The Daily

The Republican Identity Crisis Over the Iran War

456 snips
Mar 23, 2026
Robert Draper, a New York Times politics reporter who covers the Republican Party, maps the rift over Trump’s Iran war. They dig into why many supporters feel betrayed. They trace how America First became linked to avoiding new conflicts. They also explore the split in right-wing media, Israel’s role in the backlash, and the political fallout ahead.
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INSIGHT

How Trump Built A No More Wars Pact

  • Robert Draper says MAGA anger over Iran comes from a broken promise that Trump would keep America out of costly foreign wars.
  • He traces that pact to Trump's 2015 debate attack on the Iraq war as a waste of blood and treasure.
INSIGHT

Trump Was Never Truly Anti Interventionist

  • Draper argues Trump never held a fixed anti-war ideology; his real doctrine was faith in his own judgment and in using power to win.
  • Trump called himself "very militaristic" and even said after Iraq that America should have "kept the oil."
ANECDOTE

Quick Strikes Reinforced Trump's Faith In Force

  • Earlier interventions seemed to validate Trump's belief that force could bring quick gains without major backlash.
  • After bombing Iranian nuclear sites and moving against Venezuela, right-wing doubters quickly flipped to "In Trump, we trust."
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