Friendly fire: Why MAGA influencers are turning on Trump

On Oct. 18, about 7 million people across America took to the streets to protest Donald Trump’s policies as part of the “No Kings” rally. Among them, surprisingly, may have been quite a few of Trump’s former ardent supporters. Eleven months after his election victory, criticism is coming not only from traditional media, but increasingly from podcasters within the so-called “right-wing media bubble.” This information ecosystem includes conservative and far-right shows that have built audiences of millions over the past decade, becoming a key part of the Republican Party’s infrastructure. The space includes big names like Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly, and Tucker Carlson. The split within the MAGA camp was triggered not only by Trump’s refusal to release the Epstein files, his funding of wars, and his attempts to curtail the First Amendment, but also by the lack of progress in peace talks with Russia, a budget dispute with Elon Musk, the dismissal of dissenting officials, his support for Benjamin Netanyahu, his receipt of a jet from Qatar, and the construction crews building a gilded ballroom in the White House.

• 1.Boring stuff
• 2.Tariffs: cough syrup or nonsense?
• 3.“I stopped six wars in six months”
• 4.“Consequence culture” instead of “cancel culture”

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In June 2024, at the height of the U.S. election campaign, Fox News journalist Rachel Campos-Duffy, a Trump ally, asked the Republican candidate whether he would declassify the “Epstein files” if he became president. After a short pause, Trump replied that he would.

Boring stuff

For years, Republicans and their supporters have fueled public interest in the case of Jeffrey Epstein, who for years systematically trafficked young women, including minors, for sexual exploitation. They hinted that Democratic Party politicians might appear on his client list, and even that they could have been involved in his death — in a New York City jail in 2019. On the day of Epstein’s death, Trump himself reposted a tweet reading: “#JefferyEpstein had information on Bill Clinton & now he’s dead.”

Trump has long been involved in spreading various conspiracy theories — and courting the audiences that embrace them. The story of the “Epstein files” fit perfectly into the QAnon community’s mythical “deep state” — a supposed network of politicians, Hollywood stars, and businessmen who worship the devil, abuse children, and conspire against Trump. Yet it was precisely the “Epstein files,” which for years had helped Trump win extra points among the far-right audience, that ultimately dealt a serious blow to his relationship with the MAGA camp.

Trump in the company of the now-deceased Jeffrey Epstein

A year after that Fox News interview, the Department of Justice and the FBI announced that the “Epstein list” does not exist and that no disclosure of information in the case is planned. When journalists asked Trump about this during a Cabinet meeting devoted to flooding in Texas, he said that the “Epstein files” are rather boring stuff that is not worth attention.

Three days later, Trump published a post in which he said that the administration and his supporters should focus on other issues:

“We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.”

He later claimed that the “Epstein files” are supposedly a fake created by the Obama administration, writing on Truth Social: “My PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line, and sinker… I don’t want their support anymore!”

This turn disappointed many podcasters popular among conservative voters, who just a year ago had supported Trump with a united front in the presidential election. Elon Musk even wrote on X: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.” Later Musk deleted the post.

MAGA activist Candace Owens, with over 6 million followers on Instagram and her podcast Candace, also criticized Trump for treating his supporters as “stupid for still caring about the Epstein files.”

Ultra-right podcaster Alex Jones (4.5 million followers on X) called the refusal to publish the “Epstein files” “the biggest train wreck I’ve ever seen,” adding, “I support you, but we built the movement you rode in on. You’re not the movement, you just surfed in on it.”

Far-right podcaster Alex Jones called the refusal to release the “Epstein files” “the biggest train wreck” he had ever seen

During his speech at the Turning Point USA student summit, Tucker Carlson joined in: “The fact that the U.S. government, the one that I voted for, refused to take my question seriously and instead said, 'Case closed. Shut up, conspiracy theorist,' was too much for me. And I don't think the rest of us should be satisfied with that.”

Another conservative podcaster, Brandon Tatum (3.7 million subscribers on YouTube), said at the same event: “I think that that guy was involved in something nefarious that implicates a whole lot of people. And my guess is that a whole lot of people may happen to be some of our allies and some people that we don't want to have a bad relationship with.”

