In a recent development, President Donald Trump has revealed a softening in his verbal skirmish with Tucker Carlson, the erstwhile news network luminary.
Trump stated that Carlson reached out to him to express regret for his comments, which he felt were "a little bit too strong," concerning Trump's role in the escalating tension between Iran and Israel.
Speaking to the press at the White House, Trump said, "Tucker is a nice guy. He called and apologized the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that."
According to Newsmax, Trump also took the opportunity to affirm that his "supporters are for me" regarding the Iran issue. "My supporters are America first," Trump declared.
"They make America great again. My supporters don't want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon." His remarks followed a query from a reporter about a heated exchange on Carlson's show between the former Fox News host and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. During the interview, Carlson chastised Cruz for supporting regime change in Iran.
Trump spoke highly of Cruz, stating, "Ted Cruz is a nice guy. I mean, he's been with me for a long time, I'd say once the race was over." However, he added that anyone who believes it's "OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon," should "oppose me."
Trump emphasized, "But nobody thinks it's OK. I don't want to fight either. I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to. You have to do what you have to do."
The President also shared that during his phone conversation with Tucker, he asked him if he was "OK with nuclear weapons being in the hands of Iran." Trump recounted, "He sort of didn't like that. He didn't want to, but he sort of didn't like that. And I said, 'well, if it's OK with you, then you and I do have a difference,' but it's really not OK with him."
Trump further explained that this implies "you may have to fight and maybe it will end and maybe it will end very quickly you [can't] allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon because the entire world will blow up. I'm not going to let that happen."
Meanwhile, Carlson initiated the debate against the United States' involvement in the Middle East situation with a social media post on June 13. He stated that the "real divide" is between "those who casually encourage violence, and those who seek to prevent it between warmongers and peacemakers."
He expanded on this stance during an interview on former Trump adviser Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast, warning that involvement in the Middle East would mark the "end of the American empire" and effectively terminate Trump's presidency.
A recent poll, as reported by the New York Post, supports Trump's claim that his supporters back his stance on Iran, including potential U.S. strikes on the Middle Eastern country. The J.L. Partners study revealed that 65% of people identifying as "MAGA Republicans" support strikes on Iran, with 19% opposed.
In comparison, self-described "traditional" Republicans said by 51% to 28% that they would back strikes against Iran, and Republican voters overall said they supported the hits by 58% to 25%, with 17% neutral or unsure.
J.L. Partners co-founder James Johnson commented, "This poll makes clear: the Republican base is not isolationist. They back forceful U.S. and Israeli action to stop Iran, and see Israel's fight as America's fight."
As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that the conservative perspective on the Iran issue is not monolithic. While some, like Carlson, caution against military involvement, others, like Trump and his supporters, see it as a potential necessity to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. This divergence of views underscores the complexity of the issue and the need for thoughtful, informed debate.
Login