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Right-wing media figures have drawn a line on sending American ground troops to Iran. The White House has not ruled them out.

Written by Helena Hind & Gideon Taaffe

Published

Update (3/20/26): This piece has been updated to include additional examples.

A number of right-wing media figures have drawn the line on sending American ground troops to Iran.

Fox News’ Sean Hannity — who has jockeyed for regime change in Iran for decades — explicitly promised that it’s “never going to happen.” Other right-wing media figures have said a deployment “will not work for the American people” and would be “politically suicidal.” 

Despite these entreaties, Trump has refused to rule out the possibility of deploying American troops to Iran, saying he would do it “if necessary.” 

  • Trump and Republicans have floated the possibility of deploying Americans on the ground in the Iran war, which has split MAGA media figures

    • Two days after the initial attack, Trump said he would consider sending American ground troops to Iran “if necessary.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also refused to rule out the possibility of deploying ground troops and would not comment on a specific timeline for the war. [Time, 3/2/26]
    • On March 4, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said deploying ground troops is sometimes “unavoidable in a situation like this.” [The Daily Beast, 3/4/26]
    • Press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said a deployment is “on the table” during a White House press briefing. [Fox News, 3/4/26]
    • At least six American service members have been killed during the Iran conflict so far, and Trump has said “there will likely be more” casualties. Following reports of initial American casualties after the first strikes, Trump said in a social video: “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is.” [The New York Times, 3/3/26; Politico, 3/1/26]
    • Trump’s war in Iran has highlighted a bitter divide among MAGA media figures. [Media Matters, 3/2/26]

