Latest news with #ChristianScienceMonitor
Middle East Eye
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Bannon urges Trump to avoid war with Iran, backs 'America First' stance
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon was seen at the White House on Thursday, where he had lunch with US President Donald Trump, according to a senior official. The meeting had been scheduled weeks ago but was delayed after Bannon fell ill with the flu. Despite a brief rift following his 2017 departure, Bannon has remained one of Trump's most loyal outside advisers. Speaking at a Christian Science Monitor event, Bannon voiced strong opposition to US involvement in a conflict with Iran. 'My mantra right now: The Israelis have to finish what they started,' he said. 'We can't do this again. We'll tear the country apart. We can't have another Iraq.' He has echoed this position on his 'War Room' podcast, reflecting a segment of the MAGA movement urging Trump to steer clear of war, arguing such a move contradicts his 'America First' foreign policy.
AU Financial Review
2 days ago
- Politics
- AU Financial Review
US reportedly planning attack on Iran over weekend
The prospect of a US strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war. Some of Trump's most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies. Bannon, one of many influential voices from Trump's 'America First' coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the US military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran's nuclear program in the absence of a diplomatic deal. 'We can't do this again,' Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. 'We'll tear the country apart. We can't have another Iraq.' Bannon continued to preach patience on his popular 'War Room' podcast on Thursday, contending that Trump was being set up to be responsible for toppling the Iranian regime. He was joined by Jack Posobiec, another prominent MAGA figure. The goal, Posobiec said, is to 'suck the United States in, have the regime change go off and, unfortunately, have the United States finish something that was started not by us.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Steve Bannon thinks MAGA will respond if Trump strikes Iran
WASHINGTON – The 'vast majority' of President Donald Trump's MAGA movement 'will get on board' with strikes on Iran, if the two-term Republican goes ahead with military action, his former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon says. Should he decide there's no diplomatic solution to be had, Trump will need to walk the American people and MAGA through his thinking, Bannon told reporters at a June 18 breakfast hosted by Christian Science Monitor. But Trump is also likely to win most of his naysaying supporters over. 'There will be some, but the vast majority of the MAGA movement will go, 'look, we trust your judgement, you've walked us through this, we don't like it, in fact maybe we hate it, but we'll get on board,'' Bannon said. More: 'It's blowing up': The Iran conflict is sparking a MAGA civil war Bannon is one of a number of MAGA stars who's come out against the U.S. actively aiding Israel in ongoing airstrikes on Iranian uranium enrichment and military sites. He said that U.S. military involvement could 'blow up the coalition' during a June 16 appearance on Tucker Carlson's show. Bannon at the breakfast railed against 'old Republican Party' members and media personalities, who he said are 'forever war types' who supported the Iraq invasion and other conflicts the MAGA movement opposes. US involvement? Israel wants to demolish Iran's nuclear facilities. Does it need help? Bannon also chided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for trying to present strikes on Iran as consistent with 'America First' values during a recent interview with a United States broadcaster. 'I do believe that even as we speak that President Trump is looking for potential alternatives,' Bannon said, telling reporters that Trump prefers 'optionality' in his decision-making process. Minutes later at the White House, Trump told reporters that he had not made a decision about U.S. military strikes on Iran's uranium enrichment sites. 'I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said. Asked directly about the schism in MAGA, Trump responded in the Oval Office later in the day: 'My supporters are for me. My supporters are 'America first' and 'Make America great again.'" This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Steve Bannon thinks MAGA will respond if Trump bombs Iran
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
MAGA allies deride attacking Iran — but won't criticize Trump directly
As Republicans battle over direct military engagement with Iran, prominent conservatives and allies of the president have emerged as forceful voices against intervening, lashing out at a host of political players — except for President Donald Trump. Warring factions within the Republican Party have sought to pull Trump in opposing directions on how to deal with Iran. Isolationists are seeking to hold Trump to his repeated campaign promises to not involve the U.S. in another major Middle East war, while interventionists like Sen. Lindsey Graham have urged the president to go tougher on Iran — an approach that appears to be winning Trump's favor. Even as Republicans have spoken up against engaging in a conflict with Iran, criticizing everyone from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Graham for their role in the unfolding conflict, few dared to directly attack the president over his approach. 'Take screenshots of every single right winger who is shit talking Trump right now,' conservative social media personality Laura Loomer wrote on X on Monday, encouraging her followers to post the evidence in the replies. 'I have most of them. But I don't want to miss any.' Loomer specifically slammed 'grifters' for 'turning on President Trump' in speaking out against possible military intervention in Iran. Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon cautioned against U.S. military involvement in Iran, warning at a Christian Science Monitor event on Wednesday that 'we can't have another Iraq.' 'The Israelis have to finish what they started. They started this. They should finish it,' he continued, criticizing Netanyahu for expecting the Trump administration to rush to his aid after launching an attack on Iran last week. Still, many of Trump's backers have been vocal in their support of his approach to Iran. 'President Trump is a President of peace, not of war,' Freedom Caucus member Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) said on Tuesday. 'I trust him and his Cabinet to put America First, and I'm with him all the way.' The split within the party appeared to also motivate Vice President JD Vance — a veteran who historically sided with isolationists — to weigh in. In a 375-word post on X Tuesday, Vance acknowledged the concerns over a long- drawn-out war but staunchly defended the president and potential actions against Iran. 'Of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy,' Vance said. 'But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue.' Trump himself seems to be trying to balance the two sides. After initially shying away from directly supporting Israel's campaign against Iran, he indicated the U.S. is poised to assist with direct attacks, and is considering using American 'bunker buster' bombs to target Iran's Fordow enrichment facility, which the Israeli military is not equipped to destroy alone. The administration has stood firm on its position amid criticism from within the party. 'President Trump has never wavered in his stance that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon and repeated that promise to the American people since his victorious campaign. Americans trust President Trump to make the right decisions to keep them safe,' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said. One of the few conservative figures willing to directly attack Trump is former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who last week accused the president of being 'complicit in the act of war' after Israel launched missiles at Iran. Carlson continued his broadsides against more hawkish GOP figures and tangled with Sen. Ted Cruz in an episode of Carlson's podcast that aired Wednesday, attacking the senator for his seeming obliviousness to the nuances of the Iranian nation that he was encouraging action against. Carlson's salvo against Trump elicited the president's ire, with Trump on Monday criticizing him as 'kooky' on Truth Social. But Trump Wednesday seemed to suggest he and Carlson had smoothed things over. 'Tucker is a nice guy. He called and apologized the other day, because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch supporter of the president, also came close to direct criticism of the president when she came out in support of the former Fox News host. 'He unapologetically believes the same things I do,' Greene wrote in a post on X. 'Foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction. That's not kooky. That's what millions of Americans voted for.' In a separate post, Greene slammed the 'neocon warmongers' she said were seeking a 'proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, fighting Iran for Israel, and protecting Taiwan for China.' But some Republican leaders seemed unfazed by the swell of protest from within MAGA circles. "We have people as you know in our party who have different views about America's role in the world,' said Senate Majority Leader John Thune. 'But I think the president is well within his authority, understands what's at stake in ensuring Iran never has a nuclear weapon and will do everything he can to protect America and American interest." Jordain Carney and Jake Traylor contributed to this report.
