Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said Vice President JD Vance would not have led the United States into the Iran conflict if he had been president, while intensifying his criticism of President Donald Trump over US military intervention, according to an interview with Bloomberg.

Carlson said the Iran conflict marked a fundamental break with Trump, arguing that the administration had abandoned the “America First” foreign policy agenda that helped bring Republicans back to power. He also said the war exposed a growing disconnect between the Republican establishment and many of its supporters.

During the interview, Carlson argued that Trump failed to resist outside influence and held him responsible for the US entering the conflict with Iran. He contrasted Trump’s approach with that of JD Vance, whom he portrayed as more aligned with the non-interventionist wing of the Republican Party.

The White House rejected Carlson’s criticism, saying President Trump makes foreign policy decisions independently and solely in the interest of the United States.

Carlson also questioned the extent of US global influence, arguing that Washington faces growing geopolitical constraints and that several international actors shape global affairs.

The remarks highlight deepening divisions within the Republican Party over foreign policy following the Iran conflict, with Carlson emerging as one of the administration’s most prominent conservative critics despite having strongly supported Trump’s return to the White House.