U.S. President Donald Trump is facing intense backlash from parts of the MAGA movement after launching an unauthorized military strike against Iran, a move he acknowledged could result in American casualties.
Despite repeated warnings from segments of his own supporters against entering another overseas conflict, Trump announced Saturday morning that he had ordered a major attack on Iran. He said the operation was intended to eliminate the country’s nuclear program—which he had previously claimed was already completely “obliterated”—and to help bring about political change in Tehran.
Trump, 79, revealed the military action in a social media video message, describing the operation as necessary while preparing Americans for the possibility of troop losses. Former Tucker Carlson told ABC’s Jonathan Karl that the attack on Iran was “absolutely disgusting and evil.”
Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticized the president publicly, accusing him of abandoning the movement’s core principles.
“Now, America is going to be force fed and gas lighted all the “noble” reasons the American “Peace” President and Pro-Peace administration had to go to war once again this year, after being in power for only a year,” she said. Influencer Andrew Tate, who has aligned himself with Trump supporters, wrote: “NOBODY WANTS THIS WAR,”
Florida congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna posted on X: “Hold our country in prayer right now. Hold our service members and their families in prayer right now. Hold the innocent people of Iran in prayer right now.”
Far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos reacted bluntly. “Oh, how disgusting. F— you, Mr. President,” he wrote. Gateway Pundit writer Cassandra Macdonald also condemned the decision.
“This is so wicked and disgusting and vile,” she said. “He is sacrificing our best for a foreign nation. What comes after blackpilled because I’m that.”
Far-right activist Nick Fuentes posted: “@realDonaldTrump NO WAR WITH IRAN. ISRAEL IS DRAGGING US TO WAR. AMERICA FIRST.”
The strikes were carried out overnight without approval from Congress, which critics argue is legally required before major military action. The timing meant many Americans were unaware the operation had begun until hours later.
Only hours before the attacks, Vice President JD Vance had tried to calm concerns among supporters, saying there was “no chance” the United States would become trapped in a prolonged conflict without a defined objective.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie criticized the decision as well, warning about “Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,” while he continues pushing legislation requiring presidential approval before strikes on Iran.
In an eight-minute video explaining the decision, Trump defended the launch of “major combat operations,” arguing that Iran had refused to negotiate an end to its nuclear program.
He also urged Iranian citizens to overthrow their government after the military campaign ends. “It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations,” Trump said.
He added: “My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to U.S. personnel in the region. Even so, and I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war, but we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.”
The acknowledgment that American troops may die has angered the anti-interventionist wing of the Republican Party, which has long opposed foreign wars.
Just a day earlier, Greene had circulated an older video of Trump criticizing the Iraq War.
This is the Trump I supported, the man who called out the truth about the WMD in Iraq and declared NO MORE FOREIGN WARS.
— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@FmrRepMTG) February 26, 2026
Now for some unknown reason, Trump has joined the neocons and will soon go to war against Iran with the same BS excuses.
End of MAGA
pic.twitter.com/NNY7xLkJaF
“They said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none, and they knew there were none,” Trump said at the time. The latest strikes represent the second time in less than a year that the administration has used military force against Iran.
Last June, Trump declared that U.S. forces had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities and said it would take “years” to rebuild.
In Saturday’s message, he again claimed the nuclear program would be “totally obliterated.”
The operation came only weeks after Trump ordered a military mission targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, and days after he suggested a possible “friendly takeover” of Cuba. Iran responded to the new strikes by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and later targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a warning, stating the country “will not hesitate” in responding to the attacks. In a statement posted online, the ministry said: “The time has come to defend the homeland and confront the enemy’s military assault.”
We as Americans need to come together for mid-terms and vote BLUE up and down the ticket. Do not dilute the vote by voting independent or for another republican. We need to rid this country of all vile magas in congress and make sure these people never ever have any levers of power again. There is so much work to do be done to correct all that has transpired with this administration and with the supreme court. Let us all come together to save our democracy.