The Wall Street Journal found that hourly Trump mentions on conservative podcasts were down nearly 70 percent from the 2024 campaign peak. Monthly mentions have fallen 30 percent since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February, as prominent MAGA figures criticize the war.
The Journal analyzed nearly 70,000 hours of podcasts using an AI tool. A CNN/SSRS poll found 60 percent of Republicans approved of Trump’s handling of the conflict, down from 73 percent in March.
Tucker Carlson was among the first prominent conservative voices to criticize the war. In April, Trump hit back at Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones, writing that their criticism reflected their “low IQs.” Republican Senate candidates Ashley Hinson in Iowa and Mike Rogers in Michigan have also called for the war to end, citing costs. The Journal found Texas Democrat James Talarico was mentioned on conservative podcasts more often this month than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Gavin Newsom.
