Another notable Trump supporter has come out against the US-Israel war in Iran. In a candid and pointed monologue delivered on his syndicated radio show marking his 84th birthday, longtime conservative voice Michael Savage directly challenged President Donald Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict. Savage, a staunch America First advocate, did not mince words: “He [Trump] has good intentions. He liked to have no war. Now we have a war. He ran on the platform of no wars. And now we have a war. Who is whispering in his ear?”
"That’s not to say Iran is a good nation," Savage continued. "We know the Mullahs are crazy and they live in the 7th century,” but pushed back strongly against the idea that military escalation is the solution, adding, “but maybe war isn’t the answer.”
He warned against the “stop them before it’s too late” mindset, invoking the famous The Godfather reference to the argument for stopping Hitler at Munich - and warning that bombing Iran may have severe unintended consequences.
“Do you ever think about that? What is to prevent Russia from finally saying I’m gonna join Iran in this war now? And Russia says they are going [to] send Russian troops into Iran to defend the Iranian soil. What if they do that? Is that stupid to think of?”
Savage also questioned the effectiveness of the strikes: “A year ago they were told their nuclear capacity was completely destroyed. What’s left for them to fight with? Well… Think by bombing them they’re going to stop?”
“We appeal to President Trump - as I said for four weeks now - declare victory before it’s too late. But apparently nobody hears me.”
“Nobody wanted this war. Everybody wants this war to end as quickly as possible. Anyone with a conscience knows that. Nobody’s buying the big lie.”
Savage has been notably opposed to neoconservative foreign policy adventures. He was one of the earliest major conservative voices to turn against the Iraq War in the mid-2000s - famously prioritizing “Borders, Language, Culture” over endless Middle East entanglements - and has repeatedly criticized hawkish influences in Republican administrations. During Trump’s first term, Savage voiced strong opposition to John Bolton’s influence and U.S. strikes in Syria. In recent weeks leading up to his birthday remarks, Savage has repeatedly warned that the military is “out of control” and urged the administration to think through the ramifications of escalation.
Savage is far from alone among prominent conservative commentators raising similar concerns. Tucker Carlson has repeatedly warned that the Iran escalation betrays Trump’s “no new wars” campaign promise and has questioned who is pushing the administration toward conflict.
Megyn Kelly has publicly asked who “talked Trump into” the current path. Laura Ingraham has expressed doubts on air about the rush to broader war, while paleoconservative stalwart Pat Buchanan has long sounded alarms about neoconservative influence returning to the White House.
And of course, Trump attacked them for saying so.
The divide highlights tension within the conservative movement between America First non-interventionists and those favoring a more aggressive stance toward Iran, such as Mark Levin.
At 84, Michael Savage remains as independent and outspoken as ever. His core question lingers: if President Trump campaigned so forcefully against new wars, then “Who is whispering in his ear?” — and why is that voice apparently louder than the millions of voters who expected a different approach.