Can MAGA survive a US war on Iran?
Trump's wavering sparks debate about 'America First'


A lot of President Donald Trump's fans seem to believe that America First equals dovish military restraint. But the president could soon lead the country to war against Iran, and that possibility has sparked a civil war within the GOP's MAGA coalition.
The possibility of a new American conflict in the Middle East has "exposed divisions" among Trump's supporters, said Reuters. War opponents like Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) want the president to stay out of the war between Israel and Iran over the latter country's nuclear program. American intervention would "tear the country apart," Bannon said to reporters. "We can't have another Iraq." But longtime GOP hawks like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also have the president's ear, said The Hill. Iran and its nuclear program are a "threat to us," Graham said Tuesday.
"The MAGA coalition has turned on itself," said Jonathan Lemire and Isaac Stanley-Becker at The Atlantic. The movement "usually displays remarkable unity" when confronting its critics to the left. But the Israel-Iran war has set off a "vicious debate" about America's potential role, and both sides have "furiously lobbied" the president in recent days.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Both sides of the fault line'
Trump's MAGA coalition "won't survive a bunker-buster in Iran," said Andreas Kluth at Bloomberg. Any attack will cause the president to "lose a large and especially zealous part of his America First crowd." It is "telling" that he "appears to be on both sides of the fault line," but he cannot straddle it indefinitely. Trump "really does want to see a more peaceful world," said a former Trump administration official. But he must also be "tempted to seize this opportunity to project the ultimate semblance of strength."
The "isolationist right" thought Trump was a "hero," Dace Potas said at USA Today. But "they were wrong" about him. The president has been "unwavering" about keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and while he might not have "signed off" on Israel's initial strike he has "no problem taking credit regardless." That's a sign Trump "still understands the value" of America's international might "at least in some regards." His "rebuke" of the isolationists is just "smart foreign policy."
'We'll get on board'
If Trump decides to attack Iran "he'll reveal himself to be no different" from the foreign policy establishment he criticized for so long, said political scientist Rajan Menon at The Guardian. But he risks "running afoul of Israel's most fervent American allies" if he does not attack. The problem? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "unnecessarily" put Trump in a bind by taking his country to war. Iran had not attacked Israel "nor was it preparing to." Now that the war has started, though, Trump must make "hard decisions" that could alienate a large chunk of supporters.
It is worth asking if talk of a "MAGA civil war" is merely the "stuff of a Resistance fever dream," said Politico. Even the so-called isolationists seem to have little interest in "seriously taking on the president over this." Bannon said the president's supporters may be divided over Iran "but we'll get on board" with the choice he makes.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
Questions abound over the FAA’s management of Boeing
Talking Points Some have called the agency’s actions underwhelming
-
Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytelling
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
-
Robert Redford: the Hollywood icon who founded the Sundance Film Festival
Feature Redford’s most lasting influence may have been as the man who ‘invigorated American independent cinema’ through Sundance
-
‘Used correctly, the drug is safe’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
King Bibi's profound changes to the Middle East
Feature Over three decades, Benjamin Netanyahu has profoundly changed both Israel and the Middle East.
-
Why do farmers hate Trump’s Argentina bailout?
Today's Big Question Trump’s support for Argentina has ‘heightened tensions’ among farmers already frustrated by the impact of tariffs
-
Trump declares new tariffs on drugs, trucks, furniture
Speed Read He's putting tariffs of 25% on semi trucks, 30% on upholstered furniture, 50% on kitchen and bathroom cabinetry and 100% on certain drugs
-
Should Tony Blair run Gaza?
Today's Big Question Former PM is a key figure in plans for a post-war Palestine and could take up a formal leadership position
-
Trump’s plan for a government shutdown: mass firings
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As lawmakers scramble to avoid a shutdown, the White House is making plans for widespread layoffs that could lead to a permanent federal downsizing
-
‘Making a political donation shouldn’t be this dangerous’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Is Trump’s Justice Department giving up on corruption?
Today's Big Question Justice Department cuts back while going after president's enemies