POLITICS

War Abroad Splits America at Home

Thursday, March 12, 2026 · 5 sources

The Tucker Carlson Show Pod Save America Breaking Points with Krys…Behind the Bastards Breaking Points with Krys…

Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for a major reappraisal of U.S. military aid to Israel, reflecting a seismic shift in Democratic politics.
In Congress, efforts to reclaim war powers from the executive branch are failing, but a new grassroots pressure is altering the party line on funding.
From the right, accusations fly that fear is being weaponized domestically to silence criticism of Israel's campaign in Gaza.

American politics is cracking under the pressure of a foreign war.

Governor Gavin Newsom, a leading Democrat, now says the U.S. may have to reconsider its military support for Israel. On Pod Save America, he described this as a heartbreaking but necessary shift, driven by an Israeli leadership he sees as pursuing annexation and by a base increasingly outraged over Gaza. Newsom went further on Breaking Points, using the term 'apartheid state' to describe Israel, a marker of how far the Overton window has moved within his party.

This internal pressure is reshaping Congress. Representative Ro Khanna, on Breaking Points, detailed how grassroots activism and primary threats forced Democratic leadership to whip votes for a War Powers Resolution, even though it ultimately failed. Khanna argues the next fight is over money, urging his party to block any supplemental funding for conflict with Iran to force congressional accountability.

Meanwhile, from a different angle, Tucker Carlson alleges a coordinated campaign to import the war's divisions. On his show, he claimed pro-Israel forces are intentionally terrifying American Jewish children with threats of violence to stifle domestic criticism of what he calls Israel's 'territorial expansion.' He framed this as an act of social sabotage designed to weaken American cohesion.

On the ground in Israel, activists with groups like Culture of Solidarity see aid itself as political resistance. As Danielle Kanter explained on Behind the Bastards, their mutual aid work in the West Bank is explicitly framed against policies of occupation, aiming to educate Israeli volunteers about root causes. This internal Israeli dissent contrasts with the state narrative, showing the conflict's complexity.

The common thread is domestic fracture. Newsom and progressive Democrats are responding to a base that views U.S. policy as complicity. Khanna is trying to channel that energy into legislative power. Carlson warns of manipulated social division. All agree the war's consequences are now being fought inside America's borders.

Gavin Newsom, Pod Save America:
- I hope it's dawning on everybody he had no plan, no strategy.
- He had no interest or desire to engage you, me, all of us in understanding the why.

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What each podcast actually said

Pod Save America

Gavin Newsom Is Finally Comfortable with Himself • Mar 8

Gavin Newsom described Trump's war in Iran as a catastrophic failure of strategy driven by vanity and devoid of a coherent plan.
He argued the decision to strike Iran lacked any strategic grounding or public rationale, representing a fundamental breakdown of governance.
Newsom pointed to the administration's shifting explanations for the strike as evidence of its incoherence.
He connected the decision to Trump's personal priorities, highlighting a press conference where the president briefly lamented casualties before detailing his passion for interior design.
Newsom suggested the Israeli government's influence was a factor in the timing of the US strike on Iran.
He cited Marco Rubio's claim that the US action was based on Israeli planning.
Newsom linked the timing to Netanyahu's domestic political survival strategy, describing him as trying to stay out of jail.
He noted a hardline faction in Israel pushing for annexation as part of the political context.
Newsom reluctantly concluded that America may have to reconsider its military support for Israel given its current leadership's direction.
He framed this potential shift as a heartbreaking but necessary consideration for the U.S.
Newsom tied the billions spent on the conflict to domestic cuts to food stamps, Medicaid, and Medicare.
He painted the war as a diversion from domestic recovery by a historically unpopular and broken president.

War Elections

Behind the Bastards

It Could Happen Here Weekly 222 • Mar 7

Also discussed (16)

Danielle Kanter from the mutual aid collective Culture of Solidarity describes their work in Israel and Palestine as a political act challenging state systems.
The Culture of Solidarity collective operates in Israel and Palestine's Area C, directly resisting what they see as systemic oppression.
The group started during COVID-19 by rescuing food waste and distributing it to vulnerable communities in the West Bank.
Kanter realized their efforts were not merely humanitarian but political because resource scarcity resulted from deliberate policy.
The organization connects food insecurity and community needs to Israeli policies of occupation and ethnic cleansing.
Culture of Solidarity refuses to operate as a neutral charity, explicitly tying aid to political education.
The collective provides food security programs and culturally appropriate aid like diapers and baby formula.
They intentionally avoid institutionalization, remaining a community-funded collective without salaries.
Kanter views the organization as one meant to be deleted, not perpetuated, working as an anti-institutional collective.
Their work includes hosting events, debates, and workshops to educate participants about root causes of injustice.
This approach forces Israeli volunteers to confront state narratives about the occupation and government actions.
Kanter admits this educational journey is challenging for volunteers, especially after the events of October 7th.
Some volunteers struggle with the stark political realities presented by the collective's framework.
Within the collective, questioning is seen as the necessary path forward despite the difficulty.
Kanter notes the difficulty of living in a society where many justify war crimes, describing it as a genocidal society.
She emphasizes that asking questions is the crucial first step toward unlearning entrenched beliefs.

