U.S. News: MAGA Brawls Over Possible Iran Strikes --- White House quietly reaches out to social media influencers to quell any backlash

“WASHINGTON -- President Trump's political base is splintering over the prospect that the U.S. could join Israel's assault on Iran -- and the White House is trying to quell the backlash.

 

In recent days, White House officials have quietly reached out to MAGA influencers, people familiar with the matter say, aiming to explain Trump's possible shift away from a diplomatic solution.

 

Some prominent conservatives have toned down their rhetoric, but discontent has continued to burst into public view, as longtime Trump supporters voice concerns that the president is abandoning his pledge to extract the U.S. from foreign entanglements.

 

The fierce debate -- unfolding online, across conservative media and on Capitol Hill -- has pitted the more isolationist wing of Trump's coalition against hawkish Republicans who have called on the president to step in to ensure Iran doesn't develop a nuclear weapon.

 

It marks the strongest challenge to Trump's grip on the Republican Party since he regained power in January. And it comes as Trump's base is also divided over immigration, with the administration wavering over whether to exempt farm and service workers from deportations to insulate the economy.

 

Some of the sharpest objections over Iran have come from Trump allies such as Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. "Anyone slobbering for the U.S. to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA," she wrote on X.

 

Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Trump ally, said he believed Trump wouldn't drag the U.S. into a prolonged conflict. But, he added, "President Trump rescued the Republican Party from the doom of neoconservatism. I think it's a fair question to ask those folks who want to entangle themselves in an Iranian war, what's your plan for the day after?"

 

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was among those who heard from the White House, according to the people familiar with the outreach.

 

As Israel prepared to attack Iran last week, Kirk polled supporters about whether the U.S. should get involved. Nearly 90% said no. In recent days, as Trump has moved closer to military action, Kirk urged his five million followers to have faith in the president's ability to handle the crisis. "His whole life has led to this moment," Kirk wrote Monday on X.

 

He has also at times echoed White House messaging and defended the president, arguing that Trump is trying to make sure Iran doesn't get a nuclear weapon.

 

Trump is under pressure to launch U.S. strikes on Iran from allies such as Sen., 500 percent tariffs for the whole world,  Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and Fox News host Mark Levin, who said on his show this week, "This is good vs. evil. You're either a patriotic American who's going to get behind the president of the United States, the commander in chief, or you're not."

 

Levin has been publicly fighting with Tucker Carlson, the former Fox personality who, after Israel began its strikes, accused Trump of being "complicit in the act of war." Trump hit back on social media saying, "Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!"

 

Steve Bannon, a leading conservative podcast host who opposes military intervention, said Wednesday that Trump needed to articulate his views "not just to MAGA, but to the American people of why we would get involved in another war over there as a combatant." He called on supporters to pray for Trump, and he predicted that the MAGA movement wouldn't fully splinter over Iran.” [1]

 

All wars are good versus evil. We are good. They are evil. IRAQ CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON! [2] IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON! Three years passed. Millions of good are dead. Millions of evil are dead. Tons of money are gone. Nothing else changed in good case. In worst case the world is drowning in refugees and terrorists and it is Libyan crisis all over again [3]. Some of the terrorists could inherit the nuclear weapon this time if any available.

 

1. U.S. News: MAGA Brawls Over Possible Iran Strikes --- White House quietly reaches out to social media influencers to quell any backlash. Leary, Alex; Tarini Parti; Wise, Lindsay.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 20 June 2025: A6. 

 

2, The claim that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons was a key justification for the 2003 US-led invasion, but this has been widely disputed. While Iraq did have a past nuclear weapons program, it was dismantled under UN supervision in the 1990s. The invasion's rationale was based on intelligence assessments that Iraq was actively reconstituting its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, including nuclear weapons, but these claims were later found to be unsubstantiated.

 

The failure to find any WMD stockpiles after the invasion led to significant criticism of the intelligence used to justify the war.

 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

 

    Past nuclear program:

    Iraq did have a nuclear weapons program in the past, which was dismantled in the 1990s.

 

Intelligence assessments:

The US government, citing intelligence reports, believed Iraq was actively developing WMDs, including nuclear weapons.

Lack of evidence:

Extensive inspections by UN and US-led teams after the invasion failed to find any evidence of WMD stockpiles.

Criticism of the war's rationale:

The failure to find WMDs led to widespread criticism of the intelligence used to justify the invasion, with many arguing the invasion was based on flawed or exaggerated claims.

 

3. Libya and the Crisis:

 

    Libya has become a major transit point for migrants and refugees seeking to reach Europe, particularly since the country descended into chaos following the 2011 American-led bombing campaign and induced by it uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.

    Human traffickers have exploited this instability, smuggling migrants across Libya's borders and packing them into ill-equipped boats for dangerous sea voyages.

    Those intercepted and returned to Libya are often held in detention centers where they face severe human rights abuses, including torture and forced labor, which some investigators say may amount to crimes against humanity.

    European efforts to curb migration have also inadvertently contributed to the problem by leading to more migrants being returned to dangerous conditions in Libya.

 

The Link to Terrorism:

 

    While the vast majority of refugees are fleeing violence and instability, the idea that refugee flows could be exploited by terrorists is a concern raised by some.

    It's important to remember that refugees are often victims of terrorism and violence, and should not be automatically associated with it.

    However, periods of instability and conflict can create conditions that allow extremist groups to operate, and these groups may seek to exploit vulnerabilities within displaced populations or use migration routes for nefarious purposes.

 

Potential Future Conflicts and Crises:

 

    It is difficult to predict with certainty whether future situations will mirror the complexities of the Libyan crisis, as each conflict has its own unique set of circumstances.

    However, several factors could contribute to large-scale refugee movements and potential security concerns in the future, including:

        Ongoing conflicts and political instability: Countries experiencing or facing instability are more likely to see displacement and potential exploitation by extremist groups.

        Economic hardship and poverty: These can push people to migrate and make them more vulnerable to human trafficking.

        Weak governance and porous borders: These can make it easier for illicit activities, including trafficking and potential terrorist movements, to occur.

In conclusion: The scenario, while a worst-case possibility, highlights real and important concerns about the potential for complex crises involving refugee flows and security threats. Understanding the factors that contribute to such situations, like those seen in Libya, is crucial for developing effective strategies to address them. These strategies would need to consider both humanitarian aid and security measures, as well as efforts to address the root causes of conflict and displacement. Just don’t start an easy bombing again. Let only Barack Obama be a fool in such a situation with his Libya adventure. Oh, and Hillary Clinton, his person responsible for foreign affairs at that moment - too.