Epstein, ‘Israel’ and more: Four reasons MAGA hardliners are turning on Trump

Voices within President Donald Trump’s support base, particularly from the religious evangelical segment of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement, have begun to escalate their criticism of both Trump and “Israel.” Media reports suggest that growing pressure from this bloc may push the U.S. president to scale back its support for Tel Aviv.

Trump, however, along with his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has shown no indication of such a shift. Both have repeatedly expressed support for the Israeli Occupation and have largely remained silent on its ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

As tracked by Al-Estiklal, criticism of Trump from the MAGA movement centers on four main issues. The first is the belief that the president has dragged the United States into conflicts in Gaza and Iran, in contradiction to his campaign promise to avoid foreign entanglements and focus on domestic priorities under the “Make America Great Again” policy.

The second point of contention is growing anger within the movement over the increasing number of attacks by Israeli Occupation settlers on Palestinian Christians in the occupied territories.

Third, the Israeli government has obstructed and barred the entry of Western pastors into the country and restricted the activities of Western Christian organizations. These violations are seen as efforts to appease the far-right Jewish bloc within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government. In response, several American evangelical organizations have threatened to withdraw both financial and moral support for “Israel,” according to the U.S. Ambassador to “Israel” Mike Huckabee, a Baptist pastor.

The fourth and final grievance stems from Trump’s refusal to release documents related to his alleged involvement in the scandal surrounding child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. MAGA supporters see this refusal as undermining the Christian values that originally earned him their backing.

Is the Movement Turning Its Back?

Make America Great Again may be beginning to turn its back on “Israel,” Politico reported on July 29.

The magazine noted that while the movement continues to support Donald Trump, some U.S. analysts have warned that the U.S. president risks alienating his electoral base due to “actions” taken by Tel Aviv, which appear to contradict the very platform on which his supporters initially backed him.

The report highlighted the rise of a vocal faction within Trump's MAGA base that is increasingly critical of “Israel,” in stark contrast to the traditional Republican establishment, which has long treated the U.S.–“Israel” relationship as sacrosanct and has typically refrained from criticizing the Jewish ally in the Middle East.

According to Politico, this growing discontent stems from “Israel’s” role in pulling the United States into foreign wars, undermining Trump's non-interventionist doctrine, and draining American financial resources.

Since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023, the United States has provided $22.76 billion in military support to the Israeli Occupation, covering approximately 70 percent of the genocide’s total cost, according to estimates from The Watson School of International and Public Affairs.

Politico noted that while this louder MAGA wing gains ground, a separate bloc of pro-“Israel” Republicans on Capitol Hill remains firmly aligned with “Israel.”

Yet the party’s right flank is growing increasingly frustrated with the aggression on Gaza, “arguing the war is politically noxious for the president and a moral stain on the country’s reputation,” as per Politico.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a staunch Trump ally, was the first member of Congress to describe “Israel’s actions” in Gaza as “genocide.” In a tweet slamming fellow House Republican Randy Fine of Florida, she said that the “genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation” in Gaza are as “unacceptable” as the Oct. 7 attacks. She also condemned the United States for funding “Israel’s” war on the Strip.

Her remarks reflect a growing shift among segments of the Christian nationalist right, who are becoming increasingly skeptical of unwavering support for “Israel,” even as Trump continues to stand by Tel Aviv and signal approval for its war crimes.

“There are children starving [in Gaza], and Christians have been killed and injured, as well as many innocent people,” Greene said. “If you are an American Christian, this should be absolutely unacceptable to you.”

“Why should America continue funding this? Many of us, even though we are Christians, no longer want to fund and fight nuclear-armed secular Israel’s wars, especially when it leads to starving children and killing innocent people, including Christians,” she added.

“We are beyond fed up with being told that we have to fix the world’s problems, pay for the world’s problems, and fight all the world’s wars while Americans are struggling to survive even though they work everyday.”

