Lock step no more: Iran war shows cracks in Trump's conservative media support

Some of the sharpest criticism that President Donald Trump has faced in the early days of the Iran war has come from once-loyal media figures more accustomed to singing his praises

NEW YORK -- For President Donald Trump, some of the sharpest criticism he's faced in the early days of the Iran war has come from once-loyal media figures far more accustomed to singing his praises.

Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Matt Walsh are among those to express discontent. It's been noticed in the White House, which has been playing defense on social media and in interviews.

To be sure, these critics are the minority of the media MAGAsphere, where Fox News' biggest stars remain cheerleaders. But their words illustrate conservative media's influence and how valuable it is to Trump when all runs as a well-oiled machine — and, by contrast, how much of a problem it can be if it fractures.

Much of the criticism has centered on Israel's influence on Trump's decision to go to war. Carlson, the former Fox News star who has built his own independent operation, told ABC News over the weekend that the attack was “absolutely disgusting and evil.”

“It's hard to say this, but the United States didn't make the decision here,” Carlson said on his podcast, citing the Israeli prime minister. “Benjamin Netanyahu did.”