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Cracks appear in Trump’s MAGA base as leading figures criticize the Iran war - AP News

📰 Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson criticized President Trump's decision to launch an offensive against Iran on ABC News, calling it "absolutely disgusting and evil."

😟 Megyn Kelly expressed concern that American soldiers might die for a foreign country rather than the United States.

🗣️ Matt Walsh joined the critics via social media, reacting negatively to State Secretary Marco Rubio's comments linking the war effort directly to Israeli pressure.

🛡️ President Trump responded by asserting that the "MAGA base" does not share these views and believes MAGA represents him specifically, not his media figures.

🤺 Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared on Kelly's podcast to argue that "Make America Great Again" means America first, not Israel first.

📉 Analysts suggest Trump correctly assumes most conservative supporters will return to supporting him if the war outcomes remain favorable.

💬 Conservative media personalities have exchanged sharp vitriol in response, with Ben Shapiro calling Megyn Kelly a coward and Elisabeth Hasselbeck condemning her remarks on servicemen's motivations.

🐍 Tucker Carlson remains at the center of controversy following recent antisemitism allegations involving his interview with influencer Nick Fuentes.

🦅 Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity continue to defend Trump publicly, though Hannity personally distanced himself from Carlson's behavior recently.

✅ Despite these dissenting voices, a majority of conservative media outlets and websites remain supportive of the President, according to newsletter publisher Howard Polskin.

🎙️ Leading Fox figures such as Brian Kilmeade and Mark Levin have remained vociferous in their support for Trump before and after the military action began.

Bullish Signals
  • President Donald Trump believes his core MAGA base remains loyal despite criticism from media figures like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly.
  • Most conservative media continues to support the administration, with Fox News personalities like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin remaining staunch supporters of the war effort.
  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been actively defending the administration's position during briefings and interviews.
  • Trump asserts that critics like Carlson do not represent the majority view of his supporters, stating 'MAGA is Trump.'
  • Analysis suggests Trump's supporters may return to support the current path if the military action does not go badly.
  • About 95% of what conservative media outlets have monitored in recent weeks remains supportive of President Trump.
  • Former White House officials and key advisors like Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided strategic context for the decision to act preemptively to avoid higher casualties.
Risk Factors
  • Leading conservative media figures like Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Matt Walsh have publicly criticized the Iran war and Trump's administration, fracturing previously loyal MAGA support.
  • Carlson claimed Benjamin Netanyahu, not the US, made the decision to go to war, suggesting American service members died for Israel or Iran rather than the United States.
  • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that while these critics are a minority in the 'MAGAosphere,' their words illustrate how much of a problem internal fractures can be if media support stops running as a well-oiled machine.
  • Former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene stated that MAGA was supposed to be 'America first, not Israel first,' highlighting a significant ideological rift within the base.
  • Author Jason Zengerle warned that if the war goes badly, it strengthens critics like Tucker Carlson and turns focus onto post-Trump dynamics rather than immediate policy stability.
  • Criticism has reached other prominent conservative voices, with Ben Shapiro calling Megyn Kelly 'wildly inconsistent' and Elisabeth Hasselbeck denouncing her comments as warranting 'How dare you?'
  • Despite most of the MAGA media ecosystem still supporting Trump—with 95% of monitored conservative content remaining behind him—these cracks suggest potential volatility in future approval if performance metrics decline.
  • The article notes this criticism marks an escalation beyond previous fractures (like the Jeffrey Epstein report), unleashing 'startling internal vitriol' within the Republican coalition.
Full Analysis
For President Donald Trump, some of the sharpest criticism he faces in the early days of the Iran war has come from once-loyal media figures who were previously accustomed to singing his praises. Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Matt Walsh are among those expressing discontent with the decision to engage in military action, illustrating a fracture within the conservative media ecosystem that Trump relies upon when everything is running as a well-oiled machine. Much of the criticism centers on Israel's influence on Trump's decision to go to war, with Carlson telling ABC News over the weekend that the attack was "absolutely disgusting and evil" and noting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the decision rather than the United States. Kelly has taken issue with American casualties on her show, stating "no one should have to die for a foreign country," adding that she does not believe those service members died for the United States but rather for Iran or Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks regarding the operation became a flashpoint after he said Trump gave the go-ahead knowing Israel was prepared to strike and feared retaliation from Iran against U.S. bases in the region, explaining that preemptive action was necessary to avoid higher casualties. Daily Wire host Matt Walsh took to X to write that Rubio was "flat out telling us that we’re in a war with Iran because Israel forced our hand," labeling this as one of the worst things a senior official could say. Trump has responded by suggesting his base remains loyal, telling journalist Rachael Bade in an interview that he does not believe Carlson and Kelly's opinions are shared by his supporters, stating "I think MAGA is Trump" and "MAGA’s not the other two." However, former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed fury over the action on Kelly's podcast, arguing that "Make America Great Again" was supposed to mean "America first, not Israel first." Analyst Jason Zengerle noted that most supporters might return to the fold if they are unhappy with the Iran attack, but warned that Carlson remains the most important conservative critic given his consistency on the topic. Internal vitriol has risen among conservative media personalities as well, with Ben Shapiro calling Kelly "wildly inconsistent" and a coward, while Elisabeth Hasselbeck denounced her suggestion about servicemen dying for Israel. Despite these cracks, it is estimated that about 95% of monitored conservative media content continues to support Trump, with top Fox News figures like Sean Hannity, Brian Kilmeade, and Mark Levin remaining vociferously supportive alongside Pete Hegseth's Pentagon.