Trump splits with one of his closest advisers as nasty MAGA civil war erupts over Iran

The escalating conflict in Iran continues splintering political forces that united to elect President Donald Trump in 2024, as different factions of the MAGA movement are questioning whether they trust him to do the right thing.

The president on Tuesday dismissed Congressional testimony from his Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard in March stating that the Intelligence community had assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.

‘The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003,’ Gabbard said, in comments that have been revisited in recent days.

‘I don’t care what she said, I think they were very close to having one,’ Trump said flatly when reporters asked him about her comments.

Trump left the G7 Summit in Canada early, traveling back to Washington, DC to monitor the situation in the Middle East.

The sudden Israeli military strikes on Iran last week stunned many of Trump’s supporters who believed the president would not provoke further conflicts in the Middle East.

Journalist Tucker Carlson and former Trump senior advisor Steve Bannon hosted two separate podcasts on each other’s shows on Monday, warning of the disastrous path to war in Iran.

They blamed the ‘deep state’ in the intelligence agencies and war hawk Republicans for swaying Trump to support Israel’s military strikes on Iran, and warned the president faced the ‘end of his presidency’ if he got American embroiled into another lengthy war in the Middle East.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One after departing early from the the G7 summit in Canada to return to Washington

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard

The president bristled at Carlson’s criticism, dismissing his comments to reporters at the G7.

‘I don’t know what Tucker Carlson is saying, let him go get a television network and say it so the people listen,’ Trump said.

Shortly afterward, the president fired back at Carlson on social media.

‘Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,’ Trump wrote.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia sided with Carlson after the president’s criticism, describing Carlson as ‘one of my favorite people.’

‘He fiercely loves his wife, children, and our country. Since being fired by the neocon network Fox News, he has more popularity and viewers than ever before,’ she wrote on X.

“Foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction,’ she wrote. ‘That’s not kooky. That’s what millions of Americans voted for. It’s what we believe is America First.’

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., walks through the Senate subway in the Capitol

Former President Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene during the 3rd round of the LIV Golf Invitational Series Bedminster on July 31, 2022

Carlson and Bannon criticized the Fox News platform for ‘turning up the propaganda hose to full blast’ to try and sell another war in the Middle East to their viewers. 

Trump’s support for Israel and the escalating conflict in Iran drew widespread praise from more hawkish Republicans and media personalities, including those of Fox News. 

Conservative radio host Mark Levin has taken an elevated role on the Fox News channel, appearing multiple occasions on prime time television to praise Trump’s decision to back the military strikes on Iran.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also appeared on the network to praise the president’s tough actions in support of Israel.  

Sen. Tom Cotton appeared on Levin’s Sunday show by calling out the ‘so-called influencers or podcasters’ who were opposed to his actions in Iran.

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has cheered on President Trump’s support of Israel

Mark Levin on the set of his Fox News show

‘No offense but they don’t have the authority and accountability under our constitutional system,’ he said.

Investigative political activist Laura Loomer joined attacks on Carlson after the president criticized him, berating ‘every single right winger who is s**t talking Trump right now,’ asking her followers to keep a list.

Many of the president’s top MAGA influencers remain cautiously optimistic that the president will do the right thing, despite a history of reservations about getting into another protracted war in the Middle East.

‘President Trump knows his base. Have some faith in his ability to handle this. His whole life has led to this moment,’ Kirk wrote on X, sharing an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters.

‘President Trump knows his base does NOT want another Iraq or endless war,’ Kirk said in the interview, but noted the president was not ‘an isolationist.’

Trump indicated to reporters Monday he was open to any concessions or peace talk offerings from the Iranians, but that he was not personally contacting them. 

Although he left open the option of using America’s most lethal ‘bunker-busting’ bombs to take out Iran’s nuclear faciilities, he added to reporters, ‘I hope their program is going to wiped out long before that.’ 

‘Remember, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Very simple,’ he concluded.