Amid airstrikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel, signs of a rift are emerging within U.S. President Donald Trump’s core base, ‘MAGA’ (MAGA·Make America Great Again). President Trump pushed back against criticism from the MAGA camp, saying, “MAGA is Trump itself.”

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said on ABC on the 1st (local time), just after the strike on Iran, that the U.S. military’s operation was “disgusting and evil.” Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly said this war does not align with ‘America First,’ adding, “I want to be more certain whether it is worth the sacrifice of American blood and treasure.” Even Steve Bannon, once Trump’s ‘strategist,’ raised questions about the operation on his podcast ‘War Room.’

The MAGA camp has long supported President Trump for espousing ‘isolationism,’ but the latest operation is drawing criticism as directly contradicting that line. Launching a large-scale military operation not in the Western Hemisphere, considered the front yard, but in the Middle East is said to be unrelated to U.S. interests and to constitute the kind of military intervention that should be avoided.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks to the effect that they struck Iran out of concern over the risks an Israeli preemptive attack would bring also stoked anger in the MAGA camp. As this was taken to mean the U.S. had no choice but to attack Iran because of Israel, reactions in the MAGA camp included, “They prioritized Israel’s interests over America’s,” and, “The president betrayed us.”

On the 2nd, in a call with Rachel Bade, operator of his personal outlet ‘Inner Circle,’ President Trump said, “I think MAGA is Trump,” and, “MAGA is not those two (Carlson and Kelly).” He continued, “MAGA wants our country to be prosperous and safe,” adding, “This (the operation against Iran) is a detour we must take to keep our country and other countries safe.” He also stressed, “My top priority is that we cannot allow Iran to have nuclear weapons.”

Within the administration, President Trump’s close aides still support a hard line against Iran. Vice President J D Vance, regarded as a leading ‘non-interventionist,’ emphasized on the 2nd on Fox News that the situation with Iran is different from “the problems we experienced in Iraq or Afghanistan.” However, concerns are growing even within the Republican Party over the government’s unclear stance on the rationale for the Iran attack and the prospect of a prolonged war, prompting predictions that political pressure on President Trump will intensify as the midterm elections approach.