U.S. President Donald Trump has expelled conservative commentator Tucker Carlson from his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, declaring that Carlson has “lost his way.” The decision comes amid escalating tensions over the U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran, which Carlson has publicly condemned as “absolutely disgusting and evil.”
“Tucker has lost his way. I knew that a long time ago, and he’s not MAGA,” Trump told ABC News on Thursday. “MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things.” The president framed the expulsion as a defense of the movement’s core identity, emphasizing a commitment to nationalist priorities and distancing MAGA from non-interventionist critics.
Carlson, the former Fox News host, played a high-profile role in Trump’s 2024 election campaign, including a prime speaking slot at the Republican National Convention and an interview with Trump during the campaign. Since leaving Fox, Carlson has operated the Tucker Carlson Network, an online streaming platform he has increasingly used to advocate for a non-interventionist foreign policy. His reporting has also been featured on Russian state media RT, and he has conducted interviews in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, further fueling concerns among Trump’s circle over his international positioning.
The rift over foreign policy is rooted in Trump’s 2024 campaign promises to avoid new military interventions. He presented himself as a “peace president,” vowing, “I’m not going to start a war, I’m going to stop wars.” Carlson’s repeated criticisms of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran directly conflicted with Trump’s decisions during his post-election influence on policy, culminating in the public severing of ties.
Tensions between Trump and Carlson are part of a wider pattern of MAGA infighting. Last year, Trump similarly lost another high-profile ally in former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Their relationship deteriorated over the release of documents linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with Greene accusing Trump of obstructing transparency. Trump publicly disparaged her as “wacky” and a “ranting lunatic,” prompting Greene’s resignation from Congress in January.
The feud has intensified with ongoing U.S. military strikes on Iran. Greene has openly questioned Trump’s “mental state” and labeled his administration “sick f*cking liars” for pursuing policies she views as a betrayal of his campaign pledge to end foreign wars. Carlson’s criticisms, although less personal, reflect a similar disapproval of Trump’s shift toward interventionist actions in the Middle East, highlighting a broader fracture among MAGA-aligned commentators and politicians over foreign policy decisions.
Political analysts suggest that the split with Carlson could signal a strategic consolidation within the MAGA movement, as Trump attempts to maintain tight control over the messaging and loyalty of high-profile supporters. By removing figures who publicly oppose his policies, particularly on sensitive issues like military action abroad, Trump may be seeking to present a unified front as he positions himself for potential political campaigns or continued influence in Republican Party politics.
The expulsion of Carlson marks a rare instance of a former president publicly denouncing a media ally whose prominence once helped shape his political narrative. It also underscores the challenges Trump faces in balancing the America-first rhetoric that defined his campaigns with the practical realities of international military engagement, which have increasingly drawn criticism from within his own movement.
As MAGA grapples with internal divisions, the departure of Carlson highlights how ideological disagreements over foreign policy can rapidly evolve into public and highly visible conflicts. Whether this move consolidates Trump’s control over the movement or sparks further dissent among conservative commentators and politicians remains uncertain, but the episode illustrates the continuing volatility within the ranks of America’s most influential political faction.
