MAGA’s support of Trump’s Iran war is what a Fascist movement looks like

Corporate media is missing the real story!

Every day we hear corporate media talk about the “big divide” in Trump’s base over the Iran war. In fact, Sunday I was on MSNOW where that was the very topic. But as I mentioned on the show, while there are some very visible MAGA media figures slamming the war, polls tell us the MAGA and GOP base are overwhelmingly on board. And that is because MAGA is a fascist movement that will follow whatever their leader Trump tells them to believe—from the 2020 election was “stolen” to “war is good.”

I understand why some would think there’s a rift in Trump’s base when they see visible people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly publicly slamming Trump’s war. Even Joe Rogan said on his show on March 10, “It just seems so insane based on what he ran on,” “I mean, this is why a lot of people feel betrayed, right?”

Add to that on Tuesday, the Trump-appointed director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned in protest over the Iran war given he, too, saw Trump as violating a sacred promise to avoid such wars. Kent wrote in his resignation letter there was no “imminent threat” posed to the United States by Iran “and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

Trump absolutely did betray his supporters. After all, Trump campaigned in 2024 against doing this, telling supporters just days before the election, “You’re not going to have a war with me and you’re not going to have a third world war with me.”

Given all that you would expect to see polls today that show the MAGA base opposes this war. But you don’t. In fact, you see the opposite.

Before the war, 35% to 40% of Republicans supported military action against Iran per polls. So what is that number a few weeks into the war after Americans have been killed, gasoline prices have shot up and inflation is rising?

Are you ready? Ninety percent of people who are self-described as MAGA now say they support Trump’s war per an NBC News poll. Only nine percent of MAGA opposes it. In addition, beyond MAGA, the broader GOP base is overwhelmingly on board with this war. For example, while a new Quinnipiac Poll found only 40% of Americans support Trump’s iran war--among the GOP that number shoots up to 85%.

How could it be that a month before the war only 35 to 40% of Republicans support a war versus Iran and now that number could jump to 90% support?! That is because what you are seeing is not a normal political movement that is disappointed when their leader betrays them on a core promise. Rather, what you are seeing is a reminder that MAGA is fascist movement that is a danger to our democratic Republic.

As experts note, fascism is not an ideology, it’s simply a process for taking and holding power. One of the classic traits of a fascist movement absolute loyalty to the leader—as Yale Professor Jason Stanley, author of the book “How Fascism Works,” explained.

Stanley noted in a 2020 interview about Trump: “The connection he has forged with his supporters ever since he first ran, remember the comment, ‘I could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight and I wouldn’t lose a single supporter?” adding, “That’s a fascist connection of total loyalty.”

Stanley continued with this instructive line for us today, “The fascist leader is infallible.” That is a big part of why Trump can change his mind on any policy and MAGA will follow him. And if they don’t remain absolutely loyal, they are then jettisoned from the movement. As Stanley explained, “Anyone who opposes Trump is immediately a traitor to the nation.”

We just saw an example of this scenario play out very publicly—and by design. When then GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene begin to criticize Trump over his refusal to release the Epstein files, Trump responded by publicly labeling her a “traitor.” It didn’t matter MTG was one of Trump’s most vocal champions who voted 98% of the time for his agenda. When she dared to criticize him about Epstein, she was out.

Trump declaring that MTG was excommunicated from MAGA led to her being inundated with nearly 800 threats of violence. When asked about these threats just a few weeks ago, Trump didn’t express concern. Instead, he again called her a “traitor”—sending a clear message to his base that anyone who dares to defy him should be targeted for violence.

You must understand that violence and the threat of it is how fascists keep control of their movement. As Madeline Albright noted in her book, “Fascism: A Warning,” “violence is a crucial element of fascism.” She continued, “fascism involves the endorsement and use of violence to achieve political goals and stay in power.”

The MAGA base knows that first-hand. If a MAGA person were to publicly slam Trump, that person has to fear for their own safety from others in the MAGA movement. Plus for others, being in MAGA is their entire existence including social status and friends. Leaving MAGA means being thrust back into the pre-Trump world where many had no sense of purpose, no social standing, etc.

But overall, the MAGA base simply follows Trump because he is their beloved, infallible leader. It’s not about ideology, it’s about Trump. If he tells them we love war, they say, “Yes, sir.” If the next day he says “we hate war,” they respond the same way.

Same reason why two weeks before Trump captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro an Economist-YouGov poll found just 22% of Americans supported military action—including only 43% of Republicans. But after Trump kidnapped Maduro, support among Republicans almost doubled to 78%.

Whatever Trump wants, they will agree to. And that likely means more wars or at least military actions because that is what fascist leaders do. The father of fascism, Benito Mussolini, promoted a love of warfare, nationalism, and expansionism. As Mussolini declared, “War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have courage to meet it.” Hitler shared that same love of war, seeing it as chance to fulfill a “destiny” of the master race conquering more lands.

Trump expressed that very sentiment on Monday when speaking of the “honor” of taking Cuba. He added about Cuba, “Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth.”

And we know if Trump militarily attacks or occupies Cuba, 85% or more of MAGA will be on board. Same would be true if Trump says there will be no elections this November because it will be filled with fraud. And if Trump said he is seeking a third term in clear violation of the US Constitution, we know MAGA will be more loyal to Trump than our Constitution.

Again, this is not what an American political party looks like. It’s what a fascist movement looks like. And the threat the MAGA movement poses is a far bigger story than the myth being peddled by corporate media of a “big divide” in the MAGA base.

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