MAGA Is In Open War With Itself Over Israel Attacking Iran!

Summary

Bulwark Takes: MAGA Is In Open War With Itself Over Israel Attacking Iran!

Release Date: June 13, 2025
Host: The Bulwark Team (Tim Miller and Will Sommer)

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Introduction to the Crisis within MAGA

In the latest episode of Bulwark Takes, hosts Tim Miller and Will Sommer delve into the internal conflicts brewing within the MAGA movement following Israel's recent military strikes against Iran. Released on June 13, 2025, this episode examines how differing viewpoints on U.S. involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts are causing rifts among MAGA supporters, potentially reshaping the coalition's future dynamics.

Pre-Strike Tensions and Predictions

Tim Miller opens the discussion by highlighting preemptive tensions within MAGA circles. Referencing Jack Posobiek’s pre-strike statement, Miller notes:

“This strike would divide MAGA, especially at a time we are totally united on immigration and have the momentum. Let Will Cook.”
(01:00)

Posobiek had anticipated that the military action would create divisions within the movement, particularly as it coincided with strong unified sentiments on immigration. This prediction sets the stage for exploring how the actual strikes may have impacted internal alliances.

Diverse Reactions Among MAGA Influencers

Will Sommer responds by acknowledging the emerging fault lines:

“We'll have to see long term if it divides MAGA. But I do think this is a real fault line.”
(02:02)

The conversation shifts to key MAGA figures and their stances. Nick Fuentes, identified as a white nationalist leader with significant influence among younger, racially charged MAGA supporters, has vocally opposed the strikes. Sommer describes Fuentes' reaction:

“He’s been livestreaming, getting a ton of audience and just saying, you know, Trump has betrayed us. He posted a meme of like a guy with a MAGA hat getting his head crushed by a boot.”
(02:10)

Fuentes’ vehement opposition underscores a faction within MAGA that feels betrayed by President Trump’s actions, highlighting a potential schism.

The Isolationist Wing: Tucker Carlson’s Stand

Tim Miller brings Tucker Carlson into the discussion, pointing out his strong isolationist stance:

“He [Tucker] wrote, ‘The United States should not at any level participate in a war with Iran. No funding, no American weapons, no troops on the ground.’”
(03:30)

Carlson’s position represents a significant portion of MAGA that advocates for minimal U.S. involvement abroad. His assertions that opposing support for Israel isn’t anti-Semitic but rather a legitimate critique of current policies signal deep ideological divides.

JD Vance and the Expanding Isolationist Influence

The conversation further explores JD Vance’s alignment within MAGA. Sommer notes Vance's isolationist rhetoric:

“Privately, he’s been giving all these speeches that are saying, you know, the US Needs to pull back from world conflicts.”
(07:30)

Vance’s public and private statements suggest a strategic shift towards isolationism within influential MAGA circles, potentially alienating members who support active U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.

Potential for a Major Fissure within MAGA

Tim Miller assesses the long-term implications:

“If you end up in a situation where there needs to be more funding, more weapons, more money, you know, and the ground has really been primed for getting MAGA voters to be opposed to any of that. And I think there's some danger there that's short of even troops on the ground.”
(08:13)

This highlights the possibility that escalating involvement could exacerbate existing tensions, leading to significant internal conflict within the MAGA movement.

Historical Parallels and Future Outlook

Will Sommer draws parallels to historical isolationist sentiments:

“This is very much like the isolationist group in the party and I think represented by Tucker most prominently.”
(05:43)

By comparing current isolationist tendencies to past movements, Sommer suggests that these ideological divides are not unprecedented but could have significant ramifications for MAGA’s cohesion and political influence moving forward.

Conclusion: The Future of MAGA Amidst Internal Strife

The episode concludes with reflections on how these internal conflicts might shape the future of the MAGA movement. As Trump navigates his coalition, balancing hawkish supporters with isolationist factions becomes increasingly precarious. The hosts predict that unless the situation escalates further, MAGA might maintain its unity, but persistent tensions could lead to lasting divisions.

