President Donald Trump appeared to ease tensions with Tucker Carlson this week, revealing that the media personality had reached out to make amends following critical comments about Trump’s role in the escalating situation between Israel and Iran. According to Trump, Carlson called to apologize for remarks he admitted “were a little bit too strong.”
“Tucker is a nice guy,” Trump told reporters during remarks at the White House. “He called and apologized the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that.”
Trump went on to say that when it comes to Iran, his base stands with him. “My supporters are America first,” he said. “They make America great again. My supporters don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
The discussion followed a reporter’s question referencing the fiery exchange between Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz on Carlson’s program. During the segment, Carlson pressed Cruz over his support for regime change in Iran.
“Ted Cruz is a nice guy,” Trump said. “I mean, he’s been with me for a long time, I’d say once the race was over.”
Still, Trump made it clear that anyone who believes Iran should be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons is fundamentally opposed to his position. “But nobody thinks it’s OK,” he added. “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.”
Trump also expressed skepticism that Cruz would truly endorse Iran having such capabilities, and said he doesn’t believe Carlson would support that either.
“The problem is then they get themselves into a thing,” Trump said. “They don’t want them to have nuclear. But then they say, well, we don’t want to fight. Well, they’re going to have to make a choice, because it’s possible that you’re going to have to fight for them not to have nuclear.”
Trump shared more details from his conversation with Carlson, including his direct question to the host about whether he was “OK with nuclear weapons being in the hands of Iran.”
“He sort of didn’t like that,” Trump said. “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 emphasized that the stakes are too high to ignore. “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.”
Carlson, for his part, had ignited debate over U.S. intervention in the region with a social media post on June 13. In it, he drew a sharp distinction between those “who casually encourage violence, and those who seek to prevent it — between warmongers and peacemakers.”
He also argued that the advocates for military action included “anyone who’s calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes and other direct U.S. military involvement in a war with Iran.”
Carlson reiterated his concerns during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast earlier in the week. He warned that American engagement in another Middle East conflict could mark “the end of the American empire,” and went so far as to claim it would “effectively end” Trump’s presidency. He compared the scenario to the fallout of George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq.
Meanwhile, public opinion appears to be on Trump’s side. A poll published this week and cited by the New York Post found that Trump’s stance on Iran enjoys broad support among Republicans — especially those aligned with the MAGA movement.
According to a J.L. Partners survey, 65% of self-identified “MAGA Republicans” said they would support American strikes on Iran, compared to just 19% who opposed them.
Among Republicans who identify as “traditional,” 51% backed military action, while 28% were against it. Overall, Republican voters supported strikes by a margin of 58% to 25%, with 17% undecided or neutral.
“This poll makes clear: the Republican base is not isolationist,” said James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners. “They back forceful U.S. and Israeli action to stop Iran, and see Israel’s fight as America’s fight.”
{Matzav.com}