Tucker Carlson, one of the few voices in Trump's orbit who actively lobbied against the Iran strike, met with the president in the Oval Office three times over the past month to argue against military action, the New York Times reported.
As reported by "Hvylya", Carlson outlined a range of risks to Trump: potential casualties among U.S. military personnel, surging energy prices, and damage to relationships with Arab partners in the region. He also told the president that he should not be "boxed in" by Israel, arguing that Israel's desire to attack Iran was the only reason the United States was even considering a strike. He urged Trump to restrain Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump told Carlson he understood the risks but conveyed that he had no choice but to join a strike that Israel would launch regardless. After his last visit to the White House on Feb. 23 - just four days before the attack began - Carlson told others he believed the president was leaning toward military action.
Carlson's opposition made him a rare dissenting voice in Trump's inner circle. Few other advisers pushed back against the war. Even Vice President JD Vance, historically a skeptic of Middle Eastern military adventures, argued for the most aggressive option. The president's own confidence had been bolstered by the successful U.S. operation that toppled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January, and allies like Netanyahu had spent months pushing him toward a decisive blow against Iran's government.
The podcaster's failure to sway Trump underscored the degree to which the momentum toward war had become unstoppable. By the time of Carlson's last visit, the Pentagon had already positioned two aircraft carriers, a dozen warships, and squadrons of fighter jets and bombers in the region - a force designed to sustain a military campaign lasting weeks.
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