“There will be some desire to do it... You could easily see that there would be a lot of people saying, like, hey, do we need to do this effort?”
(09:23)

Tim Miller and Will Sommer emphasize the importance of monitoring these developments, suggesting that the outcome will significantly impact the political landscape and the strength of MAGA as a cohesive force.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tim Miller: “Strike would divide MAGA, especially at a time we are totally united on immigration and have the momentum. Let Will Cook.” (01:00)

• Will Sommer: “We'll have to see long term if it divides MAGA. But I do think this is a real fault line.” (02:02)

• Will Sommer: “He’s been livestreaming, getting a ton of audience and just saying, you know, Trump has betrayed us.” (02:10)

• Tim Miller: “He [Tucker] wrote, ‘The United States should not at any level participate in a war with Iran. No funding, no American weapons, no troops on the ground.’” (03:30)

• Will Sommer: “This is very much like the isolationist group in the party and I think represented by Tucker most prominently.” (05:43)

• Tim Miller: “If you end up in a situation where there needs to be more funding, more weapons, more money, you know, and the ground has really been primed for getting MAGA voters to be opposed to any of that.” (08:13)

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This episode of Bulwark Takes provides a comprehensive analysis of the emerging challenges within the MAGA movement, offering listeners insightful perspectives on how differing opinions regarding U.S. foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East, could influence the movement's future trajectory.

Transcript

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[Tim Miller]

Tim Miller from the Bulwark here with Will Sommer who writes our newsletter Monitoring the maga. Right. I wanted to talk about how MAGA world, the online megaworld and maybe those, some of those inside the administration are reacting to Israel's attack on Iran last night. I thought it was pretty noteworthy that Pizzagate Jack Posobiek posted this before the strikes when kind of rumors were circulating. He wrote this strike would divide maga, especially at a time we are totally united on immigration and have the momentum. Let Witkoff cook. He was talking about Steve Wyckoff who was working on the negotiations with Iran which obviously didn't yield a successful deal given the ongoing military action that is happening that we are at least tacitly participating in. So Will, I'm wondering what you make of that. Is it gonna divide maga? If so, with whom? Just, you know, what are you kind of seeing out there in the chatter this morning?

[Will Sommer]

Yeah, so I mean, you know, we'll have to see long term if it divides maga. But I do think this is a real fault line. Maybe the fault line for the MAGA.

[Tim Miller]

Coalition, Israel in particular, a war in general.

[Will Sommer]

I would say Israel probably. And you know, certainly the idea of going to war for, you know, Israel or allowing them risking getting embroiled in a war on Israel's behalf. You know, I think the. There are a lot of people on the right who have kind of convinced themselves that the Republican Party is, is dovish. You know, Donald the dove and all this stuff. Despite all the other evidence last night. Nick Fuentes, these were white nationalist leader. He's been in Mar a Lago. He was livestreaming, getting a ton of audience and just saying, you know, Trump has betrayed us. He posted a meme of like a guy with a MAGA hat getting his head crushed by a boot. And so, I mean, he's not happy about it. I think people like Posobic who are a little more moderate but still claim to be, you know, anti war so far, we'll have to see. I mean, it's still relatively early. He was really out there yesterday against the idea of Israeli strikes against Iran. So far, I think there's been a lot of, like, pray for the troops. Oh, I hope we stay out of it. But we haven't seen a ton of denunciation of Trump so far.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, I mean, look, that's. I don't think this will divide Mag in the sense that, like, you'll see this big, big internal fight over this issue unless things get out of control and unless events change. We've seen this before on other things. The Jack Posobics of the world are going to circle the wagon around their sugar daddy. Nobody wins in MAGA world by going against Trump. And so these guys all come around eventually. But there are a couple exceptions to that, both outside and inside the administration. I want to focus on the outside. Tucker, I think you mentioned Fuentes, who, you know, whatever is racist, but has a base of power among young, racist white guys. Tucker also has a base of support that is somewhat independent from maga. Obviously it overlaps, but, you know, I think that he has an audience that is there for him. He had a morning newsletter this morning, Drop Israel. Let them fight their own wars. It's not America's fight. In bold, he writes, the United States should not at any level participate in a war with Iran. No funding, no American weapons, no troops on the ground. He, he goes at the end at one of his former FOX colleagues. He says, no matter how many bogus anti Semitism allegations neocon ghouls like Mark Levin hurl at Americans who advocate for that path. Opposing destroying the United States in the name of the Netanyahu government has nothing to do with anti Semitism. So, I mean, not even no mincing of words from Tucker this morning. And so there will be at least that one powerful outpost that opposes this, no matter this, you know, what kind of the situation like, is like on the ground.

[Will Sommer]

I think, yeah, you're right. That I think Tucker has been probably the most prominent mainstream Republican pundit who has, even after the strikes, criticized them and criticized whatever US Involvement there was. And I think that's because he's staked out since leaving Fox this real kind of isolationist point of view. His show, when he has people on, a lot of them are very against war. I mean, he had, after the Pete Hegseth purge at the Pentagon, he suggested that all these Hegseth people were getting pushed out because neocons wanted war with Iran. And so I, I think we can expect him to.

