Could Trump lose MAGA over Iran?
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 6 March 2026
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As the war in the Middle East enters its seventh day, prominent supporters of President Trump have criticised his decision to attack Iran. The political stakes are high for a president who pledged no new wars on the campaign trail. So can he keep the MAGA crowd on his side?
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Guest: Katy Balls, Washington editor for The Times and The Sunday Times
Host: Manveen Rana
Producer: Julia Webster
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Read more: Iran is Trump’s biggest bet yet. It could define his presidency
Further listening: Iran after the Ayatollah
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, this is Luke. I would like you to do something for me, please. Ask not what your |
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| 0:26.0 | our outfits? Fill out the survey please. There is a link in the description of this episode. |
| 0:31.7 | Thank you. |
| 0:33.9 | From the Times and the Sunday Times, this is the story. |
| 0:38.4 | I'm Manvine Rana. |
| 0:43.4 | For years on the campaign trail, at hundreds of rallies across the country, |
| 0:53.9 | and as recently as his inauguration speech, |
| 0:57.1 | Donald Trump's message was clear. No new wars. You know, we had no wars four years. They said, |
| 1:05.7 | he will start a war. I'm not going to start a war. I'm going to stop wars. We're charting a path |
| 1:10.7 | to stability and peace in the Middle East |
| 1:13.5 | because great nations do not want to fight endless wars. |
| 1:20.0 | We will keep America out of foolish, stupid, ridiculous, foreign wars. |
| 1:27.2 | But I will tell you, you're not going to have a war with me |
| 1:30.0 | and you're not going to have a third world war with me. |
| 1:32.2 | That I can tell you. |
| 1:34.1 | For Donald Trump, it's always been part of his pitch, |
| 1:38.2 | a promise to his supporters that he wouldn't be a president |
... |
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