Ya Libnan
2 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Trump faces uproar from MAGA base over possible Iran strike. 'We can't have another Iraq'
By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENT WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) – The prospect of a U.S. strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war. Some of Trump's most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies. Bannon, one of many influential voices from Trump's 'America First' coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the U.S. military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran's nuclear program in the absence of a diplomatic deal. 'We can't do this again,' Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. 'We'll tear the country apart. We can't have another Iraq.' The anti-interventionist part of the Republican Party is watching with alarm as Trump has moved swiftly from seeking a peaceful diplomatic settlement with Iran to possibly having the United States support Israel's military campaign , including the use of a 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bomb. The criticism shows the opposition Trump could face from his right-leaning 'Make America Great Again' flank should he join the fight, a step that Iran has warned would have big consequences for Americans without specifying what that might be. A decision by Trump to enter the conflict would be a sharp departure from his usual caution about foreign entanglements. It could impact his campaign to foster good relations in the Gulf and could be a distraction from his efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine and make tariff deals with countries around the world. The MAGA coalition propelled Trump into office in the 2016 and 2024 elections and remains critically important to him even though he is prevented by the U.S. Constitution from running for a third term. Upsetting that base could erode Trump's popularity and factor into whether Republicans hang on to control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. IRAN CANNOT HAVE A 'NUCLEAR WEAPON' Asked about the rift on Wednesday, Trump appeared unconcerned that some in his base could be turning its back on him, at least on this issue. 'My supporters are more in love with me today, and I'm in love with them more than they were even at election time,' Trump told reporters at the White House. 'I only want one thing: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.'He said some of his supporters 'are a little bit unhappy now' but that others agree with him that Iran cannot become a nuclear power. 'I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between them fighting or having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do,' Trump said. Marc Short, an ally of former Vice President Mike Pence who served as Trump's legislative director during his first term, called the division over Iran within Trump's party a 'pretty large rift.' He said he thought Trump's base would stay with him despite the differences, however. 'The divisions are obviously coming out in the open in this moment, but ultimately I think that most of the president's followers are loyal to him more so than any worldview,' he said. Short said standing with Israel could help Trump politically, too. Traditionally conservative voters favor standing by Israel. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March, 48% of Republicans agreed with a statement that the U.S. should use its military power to defend Israel from threats no matter where the threats come from, compared to 28% who disagreed. Among Democrats, 25% agreed and 52% disagreed. International experts believe Iran has been intent on developing a nuclear weapon, despite Tehran's denials, and Israel believes it would be at risk as a result. U.S. officials believe if Iran possessed an atomic weapon it would trigger an nuclear arms race in the Middle East. ISRAELIS NEED TO GET JOB DONE Bannon, host of the popular 'War Room' podcast, said 'the Israelis need to finish what they started' and that Trump should slow down deliberations over U.S. involvement and explain his decision-making. 'This is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, okay, with 92 million people. This is not something you play around with. You have to think this through at this level, and the American people have to be on board. You can't just dump this on them,' he said. Other influential MAGA voices with similar messages of worry include former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson and U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and long-time Trump ally. 'Anyone slobbering for the U.S. to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA,' Greene said in a social media post on Sunday. 'We are sick and tired of foreign wars. All of them.' But another Trump ally, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said on Fox News on Tuesday that he hopes Trump will help Israel 'finish the job' because Iran represents 'an existential threat to our friends in Israel.' The rift was on full display when Carlson, on his streaming program, clashed with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas late on Tuesday. A clip from Carlson's interview with Cruz went viral with Carlson strongly criticizing the senator for seeking regime change in Iran, and Cruz expressing support for the president. 'You don't know anything about Iran!' Carlson told Cruz. 'I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran,' Cruz fired back. 'You're a senator who's calling for the overthrow of the government,' Carlson retorted. Vice President JD Vance tried to tamp down talk of a rift on Monday with a social media post defending the president. 'People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue,' he said. Now allies and opponents are waiting on Trump's decision-making process. The president said on Wednesday afternoon he had some ideas on how to proceed but had not made a final decision. Reuters