[Tim Miller]

And he had that historian on, we should mention that historian Daryl Cooper, who was out, who was tweeting out yesterday that they, that they should bomb Tel Aviv. I mean, who seems like he was the historian, like the kind of Hitler. Let's, let's take a second look at Hitler type story.

[Will Sommer]

Yeah, this is the guy who said Churchill was the great villain of the war. And so the idea that like any kind of intervening in a conflict that doesn't directly involve your country is wrong. And yes, I mean, that's very much like the isolationist group in the party and I think represented by Tucker most prominently.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah. A couple others over at Breitbart. Matt Boyle tweeted this this morning, basically 90% saying, don't get the USA involved. This is a test Trump paces moving forward. So again, depending on whether this escalates, could develop into something that becomes a fissure. I do wonder internally, you know, what is happening. And obviously JD Vance, as we saw in the Elon fight, is going to side with Trump no matter what. But he also was sticking out his claim on the more of the isolationist ring. I mean, it was Tucker that was advocating for him. And if you recall, I don't have the exact quote, but Tucker, I guess I don't even know if Tucker said it publicly, if this was reported in a story, but essentially that was reported that Tucker said to Trump, like, the deep state is going to come for you if you make Marco the vp and the neocons are going to like, you know, might try to assassinate you or force you into the war with Iran. Right. And so J.D. vance was kind of the point person for the stronghold for this isolationist wing. He posted Donald Trump's post about what happened. The only other thing that I've seen from him so far publicly was an attack on Lloyd Austin. Some random person. Kelly Magsuman, who's a national security wonk with 23,000 followers, did a post attacking Pete Hegseth. JD Vance, quote, tweeted that even though he wasn't tagged in there talk about posting behavior and shit on her, and then attacked Lloyd Austin. So that's, that's the extent of his commentary so far.

[Will Sommer]

Yeah. I mean, if we think back to the, the leaked signal chats where JD Vance was saying, I don't know why we're getting involved with this stuff in, in Yemen when, when in reality, obviously that was being used as sort of a pressure point on Israel. So, I mean, certainly at least privately, and he's been giving all these speeches that are saying, you know, the US Needs to put pull back from world conflicts. And yet, I mean, yeah, I think we can definitely expect him to back Trump here. It's funny, I feel like Trump was initially this idea that the U.S. oh, we did. You know, who's to say what our involvement was, you know, And I think as it seems as though the strikes were successful, I think the Trump administration is kind of creeping out a little more and claiming credit. And I think maybe that initial reluctance was sort of a nod to this sort of the peacenik wing of the party.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, well, I just, I think it'll be interesting. I mean, I think that Trump, obviously, the Trump is a dub stuff is ridiculous and betrayed by all facts. I think we're in a little bit of a different moment than in the first term because there was four years of this kind of antless sentiment of like, we can't, we can't waste money in Ukraine. It's not our fight. Like, we have to rebuild nationally. Like, to me, that is the part where the fissure could develop like less so on. Like, should we support Israel or not? Obviously there's going to be some blatantly anti Semitic folks on the right and some hardcore isolationists who are going to oppose that. You know, that is, you know, there's kind of some limits into how much that fissure can expand within the actually D.C. part of MAGA, the, you know, you know, congressional leaders, etc. But if you end up in a situation where there needs to be more funding, more weapons, more money, you know, and the ground has really been primed for getting MAGA voters to be opposed to any of that. And I think there's some danger there that's short of even troops on the ground. As far as Trump is concerned about managing his own coalition, I think That's a great point.

[Will Sommer]

I mean, you think about all the rhetoric about we have to shut down usaid, all this stuff that's like, why are we involved in any other country helping people or being involved in their affairs? And so then you start saying, like, you know, if there's going to be, you know, whether it's aid to Israel or are you going to rebuilding of Iran or who knows, I think you could easily see that there would be a lot of people saying, like, hey, I thought, you know, do we need to do this effort?

[Tim Miller]

I think that there will be some. Some maybe desire to do it. I think that the Doge crowd is probably going to be pretty anti this stuff, too, when you think about how the different kind of factions might overlap. Okay, well, just after I saw the Tucker newsletter, I figured I would get your two cents on that. Will we will keep monitoring this. And got a bunch of stuff already talked to Tom Nichols, kind of more about the substance of what's happening on the foreign policy side of things with this administration, with Israel and Iran. So make sure everybody checks that out. We'll see you all back here soon. Pen.