WASHINGTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- More top MAGA influencers are turning against U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war, denouncing it as a betrayal of his campaign promises.
The "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement, which comprises Trump's core supporters, is experiencing a notable, albeit lopsided, split over Trump's war with Iran, with more high-profile influencers opposing the conflict. Prominent media allies are breaking ranks, leading to internal, public feuds.
Leading conservative influencer Tucker Carlson recently said he regrets supporting Trump due to Trump's decision to go to war with Iran.
"I want to say I'm sorry for misleading people. It was not intentional," the Trump's former supporter and MAGA icon said on April 20.
Carlson, who has millions of MAGA followers, has also said that the war against Iran is U.S. ally Israel's conflict and does nothing to improve the security of the United States.
Highly influential MAGA figure Megyn Kelly has also blasted Trump over the war, as has MAGA influencer Candace Owens, who accused the Trump administration of being compromised. She claims that Trump has betrayed his base by abandoning "every single one" of his promises.
Experts say that increasing MAGA influencers believe the president has broken campaign promises that were the basis for their support of Trump in the 2024 elections.
"Trump has a big problem with a number of high-profile influencers who supported him in 2024 but now feel he has betrayed his campaign promises. He promised to end foreign wars but has bombed many different countries," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.
Trump has blasted media figures opposing him, calling them "losers."
While vocal media personalities criticize the war as an "America last" policy, polls found that a large chunk of MAGA Republicans support military action in Iran, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Friday. In comparison, 61 percent of Americans overall believe it was a mistake.
Multiple ordinary Trump supporters have complex views of the situation. Martin Abbot, 28, a Trump supporter and construction worker outside Washington, D.C., said he does not believe in the war.
"We have enough problems here. We don't need to be over there," he told Xinhua, noting that Trump promised an end to needless foreign wars.
Trump supporter Arlen Bishop echoed those thoughts, telling Xinhua that making war on Iran is a distraction from enacting MAGA's domestic agenda.
With the Midterms coming in November, more observers believe the MAGA split could harm the GOP.
"These problems will be a major issue for (Trump) in the upcoming elections because those influencers have millions of followers and people are feeling disillusioned with Trump," West said.
Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College, said that while MAGA voters won't likely vote for Democrats, rank-and-file Republicans could become demoralized and stay home on election day in significant numbers.
"That could turn a blue wave into something more like a blue tsunami," Galdieri told Xinhua.
Meanwhile, U.S. media reported on Friday that Trump sent a letter to lawmakers that the war against Iran has "terminated," as the military action -- which was launched without Congressional approval -- has reached a 60-day legal deadline.
Under the War Powers Resolution adopted in 1973, the U.S. president -- after notifying Congress of the use of military force -- must terminate the action within 60 days, unless Congress authorizes continued military action.
The United States and Israel launched major combat operations against Iran on Feb. 28. The Trump administration formally notified Congress on March 2 of the military action, meaning the 60-day legal deadline would expire on May 1.
Trump's letter notifies lawmakers of changes to the United States' posture in Iran, as part of his "efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution."
But it also said that "the threat from Iran remains significant" and the Defense Department will continue to "update its force posture" to address it "as necessary and appropriate." ■