Media Matters weekly newsletter, March 6, 2026

Media Matters weekly newsletter, March 6

WRITTEN BY JASON CAMPBELL

PUBLISHED 03/06/26 10:56 AM EST

Welcome back to Media Matters’ weekly newsletter. This week: 

• The war with Iran is the most consequential test of the Fox-Trump feedback loop yet. 
• The Iran war has unleashed a firestorm of right-wing media infighting. 
• Christian media figures are saying the war with Iran is a sign of the “End Times.”
• Some MAGA media pundits are attempting to bridge the divide caused by the war in Iran by urging Trump to deport Muslim Americans.  

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• This week in stupid

  

  • After a dismal jobs report Friday morning, a Newsmax anchor said the U.S. added 92,000 jobs before being corrected by her co-anchor, saying that the U.S. has, in fact, lost 92,000. 
  • A Fox News guest said President Donald Trump’s bombing of Iran “could qualify him once again for the Nobel Peace Prize.” 
  • The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles: “Trump is putting himself in a similar position to Bush. However, I guess his argument is we’re going to do it well.”

• In Iran, the most consequential test of the Fox-Trump feedback loop yet

  

  President Donald Trump, across both of his terms, has regularly shaped federal policy in response to the propaganda he hears from his sycophants at Fox News. But his decision last weekend to launch a war of choice against Iran without a clear goal may prove to be the most consequential example of this feedback loop to date. 

  Trump is deeply immersed in the Fox universe. He famously consumes the network’s content; highlights particular segments that strike his fancy on social media; hires its employees to run his administration; consults its personalities for advice on domestic and foreign policy; and doles out contracts and pardons alike based on what he sees on its airwaves. And for decades, the Fox stars Trump trusts most have consistently called for military strikes and regime change in Iran. 

  As Trump converged U.S. military forces in the Middle East over the past few months, Fox figures urged him to attack. Notably, their argument was light on defining a goal for U.S. military operations after the bombs began to fall. Trump, meanwhile, has had trouble articulating what he’s trying to accomplish in attacking Iran. Even a number of right-wing media figures have questioned the goals of the war and suggested they found the administration’s explanations lacking. This lack of clarity on goals for Iran didn’t bother one Newsmax host — reacting to public disapproval of the war, Newsmax’s Carl Higbie said, “It’s a good thing that nobody knows what we’re doing.” Even without clear objectives, the situation continues to escalate across the region. 

• This week's infighting

  • A number of right-wing media figures have drawn a line on sending American ground troops into Iran. Despite these entreaties, Trump has refused to rule out the possibility of deploying American troops to Iran, saying he would do it “if necessary.” Anticipating Dear Leader’s move, Fox’s Sean Hannity said, “They have to leave that option open just in case.” 
  • Newsmax host Rob Finnerty said Fox News “has just been ridiculous all day cheerleading” war with Iran.

• War with Iran unleashes firestorm of right-wing media infighting

  

  Right-wing media are engulfed in a firestorm of infighting over Trump’s war with Iran. Several prominent right-wing figures, such as Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, have condemned the war while others, such as Ben Shapiro and Mark Levin, are supporting it. The pundits are not merely fighting for or against the Trump administration but also turning their fire on each other. 

  For those in opposition to the war, the commentary has been pretty stark. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson called the attacks on Iran “absolutely disgusting and evil,” and SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly said this is “Israel’s war.” Alex Jones said the war “on its face … is unconstitutional,” and streamer Nick Fuentes called Trump “demonic” and “diabolical.” 

  Yet other right-wing hosts have expressed extreme support for Trump’s war. The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro called Trump “the most courageous commander in chief in modern America,” and Fox’s Mark Levin said, “Donald Trump did what nobody else could do for half a century.” Fox’s Laura Ingraham declared that “we’ve already won” the war, and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer said she told Trump he is “making us proud to be American” in a phone call shortly after the attacks. 

  It’s not merely that there’s a split in right-wing media — the real story is how pundits are attacking each other over their divergent stances on the war.: 

  • Mark Levin listed Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon among isolationist “traitors” and said his critics are “pimps for the enemy.” 
  • Megyn Kelly called CNN’s Scott Jennings a “fool” for parroting Trump officials’ claim that Iran was planning preemptive strikes. Kelly also called Hannity a “supplicant to Donald Trump.” 
  • Tucker Carlson condemned “neocons” who agitated for war with Iran, saying, “This is demonic influence, clearly.” 
  • Ben Shapiro criticized Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, saying of the latter, “She is such an unbelievable coward.” 

  Others are just caught in a murky middle of simply raising concerns about the war without expressly condemning the attacks. Newsmax prime-time host Rob Finnerty, for example, opened his show on Wednesday night with a critical segment on war. And general Trump toady Benny Johnson has expressed skepticism. 

  Last week we said Trump was moving to strike Iran with a fractured MAGA base. Now, Trump has taken the U.S. to war and the MAGA base remains splintered. 

  Some influential right-wing voices are seeking to bridge the MAGA divide by urging Trump to launch a new phase of mass deportations targeting American Muslims for denaturalization and removal. As has happened before when divisions arose within the right-wing media ecosystem, Trump may follow through and give feuding pundits a common enemy to attack.

• Excuse me?

  • Fox News hosts have suggested flooding Iran with small arms to incite regime change, a reckless proposal that even some of their guests have rejected.
  • Fox & Friends host Lawrence Jones on Americans trapped in the Middle East: “They were warned.”  
  • The White House Correspondents’ Association decided to link arms with Trump by inviting him to be the honoree at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner this year. Media Matters’ Matt Gertz wrote this great analysis of the absurdity of the press corp’s decision to invite Trump. 
  • Trump’s war with Iran is already leading to a spike in oil prices for Americans, which can lead to a surge in the inflation rate and extreme harm to the U.S. economy. Listeners of right-wing media shows are noticing. A caller to Megyn Kelly’s show said, “I’m paying 67 cents a gallon more, not even a week later. … It’s not America first.” Meanwhile, Sean Hannity apologized to a caller for higher gas prices, saying it would probably just be temporary.

• Christian nationalist media figures say the Iran war signals the “End Times”

  

  Citation

  Molly Butler/Media Matters

  Right-wing Christian media are praising Trump’s war with Iran, with some figures likening Trump to Cyrus the Great and Constantine the Great and claiming that “we are watching incredible prophecy in this time come to pass.” In addition to the fawning praise, some Christian media figures are also saying this war could be a sign of the “End Times.” 

  • FlashPoint host Lance Wallnau declared, “The return of Jesus is back on the menu.” 
  • Pro-Trump pastor and podcaster Greg Laurie — who interviewed Secretary of State Marco Rubio in October — declared that the war could be a sign of “the emergence of the Antichrist, the tribulation period, the battle of Armageddon, the second coming.” 
  • Pro-Trump “prophet” Julie Green said, “We should be celebrating and being in comfort and being at peace knowing that God is in control.”

 https://www.mediamatters.org/media-matters-weekly-newsletter/media-matters-weekly-newsletter-march-6