Right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who has nearly 2 million followers on X, was also unhappy with the Trump administration’s actions: “Mark my word, the lack of actual results at the DOJ and lack of transparency that translates into incompetence will cost the GOP House and Senate seats.”

Former Fox News journalist and current podcast host Megyn Kelly (4 million followers) said the story could “actually cost Trump in the midterms.”

A similar stance was taken by Joe Rogan, one of the most influential American podcasters (20 million subscribers on YouTube). He criticized the administration’s attempts to gaslight people who were demanding the release of the files and said the administration was trying to hide the truth.

Another far-right activist who is rapidly gaining popularity, Nick Fuentes, spoke out even more radically. In an episode of his America First podcast, he declared: “When we look back on the history of populism in America, we are going to look back on the MAGA movement as the biggest scam in history. And the liberals were right. The MAGA supporters were had. They were.”

There are, however, some who chose not to criticize Trump. Ben Shapiro, for example, backed the official position and took aim at those promoting conspiracy theories about the Epstein case without solid evidence. Charlie Kirk, who had previously created a large amount of content about Epstein for a young audience, noted that Generation Z is “deeply disappointed and angry.” At the same time, he said that since the topic was closed, he would not discuss it any further.

Still, such support appears to be an exception. The vast majority of major podcasts that had previously supported Trump condemned the way he shut down the issue of the “Epstein files.” Voters were also unhappy. A public opinion poll conducted a week after the announcement about the client lists supposedly not existing after all showed that 54% of Americans were dissatisfied with how Trump handled the situation — only 17% approved of his actions.

Among Republican Party supporters, the numbers were somewhat different: 35% supported Trump, while 30% were disappointed. As a result, Trump’s overall approval rating declined only slightly, returning to the same level it was at during his first presidency.

The reason for the seeming contradiction is that Trump’s core electorate currently has no other candidate — at least for now — who both promotes their ideas and enjoys enough popularity to win a national election. Therefore, they will continue to support him lest the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives and go on to win the 2028 presidential contest.

Tariffs: cough syrup or nonsense?

Another issue that has caused serious divisions within Trump’s camp is the trade wars he launched. The market crash triggered by the introduction of tariffs and Americans’ growing concern over economic issues has certainly not been a win for the president. According to polls, 36% of voters now cite the economy as the most important problem in the United States. By comparison, civil rights rank second with 14%.

Another reason lies in the very idea of tariffs, which contradicts the concept of free trade long defended by Republicans. At the party’s core is the belief that the state should avoid protectionism and interfere as little as possible in the flow of capital and goods.

The idea of high import tariffs did not find support among many Republicans

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky summed up the Republican criticism of tariff policy on the program Just Asking Questions, where he said that “the goal of encouraging foreigners and others to invest in our country is good, and I think that the way you should encourage them is by having freedom…to have low regulations and low taxes.”

Conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro (7 million subscribers), speaking on the All In podcast, also said that the idea that tariffs are good and strengthen the American economy is “wrong.” Shapiro further called on Trump to fire Peter Navarro, the White House trade adviser who designed the tariff strategy.

Joe Rogan joined in the criticism, calling the president’s feud with Canada “stupid.” Meanwhile, entrepreneur and media executive Dave Portnoy said he had lost about $20 million due to the market crash following the introduction of tariffs. Still, he said he would continue to support Trump. “I think they’re smarter than me when it comes to these tariffs. I also think he’s playing a high-stakes game here. I’m gonna roll with him for a couple days, a couple weeks, see how this pans out,” Portnoy said.

The debate over tariffs was so divisive among Trump supporters precisely because so many of them came down on the other side. The far-right audience, unlike some Republicans with more libertarian views, supported the idea of tariffs as part of Trump’s “America First” policy.

