The president criticized Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones for expressing concern about the president’s threats against Iran.
Tucker Carlson, Matt Gaetz and other Republican figures speak out against Trump
Conservatives such as Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene are rebelling against President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran.
President Donald Trump has slammed MAGA media members who have criticized him in recent days over the Iran war, declaring that MAGA as a whole is on his side and accusing conservative influencers of trying to get “cheap publicity.”
The president targeted Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones, all of whom expressed concern about the president’s recent threats against Iran.
In an April 9 social media post, President Trump said, “They’re not ‘MAGA.’ They’re losers and they’re just trying to hang on to MAGA.”
Prior to the ceasefire, President Trump issued a stern warning to Iran, which had been trying to pressure the Tehran regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, on April 7, writing on social media, “Tonight, an entire civilization will perish and will never rise again.” In response, Owens and Jones proposed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.
“The definition of genocide is the destruction of an entire civilization or people!” Jones said on social media. “Trump literally sounds like an unhinged super villain from a Marvel Comics movie. This is not what we voted for!!!”
Kelly, a former Fox News host, said on his show that he was “tired of Trump’s (expletive) language” and asked, “Can’t he just act like a normal human being?”
“There’s no threat of destroying an entire civilization,” Kelly said. “We’re talking about civilians.”
Carlson responded to Trump’s April 5 post in which he threatened to destroy bridges and power plants in Iran, calling it “despicable” “on every level.”
“It starts with a promise to use the U.S. military to destroy the civilian infrastructure of other countries,” Carlson, a former Fox News host, said on “The Tucker Carlson Show” on April 6. “That means committing war crimes and moral crimes against the people.”
President Trump hurled a series of insults at Carlson, Kelly, Jones and Owens, all of whom have large online followings. In an April 9 social media post, he called them stupid, irrelevant and publicity-hungry and said they do not represent MAGA.
“No one is talking about them and their views are the exact opposite of MAGA’s. Otherwise, if there had been a landslide, I would not have won the presidential election,” Trump wrote, adding, “MAGA agrees with me.”
Owens responded, “Maybe it’s time to put Grandpa home.”
The Iran war has sparked a strong backlash from some prominent pro-Trump media figures, and the president’s recent dramatic threats against Iran have intensified the debate on the right. Trump ran for president as a critic of past conflicts in the Middle East, and his non-interventionist approach became central to the MAGA movement. Podcaster Joe Rogan, who supported President Trump, said people felt “betrayed” by a president who said “no more war” over the Iran war.
However, polls show that most Republicans support the way President Trump is handling the Iran conflict. A CNN poll released last week found that only 33% of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of Iran, compared to 73% of Republicans.
President Trump and the Iranian leadership announced a ceasefire on April 7th. Negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials on a permanent settlement to end the war will take place in Pakistan.
Contributor: Francesca Chambers
