Tucker Carlson has been one of the right’s loudest voices urging the United States to stay out of Israel’s war with Iran — part of a broader effort to overturn the GOP’s hawkish consensus.

But now, as tensions rise amid Israeli strikes, Carlson has had a setback to his project: a derogatory nickname from President Donald Trump.

“Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, ‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!’” Trump posted on TruthSocial on Monday night.

This is more important than just a nickname; there are real stakes here. Trump’s lashing out is a sign that, on this pivotal issue of potential war with Iran, he’s turned against Carlson — a longtime close ally.

On Monday, I published a lengthy feature about the rise of an America First faction — including Carlson, Vice President JD Vance, and Donald Trump Jr. — that sought to overturn the Republican Party’s foreign policy establishment. Famously, they want the US to stop supporting Ukraine against Russia. But they’re also deeply suspicious of the US becoming embroiled in “forever wars” in the Middle East.

© Vox