President Donald Trump dismissed accusations from Tucker Carlson that he betrayed the America First doctrine by backing Israel’s offensive against Iran’s nuclear program.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

President Donald Trump pushed back Sunday against sharp criticism from Tucker Carlson, who accused him of abandoning his America First principles in the wake of Israel’s sweeping airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites.

The dispute erupted after Carlson, a longtime noninterventionist voice and former Fox News host, published a fiery newsletter titled “This Could Be the Final Newsletter Before All-Out War,” where he argued that Trump’s public backing of Israel’s campaign placed the United States “at the center” of a rapidly escalating regional war. “Despite being complicit in the act of war, the president hopes last night’s events will help his ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran,” Carlson wrote, adding, “Politicians purporting to be America First can’t now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it.”

Trump responded during an interview with The Atlantic, insisting that the America First doctrine is his to define. “Well, considering that I’m the one that developed ‘America First’ and considering that the term wasn’t used until I came along, I think I’m the one that decides that,” Trump said.

“For those people who say they want peace—you can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon,” Trump added. “So for all of those wonderful people who don’t want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon—that’s not peace.”

The clash between two leading figures in the conservative movement highlights a growing divide over the future of U.S. foreign policy as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate.

Trump also portrayed himself as a restraining force, revealing he had recently vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “I told them not to do it,” Trump said. “That would’ve been a declaration of war.”

In remarks carried by the New York Post, Trump further elaborated on his position, recalling that prior to the strikes, he cautioned against Israeli aggression out of concern for ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations. “I don’t want them going in because I think it [an attack] would blow” the talks, he reportedly told aides.

Despite distancing his administration from direct involvement, Trump publicly reiterated support for Israel’s right to self-defense and reminded Tehran on Truth Social that it had missed a 60-day deadline to reenter negotiations. He urged Iranian leaders to return to the table before facing further consequences.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed that position in an official statement, clarifying, “We are not involved in strikes against Iran.”

Carlson, who has consistently opposed U.S. entanglement in foreign wars, remained firm in his assessment. He warned that even indirect U.S. support, through weapons transfers and intelligence sharing, placed America squarely in the crosshairs of Iran’s retaliation.

While Trump remains confident in his handling of the conflict and his control over the America First narrative, the clash with Carlson signals deepening tension between the populist-nationalist and noninterventionist factions of the Republican base as global crises mount.