LOS ANGELES.–U.S. fake news is feasting on new dissension in the MAGA ranks due to 79-year-old President Donald Trump saying he could get involved in the Israeli-Iran War, something that betrays Trump’s promises to stay out of foreign wars, ending the Ukraine War at the earliest possible time. Debating the issue on his X podcast, 56-year-old former Fox News host Tucker Carlson went round-and-round with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.), a MAGA Republican but more supportive of Trump’s defense of Israel. Tucker asked Cruz if he knew the population of Iran. “I don’t know the population of Iran,” Cruz told Carlson, prompting Tucker to pounce. “You don’t know the population of the county you seek to topple,” Tucker asked Cruz, pointing to differences on intervening in Iran with the MAGA crowd. Carlson is an anti-war, anti-foreign involvement MAGA Republican.
Cruz didn’t like being put on the spot by Tucker, accusing the three-term U.S. senator of warmongering, when he knew nothing about the Iranian people. Carlson and other anti-war MAGA Republicans like Director of National lntelligence [DNI] Tulsi Gabbard followed Trump because he promised to end the Ukraine War. Now they’re accusing Trump of embroiling the U.S. into another foreign war that could turn out like Iraq. Trump told Gabbard that he decides what MAGA means in terms of the use of the U.S. military. When it comes to intervening or not in Iran, Trump said it could happen or it could not happen, frustrating the some politicians and the fake news. Carlson opposes U.S. intervention in Iran, especially if it involves regime change, knowing the ethnic make-up of Iran. Trump told “kooky” Tucker Carlson that Iran could not posses and nuclear weapon.
Trump has been promising since he ran for president in 2015 that he would not let Iran get a nuclear weapon. Trump at the time was opposed to former President Barack Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] AKA the Iranian Nuke Deal, which handed Iran cash and ended economic sanctions in exchange for an agreement to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment. When Trump realized Iran had funded Yemen’s Houthi rebels to attack Saud Arabia, he realized Obama’s JCPOA was worthless. Obama’s nuke deal gave the Ayatollah all the cash he needed to fund proxy war with Saudi Arabia and Israel. Trump cancelled the JCPOA May 8, 2018, citing Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism and lack of verification. U.N. inspectors with the IAEA were not permitted to go into Iran’s military enrichment sites. Trump realized Obama’s JCPOA was a complete farce.
Carlson got down right insulting debating the idea of U.S. intervention in Iran. “You don’t know anything about Iran,” Tucker said. “If you’re calling for toppling a government, it’s incumbent on you to know something about the country and to think through the consequences on that, and you haven’t and don’t,” Carlson told Cruz. “And I’m saying that’s reckless,” Carlson said. Carlson doesn’t know whether Cruz backs regime change in Iran, only that Israel might need U.S. help in completing its mission. “Tucker Carlson is obsessed with defending Russia and the KGB thug that runs it,” Cruz wrote in an X post defending his position. “I emphatically support killing terrorists who seek to kill Americans—That’s America First. Tucker does not. Why?” Cruz posted on X. It’s a cheap shot of Cruz to accuse Tucker of backing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tucker was brave enough in Feb. 2024 to travel to the Kremlin to interview Putin. Putin was taken aback by Tucker’s lack of pointed questions, instead apparently agreeing with Putin’s views on Ukraine. Carlson interviewed Putin to get his ideas on the Ukraine War, what it would take to end it. He also questioned Putin if Western accusations of him seeking to takeover more European countries were factual. Putin told Carlson there was no truth to him wanting to pick a war with NATO or takeover more European countries. EU officials led by French President Emmanuel Macron insist that Putin has his eyes on other EU countries. EU support for Ukraine stems from disinformation from Kiev about Putin seeking to take over more European countries. Yet the propaganda persists that Putin would start with Ukraine and move to other EU countries even if it meant war with NATO.
Carlson was too defensive with Cruz who basically agrees with him on most conservative issues, including foreign wars. “I would oppose invading Iran and putting boots on the ground to topple the government,” Cruz said, setting the record straight with Carlson. Carlson hasn’t been listening to Trump that he has no intent to getting the U.S. into another foreign war. If he can help Israel end its nuclear threat with Iran, he’d consider intervening, but not, as Carlson suggests, to get into another foreign war. “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that “IRAN CANNOT HAVE AN NUCLEAR WEAPON!” Trump posted on Truth Social. For whatever reason, Tucker and Trump have their friction over certain issues. When it comes to the current situation in Iran, Trump would like to help deter Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, something Tucker should know all about.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
