Donald Trump’s energy secretary briefly sent global oil markets tumbling after posting—and then deleting—a false claim that the U.S. had escorted an oil tanker through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz as part of the Iran war.
In an embarrassing social media blunder he then blamed on a staffer, Chris Wright wrote on X on Tuesday that “the U.S. Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets” as he praised the president for “maintaining stability of global energy” during the Middle East conflict.
The message from Wright, who has earned the nickname “Chris Wrong” among some critics for his occasional social media musings, did not go unnoticed by market analysts before it was deleted minutes later.
Benchmark U.S. crude prices plunged by as much as 19 percent at one point, and according to the Wall Street Journal, an exchange-traded fund linked to oil futures saw $84 million of its market capitalization get wiped out.
Asked during her briefing at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: “Yes, I was made aware of this post. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the Energy Secretary about it directly.
“However, I know the post was taken down pretty quickly, and I can confirm that the U.S. Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel at this time, though of course, that’s an option the president has he will absolutely utilize, if and when necessary, at the appropriate time.”
Pressed further on whether a staffer was responsible or whether there would be any consequences for the post, Leavitt simply said: “I would refer you to the Department of Energy to answer that question.”
The department’s chief spokesperson Ben Dietderich later told the Daily Beast: “A video clip was deleted from Secretary Wright’s official X account after it was determined to be incorrectly captioned by Department of Energy staff.
“President Trump, Secretary Wright, and the rest of the President’s energy team are closely monitoring the situation, speaking with industry leaders, and having the U.S. military draw up additional options to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, including the potential for our Navy to escort tankers,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a 21-mile-wide maritime chokepoint between Iran and Oman, transporting roughly a fifth of the world’s global oil and LNG consumption, making it the world’s most important oil artery.
However, global trade has effectively come to a screeching halt as missile attacks on tankers, fears of naval mines, and insurance withdrawals dramatically reduce commercial traffic.
This has left the U.S. seeking to calm oil markets as tensions escalate over the prospect of a protracted war.
Wright’s deleted post took place amid growing concerns that the war could spark a broader global energy crisis, and not even MAGA-friendly outlets were impressed.
“You know when you’re putting up posts that can move markets, you need to be clear and you need to be accurate in terms of what you’re putting out there,” observed Fox News host John Roberts.
Jennifer Griffin, the national security correspondent for Fox News, also wrote that the statement was “not true,” citing military sources who said no U.S. naval escort had taken place.
This was consistent with what General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had told reporters earlier in the day, when he indicated that the military had not yet been tasked with escorting oil tankers through the Strait.
“We’re looking at a range of options there, and we’ll figure out how to solve problems as they come to us,” he said.
But Tuesday’s deleted message was not the first time an administration staffer has been blamed for a social media blunder.
Earlier this year, the White House also blamed an unnamed staff member for “erroneously” posting a racist video on Trump’s Truth Social account depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.
This was also not the first time Wright had come under fire for his social media bravado.
The former energy executive, chosen by Trump in part for his outspoken advocacy of fossil fuels, has occasionally drawn attention for exuberant pro-administration messaging, which often involve posts praising Trump’s energy strategy and touting American oil dominance. Climate change activists have been far more critical.
“Across the board, his arguments rely on cherry-picked data, outdated assumptions, and misleading framing, all aimed at justifying policies that prop up fossil fuels at the expense of cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternatives,” Natural Resources Defense Council author Justin Bar wrote last year.
As gas prices soared, Trump put out a post on Monday night threatening Iran with “fire and fury” if it continued to stop the flow of oil in the Gulf.
And in a sign of just how sensitive the flow of oil has become for a president who came to office promising to tackle the cost-of-living pressures for Americans, Trump on Tuesday again threatened unprecedented military consequences if Iran had placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz and failed to remove them.
“If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
