Latest news with #WarRoom
Middle East Eye
11 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.
Libyan Express
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Libyan Express
Trump faces internal Republican rift over possible Iran intervention
Steve Bannon says let Israel 'finish what they started' The prospect of United States military involvement in Iran has exposed growing divisions within the Republican coalition, particularly among members of former President Donald Trump's political base, some of whom are urging caution against further entanglement in the Middle East. Several prominent figures associated with the so-called 'America First' movement — a key component of Trump's electoral support in 2016 and 2024 — have voiced concern over reports that the US could join Israeli efforts to target Iran's nuclear infrastructure in the absence of a diplomatic solution. Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist and a longstanding advocate of non-interventionist policies, said the US should not repeat past military engagements without broad national support. 'We can't do this again,' Bannon said at a press briefing in Washington on Wednesday. 'We can't have another Iraq.' Bannon reiterated his position on his War Room podcast, where he was joined by Jack Posobiec, another prominent conservative commentator. Posobiec argued that involving the US in regime change efforts could lead to unintended consequences. Bannon responded that such political change, if it occurs, 'has to come from the people, not from a foreign power.' The comments reflect wider concerns among certain Republican factions that military action could mark a departure from Trump's traditionally cautious approach to foreign conflicts. Critics have pointed to the potential deployment of advanced US munitions, including bunker-busting bombs, as a sign of possible escalation. Iran has issued warnings about any direct American involvement, suggesting it would have significant consequences, though it has not specified what form those might take. Trump downplays internal dissent Asked about opposition within his support base, Trump appeared dismissive of the idea that the issue could cause lasting political damage. 'My supporters are more in love with me today than they were even at election time,' he said at the White House on Wednesday. 'I only want one thing: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' While acknowledging that 'some are a little bit unhappy now,' Trump insisted that others agree with his assessment that preventing Iran from developing a nuclear arsenal is a priority. 'I'm not looking to fight,' he said. 'But if it's a choice between them fighting or having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.' Trump has not formally announced any military plans, stating only that he has 'some ideas' on the path forward. Intraparty tensions The debate has highlighted a divide within the Republican Party over how the US should respond to Iran's nuclear ambitions. Marc Short, a former senior adviser to Trump and an ally of ex-Vice President Mike Pence, described the disagreement as 'a pretty large rift.' However, he suggested that Trump's political base was likely to remain loyal. 'Most of the president's followers are loyal to him more so than to any worldview,' Short said. Others argue that supporting Israel could strengthen Trump's standing among more traditional conservative voters. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March found that 48% of Republicans supported using US military force to defend Israel, compared with 28% who disagreed. Among Democrats, only 25% agreed, while 52% expressed opposition. Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, but US and Israeli officials believe Tehran's programme could lead to regional instability. Analysts have warned that an Iranian nuclear capability could trigger a wider arms race in the Middle East. MAGA figures call for restraint Bannon urged the administration to provide greater clarity on its intentions. 'This is one of the oldest civilisations in the world, with over 90 million people,' he said. 'This is not something you play around with. You have to think this through, and the American people have to be on board.' Other high-profile Republicans have echoed those concerns. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on social media: 'Anyone calling for the US to become fully involved in the Israel–Iran war is not America First. We are tired of foreign wars.' Former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson has also criticised interventionist rhetoric, including in a recent exchange with Senator Ted Cruz, in which Carlson challenged Cruz's stance on regime change in Iran. Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-time Republican figure on foreign affairs, took a different view, telling Fox News he hoped Trump would support Israel's campaign. 'Iran is an existential threat to our friends in Israel,' Graham said. Vice President JD Vance attempted to address the debate by expressing confidence in the president's judgment. 'People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue,' he wrote online. As of Wednesday evening, no decision had been announced. Trump said discussions were ongoing and that a final determination had yet to be made.
AU Financial Review
a day 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
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Steve Bannon prods Trump to cut off Elon Musk: 'He crossed the Rubicon'
WASHINGTON — It took a little longer than he may have liked, but Steve Bannon eventually triumphed over Elon Musk. In a mid-January interview, the former chief strategist to Donald Trump pledged to get Musk, who he called an "evil guy," booted from the then-incoming president's inner circle within days. Five months later, Musk is out. And a feud between Trump and the world's richest man is under way. Bannon has stoked the tension, which began when Musk, a former special government employee who led Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, called on senators to reject Trump's tax cut bill. The two have traded barbs ever since, with Musk suggesting that Trump be impeached and Trump lamenting to reporters on June 5 that he did not know if he and his former pal would be able to repair their relationship. In print, radio and podcast interviews, Bannon has piled on Musk. He called on Trump to end the SpaceX founder and Tesla co-founder's government contracts. He's also prodded Trump to investigate alleged drug use by the South African-born businessman, as well as his immigration status. "He crossed the Rubicon. It's one thing to make comments about spending on the bill. There's another thing about what he did," Bannon said on NPR's "Morning Edition" program. "You can't come out and say kill the president's most important legislative occurrence of this first term." Musk's claim that Trump is mentioned in undisclosed classified files related to the financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Musk's affirmative response to a social media post pushing for Trump to be replaced by Vice President JD Vance were too far, Bannon said on NPR, a public broadcasting organization the White House is trying to defund. "It has crossed the line," Bannon said of Musk. "There's no going back." Bannon said in a June 6 podcast he does not consider Musk's ouster a personal victory. "I don't ever look at things like that at all. Right now, it's a national security issue," Bannon said on the UnHerd with Freddie Sayers podcast. He went on to accuse Musk of abusing his position inside the government to try gain access to government secrets to boost his business. DOGE did not deliver on the $1 trillion in savings Musk promised, he said of the government spending-slashing effort. "Where's the money? What was DOGE really doing?" Bannon asked. "We want to make sure DOGE and Elon Musk didn't take any of the data sets for his personal use for his artificial intelligence, which is driving all of his businesses." Bannon's own distaste for Musk dates back to a dispute over temporary visas for highly skilled immigrant laborers. Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump initially tapped to co-lead DOGE, pushed for an expansion of the program as way to attract global talent, irritating immigration hawks in the conservative movement. "We're not going to be some anarcho-libertarian (state) run by Big Tech oligarchs — that's not going to happen," Bannon said on his War Room podcast in December. Bannon told Politico in a June 5 interview that, after the split with Trump, the MAGA movement is now done with Musk. 'I think MAGA is now seeing exactly what he was," Bannon said. 'I'm just saying, 'Hey, told you — knew this was gonna happen, folks. Not a hard one.'' (This article has been updated to correct an error.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bannon prods Trump to cut off Musk: 'He crossed the Rubicon'
NHK
2 days ago
- Politics
- NHK
Trump says he hasn't made final decision on responding to Iran situation
US President Donald Trump has said he still hasn't made a final decision on how the US should respond to the conflict between Israel and Iran. In response to questions from reporters in the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he has ideas on what to do but hasn't made a final decision. He said, "I like to make the final decision one second before it's done, because things change, especially with war. It can go from one extreme to the other." Trump went on to say, "I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do," in reference to Iran's nuclear program. On Wednesday, Trump convened a meeting in the War Room, also known as Situation Room, in the White House to discuss the Iran situation. The day before, he held a meeting, also in the White House, with his National Security Council. The Wall Street Journal says Trump told senior aides late on Tuesday that he had approved plans to attack Iran. But it added that he was still holding off on giving the final order to see if the country would abandon its nuclear-development program.
