Commentary: Cracks in the Trump coalition? They won’t matter

The coalition led by President Donald Trump has always been a Frankenstein’s monster, pieced together from unsuitable components.

Think about the contradictions: hawkish interventionists spooning with America Firsters, immigration hardliners mixing with business elites who are tough on the border until they need someone to pick their strawberries or clean their toilets, and fast-food aficionados hanging out with juice-cleanse truthers chanting “Make America Healthy Again” in between ivermectin doses.

You know the part about the huge frenzy surrounding dogs and cats living together.

It was always going to be difficult to navigate these disparities. However, the level of animosity has increased to unprecedented levels in recent days, especially after the bombing of Iran.

Earlier this year, strain was already showing its effects. The Liberation Day tariff scandal, in which Trump imposed high tariffs and declared an emergency before suspending them after upsetting markets and frightening his business-friendly supporters, gave us early indications of disagreement.

The mistake with the tariff was a sign of things to come. However, what really revealed the divide was the House’s adoption of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, a financial abomination that self-respecting Freedom Caucus deficit hawks ought to have condemned on principle.

In a series of posts, Elon Musk, the multibillionaire tech tycoon and MAGA booster, publicly disparaged the bill and Trump. He went so far as to mention that Trump’s name was purportedly in Jeffrey Epstein’s papers, which was a claim that was unsubstantiated but equivalent to going nuclear.

However, Musk removed his hurtful tweets before he had a chance to declare “Republican Civil War,” which further demonstrated that Trump’s party still has sway and that contemporary Republicans see deficits as real but unimportant.

Immigration was the subject of the following internal dispute. Trump rounded them all up with pride as he ran. Deportations in large numbers! Get the buses loaded! However, it turns out that his wealthy friends in Big Hospitality and Big Ag weren’t really interested in losing some of their top workers.

In order to safeguard some extremely good, long-time employees in those specific industries, Trump proposed a carve out.

The true rift, however, is with those well-known America First non-interventionists who believed Trump was elected to put an end to the wars that would never end.

If you haven’t heard, Israel has been attacking Iran’s nuclear capabilities with the same fervor that Trump aide Stephen Miller uses to deport landscapers from Guatemala. Trump is fully on board, demanding the Iranian regime’s unconditional submission before dropping bombs on Saturday.

Not everyone in the MAGA coalition was happy about this.

On Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, Tucker Carlson expressed his belief that the American empire was coming to an end. However, I also think that Trump’s presidency will effectively terminate it, which is why I’m stating this.

Carlson didn’t stop there either. He remarked that the true division is not between proponents of Israel and those who back Iran or the Palestinians. It is between peacemakers and belligerents.

Then, he listed names, accusing the warmongers of being billionaire Trump donors Ike Perlmutter and Miriam Adelson, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, radio firebrand Mark Levin, and Fox’s Sean Hannity.

In response, Trump referred to Tucker as “kooky” and reiterated his new catchphrase, “IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”

It is tempting to view this dispute as the start of a rift that could ultimately result in a cohesive Trump Doctrine, at least in terms of foreign policy (perhaps bringing the GOP back to a more internationalist or Reaganite party). However, that is a misinterpretation of Trump and his alliance.

These coalitional disputes over public policy are significant and genuine. However, they are primarily found at the elite level. The real basis of Trump supporters? Trump is the only thing that matters to them.

Trump also opposes ideological shackles.

Trump might change his mind quickly than a gymnast on Red Bull if Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu offends him next week (as he did by congratulating Joe Biden in 2020) or if the country’s military effort begins to lose support.

No logical philosophy exists. No enduring ideology. What we’re witnessing is a man who makes things up as he goes along, frequently relying on his intuition or the advice of the last person to listen to him.

Therefore, keep searching if you’re trying to find a Trump Doctrine that will explain everything. There isn’t one.

Trump is the only one.

Too Dumb to Fail and Filthy Rich Politicians are written by Matt K. Lewis.