The possibility of U.S. involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict has divided even the most staunch MAGA supporters of President Donald Trump.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and a handful of conservatives have urged Trump to not get involved in another Middle East conflict. Israel launched an attack against Iran last week, claiming that Iran was close to acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Now, Trump’s decision of whether to join Israel’s efforts against Iran has divided his MAGA base. Carlson’s interview with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) highlighted those divisions on Tuesday, where the former Fox News host blasted the Republican senator over a lack of knowledge about Iran.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked Trump about the interview while in the Oval Office on Wednesday, noting that “this issue of whether or not the US should strike Iran is dividing” his base.
Trump denied any disagreement within his base, despite a number of his followers railing against possible U.S. involvement in Iran.
“No, my supporters are for me. My supporters are America first and Make America Great Again. My supporters don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters.
He also claimed that Carlson called him to apologize after the former Fox host criticized his stance on Iran and reiterated Cruz’s support for him amid escalating tensions within the party.
“Tucker is a nice guy. He called and apologized the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that. And Ted Cruz is a nice guy. I mean, he’s been with me for a long time. I’d say, once the race was over, he’s been with me ever since, right?” Trump said.
“But very simple, if they think that it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, then they should oppose me. But nobody thinks it’s OK,” he added.
Infowars’ Alex Jones, Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, and some conservative lawmakers have all urged Trump to not get involved in a war overseas. Greene said in an interview with former Rep. Matt Gaetz earlier this week that she is “completely opposed” to a war.
Trump initially distanced himself from Israel’s surprise attack on Friday that triggered the conflict, but in recent days he has hinted at greater American involvement, saying he wants something “much bigger” than a ceasefire. The U.S. has also sent more military aircraft and warships to the region.
In a video address to Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed appreciation for Trump’s support in the conflict, calling him “a great friend of Israel” and praising U.S. help defending Israel’s skies.
“We speak constantly, including last night,” he said Wednesday. “We had a very warm conversation.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stories by Lauren Sforza
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