President Donald Trump publicly declared that Tucker Carlson is no longer part of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, stating the conservative commentator "has lost his way" and is "not MAGA." This sharp rebuke came in a March 5, 2026, interview with ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, directly responding to Carlson's fierce criticism of Trump's decision to launch joint U.S.-Israel military strikes against Iran.
Trump emphasized: "MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that."
He extended similar dismissal to other critics like Megyn Kelly, asserting that "MAGA is Trump" and these figures do not represent his core base.
 |
| Tucker Carlson |
Carlson condemned the strikes as "absolutely disgusting and evil" in interviews, including with ABC News, arguing they contradict isolationist principles within MAGA and serve as "Israel’s war."
Other prominent conservative voices, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Walsh, and Dave Smith, echoed concerns about entanglement in Middle East conflicts, potential political fallout ahead of midterms, and broken pledges against endless wars.
This public feud highlights deepening divisions in the MAGA coalition between supporters of Trump's interventionist approach on Iran and isolationist "America First" advocates like Carlson, who remains influential in conservative media. The split has fueled online debates, accusations of anti-Semitism against Carlson from some pro-Trump figures, and warnings of damage to GOP unity and voter turnout.