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France 24
10 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
US strikes on Iran open rift in Trump's support base
Trump ran as an "America First" Republican who would avoid the foreign entanglements of his predecessors, tapping into his movement's unease about prolonged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as more recent conflagrations in Gaza and Ukraine. Establishment Republicans -- and in particular the congressional party -- rallied behind their leader after Saturday's military action, welcoming what many see as an about-face and rejecting claims that the president had violated the Constitution. Beyond Washington's Beltway, some of the die-hard members of Trump's "Make America Great Again" coalition who follow him on the rally circuit also appear willing -- for now, at least -- to give him the benefit of the doubt. "I don't think we're going to end up in war. I think Trump is leader, and he's going to just obliterate them, and there won't be any war," 63-year-old Jane Sisk, a retired mother-of-six from Richmond, Virginia, told AFP. But the louder, more visible, more online faction of MAGA influencers and media personalities who oppose their government reaching beyond the US shoreline are desperate to sway Trump's supporters in the opposite direction. In a long post on X Monday, far-right lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene bemoaned having traveled the country campaigning for Trump, only to see him break his anti-interventionist covenant with his supporters. 'Bait and switch' "Only 6 months in and we are back into foreign wars, regime change, and world war 3," she thundered on the social media site. "It feels like a complete bait and switch to please the neocons, warmongers, military industrial complex contracts, and neocon tv personalities that MAGA hates and who were NEVER TRUMPERS!" While the post was astonishing for its uncompromising language -- Greene appropriated a Democratic talking point to add that Trump was "not a king" -- it was far from the first sign of MAGA dissent. Thomas Massie -- a House conservative who has piqued Trump's irritation with anti-war posts -- told CBS that members of his faction within MAGA were "tired from all these wars." And as Trump gave his televised address confirming details of strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, his former top strategist Steve Bannon told viewers of his online "War Room" show that the president has "some work to do" to explain his decision. Other figures among Trump's right-wing support base have started to come around after initially voicing shock. Far-right influencer Charlie Kirk -- a leading MAGA anti-war voice before the weekend -- warned his millions of YouTube viewers that US involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict would cause "a major schism in the MAGA online community." 'Trust in Trump' But he appeared to have shifted his stance over the weekend, praising Trump for "prudence and decisiveness." The U-turn is symptomatic of a broader trend, analysts argue, among the softer MAGA isolationists to fall into line and simply embrace the White House's "trust in Trump" mantra now that they have lost the argument. Conservative Hoover Institution fellow Lanhee Chen believes the president will hold his coalition together as long as they see Saturday's action as more akin to the 2020 US assassination of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani than the start of a protracted war. "I think you saw some of that disagreement leading up to last night. I haven't seen a lot of disagreement since then," Chen told NBC on Sunday. Trust in Trump could be eroded, his allies warn, if Iran retaliates, dragging the United States into an escalating cycle of violence. But, for now, the president's coalition is on board with his warnings over Iran's nuclear threat. Polling conducted after the US strikes will take several days to filter through, but in the latest J.L. Partners survey just ahead of the mission, 67 percent of "MAGA Republicans" agreed that "Israel's war is America's war" while only 20 percent wanted the country to remain on the sidelines. "I don't think Trump's going to send soldiers over there," said Sisk, the Virginia supporter interviewed by AFP. "I don't think he's gonna get us involved in the war, just like he said." © 2025 AFP
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
After 100 days in office, Trump voters still back US president
Donald Trump's second term faces turbulence. Despite controversies, some Americans still back him. Frank Tuoti hopes the economy will improve. Jane Sisk acknowledges challenges in Ukraine. Karen Miner is unconcerned about tariffs. Christy Edwards supports Trump's immigration policies. Zack Kline awaits promised changes like fracking. These voters remain steadfast amid Trump's policies and actions. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads US President Donald Trump has come racing out of the gates in his second term in office, slashing government agencies, launching trade wars with friends and foes alike and even taking on the judiciary over his immigration Republican's approval rating has sunk since returning to the White House -- but his supporters could not care are five Americans who voted for Trump telling AFP in their own words why, despite the tumultuous first 100 days of his reign, they continue to support the unconventional Tuoti feels the economy 'will work out'"So far, I'm very satisfied with the job he's doing," said Frank Tuoti, a 72-year-old retired machinist from New Hampshire."I'm a little concerned about the economy with his tariff, his new tariff policies, but I'm hoping that it will work out," he added, noting that his retirement investments have lost money due to stock market is likely in the minority here, with a recent Fox News poll finding 56 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's economic policies."I think it will work out in the end," Tuoti continued."He's negotiating with a lot of different countries... and one thing he does know about is money, and making money."Jane Sisk sees Trump having a 'hard time' on UkraineA retired mother of six, Jane Sisk also told AFP she had not checked her 401k retirement account recently "because I don't want to get upset.""I loved everything that he's doing," the 63-year-old Virginia resident she recognized Trump has had trouble with landing his promised end to the war in Ukraine: "I think we got two very stubborn leaders that don't want to give up on anything to, you know, let the war end. And I think, I think Trump and JD Vance both have done just about everything they can.""Trump is the art of the deal," she continued. "But he's having a hard time making a deal on that one, I will say!"Karen Miner, unbothered about tariffsAcross the country, Karen Miner owns a wine store in Reno, merchandise is mostly imported and could be impacted by Trump's escalating trade war -- though she seems unconcerned at the moment."You can't do numbers yet, because essentially, we don't know what those tariffs are going to be, because it's still in negotiations," Miner, 57, said."They can always buy wines from the United States," she nine percent of Trump voters currently disapprove of his actions, according to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll."I mean, the guy is very brilliant, he knows what he's doing," Miner Edwards applauds Trump's immigration iron fistChristy Edwards, a retired teacher in North Carolina, said she supports Trump across the board -- especially immigration, where the US leader's mass deportations of illegal immigrants have faced challenges in the courts."Those are the kind of people we don't need in the United States," the 54-year-old said."He's not deporting people who have not caused any problems. He's deporting the criminals," Edwards also firmly rejected the use of public funds for immigrants: "We can't support that right on, especially as working people, we're the ones paying for all that."Zack Kline wonders 'how it's going to change'A 22-year-old resident of York, Pennsylvania, Zach Kline noted Trump's return to office has already caused some changes, such as a lower number of crossings at the southern US border, calling it "very refreshing to see.""But a lot of things haven't changed too much as of right now, so I'm just anxious to see how it's going to change," Kline expressed excitement for certain promises Trump has made, such as allowing fracking and "cutting down on a lot of the waste that we have in our government.""It's kind of a wait-and-see because it's only been 100 days," he said.
