A Potential Strike on Iran Tests Trump's Propensity to Play to Both Sides
When President Trump was pressed this week about his administration's conflicting messages on mass deportations, he did not offer much clarity.
'Everybody's right,' he said.
Since his first campaign for president 10 years ago, Mr. Trump has excelled at appearing to favor both sides of the same issue, allowing supporters to hear what they want to hear, whether he's talking about tariffs, TikTok, abortion, tax cuts or more.
But the prospect that the United States might join Israel in bombing Iran is testing his ability to embrace dueling positions with little to no political cost. Some of Mr. Trump's most ardent supporters — those who defended him during multiple investigations and ultimately returned him to the White House — are ripping each other to shreds over the idea, and at times lashing out at Mr. Trump himself, as well.
The war in Iran is exactly the kind of Middle East entanglement that Mr. Trump's anti-interventionist base believed he was bitterly opposed to, because he repeatedly said he was. But he is also the same president who, in his first term, authorized missile strikes in Syria after its leadership used chemical weapons on citizens, and the assassination of a top Iranian general, Qassim Suleimani — two actions he took pride in.
To Mr. Trump, the contradictions are not actually contradictions.
'I think I'm the one that decides that,' he told The Atlantic recently in response to criticism from one of his most vocal anti-interventionist supporters, Tucker Carlson, who said the president's support for Israel's fight in Iran ran against his 'America First' message.
Mr. Trump was propelled to victory in the Republican primary in 2016 as an outsider, in part because he forcefully condemned the invasion of Iraq, authorized by the last Republican president more than a decade before, and the seemingly endless war that followed. Yet he said the United States should have taken the country's oil, and ran radio ads saying he would 'bomb the hell' out of the Islamic State.
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35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Frantically Tries to Stop MAGA Civil War Over Iran
Donald Trump is trying to stave off a MAGA civil war over America's involvement in the Middle East that threatens to tear apart his conservative base. After the president abruptly left the G7 in Canada to meet with his national security team in Washington, the White House went into overdrive to assuage 'America First' die-hards who are angered that the U.S. could be dragged into Israel's battle against Iran. 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding,' he posted on Truth Social on Tuesday, calling for Iran's 'unconditional surrender." 'He is an easy target, but is safe there - we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.' As tensions simmered, Vice President J.D. Vance took to social media to talk up the 'remarkable restraint' the president had shown in trying to keep American troops and citizens safe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared on Fox News to assure people there had been no change in the military's defense posture in the region. On social media, Trump's rapid response team posted video after video to demonstrate that he 'has always been consistent' on Iran. And at the White House, his communications team fired off a press release documenting 15 times that Trump stated Iran 'cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon'. The messaging efforts point to the dilemma Trump faces as he tries to balance his support for Israel with ongoing demands from within his base to avoid another war in the Middle East. Having come to office promising no more 'endless wars,' Trump must now decide whether to help Israel destroy a deeply buried Iranian nuclear enrichment facility at Fordow using a 30,000 pound U.S. bomb known as a 'bunker buster'. But such a move would risk any remaining chance of the nuclear disarmament deal Trump has been pursuing and further divide the very base that got him elected. 'We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,' Trump said on Tuesday. 'Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, but it doesn't compare to American made, conceived and manufactured 'stuff'. Nobody does it better than the good ol' USA.' Others in MAGA, however, are not convinced of America's ongoing role. Carlson, a former Fox News host, entered the fray last week, calling Trump complicit and suggesting that the administration 'drop Israel [and] let them fight their own wars.' This led to Trump suggesting on Monday that he was irrelevant now that he no longer had his own television show, which in turn, led to Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene siding with Carlson. 'Tucker Carlson is one of my favorite people. He fiercely loves his wife, children, and our country. Since being fired by the neocon network Fox News, he has more popularity and viewers than ever before,' she said. Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk had earlier warned the issue could cause 'a massive schism in MAGA and potentially disrupt our momentum and our insanely successful Presidency.' MAGA activist Jack Posobiec agreed, saying that 'a direct strike on Iran right now would disastrously split the Trump coalition.' But Vance's lengthy post on X sought to de-escalate tensions. Noting the 'crazy stuff' that was being put out on social media, he said that Trump had been 'amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' 'He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment,' Vance added. 'That decision ultimately belongs to the president. And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.'
