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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Figures associated with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement have spoken out against President Donald Trump as the U.S.' war with Iran continues.
The U.S. and Israel have been attacking Iran for six weeks in a conflict that began when the U.S. carried out strikes in February in an operation dubbed "Operation Epic Fury." The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has said more than 3,500 people have been killed in Iran since the attacks began, including at least 1,665 civilians.
As the war continues, some Republicans and other critics have suggested Trump is turning his back on his "America First" agenda, while rising gas prices have also stoked concerns.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House by email for comment outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
The MAGA movement makes up a key part of Trump's base so losing their support could prove damaging, especially as America gears up to vote in the midterm elections in November and the GOP looks to protect its slim majorities in both chambers of Congress.
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty
What To Know
Several MAGA figures have stuck their head above the parapet to come out against Trump in recent weeks.
Speaking on his podcast Infowars this week, conservative political commentator and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said: "How do we 25th amendment his ass?" in a conversation with lawyer Robert Barnes about Trump.
The 25th Amendment allows a Cabinet to remove the president from office, and replace him with the vice president, under certain conditions.
Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News host who used to be one of Trump's most prominent allies, has criticized an expletive-littered social media post in which the president said American troops could target bridges and power plants in Iran if Tehran's leadership did not allow vessels to pass unscathed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's Easter post on Truth Social read: "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F*****' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell—JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP."
On Monday's episode of The Tucker Carlson Show podcast, Carlson said: "Who do you think you are? You're tweeting out the f-word on Easter morning? So, obviously you're mocking the religion of Iran. OK. If you seek a religious war, that's a good idea. But by the way, no decent person mocks other people's religions."
"To mock other people's faith is to mock the idea of faith itself.…The message of all faith at the biggest-picture level is the message in our Bible, which is you are not God. And only if you think you are, do you talk this way," he added.
Carlson also pushed back on the broader operations of the war.
"We've intentionally bombed civilian infrastructure. That's totally unacceptable. Not under the phony laws of some international body but under moral law, God's law. Killing noncombatants who did nothing wrong, who are people created by God, is immoral," he said.
Former GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose falling-out with Trump prompted her to resign, posted on X that she wanted "so bad" for Trump to put America first but said "all I heard from his speech tonight was war, war, war" after the president made a speech last week in which he said the U.S. is "close" to ending the Iran war.
"Nothing to lower the cost of living for Americans. Nothing to reduce our near $40 trillion in debt. Nothing to save Social Security," the former Trump ally said.
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In a previous X post she said: "On Easter morning, this is what President Trump posted. Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshipping the President and intervene in Trump’s madness."
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter accused Trump of participating in "war crimes" in Iran.
"I really wish 'legal experts' hadn't screamed bloody murder about every little thing Trump did, so they could speak with authority now that he's actually committing war crimes," she said.
There are other signs MAGA is turning against Trump. A recent CNN poll found 32 percent of MAGA Republicans opposed putting troops in Iran and a majority of non-MAGA Republicans also opposed it.
However, a recent NBC News survey showed that roughly three‑quarters of Republicans support the military operation, with support rising even higher—approaching 80 to 90 percent—among voters who identify with the MAGA movement.
What People Are Saying
A White House spokesperson previously told Newsweek in a statement: "President Trump campaigned proudly on his promise to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon, which is what this noble operation is seeking to accomplish. The President does not make these incredibly important national security decisions based on fluid opinion polls, but on the best interest of the American people."
What Happens Next
Trump has warned that if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, the U.S. will expand strikes against Iranian infrastructure.
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