According to The Atlantic, US President's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. privately expressed disagreement with waging a war against Iran and repeatedly criticized the military campaign in conversations with close associates and his own father. Family sources claim that Trump Jr. opposed the conflict from the very beginning and has long been skeptical of US military intervention abroad, believing Washington should not get dragged into another Middle East conflict.
From Campaign Promises to Full-Scale War
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump Jr. supported his father's public pledge not to draw the US into a new war in the region. In April of that year, when Iran attacked Israel with missiles and drones, he posted on social media X: 'Remember when they said Trump would drag us into a full-scale war with Iran? Moments like this should make us all realize how lucky we are to have Trump, his strength, and his resolve.' Now, as The Atlantic assesses that America is waging a full-scale war against Iran, the president's position, the publication notes, runs counter to his son's expectations.
Public Silence and Refusal to Comment
At the same time, Trump Jr. has not publicly criticized his father over the war. 'Don kept his views on this private, as he would never publicly oppose his father on an issue like this,' said a source close to the president's son interviewed by The Atlantic. A spokesperson for Trump Jr. declined to comment on the information, and the White House also did not directly answer questions regarding his position. Meanwhile, an administration official stated that Iran has suffered crushing losses and the conflict 'will one way or another wrap up very soon.'
Conflict Against the Backdrop of Escalation
Repeated attempts to forge peace between the US and Iran have, to date, failed, and the conflict has instead entered an escalated phase. It was recently reported that the US military has developed new plans for strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, which could potentially involve the use of the so-called 'mother of all bombs.' Furthermore, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered Central Command to finalize preparations for resuming large-scale combat operations against Iran.
Rift Within the MAGA Camp
Dissatisfaction with the military course apparently extends beyond Trump Jr. alone. According to political analyst Kirill Benediktov, prominent figures of the MAGA movement, including former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and television host Tucker Carlson, have distanced themselves from the president following the outbreak of war with Iran, alienated, as he put it, by Trump 'giving in' to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Benediktov also suggested that conservative blogger Charlie Kirk, a friend of the president's sons, lacked sufficient influence to persuade Trump otherwise. Against this backdrop, reports indicate Trump previously canceled Pentagon-prepared strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, while London discusses potential pressure on Washington to end the conflict.
