Bill Stepien, former campaign manager of Trump, said on CNN.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine termed the "rhetoric" from the Trump administration as "embarrassing and juvenile."

"I hope the White House-I doubt the president will-but please dial back the rhetoric because you don't need to put people like these pilots more at risk by the rhetoric that you use," Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, told NBC News.

"It's disgusting," Democrat Congresswoman Becca Balint said during an appearance on MS NOW's The Weekend. "It's shocking that this is our president," Balint added.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the US President an “unhinged madman.”

"Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media," Schumer said in a post on X.

"If I were in Trump's Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment. This is completely, utterly unhinged. He's already killed thousands. He's going to kill thousands more," Chris Murphy, a Democrat Senator from Connecticut, said.

The 25th Amendment also allows the cabinet to remove the president if it declares that he is unable to perform his duties.

How did Iran react to Donald Trump's threat?

Iran's culture minister on Sunday dismissed Trump's latest threats, calling the US leader an "unstable, delusional figure."

"Iranian society generally does not pay attention to his statements, as it believes he lacks personal, behavioural and verbal balance, and constantly shifts between contradictory positions," Sayed Reza Salihi-Amiri told the Associated Press in an interview Sunday.

"It seems Trump has become a phenomenon that neither Iranians nor Americans are able to fully analyze," said Salihi-Amiri.

He said the Strait of Hormuz is "open to the world but closed to Iran's enemies."

Why Strait of Hormuz matters?

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, winding channel that shrinks to about 33 kilometres (21 miles) at its tightest point, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

From there, ships can access major global shipping routes. Although Iran and Oman control parts of the strait, it is widely regarded as an international waterway open to all vessels. Nearby lies the United Arab Emirates, home to Dubai, situated close to this vital passage.

Historically, the strait has been a major trade corridor, enabling the transport of goods such as ceramics, ivory, silk, and textiles from China.

Today, it is a crucial route for supertankers carrying oil and gas from countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and Iran. Much of this energy is shipped to Asian markets, especially China, which remains Iran’s primary oil customer.

Although Saudi Arabia and the UAE have pipelines that can bypass the strait, the US Energy Information Administration says most of the oil passing through it has no alternative route out of the region.

Historically, threats to the strait have driven up global energy prices, including during the Israel-Iran conflict in June 2026.

(With inputs from agencies)