  • Numerous MAGA and right-wing media figures have drawn a line on ground troops

    • Fox News’ Sean Hannity promised his audience that an American deployment to Iran is “never going to happen under Donald Trump. I'm telling you right now. Won't happen.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 3/2/26]
    • Newsmax guest Mercedes Schlapp: “For President Trump, I think the key is he cannot make this into sending troops on the ground in Iran. That I think will not work for the American people.” [Newsmax, The Right Squad, 3/2/26]
    • Fox News’ Laura Ingraham asked, “Why would we ever need boots on the ground?” though she quickly added that it seems “unnecessary at this point.” She said: “Why would we ever need boots on the ground? We have such superior air capacity. We’ve already knocked out their Navy. American troops on the ground? That would seem unnecessary at this point.” [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 3/2/26]
    • On The Megyn Kelly Show, author Sohrab Ahmari said that sending American ground troops to Iran would be “a crazy thing to do” and potentially “politically suicidal” for Republicans. Ahmari: “I really pray that what Secretary Hegseth and President Trump said about putting troops on the ground potentially, ‘if necessary,’ does not pan out. By the way, to really do a regime change, that's what would be required, is to put troops on the ground to kind of secure the country. … Well, that's just a crazy thing to do. Not just, you know, in terms of — for the strategic and military reasons we've been discussing so far, but just politically speaking. I mean, is the Republican Party politically suicidal to do something like that? Already that Reuters-Ipsos poll found that only 1 in 4 Americans supports this operation. That is only going to get worse with boots on the ground.” [The Megyn Kelly Show, 3/2/26]
    • On The Alex Jones Show, commentator Gavin McInnes said, “The second those planes start landing with boots on the ground … that’s just a different America. That’s a neocon America. And we tried that and it didn’t work.” McInnes: “And again, I don't mind showing off and flexing your muscles once in a while, but the second those planes start landing with boots on the ground — I mean, I'm just assuming he was bluffing when he told the Daily Mail that he's not ruling out boots on the ground, because that's just a different America. That's a neocon America. And we tried that and it didn't work.” [The Alex Jones Show, 3/2/26]
    • Infowars’ Harrison Smith said American boots on the ground “was always my red line” (though he also said Trump has made an “absolutely terrible mistake here” and already “crossed the red line”). Smith: “I've never regretted not supporting a Middle Eastern war. I've never regretted, you know, calling it out. And to be fair, we have not put boots on the ground yet. And that was always my red line. But I'd say we've crossed the red line. And I think Trump, either because he got fooled or because he's in on it, has made an absolutely terrible mistake here.” [Infowars, War Room, 3/2/26]
    • YouTube host Benny Johnson: “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]
    • Podcaster Stephen Crowder: “No American boots on the ground. I think we all agree on that.” Crowder continued: “Don't try and convince us that you've been consistent on this messaging as far as this administration. Don't try and convince us that you've been consistent on this messaging as far as this administration. Like, own it. Be clear about it. You can point back to Donald Trump's position, but be clear as to the actions you are taking and why, and be in and out. I think if we're looking at something like the enrichment facility, if we're looking at something like Maduro, a mission like that, that's something that a lot of Americans can stomach. A war is not.” [Rumble, Louder With Crowder, 2/27/26]
    • Podcaster Tucker Carlson decried the idea of “putting young Americans in the path of potential death” and claimed that sending ground troops to Iran has “always been the plan.” Carlson: “There's not one person who understands a situation like this, kinetic war, who thinks you can affect regime change from the air. That’s — no one's ever thought that. No one thinks that now.  If you're sincere about changing the leadership of a country, it by definition requires you to get in there. Of course not you, but some young guy, some younger man who's fighting for freedom to get in there and risk his life to do it. You need troops, ground troops, boots on the ground, or whatever dumb euphemism they're using for putting young Americans in the path of potential death. And so, of course, that's always been the plan, and shame on the rest of us for not just saying that out loud.” [YouTube, The Tucker Carlson Show, 3/2/26]
    • While discussing the potential for “boots on the ground,” Newsmax host Rob Schmitt said, “We all know how unpopular that idea is going to be, even with Trump's best supporters.” [Newsmax, Rob Schmitt Tonight, 3/5/26]
    • Right-wing podcaster Brett Cooper said boots on the ground would be “the most incredible stain on his [Trump’s] legacy.” Cooper: “Now I do want to say that rooting for your own team does not mean going rah-rah, send in all the troops, boots on the ground, but it means hoping for the best outcome for Americans. Hoping for as few casualties as possible, praying for our troops, that is what it means.” She continued, claiming that Trump “possibly cares more about his legacy than anything else. And so if this goes south, if we have boots on the ground for years to come, that might be what Donald Trump is remembered for. That would be the most incredible stain on his legacy. And I don't know if he can live with that. So maybe that is a piece of hope.” [YouTube, The Brett Cooper Show, 3/5/26]
    • Infowars founder Alex Jones claimed that keeping open the option of boots on the ground makes Trump look like he’s “starting to join” the globalists. Jones: “Today, Trump said he may support boots on the ground. And so overall — I've been supportive of Trump because he was disruptive to the globalists, they didn't want him at first. But more and more, it looks like he's pretty much starting to join them.” [YouTube, Duncan Trussell Family Hour, 3/6/26]
    • White nationalist podcaster Nick Fuentes said he wants Democrats to win in the 2026 midterms in part to curb the possibility of boots on the ground in Iran. Fuentes: “I want Democrats to win in '26 for the only reason being that they are going to slow down the administration. Because the administration is out of control. You know, they're at war with Iran. I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility they drop a nuke on Iran or, you know, something crazy like that, boots on the ground. And so I want that to stop.” [Rumble, 3/8/26; Media Matters, 12/19/25]
    • PBD Podcast co-host Vincent Oshana said, “I am 100% against any United States military boots on the ground in Iran.” [YouTube, PBD Podcast, 3/9/26]
    • Megyn Kelly: “Please don’t do that, President Trump. Please don't put American boots on the ground in Iran.” [SiriusXM, The Megyn Kelly Show, 3/9/26]
    • On The Story with Martha MacCallum, retired Air Force Gen. Charles Wald said the U.S. should “avoid major boots on the ground.” [Fox News, The Story with Martha MacCallum, 3/10/26]
    • On his podcast, former Proud Boys leader and January 6 organizer Enrique Tarrio said, “What I’m not OK with is a prolonged” war, noting, “There’s no boots on the ground.” [Rumble, War Boys, 3/17/26; PBS, 2/21/25]