Though the majority of the president’s base backs the war, a schism has developed among Trump-touting media stars
W
hen the histories of the Iran war and Donald Trump’s “Make America great again” (Maga) movement are written, there may be a special place for the words of former US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene: “I wholeheartedly support Megyn Kelly telling the world that Mark Levin has a micropenis.”
Greene’s social media post summed up how the media stars of the Trump coalition have turned on each other in a ferocious, bitter and – sometimes – vulgar brawl. Figures such as Kelly, Levin, Tucker Carlson, Laura Loomer, Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro have clashed over the meaning of “America first”, the role of Israel and whether Trump is breaking his promise to end forever wars.
What is less clear is whether Maga’s identity crisis reflects a schism among the movement’s rank and file, with the potential for an anti-Trump revolt, or merely the incentives of clickbait-driven social media. Nine in 10 Maga-aligned Republicans back the war, according to an NBC News poll – but a prolonged war and high fuel prices could erode Trump’s support.