The debate over tariffs exposed divisions among Trump’s supporters

For example, the late Charlie Kirk said that tariffs are “like taking cough syrup — it doesn't feel good, but it is good for you.” He added: “You are seeing a historic reorganization of the global and the American economy… Do you want to be reliant on the Chinese Communist Party? Do you want to be subservient to a foreign land?”

Comedian Theo Von, returning from a major tour, stated that tariffs are the only way to revive the economy in abandoned towns: “If we don't try this, then I think it's a wrap … On this comedy tour, we've been to probably the top 200 cities…and a lot of them, there's nothing there. It's empty downtowns. It's boarded up.”

Nick Fuentes also enthusiastically supported the tariff decisions on his America First show. “America First is about recognizing that a nation has well-being… It's not free market, it's not liberal, but that's a good thing. It's nationalist… Excellent policy. Excellent policy, Mr. President. We need more of this,” Fuentes said.

Interestingly, some free-market supporters who had previously criticized tariffs shifted to Trump’s side. For instance, Marco Rubio, who in 2016 had opposed the idea of tariffs, stated in 2025 (after being appointed Secretary of State) that “we have to reset the global order of trade.”

Nevertheless, partly due to the response from Democratic and neutral audiences, approval of Trump’s economic policies dropped from +10% to -19% between January and October 2025.

“I stopped six wars in six months”

Supporters of the “America First” policy also have questions about Trump’s foreign policy — particularly regarding the joint attack with Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025. The main complaint is the excessive expenditure of resources on foreign conflicts, which threatens the interests of the United States itself.

In addition to actively supporting Israel, some of Trump’s media backers also criticize continued support for Ukraine, the planned Qatari military facility on a U.S. base in Idaho, the use of the military against protesters, and the excessive defense spending in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Comedian Theo Von, on his podcast This Past Weekend, said: “I thought this was supposed to be America First…and it feels like we’re just working only for Israel. I think to a lot of people it's…you just start to feel very disillusioned pretty quickly.”

Meanwhile, comedian Andrew Schulz, who had also previously supported Trump, said on the Flagrant podcast: “Everything he campaigned on, I believe he wanted to do — and now he's doing the exact opposite thing of every single f***ing thing… I want him to stop the wars — he's funding them. I want him to shrink spending, reduce the budget — he's increasing it.”

Tim Dillon, on his show The Tim Dillon Show, also raised questions: “Is Iran the reason that no one can afford a house? Is Iran the reason that there's fentanyl everywhere? When your insurance won't cover a knee operation, is your main concern Iran?”

Joe Rogan, while conducting an interview with guest Bernie Sanders, said on his podcast: “I think the whole MAGA thing right now is very divided, particularly because one of the things they voted for was no war. Well, now it seems like we’re in a war. It’s quick. Six months in and that’s already popped off.”

Tucker Carlson also joined in, calling on the Trump administration to “drop Israel and let them fight their own wars.”

Again, however, Trump still had his backers. Far-right activist Laura Loomer even posted that she considered herself a “loyalty watchdog” and said she would take screenshots of politicians criticizing Trump in order to send them directly to the president.

Prior to the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a majority of Republican voters said they would welcome an attack on Iranian military bases. Polls showed the decision was supported by 65% of MAGA voters and 51% of more traditional Republicans, and Trump’s overall approval rating changed little even after the operation.

At the same time, part of Trump’s aggressive foreign policy is supported by the rightwing audience as being in the American interest. For example, the late Charlie Kirk reacted positively when Trump signed a directive authorizing the use of the military against Latin American drug cartels: “Almost every single community in America has piles of bodies right now in morgues of people that have overdosed from fentanyl, has piles of bodies of people that have died because of the Mexican drug cartels… We used our military all across the world. Why don't we use our military to protect our own homeland?”

Ben Domanek appeared to react similarly after the U.S. struck a vessel allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean: “Regarding the cartels, an enhanced operational approach should have been applied to working with them. It has been discussed before, but during Trump’s first term it was never treated as a real move. Like many other things, it was postponed.”

