Fresh polling data from the Pew Research Center reveals a notable shift in Republican attitudes toward Israel, particularly among younger conservative voters, while President Donald Trump has launched sharp criticism against several prominent right-wing media figures.
The new survey indicates that while Republican support for Israel still outweighs opposition overall, there’s been a marked decline among younger party members. Among all Republicans and those who lean Republican, 58% maintain favorable views of Israel while 41% hold unfavorable opinions.
The generational divide within the party has become more pronounced, with 57% of Republicans between ages 18 and 49 now holding negative views of Israel, representing an increase from 50% the previous year. In contrast, Republicans aged 50 and above maintain predominantly positive attitudes toward the nation.
For context, Democratic opposition to Israel has grown even more dramatically, with 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now viewing Israel unfavorably, jumping from 69% last year and 53% in 2022. Younger Democrats show slightly stronger negative sentiment than their older counterparts, with 47% expressing very unfavorable opinions compared to 39% of older Democrats.
Republican opinions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have become evenly split, with 45% expressing significant or moderate confidence in his leadership while 44% report little to no confidence. The age gap persists here as well, with Republicans over 50 showing twice the confidence level in Netanyahu compared to younger Republicans—58% versus 30%.
Regarding Trump’s approach to US-Israel relations, approximately 73% of Republicans express confidence in his decision-making abilities, compared to just 16% of Democrats. However, younger Republicans show less enthusiasm, with only 52% of those under 30 expressing confidence, dramatically lower than the 93% confidence rate among Republicans 65 and older.
In a separate development, President Trump used his Truth Social platform to launch an extensive attack on conservative media personalities Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Candace Owens, and Megyn Kelly. These commentators, who previously backed Trump, have recently voiced opposition to his Iran war stance and Israel policies. Trump labeled them as “NUT JOBS, TROUBLEMAKERS,” ridiculed them for being “thrown off Television,” and declared they were no longer welcome on TV appearances.
The president alleged that these four media figures want Iran to develop nuclear weapons and suggested their criticisms stem from seeking “cheap publicity” for their podcast ventures. Trump dismissed suggestions of division within his MAGA movement, stating that anyone opposing him represents “the opposite of MAGA.”
Trump further claimed he could “get them on my side” at will but stated he refuses to take their calls when they attempt to contact him. He ended his statement by emphasizing that MAGA represents winning and strength, declaring “these people have no idea how to do that, BUT I DO.”
