Tucker Carlson and Mark Levin in front of a map of Iran

Molly Butler / Media Matters

MAGA media feud erupts over Trump’s war against Iran: “We're not supposed to be running around doing this anymore.”

"An illegitimate regime" vs. "Pimps for the enemy"

Written by Noah Dowe, Zachary Pleat & Gideon Taaffe

Published

Media figures in right-leaning spaces are bickering about President Donald Trump’s war on Iran. The strikes so far have reportedly killed multiple Iranian leaders and many civilians; three American service members have reportedly been killed in action, more seriously wounded, and Trump said that there likely will be more casualties.

Many prominent right-wing figures spoke out in praise of the war. Ben Shapiro praised Trump as “the most courageous commander in chief.” Marc Thiessen called Trump “one of the most consequential commanders in chief in American history.” Mark Levin gushed over the “humane” war. And one Fox guest even suggested that the war “could qualify him once again for a Nobel Peace Prize.”

However, a wide variety of streamers and podcasters have broken with the administration, with Tucker Carlson calling the decision “absolutely disgusting and evil.” Streamer Adin Ross called it “really fucking stupid.”

Other examples of commentary from right-leaning spaces include:

  • “The MAGA movement is surely dead.”

  • “This is supposed to be America first. We're not supposed to be running around doing this anymore. But here we are.”

  • “You see Fox and you see all these haters of Trump, and they're glazing President Trump. They're over the top in the same cheerleading you saw about the Iraq War, particularly in the first days. And remember, folks, you got a long way to go on this thing.”

  • “I’m not happy about the whole thing. I don’t think this was in America’s interests.”

  • “I do think it matters politically that he was the no-more-endless-wars candidate in 2016 and 2024, particularly, and this looks like an open betrayal of the base.”

Meanwhile some figures, including Fox host Mark Levin and the panel on PBD Podcast, have been criticizing those who have expressed any opposition to the war.

  • A wide variety of figures in right-leaning and adjacent spaces have expressed concerns or come out against the war

    • White nationalist Nick Fuentes responded to the strikes by calling the Trump administration “an illegitimate regime” and declaring that “the MAGA movement is surely dead, of course.” Fuentes continued, “You can vote for a candidate that repudiates the global war on terror, the war in Iraq, regime change, someone that explicitly promises not to bring us into new conflicts, someone that explicitly campaigns as the peace president, no new wars, and you'll get all of it anyway. We are in a state of distress. This is not a republic anymore.” [Rumble, America First with Nick Fuentes, 2/28/26]
    • Podcaster Tucker Carlson called the attacks “absolutely disgusting and evil.” [Rolling Stone, 2/28/26; Jonathan Karl, Instagram, 2/28/26] 
    • Right-wing YouTube host Benny Johnson: “I have mixed emotions on all of this. It's bad. You know? It's really bad.” Johnson explained, “I was promised that this wouldn't turn into a larger regional conflict. It's hard to believe that at this point. And it wouldn't turn into American boots on the ground. It's hard to believe that.” [YouTube, The Benny Show, 2/28/26]
    • Fresh & Fit host Myron Gaines said the war is “not going to benefit us whatsoever” and said Trump and Israel are going to  “manufacture some bullshit.” Gaines added, “They keep moving the goalposts. They always wanted this war.” [Rumble, MyronGainesX, 2/28/26] 
    • Streamer Adin Ross called the attacks “really fucking stupid” and “a non-needed war.” Ross: “It's like, why did we do this? Why are we helping? Listen, we're allies with a bunch of countries. Why the fuck are we helping, bro? So it's like a non-needed war. For what? Why are we doing it? [Kick, Adin Ross, 2/28/26]
    • Podcaster Glenn Greenwald said the war represents “a complete abandonment and reversal of every single thing Donald Trump and the Republican Party and the MAGA movement pitched itself as being throughout three elections.” Greenwald argued, “To call this administration and the 2024 campaign that ushered it in one of the most fraudulent presidential campaigns in the history of the United States is not just plausible or tolerable or reasonable, but necessary.” [YouTube, System Update, 2/28/26]
    • Podcaster Dave Smith: “By launching this illegal war of aggression against Iran, Donald Trump has betrayed the American people and his own base, none of whom wanted this.” [Vanity Fair, 3/1/26] 
    • Podcaster Tim Dillon: “America does not want this war.” In an episode of his podcast recorded prior to the attacks, Dillon argued, “We don't need a war. Unless all those white collar consultants join the military and go fight and die in Iran, we don't need a fucking war in the Middle East.” [YouTube, The Tim Dillon Show, 2/28/26]
    • Manosphere influencer Andrew Tate asked, “Why would going into a war with Iran benefit anybody in American at all?” Tate also stated: “NOBODY WANTS THIS WAR.” [Rolling Stone, 2/28/26; Vanity Fair, 3/1/26] 
    • Daily Wire host Matt Walsh said it was “troubling that the arguments we’re hearing for this war in Iran, including from Trump himself, seem to revolve primarily around ‘bringing freedom to the Iranian people.’ As Americans, the freedom of Iranians is not our responsibility.” Walsh added, “If a single American life is lost in the service of that goal, it will be a travesty.” [Rolling Stone, 2/28/26] 
    • Infowars host Alex Jones: “This is supposed to be America first. We're not supposed to be running around doing this anymore. But here we are.” Jones said that he likes “the other stuff Trump's doing,” but he said the war is “a gigantic problem.” [Infowars, The Alex Jones Show, 2/28/26] 
    • Daily Wire host Michael Knowles warned Trump “is taking a risk with his entire foreign policy and potentially his entire presidential legacy.” “So what's so amazing is President Trump launched his political presidential career in 2015, in many ways running against the Bushes and against the stupid wars and against all of that,” Knowles said. “Now President Trump is putting himself in a similar position to Bush. However, what — I guess his argument is we're going to do it well.” [The Daily Wire, The Michael Knowles Show, 2/28/26]
    • Blackwater founder Erik Prince on War Room: “I’m not happy about the whole thing. I don’t think this was in America’s interests.” Prince continued: “I don’t see how this is in keeping with the President’s MAGA commitment. I’m disappointed.” [Mediaite, 3/1/26]
    • The American Conservative’s Curt Mills said that Trump had launched an “out-of-control war.” Mills added: “I think the president has gotten very poor counsel, and I do think it matters politically that he was the no-more-endless-wars candidate in 2016 and 2024, particularly, and this looks like an open betrayal of the base.” He continued: “It appears that a majority of Republicans don't know why we're doing this and/or don't support it. … Yes, Iran is an adversary of the United States, but it was not an imminent threat at all. It wasn't an imminent threat in January 2025. This is not something that President Trump needed to handle for the interest of the United States.” [War Room, 3/1/26]
    • Steve Bannon railed at Fox figures Marc Thiessen and Mark Levin and compared their cheerleading for war to the early days of the Iraq War. After singling out Thiessen and Levin by name, Bannon stated: “You see Fox and you see all these haters of Trump, and they're glazing President Trump. They're over the top in the same cheerleading you saw about the Iraq War, particularly in the first days. And remember, folks, you got a long way to go on this thing.” [War Room, 3/1/26]

