Trump's blunt attack on former allies exposes splintered MAGA coalition

Trump's blunt attack on former allies exposes splintered MAGA coalition15 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAnthony ZurcherNorth America correspondentAFP via Getty ImagesIn launching his attack on four conservative commentators who have been critical of the joint US-Israeli war against Iran, Donald Trump wrote that they were "stupid people" and that "nobody cares about them".He then spent the next 372 words in a Truth Social post on Thursday afternoon talking about them.The president singled out two former popular Fox News evening-programme hosts, Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, and right-wing conspiracy theorists Alex Jones and Candace Owens, for criticism. He ticked through each, using derisive language to highlight what he viewed as their past failings and deficiencies.All four have vocally supported Trump in the past – and comprised part of the president's effort to court right-wing podcasters and social media influencers during his 2024 presidential campaign. But the president wrote that their views are now the opposite of his "Make America Great Again" movement."They're not MAGA, they're losers," he said. "As president, I could get them on my side anytime I want to, but when they call, I don't return their calls because I'm too busy on world and country affairs."Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesMarjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson, and Donald Trump were once friendlyPrior to parting ways with Fox News in 2023, Carlson helmed the network's highest-rated evening programme, averaging more than four million viewers a night. He has since moved to X, where he has built a sizeable audience by advocating a populist strain of conservativism that has at times diverged from Trump's. He has also been accused of spreading misinformation and drifting into conspiracy theories.Carlson opposed the Iran war from its early days and recently stepped up his criticism, calling Tru...