Trump faces MAGA backlash as online influencers shape the Iran war narrative

HOUSTON – War is a hard sell in the best of times but US President Donald Trump has not even tried to sell his war on Iran.

“For subscribers - President Trump's war on Iran lacks clear justification and faces media criticism, contrasting with past presidents' efforts to build support for military actions”

The Straits Times

Instead, as the fighting extends into the third week, Mr Trump has kept faith in his favoured communication style: randomly capped exclamations on social media coupled with sweeping, off-the-cuff remarks to the media.

The Straits Times

At all times, he emphasises American invincibility, but offers little clarity on why he launched the war at this time.

Or when and how he plans to end it.

This abrupt and little-discussed offensive has set him up for heated battles with the largely liberal mainstream American media, which has reacted to the war with suspicion and caustic disapproval.

“We lament that Mr Trump is not treating war as the grave matter that it is,” The New York Times, the nation’s leading daily, said in an editorial on Feb 28, the first day of the joint US-Israeli military operation.

The conservative media is fractured, but only at the seams.

The pro-establishment Fox News television channel, which has the largest cable TV audience, has largely stuck with the President.

The Straits Times

As has The Wall Street Journal, America’s second-largest read daily, which has 4.7 million subscribers compared with The New York Times’ 12.4 million.

The biggest of these online influencers is Mr Joe Rogan, a 59-year-old Texas resident whose casual, unfiltered podcasts are one of the world’s most popular.

“For subscribers - President Trump's war on Iran lacks clear justification and faces media criticism, contrasting with past presidents' efforts to build support for military actions”

The Straits Times

A shaven-headed muscular man with an interest in martial arts, Mr Rogan has more than 20 million followers on YouTube alone.

While Mr Trump was the presidential candidate, he owed much of his support among young voters to Mr Rogan.

On the war, the podcaster is not holding back.

“He ran on no more wars: End these stupid, senseless wars. And then we have one that we can’t even really clearly define why we did it,” he said in a March 10 episode.

Then there is Mr Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host and tireless Trump crusader, who has more than 17 million followers on X.

In a huge break with the President, he called the attacks on Iran “absolutely disgusting and evil”.

The Straits Times

Mr Carlson said the war would “shatter” the MAGA coalition of the President.

“This is going to shuffle the deck in a profound way,” he added.

Mr Trump brushed off the criticism, saying during an interview on March 6 that “Tucker has lost his way”.