  • Other right-wing media figures, including many voices on Fox News, are supporting Trump’s war

    • Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen: “This is the greatest day in American foreign policy since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” Thiessen added: “Donald Trump is going to stake his place today as one of the most consequential commanders in chief in American history.” [Fox News, Special Report, 2/28/26]
    • Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro praised Trump, calling him “the most courageous commander in chief in modern American history.” Shapiro continued: “What he just did is the bravest move by a president of the United States of my lifetime, bar none, without a doubt.” [The Daily Wire, The Ben Shapiro Show, 2/28/26]
    • Fox anchor Dana Perino supported the strikes, saying, “I actually think this is quite America first.” Perino said: “I respect the idea of not wanting to fight, but I also think the only way to not fight is for us to be strong. And, like, the types of terrorist activities by proxy that Iran was funding all over the world to hurt us, I actually think this is quite America first.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends Weekend, 3/1/26]
    • Fox guest Julian Epstein: bombing Iran “could qualify” Trump “once again for a Nobel Peace Prize.” [Fox News, 2/28/26]
    • Fox senior strategic analyst Jack Keane praised the strikes, saying: “This is going to open the door to stability and peace in the region.” [Fox News, Special Report, 2/28/26]
    • Fox host Mark Levin: “Donald Trump did what nobody else could do for half a century. How do you like that?” Levin went on to claim that Trump decided to strike Iran because he’s “humane,” and later added, “Here we are in the middle of a spectacular, spectacular humane peace mission.” Levin continued, “This is a spectacular, spectacular military operation with our spectacular ally, the Israelis, with their spectacular prime minister. It's working. It's effective. It's spectacular.” [Fox News, Hannity, 2/28/26]
    • Newsmax host Carl Higbie complained that Democrats “just can’t give the W to somebody who started and ended a conflict — not a war — in less than a day.” [Newsmax, Sunday Agenda, 3/1/26]

  • Some Trump supporters are attacking those who have expressed opposition to the war

    • Mark Levin listed Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon among isolationist “traitors” and “pimps for the enemy.” In an episode of his radio show that aired prior to the strikes, Levin ranted, “There are traitors among us. Traitors inside the government and outside, like Megyn Kelly, in my humble opinion. Like Tucker Carlson, in my humble opinion. Like bloated Bannon, in my humble opinion. I think they are [unintelligible] betrayers.” He added that “These people are undermining our country. They're undermining the president as commander in chief. They're undermining our military, and they give aid and comfort to the enemy. It's that simple.” [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 2/27/26, 2/27/26]
    • PBD Podcast panelist Tom Ellsworth attacked right-wing personality Dave Smith for calling Trump a “traitor,” adding, “You're basically using the N-word on your leader.” Fellow panelist Vincent Oshana complained, “I’m just very curious. Are we supposed to just sit back, let a nation that says death to America build their nukes, and do whatever they want, and then what? … I’m very curious, to the Dave Smiths out there, what are we supposed to do?” [YouTube, PBD Podcast, 2/28/26]
    • Rumble host Dan Bongino pushed back on “doomers” not in favor of regime change, saying, “Can you give the man a chance to cook a little bit?” [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 2/28/26]