Israel-Iran conflict splits Trump's MAGA backers

Israel's latest action pits traditional Republican support for Israel — and antipathy toward Iran — against the MAGA base's fear that the U.S. will be drawn into a new foreign war.

As the percussion of Israeli munitions rattled Tehran on Thursday night, President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement observed a rare silence — a sign, influential Republicans say, of the divide within their own party when it comes to the prospect of a war between Israel and Iran.

It took Trump, who comments publicly more often than any president in recent memory, about 10 hours to put out a statement on his Truth Social platform, in which he urged Iran to give up its nuclear weapons program.

The first official U.S. assessment had been issued by the White House under Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s name, and it emphasized that America was “not involved” in the strikes.

But three U.S. officials told NBC News later Friday that the U.S. is assisting in shooting down Iranian missiles and projectiles targeting Israel. The Pentagon also moved a number of military assets into the region in recent days to support the operation, according to another U.S. official.

In the meantime, Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, polled his 5 million X followers on the question of whether America should “get involved in Israel’s war against Iran.” By Friday afternoon, the poll showed more than 350,000 votes, with an overwhelming proportion in the “No” column.