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Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Israel-Iran Conflict: How another Middle East War is ripping MAGA apart - will Trump coalition survive?
As war clouds gather over Tehran, the 'America First' coalition fractures—from Carlson's outrage to Cruz's crusade, with Vice President JD Vance echoing the commander-in-chief's every word. The MAGA Movement Promised No More Wars—Now It's on the Brink of One Donald Trump didn't just win the 2024 election—he crushed it with a promise to rebuild America without stumbling into another foreign disaster. 'No more stupid wars' became doctrine. His base connected with this pledge, proud that he hadn't launched any new wars. But now, deep into 2025, that legacy is under pressure. In June, Israel struck Iran's nuclear facilities—and Trump responded by warning Iran's leaders to surrender 'unconditionally,' advising Tehran's civilians to evacuate, and boasting that the U.S. had 'total control of the skies.' The MAGA movement—defined by its distrust of foreign entanglements—is experiencing an identity crisis. The coalition that brought Trump back to power is now split, torn between instincts that fueled his rise. The Anti-War Wing: Carlson, Bannon, Greene, Gaetz—and the MAGA Grassroots Tucker Carlson: MAGA's Foreign Policy Firewall Carlson has emerged as the vocal anti-war leader within MAGA circles. He warned that war with Iran could end Trump's presidency. During a dramatic on-camera exchange with Senator Ted Cruz, he challenged his hawkish views by questioning basic facts about Iran—its population, its sectarian landscape—and called out what he sees as dangerous ignorance dressed up as resolve. To Carlson, this is Iraq 2.0. And allowing MAGA to shift toward intervention is nothing short of a betrayal. Tucker and Ted Cruz Get Into Heated Debate on AIPAC and Foreign Influence Steve Bannon: The Loyal Dissenter Bannon warned that a war with Iran could destroy the MAGA coalition. Yet he tempered the warning with neutrality, noting that even dissenting voices would ultimately fall in line behind Trump. His message: the base doesn't want war, but Trump remains the centre of gravity. Marjorie Taylor Greene: Culture Warrior, Peace Advocate Greene has remained firm in her opposition to escalation. She's made it clear that another conflict in the Middle East would betray the MAGA movement's core promise: to put America first—at home, not in yet another desert war. Matt Gaetz: The Populist Sceptic Gaetz has voiced deep scepticism over renewed interventionism, warning that MAGA should not fall for recycled Bush-era framing. He's dismissed hawkish rhetoric and cautioned that any move toward war must have a clearly defined exit strategy and real American interests at stake. His message is clear: military might is not a substitute for strategic clarity. The War Caucus: Cruz, Rubio, Levin, Hannity—Old Doctrine, New Labels Ted Cruz: Confident, But Clueless? Cruz maintained a hawkish stance in public appearances, even as he fumbled through basic facts about Iran. He's called Iran a threat and said the U.S. must act if necessary. His slip—confusing Israeli actions with American ones—highlighted the extent to which some MAGA hawks are ready for conflict, regardless of the details. Marco Rubio: From Miami to Mossad Now serving as Secretary of State, Rubio has become the administration's leading voice for a hardline Iran policy. He insists that Iran must be denied not just weapons, but even enrichment capacity. His doctrine is simple: Iran cannot even come close to the nuclear threshold. Mark Levin and Sean Hannity: Reagan-era Revivalists Both Levin and Hannity have called for strong action. Levin has floated the idea of regime change. Hannity has embraced the logic of preemptive strikes. They represent the older, more muscular conservatism that sees war not as a failure—but as assertion of American strength. JD Vance: The Loyal Lieutenant, Not the Peacemaker Vice President JD Vance, once the populist realist, now speaks with tight discipline. He hasn't condemned the hawks. He hasn't echoed the doves. He simply follows the President's lead—repeating Trump's lines, offering no deviation, and avoiding ideological entanglement. Vance is not acting as a bridge between factions. He's acting as a megaphone for Trump. His silence is strategic. His discipline is total with the belief that if he holds on long enough, he's a shoo-in to the be Trump's successor. Trump's Game: Maximum Pressure, Minimum Commitment—So Far Trump has long weaponised ambiguity. He's sent American forces into visible alert, named Iranian leaders, threatened air superiority—and yet, he hasn't fired a shot. This is vintage Trump: threatening force without deploying it, posturing without committing. But the longer this game stretches, the more pressure mounts. Hawks want action. The base wants peace. And Trump, ever the tactician, wants both. MAGA's Iraq Flashback: The Ghost That Haunts Them Still The language is all too familiar. Talks of WMDs. Warning of rogue regimes. Accusations of appeasement. MAGA was born in rebellion against this rhetoric. Trump won hearts by denouncing the Iraq War as a historic failure. Now, those ghosts are back. And the question is whether the movement has truly changed—or merely changed labels. The 2025 Test: Can MAGA Survive a Middle East War? Trump's current coalition—rooted in working-class values, suburban nationalism, and