Deep divisions have emerged in right-wing media since President Donald Trump started a war with Iran three months ago. Some conservative media figures have loudly supported Trump’s war while others have been extremely and vocally opposed to new entanglements in the Middle East. Many figures fell somewhere in the middle, tepidly supporting the president while urging for a quick end to the conflict. With a potential deal (again) reportedly on the horizon, some voices on the right are starting to draw their hard lines for an end to the conflict.

The infighting between right-wing media pundits over the war has at times been deeply personal. This week, for example, Fox’s Mark Levin and podcaster Benny Johnson traded blows over the war. Johnson, who has been supporting Trump but also urging for a swift end to the fighting, said, “I don’t understand people like Mark Levin,” and then asked “How many people do you think are being paid by Israel?” Levin, a staunch supporter of the conflict, fired back at “BJ Benny Johnson,” saying, “He’s been a grifter.” Levin also said “Benny Johnson, a nobody, and his ilk. And his ilk, they’re the ones who trash the president. They give aid and comfort to the Iranian Islamic regime.”

With a potential deal coming, some right-wing figures are already laying out what would be tolerable for the Trump administration to accept. Ben Shapiro, who has consistently taken a hardline stance supporting the war, laid out some red lines for a deal, including claiming that the United States cannot give Iran money to rebuild its infrastructure. A Charlie Kirk Show producer said the proposed deal is “not a perfect deal” and “would be getting us back to the situation before the war.” Fox’s Martha MacCallum commented on the potential deal, saying, “It doesn’t feel like we’re any closer than we were before.” On Fox News, staunch war supporter Jack Keane said the U.S. can’t give Iran immediate sanctions relief. A Newsmax host said the reported deal with Iran “sounds like a pretty bad deal.”

The war with Iran has caused serious turmoil inside Trump’s MAGA base. With the disastrous effects of rising fuel prices accumulating and the war’s catastrophic unpopularity with the American people growing, the political need for a swift end to the conflict may butt up against MAGA hardliners who want to see Iran capitulate further.

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Via https://www.mediamatters.org/media-matters-weekly-newsletter/media-matters-weekly-newsletter-may-29#paragraph–narrative-item–3479479