Split in MAGA world as President Trump weighs next steps on Iran
Washington, June 19 -- A schism has opened among President Donald Trump's most devout MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters and national security conservatives over the Israel-Iran conflict, as some long-time defenders of the president's America First mantra call him out for weighing a greater US role in the region.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, commentator Tucker Carlson and conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk - with legions of their own devoted followers - are reminding audiences of Trump's 2024 promises to resist overseas military involvement after a week of deadly strikes and counterstrikes between Israel and Iran, and discussion of US involvement.On social media and their popular airwaves, questions about Trump's stance from these central validating voices are exposing a crack in his forward guard. They are also warning that the schism could deter progress on other priorities.
"No issue currently divides the right as much as foreign policy," Kirk wrote on X, adding he was "very concerned" that a massive split among MAGA could "disrupt our momentum and our insanely successful Presidency."
Other strong Trump backers, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., are making the case that this is Trump's moment to deliver a decisive blow against Iran. Graham is calling for Trump to "go all-in" in backing Israel and destroying Iran's nuclear program. "If that means providing bombs, provide bombs," he said on Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation." "If that means flying with Israel, fly with Israel."Should the US wade into a war in the Middle East, Trump would begin unraveling his own political base, built on ending foreign entanglements, curbing illegal immigration and reducing the trade deficit, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said.
"It's going to not just blow up the coalition," Bannon said on Tucker Carlson's show. "It's also going to thwart what we're doing with the most important thing, which is the deportation" of immigrants in the US illegally.
On Monday, Carlson's increasingly critical rhetoric towards Trump reached a new level, as the long-time supporter who headlined large rallies with Trump during the 2024 campaign suggested Trump's posture was breaking his pledge to keep the United States out of new foreign entanglements.
Trump has bristled at the criticism, posting on social media, "Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that,' IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!'"The Georgia Republican - the epitome of MAGA, sporting the signature red cap for President Joe Biden's 2024 State of the Union address - has publicly sided with Carlson, directly calling out Trump for deriding "one of my favourite people."
Saying the former Fox News commentator "unapologetically believes the same things I do", Greene wrote on X on Monday night that those beliefs include that "foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction"."That's not kooky," Greene added, using the same word Trump used to describe Carlson. "That's what millions of Americans voted for. It's what we believe is America First." ap...
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