Pro-MAGA Media Coalition Splinters Irreparably As Top Right-Wing Figures Demand Trump’s Removal Over Iran Threats

For years, Candace Owens cultivated a loyal, large pro-MAGA audience through unwavering public support for President Donald Trump. Today, she is publicly calling for his immediate removal from office.

Over the past several months, Owens and other high-profile right-wing media personalities have already broken ranks with Trump on a handful of divisive issues, ranging from the release of the Epstein files to the Trump administration’s military intervention in Venezuela. But the rift within the pro-MAGA media coalition appears to have become irreversible, following this week’s incendiary threat from the president to annihilate “a whole civilization” in Iran.

Writing on X Tuesday, Owens declared: “The 25th amendment needs to be invoked. He is a genocidal lunatic. Our Congress and military need to intervene. We are beyond madness.”

Owens is far from alone among prominent right-wing voices in pushing for Trump’s ouster. Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has also publicly called for invoking the 25th Amendment, labeling Trump’s actions toward Iran “evil and madness.” On his InfoWars program Tuesday, Alex Jones urged Trump’s removal, asking an on-air guest: “how do we 25th amendment his ass?”

Last week on an episode of Joe Rogan’s top-rated podcast, comedian Theo Von — who hosted Trump as a guest on his own show in 2024 — called both the U.S. and Israel “fucking terrorists.” Former Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson slammed Trump’s recent Truth Social posts about Iran during his Monday show, saying “It is vile on every level.” Notable red-pill streamer Sneako even wrote on X last week: “I miss Joe Biden.”

This widespread public pushback from major right-wing figures has fractured the MAGA media coalition even further. In what appears to be a direct response, a small group of diehard pro-Trump loyalists is now calling on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate American influencers for accepting undisclosed foreign funding. Conservative activist Laura Loomer called Owens’ posts “the most obvious foreign influence operation ever” before formally urging a DOJ probe on Tuesday.

Owens hit back at Loomer in a Wednesday post on X, writing: “The DOJ can investigate me all they want, Larry — they won’t find a thing.”

Prominent Pizzagate conspiracy promoter Jack Posobiec echoed Loomer’s call for an investigation. Benny Johnson, a former Turning Point USA contributor, wrote on X that he would “welcome” any formal probe. Context for that comment: In 2024, the DOJ alleged that Tenet Media, an online media company that produced shows for Johnson and other high-profile influencers, was largely funded by RT, the Russian state-backed news network. Johnson, who was not personally accused of wrongdoing by the U.S. government, released a statement at the time denying any knowledge of the alleged Russian influence scheme and framing himself as a victim of the operation.

Throughout Trump’s second term in office, his administration has regularly partnered with independent online creators to spread its messaging across social platforms. Last fall, the Pentagon revoked press credentials for dozens of mainstream news outlets, replacing their access with new credentials for creators including Loomer and Cam Higby. While many of these pro-Trump creators have attended recent Pentagon press briefings, the White House has apparently not reached out to coordinate unified messaging around the Iran conflict.

“There is/was none [of any outreach],” a source familiar with the Republican influencer outreach pipeline told WIRED, addressing the administration’s lack of communication with creators about Iran. “The online right wasn’t supportive, and there wasn’t anything that was going to change that. The best they could hope for is silence.”