Erick Erickson Show: S15 EP70: Hour 2 – Straight Talk on the Straits

In Hour 2 of Episode 70 of The Erick Erickson Show, host Eric Erickson delivers a high-octane analysis of U.S. foreign policy, focusing on strategic control of key maritime straits—particularly the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca—as part of a broader effort to constrain China’s global trade routes. He argues that under the Trump administration, the U.S. has secured alliances with Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the UAE to block Iranian access to the Strait of Hormuz, while simultaneously building alternative pipelines and naval dominance, effectively crippling Iran’s economy and forcing it to seek negotiations. Erickson claims this has given the U.S. de facto control over every major trade corridor from China to Europe, Africa, and India. He also highlights the overlooked U.S.-Indonesia defense pact and the growing anti-China sentiment across Southeast Asia. The episode then shifts to a tax-focused conversation with Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, where they discuss the permanence of Trump-era tax cuts, the benefits of flat-rate taxation, and the political power of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. Norquist emphasizes how the pledge has prevented Republican tax increases since 1994 and driven a national movement toward zero or flat income taxes in multiple states. The segment concludes with Erickson criticizing the financial collapse of LIV Golf due to Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal of funding and condemning online harassment targeting Erica Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, following a poorly attended Turning Point USA event in Athens, Georgia.