Right-wing media personality Steve Bannon on Thursday downplayed the schism emerging within President Donald Trump's base over his consideration of a U.S. attack on Iran, claiming that the MAGA movement is "in a great place."
Bannon, who dined with Trump on Thursday evening, told Politico Playbook the president is looking at other options beyond U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.
"This is a guy, before he turns to violence in terms of military kinetic action, he looks at every other alternative you can do," Bannon said of Trump. "I think it just once again reinforces the reason that the MAGA movement loves him."
Trump on Thursday acknowledged the speculation about his thinking on the war that broke out last week following Israel's strikes on Tehran's nuclear and military sites, setting himself a deadline to decide on whether the U.S. should join the conflict.
"Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," Trump said, according to the White House.
Asked to address whether Trump's new timeline is a result of pressure from voices like Tucker Carlson, who has criticized his willingness to defend Israel, as well as European leaders who are pursuing a diplomatic effort with the goal of deescalation, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The president hears all voices and makes decisions based on his instincts."
"He has always said democracy is his first option," she added.
Bannon has criticized hawkish voices within the Republican Party, Fox News and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for encouraging U.S. participation.
"If [Trump] decides to use combat operations, he will explain it to the American people and not be hectored and lectured by Bibi Netanyahu," Bannon told reporters at a breakfast organized Wednesday by the Christian Science Monitor.
"Having the gall to come on ABC News and lecture the MAGA movement: 'Do you want America first or America dead?' That is inappropriate for any foreign leader to tell us, particularly somebody that's dependent upon the United States," he added.
Still, Trump has previously made clear that he is the only one who gets to define the slogan.
"Well, considering that I'm the one that developed 'America First,' and considering that the term wasn't used until I came along, I think I'm the one that decides that," Trump told The Atlantic on Saturday.
"For those people who say they want peace -- you can't have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon. So for all of those wonderful people who don't want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon -- that's not peace," he added.