War Middle East Corruption

The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker on the Devastating Cost of War and What It Means for American Politics With Saagar Enjeti • Mar 6

Tucker Carlson claims Israel is running a propaganda campaign in the U.S. to terrify Jewish Americans, including children, into supporting its war aims.
He claims the campaign aims to silence domestic criticism of Israeli territorial expansion in Gaza.
Carlson frames the Gaza conflict as a religious war centered on the symbolic Third Temple in Jerusalem.
He states that divisions from this religious war are being deliberately imported into American society.
Carlson dismisses accusations that his show incited violence against the Jewish organization Habad as a coordinated attack by 'Israel and its proxies.'
Carlson argues the broader aim is to weaken the United States economically.
He positions the domestic fear campaign as evidence the war's consequences are already poisoning American society.

Also discussed (6)

Carlson argues this is an intentional effort to weaken American social cohesion.
He describes receiving calls from friends connected to Habad who said schools were closing due to security fears allegedly stirred by his commentary.
Carlson calls the tactic of terrifying children to achieve political silence 'super dark' and 'completely evil.'
He claims terrifying children to silence criticism is a form of social sabotage.
He states that actors behind the war want to destroy America's internal cohesion by fermenting religious hatred.
Carlson concludes by urging Americans to resist this imported division and treat each other as fellow citizens.

War Media Diplomacy Middle East

Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

3/6/26: Jobs CRATER, Gas SKYROCKETS, Anti-War Vote FAILS • Mar 6

The U.S. House of Representatives voted down a War Powers Resolution that would have asserted Congress's constitutional authority over military action in Iran.
Representative Ro Khanna expressed deep disappointment in the failure, stating he was 'saddened for our nation' given the history of recent wars.
Khanna highlighted the human cost, noting six American service members have already been lost in the Iran conflict.
Khanna noted billions of dollars have been spent on the Iran conflict without a clear objective from the administration.
Khanna argued the lack of an articulated purpose beyond 'weakening Iran' makes the sacrifice of American lives and money unjustifiable.
Khanna argues the U.S. cannot afford perpetual, undeclared wars.
Despite the failure, Khanna noted a significant shift in Democratic support for the resolution.
Khanna credited a combination of persuasion and the threat of primary challenges for compelling Democratic leadership to whip the vote.
Khanna said a new Democratic party line, spurred by grassroots pressure, helped shift many votes.
Khanna sees the next battle moving to funding, urging Democrats to block any supplemental funding for the Iran conflict.
Khanna stated there should be a consistent Democratic line of 'not a single dollar for funding the Iran supplemental'.
Khanna asserted that Congress's power over war lies in its control of the purse.
Khanna floated the idea of forcing a full declaration of war vote to make members of Congress directly accountable.

War Regulation

3/5/26: Newsom Calls Israel Apartheid, Saagar Humiliated On War, Lindsey Graham Holy War • Mar 5

Also discussed (15)

Democratic leaders are grappling with a significant shift in public sentiment regarding Israel's actions in Gaza.
Governor Gavin Newsom, a 2028 presidential contender, has openly discussed potentially reconsidering U.S. military support for Israel.
Newsom described the situation in Israel as a potential 'apartheid state'.
This stance reflects a broader progressive outrage that has taken root among the Democratic base.
Newsom's recent statements are a clear reaction to evolving attitudes within his party.
Voters are increasingly frustrated with U.S. complicity in perceived injustices in Israel.
Newsom suggested that U.S. military aid could be made contingent upon Israel's actions.
Newsom is attempting to align his position with the preferences of a changing electorate.
Newsom is also navigating the complexities of party loyalty with his statements.
Tension over Israel is evident in congressional races, such as candidate Valerie Fushi shifting her stance.
Candidates have strategically shifted stances on Israel to survive tough primary challenges.
Traditional pro-Israel positions are increasingly vulnerable to challenges from more progressive candidates.
Democratic leaders face an urgent need to reconcile foreign policy with grassroots demands.
Newsom's ambiguous language aims to acknowledge Israel's right to exist while critiquing its policies.
Critics argue Newsom's careful approach lacks the conviction needed to appeal to a base intolerant of inaction on human rights.

The Frontier Curator

War Abroad Splits America at Home

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