Trump Denies Party Fracture Over Iran Strikes, Says Tucker Carlson’s Criticism Has ‘No Impact on Me’

As some conservative media personalities raise doubts about the Trump administration’s campaign in Iran, President Trump is brushing off concerns of a wider party fracture, insisting the MAGA coalition is behind him.“MAGA wants to see our country thrive and be safe. And MAGA loves what I’m doing — every aspect of it,” Mr. Trump told an independent journalist, Rachel Bade, on Monday. Addressing criticisms raised by conservative podcasters Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly over the past week, Mr. Trump insisted their views do not speak for the broader coalition. “I think that MAGA is Trump — MAGA’s not the other two,” he said, referring to Mr. Carlson and Ms. Kelly. He added that the Iran campaign “is a detour that we have to take in order to keep our country safe and keep other countries safe, frankly.”Mr. Trump’s comments come as influential conservative media figures have broken with the White House over its joint military campaign with Israel against Iran, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.” The two countries launched a wave of strikes beginning Saturday, targeting Iranian leadership, military installations, ballistic missile sites, and nuclear infrastructure, and have succeeded in hitting thousands of targets, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The president says that the campaign’s objectives are to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, eliminate its navy, prevent the development of nuclear weapons, and cut off the regime’s funding of terrorism abroad. Mr. Trump said earlier this week that the operation is expected to last “four to five weeks” but could extend “far longer.”Ms. Kelly spoke out against the strikes Monday on her podcast, “The Megyn Kelly Show,” arguing the offensive was not in America’s interest. “Our government’s job is not to look out for Iran or for Israel,” she said. “It’s to look out for us. And this feels very much to me like it is clearly Israel’s war.” Ms. Kelly further suggested that the four American service members killed in Iran’s retaliatory strikes had died “for Iran or Israel.” By Tuesday, the death toll had risen to six.Mr. Carlson, who has grown increasingly critical of America’s relationship with Israel and has faced accusations of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories, was more pointed in his condemnation. On Saturday, he told ABC News’ Jon Karl that the strikes were “absolutely disgusting and evil.” Mr. Carlson had reportedly lobbied the president against attacking Iran in the days before Saturday’s bombardment.Mr. Trump dismissed both critics. Ms. Kelly, he quipped, should “study her history book a little bit,” adding that she “was opposed to me for years when I ran the first time and nothing stopped me” and that those who oppose him “always come back.” Of Mr. Carlson, the president said simply that he “can say whatever he wants, it has no impact on me.”On Tuesday, Mr. Trump denied claims that Israel dragged America into war with Iran, telling reporters “if anything, I might’ve forced Israel’s hand.”“You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first, they were going to attack first,” Mr. Trump said. They were going to attack if we didn’t do it. They were going to attack first, I felt strongly about that.”Preliminary polls suggest most Americans view the strikes skeptically. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found just one in four voters explicitly support the attacks on Iran, though a significant share said their views could shift depending on the outcome. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they would be more likely to back the campaign if it results in a change of government in Iran.

Trump Denies Party Fracture Over Iran Strikes, Says Tucker Carlson’s Criticism Has ‘No Impact on Me’

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