youth anti-establishment sentiment—says no to foreign adventures. Most polls show his base is wary of intervention. But a gamble remains: if Trump escalates, that coalition could fracture. The internal pressure is mounting. MAGA's future depends on whether it keeps its promise—or betrays the fierce anti-war impulse that helped redefine American politics in 2025. The Real War Is Inside MAGA This is more than a foreign policy debate—it's an ideological showdown. Anti-war bloc: Carlson, Bannon, Greene, Gaetz—warning against another Iraq, urging focus at home. War caucus: Cruz, Rubio, Levin, Hannity—championing confrontation and regime change. Intercepted by: JD Vance—standing in lockstep with Trump, no deviation. At the centre: Trump—wielding threats and uncertainties while testing the elasticity of a fractured coalition. A strike on Iran may win a skirmish—but MAGA's soul hangs in the balance. The real question now isn't just 'should we go to war?'—it's 'can MAGA survive it?'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House GOP advances $9.4 billion in DOGE cuts to foreign aid, public radio
House Republicans on Thursday agreed to cancel $9.4 billion in federal spending for foreign aid and public radio and broadcasting, marking the first time Congress has formally weighed in on Elon Musk's DOGE cuts. President Donald Trump is using the rarely used tool, known on Capitol Hill as 'rescissions,' to claw back federal dollars that Congress has already approved — something that lawmakers are typically loathe to support. Yet this specific push, which would target the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the United States Agency for International Development, is broadly popular within the GOP. If also approved by the Senate, the spending cuts package, while far more limited in scope than the more than $1 trillion in cuts promised by the Department of Government Efficiency, would insulate the Trump administration from legal challenges related to its slashes to federal funding. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he expects additional requests from the White House in the future. The White House's spending cuts ran into resistance among some centrist Hill Republicans, who do support some federal dollars going to programs like PBS. Others disliked Trump's plans to cut funds to fight global AIDS through the Bush-era program PEPFAR. GOP leaders ultimately convinced their members to back Trump's plan, after several days of cajoling by top Republicans and White House officials — and a promise to keep some of the funds dedicated to fighting AIDS globally. The request will now go to the Senate, where just 51 Republicans need to agree. But it's fate there is unclear, as multiple GOP senators have raised concerns about the cuts. That includes Sen. Susan Collins, who told CNN on Monday that she has major misgivings about the global health cuts, including PEPFAR, and is trying to make changes to the measure. 'I think we can change it. We're still figuring out what the set rules are,' Collins said.
CNN
12-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
House GOP advances $9.4 billion in DOGE cuts to foreign aid, public radio
House Republicans on Thursday agreed to cancel $9.4 billion in federal spending for foreign aid and public radio and broadcasting, marking the first time Congress has formally weighed in on Elon Musk's DOGE cuts. President Donald Trump is using the rarely used tool, known on Capitol Hill as 'rescissions,' to claw back federal dollars that Congress has already approved — something that lawmakers are typically loathe to support. Yet this specific push, which would target the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the United States Agency for International Development, is broadly popular within the GOP. If also approved by the Senate, the spending cuts package, while far more limited in scope than the more than $1 trillion in cuts promised by the Department of Government Efficiency, would insulate the Trump administration from legal challenges related to its slashes to federal funding. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he expects additional requests from the White House in the future. The White House's spending cuts ran into resistance among some centrist Hill Republicans, who do support some federal dollars going to programs like PBS. Others disliked Trump's plans to cut funds to fight global AIDS through the Bush-era program PEPFAR. GOP leaders ultimately convinced their members to back Trump's plan, after several days of cajoling by top Republicans and White House officials — and a promise to keep some of the funds dedicated to fighting AIDS globally. The request will now go to the Senate, where just 51 Republicans need to agree. But it's fate there is unclear, as multiple GOP senators have raised concerns about the cuts. That includes Sen. Susan Collins, who told CNN on Monday that she has major misgivings about the global health cuts, including PEPFAR, and is trying to make changes to the measure. 'I think we can change it. We're still figuring out what the set rules are,' Collins said.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP lawmakers uneasy about package to codify DOGE cuts ahead of House vote this week
