By John J. Duncan Jr.
Reagan Carney, a really fine young man with whom we go to church, told me Sunday before last that the UT Young Republicans had a board on which members could express their opinions about the war in Iran.
The board had only one question: Is the Iran War putting America First? At that point, 10 had signed under the yes; 70 had signed under the no.
This confirmed a story that ABC News ran on March 7, quoting Jack Posobiec of Turning Point USA and the conservative publication, Human Events.
Posobiec said: “For the younger end of the spectrum inside MAGA, foreign intervention is just off the radar … They see it as prioritizing foreign interests … ”
He said MAGA is split by age, with more support for the Iran war among older conservatives.
The ABC story led this way: “President Donald Trump’s decision to carry out strikes on Iran has further exposed a fracture among some of the president’s fiercest supporters inside MAGA world – one that many supporters say will only widen with every week the conflict continues.”
Another young conservative leader, Curt Mills, executive director of the American Conservative Magazine, said, “It all depends on how long the war goes. I think you are going to see this start eating into Trump’s approval rating.”
As I said in my column last week, I don’t believe this president will make the same mistake the second George Bush made in allowing his neocon advisors to continue the war in Iraq long after Bush celebrated in front of a “Mission Accomplished” banner.
William F. Buckley Jr., the conservative icon, first supported the war in Iraq. Two years later, he said there was “nothing conservative about it” and that “a point is reached when tenacity conveys not steadfastness of purpose but misapplication of pride.”
The last thing Trump’s strongest supporters want is for the U.S. to be in another endless war, and they especially don’t want to see American boots on the ground in Iran.
The president said in the middle of last week that Iran’s Navy and Air Force had both been wiped out and that every target worth hitting had already been hit. He said Iran had clearly lost this war.
Since Iran’s total military budget was only a little over one percent of ours, they were never any real threat to us anyway. Assuming the president is correct in saying Iran has already been defeated, he needs to now concentrate on the economy and especially on the price of oil. No one knows for sure what is going to happen, but several national newscasts have said oil could go as high as $200 a barrel.
If this war is allowed to drag into the fall season and gas prices go to $5.00 a gallon or even higher, Republicans will suffer big losses in the November elections.
Joe Rogan, who has by far the most popular national podcast with millions of listeners and who really helped Trump in 2024, said on his show on March 10 that going to war in Iran was “insane” and that Trump’s strongest supporters “feel betrayed.”
Other national conservative leaders who opposed the war in Iran included Tucker Carlson, Megan Kelly, Steve Bannon, Tom Woods and Dave Smith, all of whom were strong supporters of Trump for re-election. David Stockman, President Reagan’s budget director, called the attack on Iran “unprovoked and senseless.”
I believe President Trump’s instincts are to oppose war, as he did in regard to Iraq. He was pressured into taking action in Iran by several of his wealthiest billionaire contributors, the colossal media empire of Rupert Murdoch, and, of course, Sen. Lindsay “bomb everybody” Graham.
Most people know that I was one of Trump’s earliest endorsers. I was a Trump delegate to the national convention, I voted for him all three times, and I have supported him through thick and thin through my speeches, this column and other writings. I am certain that even his own children don’t like some of the things he has said or done. But on the really big things, he has been a great president.
I grew up in a very patriotic family. My Dad and my Uncle Joe – my two greatest mentors – both served in World War II. I served for over 10 years in active Army Reserve or National Guard units and did three stints of Mobilization Designee duty for the seven years after that. I spoke about 2,000 times to school groups, almost always in part of my talk telling the kids how lucky we are to be Americans.
I certainly qualify as one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters” described near the top of this column. I love this country and am very grateful for our freedom. One of those freedoms gives us the right to occasionally disagree with our government without being considered unpatriotic. There are good people on both sides on the war in Iran.
Finally, Jonathan Cook, who wrote about the “cheerleading” for a war against Iran a month before it started, said this: “Corporate media doesn’t represent humanity’s interests. It promotes the interests of billionaires and their hangers-on, who make huge profits from a war machine in constant need of excuses to kill.” Threats are often exaggerated so that key people can get more money and power.