Prominent figures within the Make America Great Again movement have also intensified their criticism of “Israel.” Former Rep. Matt Gaetz and Steve Bannon are among those condemning “Israel’s actions” and warning that the issue is a political liability for the Trump administration with the president’s base.

A report published by CNN on July 31, 2025, noted that warnings are mounting that “Israel” is causing lasting damage to its standing in the United States.

A Gallup poll conducted on July 29 found that 6 in 10 Americans, or 60 percent, disapprove of “Israel’s military operations” in the Gaza Strip. However, the poll also showed that 70 percent of Republicans, Trump’s core constituency, including MAGA voters, support “the military campaign.”

This suggests that concerns over Trump potentially losing his base may be overstated. The sentiment among his supporters appears to be one of unease and frustration with “Israel’s” conduct and its implications for the United States, rather than a wholesale abandonment of support.

Nonetheless, CNN reported that the shift in public opinion has led some of Trump’s top allies to openly question whether the United States should continue its current level of support for “Israel.”

The network cited members of Congress who said “Israel” is losing the battle for global public opinion and that the high number of Palestinian casualties is eroding the country’s international standing.

Trump himself made a striking statement when he described the situation in Gaza as heartbreaking, disgraceful, and catastrophic, amid reports of systematic starvation affecting civilians in the besieged territory. Still, he has not altered his policy stance.

In a notable leak from a private meeting with a major Jewish donor to his campaign, Trump reportedly warned of “waning traditional support” for “Israel” among the American public. “My people are starting to hate Israel,” Trump said.

The Times of Israel republished the quote, highlighting growing concern within Trump’s campaign over mounting criticism of the longstanding U.S.–“Israel” partnership from within the president’s own movement.

According to informed sources, Trump suggested during his conversation with the donor that the images emerging from Gaza, showing widespread suffering among civilians, are beginning to trouble a growing segment of conservative Republicans who have long offered “Israel” their unwavering support.

Trump is keen to avoid alienating his electoral base, which he now describes as less enthusiastic and more skeptical about the policies pursued by the Netanyahu government.

A Crisis Among Christians

The evangelical wing of the Make America Great Again movement has launched a sharp attack on “Israel” following a surge in aggression by Israeli Occupation settlers against Palestinian Christians, as well as new restrictions imposed by the Netanyahu government on Western clergy entering the country. These restrictions include additional bureaucratic hurdles and visa complications.

According to multiple U.S. media reports, the rising violence against Palestinian Christians in Gaza and the West Bank has deepened divisions within President Trump’s political base regarding continued American support for “Israel.”

One source of growing anger among American Christian conservatives has been “Israel’s” increasing refusal to grant visas to pastors and members of Christian charities and churches from the United States and other Western countries. These groups, who have historically offered material and spiritual support to “Israel,” have filed complaints with the U.S. ambassador, citing hostility and even physical attacks from Israeli settlers.

This trend has led to growing frustration among evangelical leaders and other religious conservatives in the United States toward “Israel,” according to Haaretz.

Senior Trump administration officials reportedly issued retaliatory warnings to Israeli counterparts, with one message stating bluntly: “You’re losing me.”

A report by “Israel’s” Channel 12 on July 18 detailed the growing anger among American evangelicals. The U.S. ambassador in Tel Aviv, Mike Huckabee, reportedly sent a formal warning to the Netanyahu government, stating that Washington would consider denying entry to Israeli nationals in response to “Israel’s” treatment of Christian organizations.

In his letter, the ambassador warned that the United States might also advise Christian communities against contributing to “Israel.” 

“We would further be obligated to warn Christians in America that their generous contributions to organizations to promote goodwill in Israel are being met with hostility and that tourists should reconsider travel until this situation is resolved with clarity,” Huckabee wrote, adding that he would “have no other choice than to instruct our Consular Section to review options for reciprocal treatment of Israeli citizens seeking visas to the United States.”