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
TACO Trump Punts Decision on Bombing Iran in Wild New Twist
President Donald Trump will decide whether to attack Iran within the next two weeks, and has issued a plea to stave off the backlash in his MAGA base: Trust in Trump. As a MAGA civil war over military intervention threatens to tear his party apart, the president has left the door open to a diplomatic off-ramp. 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,' he said, in a direct message issued through his White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. The unexpected twist is reminiscent of the two week window Trump regularly gives Russia to start negotiating a genuine ceasefire with Ukraine. It comes after the president left the nation on edge for days about the possibility that he would help Israel destroy a deeply buried nuclear enrichment facility at Fordow, in northeast Iran, using a 30,000 pound bomb known as a 'bunker buster'. Trump gave numerous mixed messages, insisting the strikes could be imminent and saying it was 'too late' to talk while also insisting that there was scope for negotiations. On Wednesday, he even boasted that 'nobody knows what I'm doing' when it comes to Iran. Tensions escalated this week when he abruptly departed the G7—despite having meetings locked with global allies including Australia and India—to rush to Washington to deal with the issue. For the next three days, he then huddled with his national security advisers to decide whether the U.S. military helps Israel's bombing campaign. But such a move would risk any remaining chance of the nuclear disarmament deal Trump has been pursuing and threatened to tear apart the very base that got him elected. The MAGA civil war over the Iran put conservatives such as pro-Israel war hawks Laura Loomer and Mark Levin on one side, and America First firebrands such as Charlie Kirk, Steve Bannon and Jack Posobiec on the other. 'We can't have another Iraq,' Bannon warned at a breakfast with reporters hosted Wednesday by The Christian Science Monitor. Earlier today, he was spotted at the White House but Leavitt declined to say what he was doing there. The issue also spilled out onto screens this week, with conservative pundit Tucker Carlson—who accused the president of being 'complicit' in the Middle East conflict—skewering Texas Senator Ted Cruz over his support for regime change. Asked what the president would say to those who voted for his 'America First' doctrine and didn't want the nation involved in another foreign war, Leavitt replied: 'Trust in President Trump.' 'President Trump kept America and the world safe in his first term as president, implementing a 'peace through strength' foreign policy agenda,' she said. 'With respect to Iran, nobody should be surprised by the President's position that Iran absolutely cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. He's been absolutely unequivocal about this.' Trump's announcement was immediately mocked online. One critic on social media described it as 'beyond parody' while another joked: 'He's going to announce it during Infrastructure Week when the healthcare plan comes out.' Leavitt was also quizzed about the issue in the briefing room, with one reporter noting that Trump had regularly given Russia two week deadlines on Ukraine, with no outcome. However, she blamed the Biden administration, saying both were complicated global conflicts that the president had inherited.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Boasts ‘Nobody Knows What I'm Doing' as MAGA Civil War Rages
President Donald Trump has boasted that 'nobody knows what I'm doing' when it comes to Iran as a MAGA civil war rages over the prospect of a U.S. military attack. Speaking with reporters for the first time since meeting with his national security council on Tuesday, the president refused to say whether the U.S. is moving closer to helping Israel strike Iranian nuclear facilities. 'You don't seriously think I'm going to answer that question,' Trump said, mockingly. 'Will you strike the Iranian nuclear component, and what time exactly? Sir, sir, would you strike it? Will you please inform us so we can be there and watch? 'I mean, you don't know that I'm going to even do it. You don't know. I may do it; I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' Trump's comments come as a MAGA civil war has been brewing for days between pro-Israel war hawks such as Laura Loomer and Mark Levin on one side, and America First firebrands such as Charlie Kirk and Jack Posobiec on the other. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson also entered the fray last week, calling Trump complicit and suggesting that the administration 'drop Israel [and] let them fight their own wars.' Carlson also clashed with Texas Senator Ted Cruz this week, lashing out over Cruz's support for military intervention in Iran despite his apparent lack of knowledge about the country. While a U.S. attack on Iran could have serious consequences for the region, Trump's rhetoric has shifted considerably in recent days, with the president admitting that his patience is wearing thin on finding a diplomatic solution to stop Iran from building its nuclear arsenal. On Wednesday, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hit back at the president for his 'absurd rhetoric' after Trump demanded Iran's 'complete surrender' and issued an ominous warning on X: 'The US entering this matter (war) is 100% to its own detriment. The damage will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter.' But Trump doubled down on his push for Iran to surrender, telling reporters that Tehran should have negotiated weeks ago. Only now were they rethinking their strategy, he said. 'They even suggested coming to the White House,' he claimed. A U.S. defense official told the Daily Beast it was moving the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East to protect U.S. forces in the region. Vice President JD Vance also posted on X that after showing 'remarkable restraint,' Trump 'may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment.' As the president weighed options, some Democrats on Capitol Hill called for Congress to act. Senator Tim Kaine introduced a resolution to prevent the U.S. from using military force against Iran without congressional approval while several others backed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' bill to prevent the use of funds for military force against Iran without congressional authorization. But Democrats were deeply divided over the response to Iran. Senator John Fetterman, who has often bucked his party to fiercely defend Israel, said he would vote against Kaine's resolution. He told reporters he was a 'hell yes' on the U.S. making preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. Senate Majority Leader John Thune rejected that the president would need authorization from Congress to strike Iran. 'I think right now the president's within his authorities,' Thune told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. 'He obviously has a lot of authorities as Commander in Chief to respond to incidents that happen around the world.' Thune said if it goes on for a period of time, there would be discussions on what the role of Congress should be and whether it needed to take action. 'I think right now, let's hope and pray for the best outcome,' he said. Senate Foreign Committee Chair Jim Risch emphasized on Tuesday 'this is not our war' and praised the president for threading the needle when it came to Iran. While the House is not in session this week, in a rare moment of bipartisanship, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie was joined by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to introduce a resolution to prohibit the U.S. from getting involved in the conflict. 'This is not our war,' Massie wrote in a post. 'Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.'
