MAGA Splitting Over Israel's Strikes on Iran Poses 'Dilemma' for Trump

Newsweek

5 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The United States will back Israel's strikes against Iran, according to President Donald Trump, who faces criticism from his supporters that this stance opposes his "America First" policy.
Trump's comments on Sunday came as he rebuffed criticism from conservative TV host Tucker Carlson about his support for Israel, a sentiment expressed by MAGA (Make America Great Again) Republicans.
Trump supporter Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, posted on social media that those pushing for the U.S. to become fully involved in the escalating conflict in the Middle East cannot also say they back MAGA or any policy of America First.
U.S. foreign policy expert Jonathan Monten told Newsweek that Trump faces a "dilemma" in balancing his desire to appear strong on the world stage with his constituency's reluctance to engage in foreign conflicts. "He's trying to have it both ways," he said.
Newsweek reached out to the White House, Greene, and Carlson for comment.
Why It Matters
Israel launched strikes on Iran as part of "Operation Rising Lion" in response to intelligence it said showed Tehran could produce up to 15 nuclear bombs.
But Trump's backing for Israel's actions has raised concerns that the U.S. could be pulled into the war via attacks by Iran or its proxy forces on U.S. personnel in the region.
This is causing a rift between the president's advisers and political base over the prospect of yet further American engagement in foreign wars, possibly mirroring the splits in the Democratic Party over the previous administration's response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
The spat comes as Trump rejected Israel's proposal to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to U.S. officials, cited by the Associated Press and Reuters, which noted how such a plan could destabilize the region.
President Donald Trump speaks on the South Lawn of the White House on June 15, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks on the South Lawn of the White House on June 15, 2025.
Tasos Katopodis
What To Know
While leaving for the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada, Trump told reporters Sunday that the U.S. would keep supporting Israel's airstrikes on Iran.
He also batted away a question over whether he had called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the attacks, but praised their relationship.
During an interview with ABC News, Trump had raised the possibility of U.S. involvement in the conflict, a position which has been criticized by some of his biggest supporters.
Greene posted on X (formerly Twitter) that "we are sick and tired of foreign wars and that "Real America First/MAGA wants world peace for all people." Her post did not mention Trump by name but also said "everyone is finding out who are real America First/MAGA and who were fake."
Carlson, a Trump ally, wrote in a newsletter to subscribers, "politicians purporting to be America First can't now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it."
He accused Trump of being "complicit" in Israel's "act of war," although the U.S. president has denied that the U.S. had any involvement in the attack on Iran.
When asked about the comments by the former Fox News anchor, Trump told The Atlantic that "America First" means whatever he says it does and that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear bomb.
Monten, director of the International Public Policy Program at University College London (UCL), told Newsweek that Trump "wants to be seen as a player on the world stage." However, he has "cultivated a constituency of support around non-involvement in foreign conflicts."
"The dilemma he faces is that he's trying to play both roles at the same time," he said.
This is the same dilemma he has faced in other foreign policy issues involving the potential use of force, such as his pronouncements on acquiring Greenland, the Panama Canal, and Canada, Monten said.
Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official, told Newsweek that from Trump's perspective, as long as the U.S. is not directly militarily involved, there is an advantage to Israel's military action aimed at forcing Tehran back to negotiations over its nuclear program from a significantly weaker position.
Dialogue between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program was shelved following Israel's attacks.
But Melamed added that Trump acts according to considerations that do not necessarily align with those of the Israeli government. The U.S. president's declarations and policy can change quickly, like the sudden halt of the American offensive against the Houthis in Yemen, he said.
Smoke billows for the second day from the Shahran oil depot, northwest of Tehran, on June 16, 2025.
Smoke billows for the second day from the Shahran oil depot, northwest of Tehran, on June 16, 2025.In an analysis published Sunday, Trita Parsi, co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said Israel's seeking Trump's approval is easier than requesting direct American involvement.
But Parsi also said Trump likes winners, and by asking him to intervene, Israel is signaling that it's losing, having as of the weekend, not eliminated Iran's regime or cripple its nuclear program
"Why would Trump risk American lives, endanger his presidency, and join a war he didn't start?" Parsi wrote. "Trump prefers to take credit for victories, not inherit blame for someone else's potential fiasco."
What People Are Saying
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, on X: "Anyone slobbering for the U.S. to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA."
Tucker Carlson, to newsletter subscribers: "Politicians purporting to be America First can't now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it. Our country is in deep."
President Donald Trump told The Atlantic: "Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, very simple. Regardless—Israel or not Israel—Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb."
What Happens Next
Iranian missiles again penetrated Israel's Iron Dome defense system overnight Sunday, and Iran's state media reported there were new Israeli strikes in the west of the country on Monday.
Hamidreza Azizi, an expert on Iran and visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told Newsweek that Tehran is trying to influence Israel's calculations by demonstrating that it will not hesitate to escalate and will go as far as necessary.
Much depends on Iran's actual capabilities—what it has already destroyed and what it may target, but Tehran's regime views Israel's strikes as existential, which is why it appears willing to use whatever resources it has, he added.