Roughly 150 Christian organizations in the United States have submitted complaints about denied or delayed visa applications. In response, Huckabee issued a strongly worded message to Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, criticizing the policy.

However, on July 21, the ambassador announced a resolution to the visa issue, affirming that American Christians remain among the strongest supporters of “Israel.”

Despite this resolution, the visa crisis left a lingering sense of resentment among MAGA supporters, who viewed the restrictions as a breach of goodwill. This prompted Israeli Occupation authorities to reverse some of the entry limitations placed on evangelical clergy, effectively defusing the diplomatic standoff, though not without political cost.

Meanwhile, Der Spiegel reported on July 19 that extremist Israeli settlers have significantly escalated their attacks against Christian communities in the West Bank. The German magazine highlighted what it described as systematic efforts to drive Christians from their lands, and pointed to the complicity of Israeli authorities in these acts.

The report documented harrowing personal stories and warned that the crisis threatens the continued presence of Christians in the occupied territories, an issue that has stirred concern and anger within the United States.

The Epstein Scandal

In addition to growing concerns over U.S. policy on “Israel,” the MAGA movement’s anger toward Donald Trump has been further inflamed by his involvement with disgraced financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The controversy reignited after images and reports circulated in July 2025, showing Trump alongside Epstein at private events, including at his exclusive club in Florida. The U.S. president, attempting to distance himself from the scandal, admitted in early August 2025 that he had once allowed Epstein into the club but claimed he later expelled him for inappropriate behavior.

Despite this assertion, the Epstein case has emerged as a politically damaging and deeply personal crisis, undermining Trump’s credibility with a segment of his conservative Christian base, many of whom see the scandal as incompatible with the moral values they expect from their political leader.

Jeffrey Epstein, a U.S. businessman, was accused of operating a vast sex trafficking network involving underage girls, some as young as 14. He was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019, while awaiting trial, a case officially ruled a suicide but still surrounded by speculation.

The files associated with the Epstein case included the names of numerous high-profile global figures, including Britain’s Prince Andrew, former President Bill Clinton, the current president Donald Trump, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, singer Michael Jackson, and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.

Trump’s friendship with Epstein reportedly dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s, though the U.S. president later claimed to have severed ties. Nevertheless, photographs of the two attending Epstein-hosted events have resurfaced, prompting renewed scrutiny of their relationship.

The fallout intensified after The Wall Street Journal published a report alleging that Trump had sent Epstein a birthday note in 2003 containing suggestive language and a reference to a “secret.” Trump responded by filing a $10 billion lawsuit against the newspaper, denying the authenticity of the letter and characterizing the coverage as part of a broader political witch hunt.

Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019, during Trump’s first term as president. Epstein had faced charges of trafficking underage girls and allegedly providing them to influential individuals. Some media reports have suggested that Trump could have been among those implicated, a claim he has repeatedly denied.

The MAGA movement’s frustration grew in late July 2025, after CNN reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had privately informed Trump that his name appeared in sealed case files linked to Epstein. The disclosure raised alarm within MAGA circles, where many saw the issue as a moral failing inconsistent with the Christian values they support.

Others within the movement framed the scandal as part of a broader conspiracy. Some suggested that Epstein had ties to Israeli intelligence or other “deep state” actors, accusing them of using blackmail operations to manipulate powerful figures. This narrative has fueled further distrust toward both Trump and “Israel” within segments of the MAGA base.

Politico reported on July 14 that the Epstein affair had fractured Trump’s movement more than any previous controversy. The magazine noted that the scandal exposed deep fault lines among his supporters and weakened the unifying appeal of the MAGA slogan: “Make America Great Again.”

The article argued that Trump could not simply ignore the Epstein case, particularly because many of his most ardent supporters believe the conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s connections to government-backed extortion schemes.

Epstein, once a friend of Trump, was publicly described by the U.S. president over two decades ago as someone who liked girls, especially young ones, a comment that continues to haunt Trump’s image among conservative evangelicals today.