War

Trump and Vance Promised 'No New Wars.' What Happened To That?

Some MAGA peaceniks have seemingly transformed into neocons.

Steven Greenhut | 3.13.2026 10:01 AM

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(Illustration: The Wall Street Journal/Bonnie Cash-Pool via CNP/CNP/Polaris/Newscom/Yuri Gripas-Pool via CNP/picture alliance/Consolidated News Photos/Newscom)

MAGA's philosophical twists and turns are hard to follow given that whenever Donald Trump changes his mind his supporters have three go-to approaches. First, they claim his latest notion is part of a 3D chess game even if, by all appearances, Trump would struggle to play one-level tic-tac-toe. Second, they distract our attention: Didn't Barack Obama do this, too? Third, they get with the program and shamelessly back whatever the president is doing.

Sometimes MAGA-supporting influencers with their own agendas and philosophies take issue with some Trump policy. But rank-and-file MAGA always follows the Dear Leader even if it means contradicting some Deeply Held Principle they espoused weeks ago. The closest MAGA has to a firm belief set—outside of scapegoating immigrants—involves war and peace. I figured MAGA supporters were halfway serious about their often-touted goals of noninterventionism.

Then, boom—quite literally. MAGA cheered as Trump deposed the Venezuelan dictator to promote "freedom," although the administration bypassed the democratic resistance and replaced him with another authoritarian.........

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