The United States military intervention in Iran has begun to generate cracks in President Donald Trump’s most loyal core. Influential voices from the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, which constitute the president’s most mobilized base, have publicly expressed their doubts about the decision to get involved in a new escalation in the Middle East.
The concern has become visible in recent days through media figures with strong influence in the conservative electorate. Among them, the journalist Megyn Kelly and the political analysts Tucker Carlson and Matt Walsh stand out, all of them regular references in the American ultra-conservative environment.
Kelly, former host of Fox Newsstated on Monday that he had “serious doubts” about the attack launched against Iran by the United States in coordination with Israel. His statements marked a turning point in a sector of Trumpism that until now had unwaveringly supported the president’s foreign policy decisions.
The criticism intensified after the appearance at the Capitol of the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. The head of US diplomacy acknowledged that Washington knew in advance that Israel would carry out an action against Iran and that this operation would precipitate an attack against US forces deployed in the region.
The Israeli factor
Rubio’s words have fueled an already latent perception in ultra-conservative sectors: that the Trump Administration would be giving in excessively to the interests of Israel. On this occasion, the suspicion goes further and points directly to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as the real driver of the decision that led to the confrontation with Tehran.
In his podcast, Carlson stated that “it’s hard to say this, but the United States didn’t make the decision here. Benjamin Netanyahu made it.” A statement that reflects the growing discomfort among those who believe that the White House has committed the country to a conflict that does not directly respond to American national interests.
Along the same lines, Walsh wrote on social media that Rubio was admitting “bluntly” that the United States is at war with Iran because Israel forced it. In his opinion, this is “the worst thing I could have said”, reinforcing the idea of a loss of strategic autonomy.
Campaign promises in question
The controversy is especially delicate for Trump because it contradicts one of the central axes of his 2024 election campaign. The president returned to the White House promising to avoid new wars abroad and prioritize an agenda focused on domestic problems under the motto ‘America First’.
During rallies and interviews, Trump assured that he would not send American “sons and daughters” to fight in distant conflicts unknown to the majority of the population. That rhetoric was key to mobilizing an electorate tired of prolonged interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Now, the fear that the offensive against Iran will lead to broader military involvement has revived the specter of “forever wars”, a common expression in Trump’s speech to criticize the foreign policies of previous administrations.
The discomfort is not limited to the media sphere. In Congress, Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett warned that MAGA voters should be concerned that intervention in Iran could turn into another protracted conflict. “Stay worried. Stay alert. Keep us alert and honest on this matter,” he told reporters.
The midterm elections
These tensions appear at a politically sensitive time. Mid-term legislative elections will be held next November and the Republicans are at risk of maintaining their slim majority in Congress. A fracture in Trumpism’s most mobilized base could have significant electoral consequences if the conflict prolongs or the number of American casualties increases.
For now, the White House has shown no signs of retreating. However, the open debate within the MAGA movement shows that intervention in Iran not only has geopolitical implications, but also a high internal political cost for a president who built his return to power by promising the opposite.
