President Donald Trump publicly cut ties with conservative media figure Tucker Carlson this week after Carlson delivered sharp criticism of U.S. military action against Iran, calling the former Fox News host insufficiently aligned with the MAGA movement.
The military campaign, designated Operation Epic Fury, launched over the weekend with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure. The White House began promoting the operation on social media, including posting promotional-style videos of the strikes.
Carlson responded swiftly. In a statement to ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl, the podcaster described Trump’s decision to authorize the strikes as “absolutely disgusting and evil.”
On his podcast Monday, Carlson continued his criticism, stating: “This is Israel’s war. This is not the United States’ war.”
“This war’s not being waged on behalf of American national security objectives — to make the United States safer or richer. This war isn’t even about weapons of mass destruction, nukes.”
Trump fired back at Carlson during his own exchange with Karl on Thursday, saying bluntly, “Tucker has lost his way.”
The president went further, saying “I knew that a long time ago, and he’s not MAGA. MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America First, and Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that.”
Carlson responded to Trump’s remarks through Status journalist Oliver Darcy, acknowledging friction with the president while expressing continued loyalty.
“There are times I get annoyed with Trump, right now definitely included,” Carlson said. He added, “But I’ll always love him no matter what he says about me.”
Trump ally and activist Laura Loomer moved to defend the president and attack Carlson directly.
Writing on X, Loomer stated: “Tucker is actively running interference for the Iranian regime and he’s deliberately trying to fracture the America First MAGA base from within.”
Loomer continued: “Tucker is a massive liability to the President, and his sick betrayal of our country must be completely EXPOSED AND CONDEMNED!”
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Not everyone has agreed with this sentiment, however.
One X user said, “Tucker bad. Jon Karl good. Trump sinking deeper into the swamp.”
Another penned, “MAGA started as America First. Tucker didn’t lose his way. MAGA did.”
Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) wrote, “I SUPPORT TUCKER,” adding, “Trump doesn’t even know what MAGA is anymore and turned it into MIGA. Trump is not America First, he’s donor first.”
The stated military objective of Operation Epic Fury centers on neutralizing Iranian threats, Resist the Mainstream has outlined.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered no timeline for when the operation would conclude, declaring Thursday, “We have only just begun to fight.”
The conflict has prompted a public debate over the meaning of “America First” — the defining slogan of Trump’s political movement and 2024 presidential campaign.
The phrase has historically been associated with opposition to foreign military entanglements.
In his 2024 election night victory speech, Trump told supporters, “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.”
Public opinion surveys indicate significant skepticism among American voters toward the operation.
A Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies poll conducted for NBC News found 54 percent of American voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the situation, and 52 percent said the U.S. should not have taken military action against Iran.
A CNN poll released Monday found that six in ten respondents believed Trump lacked “a clear plan for handling the situation,” while 62 percent said he should seek congressional approval before launching further strikes.