“Consequence culture” instead of “cancel culture”

The latest point of disagreement within the MAGA camp involves Trump’s personal reaction to statements about the murder of rightwing activist Charlie Kirk. Vice President J.D. Vance urged his supporters to “shame” anyone who “celebrates Charlie’s death” and “call their employers.” And this indeed began to happen.

According to Reuters, at least 15 people were suspended from work in the course of three days due to posts and statements about Kirk. Later, ABC temporarily pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s evening show after his “goldfish” joke in connection with Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s death.

Attorney General Pam Bondi initially stated that the Department of Justice “would prosecute anyone for hate speech,” and only after criticism added a clarification that this applied solely to “speech that incites violence.”

The problem for the Trump administration is that Republicans have historically reacted very strongly to violations of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech. For example, Charlie Kirk himself wrote: “You should be allowed to say outrageous things. There are disgusting statements. There are crude statements. There are malicious statements. And all of this is protected by the First Amendment.”

Republicans have historically reacted very strongly to violations of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech

Trump also often courted his audience by promising to eliminate “cancel culture.” That’s why, after Jimmy Kimmel’s show was pulled, Barack Obama wrote on X: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level.” To distance themselves from those they had criticized for years, Trump’s team even coined a new term for their actions: “Consequence Culture.” But it did little to help.

Savannah Hernandez, a reporter for Charlie Kirk’s organization Turning Point USA, commented on Pam Bondi’s statements: “‘There’s free speech, and then there’s hate speech’ is the most destructive phrase that has ever been uttered. And Pam Bondi just said it. She needs to be removed as attorney general now.”

Tucker Carlson, in a special episode of his show, effectively called for civil disobedience if the White House attempted to restrict free speech: “You hope that a year from now, the turmoil we're seeing in the aftermath of his murder won't be leveraged to bring hate speech laws to this country. And trust me, if it is, if that does happen, there is never a more justified moment for civil disobedience than that, ever.”

Republican Senator Ted Cruz also acknowledged on his podcast: “If the government gets in the business of saying, 'We don't like what you the media have said. We're going to ban you from the airwaves if you don't say what we like,' that will end up bad for conservatives.” As a result, the week following Kirk’s murder, approval of Trump’s policies fell to a record low of 39%, while disapproval hit a record high of 57%. Support among Republicans, however, remained strong and even rose — from 84% to 88% according to a YouGov/Economist poll.

At the same time, the refusal to release the Epstein files, the insistence on funding wars, and attempts to restrict the First Amendment are not the only sources of frustration within the MAGA camp. Conservative podcaster Michael Savage (real name Michael Weiner) wrote on X what he believes is alienating Trump’s voters, listing seven points: lack of progress in peace talks with Russia, conflict with Elon Musk over the budget plan, firing dissenting officials, the Epstein case, support for Netanyahu, receiving a plane from Qatar, and building a gilded ballroom in the White House.

On the right, there are also those who criticize Trump for not being radical enough. Extremist blogger Curtis Yarvin, who is often cited by J.D. Vance, claimed the administration is doing too little to dismantle democratic institutions and suppress the Democratic Party. “The second Trump revolution, like the first, is failing. It is failing because it deserves to fail. It is failing because it spends all its time patting itself on the back,” Yarvin wrote. In the same post, he said he planned to emigrate from the U.S., fearing Democratic retaliation after the next elections (though he later edited the post).

This is not Yarvin’s first critique of Trump’s tendency to smooth over conflicts. As early as April, six weeks after the inauguration, he predicted that “the Trump regime will begin to wither and eventually dissipate.”

He is not alone in fearing a Democratic return to the White House. Nick Fuentes also said he would leave the country if Republicans lose the next presidential election. “Whoever comes to power from the Left is going to want blood,” Fuentes warned.

The growing disappointment among rightwing podcasters and activists shows that MAGA support for Trump is no longer unconditional. How this will affect trust in the Republican Party will become clear in November 2026, when control of the House and part of the Senate will be at stake. A few more missteps in the vein of Trump’s handling of the “Epstein files,” and many of his former staunch supporters could turn into active opponents — taking millions of followers with them.