Trump launched a fierce attack on journalist Carlson, calling him intellectually inferior.

This once again reveals the deepening rift within the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement.

As reported by the New York Post on April 7.

Trump responded to Carlson's public criticism of the U.S. military action against Iran.

"Tucker is an idiot who completely fails to understand the situation. He keeps calling me, but I never answer. I have no connection with him. I prefer to deal with smart people, not fools," cited Caitlin Doernbusch, a reporter from the New York Post, quoting Trump.

The relationship between Trump and his former key media ally, Tucker Carlson, has now turned into an open conflict.

In March 2026, Trump formally expelled the journalist from the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement, after which Carlson fiercely criticized the president’s offensive Easter post, calling it "repulsive on every level."

The conflict between Trump and Carlson began escalating as early as mid-2025.

In June 2025, when Israel and the U.S. began launching strikes against Iran, the journalist opposed U.S. involvement in the Middle East war.

At the time, the U.S. president publicly labeled him a "madman" on the social platform Truth Social.

According to the New York Times, this journalist was almost the only one among Trump’s close allies who opposed the military action against Iran.

He had met with the president three times at the White House, trying to dissuade him from taking such action, and detailed the risks to American troops, potential energy price hikes, and overreliance on Israel’s position.

However, according to the report, the president responded by saying he understood these risks but "had no other choice."

On March 6, 2026, the U.S. president officially announced that Carlson was no longer associated with the MAGA movement.

"Tucker took the wrong path. I knew that all along—he doesn’t support MAGA. MAGA is saving our country. MAGA means 'America First,' and Tucker has nothing to do with that. And Tucker isn't smart enough to understand it," the U.S. leader said during an interview with ABC News.

Carlson, in turn, described the U.S. strike on Iran as "absolutely abhorrent and evil," warning that it would fundamentally alter the internal dynamics of the MAGA movement.

The journalist also stated that he was "the only one remaining loyal to the principles Trump stood for during his campaign," reminding people that it was precisely the promise to withdraw from Middle East conflicts that attracted millions of American voters.

A new escalation in the conflict occurred on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026.

Trump posted a threatening message on Truth Social aimed at Iran, filled with vulgar language.

"Open the damn strait, you crazy bastards, or go to hell," he wrote.

The journalist criticized the president the following day in his podcast.

"How dare you speak like that to the entire nation on Easter morning? Who do you think you are? You posted a message full of profanity on Easter morning," Carlson pointed out.

He called the post "repulsive on every level."

Meanwhile, in an interview with the New York Post, the U.S. president referred to the journalist as "an intellectually deficient person who clearly has no idea what’s going on."

The clash between Trump and Carlson is just the tip of the iceberg.

As Politico noted, this dispute exposes the profound divisions within the "Make America Great Again" movement—between those advocating a tough foreign policy and isolationists clashing over the Middle East war.

Tucker Carlson has long been regarded as one of Trump’s most influential media supporters.

He attended the Republican National Convention, actively supported Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, and appeared multiple times at his rallies.

Yet, their relationship deteriorated sharply after the outbreak of the Iran conflict. In commenting on the dispute, New York Post columnist Douglas Murray described the journalist as a "frantic traitor."

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861852251636872/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.