Trump administration officials denied a claim from Energy Secretary Chris Wright in a now-deleted social media post Tuesday that the U.S. Navy escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed during a briefing that the Navy has not escorted any vessels “at this time” but it remains an option that President Donald Trump “will absolutely utilize if and when necessary.”
A U.S. official told POLITICO before Leavitt’s press briefing that Wright’s post was “not true.” Crude prices tumbled below $80 a barrel on Wright’s announcement before jumping again after it was deleted.
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Leavitt noted that the post was “taken down pretty quickly” but referred further questions to the Energy Department.