Multiple Republican lawmakers are voicing concerns about backing a high-profile measure later this week to codify Elon Musk's DOGE cuts – raising questions about whether it can pass the House at all. Two Republicans – Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada and Nicole Malliotakis of New York – separately told CNN they have concerns with the White House's push to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 'Still mulling,' Amodei said when asked if he would support the package of cuts. 'The impact on local PBS stations appears to be significant.' Other Republicans have heartburn about how it could cut the Bush-era program, PEPFAR, devoted to fighting HIV and AIDS globally. 'If it cuts PEPFAR like they're saying it is, that's not good,' GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN last week. House GOP leaders plan to put the package of cuts, totaling $9.4 billion, on the floor as soon as Thursday, according to two people familiar with the plans. But Speaker Mike Johnson will need near unanimity in his conference for the package to pass the House, where he can only lose three votes. Johnson said on Monday that he's 'working on' getting enough votes for the Department of Government Efficiency spending cuts package he hopes to bring to the floor this week. 'The only concern I heard initially was some wanted a little more specificity and detail on what was in the package,' Johnson continued. Asked how he would persuade members that wanted more specificity in the package, Johnson replied, 'I'm gathering up all their questions and we'll try to get them all answered. I mean, that's what we do in every piece of legislation.' If it can survive the House, it will face major obstacles in the Senate. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told CNN on Monday that she has major misgivings about the global health cuts, including PEPFAR. 'I think we can change it. We're still figuring out what the set rules are,' Collins said. The White House sent its long-awaited spending cuts request to Congress as it seeks to formalize a slew of DOGE slashes to federal funding. The $9.4 billion package – known as 'rescissions' on Capitol Hill – would claw back previously appropriated government funding. The move to cancel the funding through Congress would insulate the administration from legal challenges related to its cuts to federal funding. Johnson said on Monday, 'We'd like to do multiple rescissions packages, and this first one I'm sure will be successful.' This initial request, however, is far more limited in scope than the more than $1 trillion in spending cuts that DOGE has promised. The lengthy time it took the White House to send over a first round of cuts underscores the uphill battle for even a Republican-led Congress to codify DOGE's work. CNN's Molly English contributed to this report.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Asks Congress To Rescind Funding For Public Broadcasting, Foreign Aid
President Donald Trump asked Congress on Tuesday to rescind more than $9 billion in funding it already approved for public broadcasters, foreign aid and global health efforts, taking aim at those initiatives as 'wasteful' and 'woke.' The requested cuts are part of a process known as rescission, in which the president can ask Congress to remove funding commitments from the budget. 'They have 45 days to codify these massive cuts to woke, wasteful, and weaponized spending via a simple majority vote,' the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. The single biggest cut Trump is requesting is a $1.1 billion funding commitment to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS. Leaders of both news outlets said the rescission would strip Americans of vital sources of information while cutting very little in costs. 'This rescission would have a negligible impact on reducing the deficit and provide little-to-no savings for taxpayers, yet it would harm all Americans, shutting off access to local news, national reporting, music and regional culture, and emergency alerting,' NPR's CEO Katherine Maher said in a lengthy statement. NPR is responsible for receiving and distributing 'Presidential-level emergency alerts' within minutes, she noted. 'Rescission would irreparably harm communities across America who count on public media for 24/7 news, music, cultural and educational programming, and emergency alerting services,' she said, noting that private media companies have not been willing to take on those commitments. Paula Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS, raised similar concerns, saying the impacts will especially be felt at 'smaller and rural stations that rely on federal funding for a larger portion of their budgets.' The proposed funding removals would write into law some of the cuts initiated by Elon Musk when he was running the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which he stepped down from last week. Other requested cuts include millions to the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, orPEPFAR, a Bush-era program credited with saving 25 million lives. Rep. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters she wouldn't support any reductions to PEPFAR, calling it 'possibly the most successful public health program that has ever been used in Africa and other parts of the world.' Skepticism from more Republicans could spell trouble for the rescission package given the GOP's slim majority in the Senate. But Trump's staff is already preparing to ask for more cuts. 'If they pass this, we'll send up many more,' White House budget director Russ Vought said on Fox News, referring to rescission packages.
