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Some right-wing media figures are urging Trump to declare early victory and leave Iran

Newsmax host Michael Savage: “Is it possible we could just pack up and go home? Or must we kill half the population in the name of peace?”

Written by Noah VanDowe, Alex Guiden & Ben Van Bloem

Published

As President Donald Trump’s war with Iran continues, some right-wing commentators are urging the administration to “declare victory” and “get out” of Iran “before it gets much worse.”

Recent Quinnipiac polling found that “over half of voters oppose” the conflict and “74% oppose sending ground troops,” a potential escalation that Trump might undertake, particularly given the worsening situation at the Strait of Hormuz.

Some right-wing figures are fearful of what a military quagmire in the Middle East would “do to us at the midterms,” and a number of right-wing media personalities are now urging the administration to save face by declaring victory and exiting the region to prevent negative political consequences and/or a worsening conflict.

  • Trump’s war in Iran is deeply unpopular, plans to exit are unclear, and the conflict has divided right-wing media

    • The war with Iran is already unpopular, and possible escalation is even more unpopular. Quinnipiac reported that “over half of voters oppose” the conflict and “74% oppose sending ground troops.” A majority of voters also “do not expect a quick end to the conflict.” Americans polled said they feared that a terrorist attack would happen on American soil and that gas prices would rise because of this conflict. [Quinnipiac, 3/9/26]
    • The United States’ plans to exit the region are unclear, and the president and his defense secretary have sent differing messages about how long the conflict will last.Trump claimed on March 11 that the war will “end soon” while Hegseth suggested on March 8 that it is “only just the beginning.” NBC also reported that the foreign minister of Iran said that Tehran did “not request a ceasefire” and would “continue this resistance without any hesitation.” [NBC, 3/16/26]
    • Reporting suggests the unpopularity of the conflict could affect Republican political outcomes in 2026.The Guardian wrote that “Trump failing to keep his word could be important ahead of primaries and midterm elections for independents,” noting that he had previously campaigned on promises to get America out of “endless wars” and that he would “get peace in the Middle East” but has begun a new conflict instead. The Hill reported that Republicans are “scrambling to unite around a midterm strategy” and argued that “in just the last two weeks, President Trump has made their task much tougher.” [The Guardian, 3/17/26; The Hill, 3/15/26]
    • The war has bitterly divided right-wing media, pitting “wannabe neo-Nazi influencers” against “the Mark Levins of the world.” Critics of the war have called the attacks “disgusting” and the Trump administration an “illegitimate regime,” while supporters of the military action have dismissed those objecting as “pimps for the enemy” for showing “unbelievable cowardice.” [Media Matters, 3/2/26, 3/9/26]

  • Some right-wing figures are encouraging Trump to “declare victory” over Iran “before it gets much worse”

    • Podcaster Tucker Carlson said he flew to Washington, D.C. to try to convince Trump to “just declare victory and go home.” Carlson explained, “Like, you killed an 86-year-old cleric. Let's just call that a win and then pull back.” [YouTube,The Tucker Carlson Show, 3/6/26]
    • Newsmax's Michael Savage: “We all have to start pressuring this administration to call it a success and end this before it gets much worse.” Savage: “Is it possible we could just pack up and go home? Or must we kill half the population in the name of peace?” [Newsmax, Savage Nation, 3/15/26]
    • SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly cautioned that supporters of the war “have to think long term about what’s it going to do to us at the midterms” and said that was why “many Republicans” want to “declare victory.” Kelly argued, “I mean, '28 is potentially in jeopardy if too many of those independents are really soured on this thing and upset, right? Like, that's — you got to think practically, and that's one of the reasons why, you know, many Republicans, Josh Hawley was just saying publicly last night, let's wrap it up. Let's declare victory and say we did it. We did a lot of good. Let's not let this go on and on. Let's not let oil prices go back to $150 or $120 a barrel, earlier this week.” [YouTube, The Megyn Kelly Show, 3/11/26]
    • YouTuber Jimmy Dore said he hoped Trump would “declare victory” so “we could have stability in the Middle East.” Dore explained, “He's going to declare victory. I hope he does, actually. I hope he does declare victory, and then this is over, and then we could go back to having the Strait of Hormuz open, and we could have stability in the Middle East. Because doing a regime change in Iran and turning Iran into a civil war, which is what they're actually trying to do, will destabilize the region.” [YouTube,The Jimmy Dore Show, 3/11/26]
    • All-In Podcast host and Trump administration AI and crypto czar David Sacks called on Trump to “find the off-ramp,” arguing, “This is a good time to declare victory and get out.” Sacks said “Look, we've degraded Iranian capabilities massively. Their army, navy, air force, all been destroyed. This is a good time to declare victory and get out, and that is clearly what the markets would like to see.” [The Verge,3/15/26; YouTube, All-In Podcast, 3/13/26]
    • Podcaster Tim Dillon addressed Trump’s advisers: “Whatever this guy needs to hear to get him out of this war, tell him. Tell him that.” Dillon continued, “Whatever this dude needs to hear so that he can get us the fuck out of there because this is — and listen, obviously, we all support the U.S. military. That's why we don't want them dying for literally no reason in Iran, unfortunately.” [YouTube,The Tim Dillon Show, 3/14/26]
    • On Newsmax, former Trump Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland argued Trump could “declare victory today and walk away.” McFarland continued, “And what would that victory be? We have destroyed, as I've just laid out the litany, all of Iran's war-making capabilities, their nuclear weapons capabilities, etc.” [Newsmax,The National Report, 3/17/26]
    • Infowars host Harrison Smith called the war “absurd” and argued the U.S. “should declare victory and leave the Middle East forever.” “What is it now, day 10 of the war? And things are not any less absurd today than they were yesterday,” Smith said, adding, “More so, in fact, because we have now, we have now gone from two-day war, 48-hour operation to — I mean, you know, you know the cycle. … So, all right, whatever. Just, OK, good. Declare victory. I think we should declare victory and leave the Middle East forever.” [Infowars,War Room,3/10/26]