In a lengthy post on X on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance came to the defense of President Donald Trump after supporters like Tucker Carlson and those in the MAGA base have been outspoken about the U.S. not getting involved in the war between Israel and Iran.
“First, POTUS has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Over the last few months, he encouraged his foreign policy team to reach a deal with the Iranians to accomplish this goal,” Vance wrote on X. “The president has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment. And he said repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways–the easy way or the “other” way.”
Vance continued, explaining the difference between “civilian nuclear power” and “uranium enrichment.” The vice president told his followers that Iran has “been found in violation of their non-proliferation obligations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”
“He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” Vance wrote. “And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue. And having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people’s goals. Whatever he does, that is his focus.”
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance salute as they attend the 157th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery, May 26, 2025, in Arlington, Va.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Vance’s comments come amid a quickly escalating divide among some of Trump’s most vocal supporters being led in part by two prominent Trump allies: Trump’s longtime adviser Steve Bannon and Carlson, the right-wing commentator — who continue to speak out against U.S. involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict.
Bannon went on Carlson’s podcast Monday night and warned that further involvement would “blow up” the Trump coalition and derail the president’s national agenda, particularly on immigration.
“If we get sucked into this war, which inexorably looks like it’s going to happen on the combat side, it’s going to not just blow up the coalition, it’s also gonna thwart what we’re doing with the most important thing, which is the deportation of the illegal alien invaders that are here,” he said.
Earlier Monday, Carlson appeared on Bannon’s show and said the move could lead to “the end of the American empire” and could “effectively” end Trump’s presidency. LINK
Trump swatted down Carlson’s comments, calling him “Kooky” in a post on Truth Social and telling reporters Carlson should “get a television network and say it so that people listen.”
But other leading MAGA voices are weighing in, including an exceedingly rare comment from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene pushing back on Trump’s jab at Carlson without naming him, writing in a lengthy post that Carlson’s comments regarding Iran are “not kooky.” LINK
“Tucker Carlson is one of my favorite people. He fiercely loves his wife, children, and our country. Since being fired by the neocon network Fox News, he has more popularity and viewers than ever before. He unapologetically believes the same things I do. That if we don’t fight for our own country and our own people then we will no longer have a country for our children and our grandchildren. And foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction. That’s not kooky. That’s what millions of Americans voted for. It’s what we believe is America First,” she wrote.
Greene also appeared on longtime Trump ally and former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s show on Monday, and the pair both urged the president to “reject” calls to join the Israel-Iran conflict.
