On August 27, 2026, President Donald Trump posted a graphic on Truth Social that labeled the Strait of Hormuz a “new” U.S. territory followed by the flags of U.S. territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, CNMI and American Samoa. The post also labeled the FSM and Marshall Islands under the label “U.S. Territories.” Those both Pacific countries have a special relationship with the United States, they are sovereign nations. Their relationship with the United States is governed by their respective Compacts of Free Association, which recognize their sovereign status while providing for U.S. defense responsibilities, economic assistance and other arrangements.

Pacific leaders subsequently emphasized sovereignty in meetings with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. Meeting him in Palau on September 1, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine reaffirmed that the partnership must rest on “mutual respect,” close consultation and recognition of the RMI’s sovereignty as a nation in free association with the United States, according to her office’s statement quoted by Pacific Island Times. A September 6 FSM government release said President Wesley Simina raised concerns about “recent inaccurate public commentary regarding the FSM’s political status.” Landau reaffirmed U.S. respect for FSM sovereignty, while Simina emphasized its importance—underscoring that the Compact relationship rests on cooperation between sovereign countries.

The Compact relationship that grew out of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, a United Nations trusteeship established in 1947 and administered by the United States after World War II. Although the United States administered these islands after World War II under the United Nations’ Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, that trusteeship did not make them U.S. territories. The Compacts established a subsequent relationship of free association between sovereign governments, rather than continuing U.S. territorial ownership. Those agreements benefit both sides: eligible Marshallese, Micronesian and Palauan citizens can live, work and study in the United States without visas, while Washington receives extensive strategic and defense privileges, including authority to deny other countries’ militaries access to the three nations. The relationship involves commitments and interests on both sides.

Imagine if the British prime minister posted a graphic placing the flags of India, the Republic of Ireland and the United States under the heading “U.K. Territories,” alongside British Overseas Territories such as Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Including three sovereign countries would carry a deeper message: that their independence could be disregarded because of historical ties to Britain. Americans would have good reason to object. Marshallese and Micronesian people deserve the same respect for their sovereignty. Historical administration, close partnerships and defense agreements do not turn independent nations into another country’s possessions.

My respect for the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands is personal. I value the experiences and relationships I have from living and working in Majuro, Ebeye, Springdale and the many Marshallese and Micronesian communities in the United States. I have met presidents of both the FSM and RMI, attended events at both Consulates, and have been treated with great respect on every occasion. The generosity extended to me reflects a spirit of partnership that I deeply admire. That generosity is particularly noteworthy given the history of U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands and its lasting health consequences. Continuing to build a partnership across that history deserves recognition and a corresponding commitment to respect and responsibility.

The contributions of these countries also reach into everyday American life. Marshallese and Micronesian workers help sustain the meat-processing industry and the communities surrounding its plants. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many continued essential factory work while others could stay home. In Northwest Arkansas, Marshallese families suffered disproportionately high rates of infection, hospitalization and death. A CDC investigation identified poultry-processing employment, where distancing was difficult, among the conditions contributing to that unequal burden, alongside barriers to health care and information.

When I see these nations mislabeled as American territories, I think of the respect their leaders have shown me, the generosity of their continued partnership, Marshallese and Micronesians who served in the U.S. military, and the workers whose labor helps sustain food production here. The United States benefits from these relationships in substantial ways. Recognizing the sovereignty of its Pacific partners—and treating their people with the respect they have extended to us—is a basic responsibility.