Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more
Right-wing commentator Megyn Kelly has said she can no longer “trust a word” President Donald Trump has to say on the Iran war, complaining about his inconsistent rhetoric and changing deadlines for the conflict.
The ex-Fox News anchor hosted fellow anti-interventionist and former colleague Tucker Carlson on The Megyn Kelly Show Thursday to discuss a report by Axios claiming that Washington and Tehran are about to sign a one-page memo to end the hostilities after nine weeks of sparring.
“I hope the possibility of ending it is real,” Carlson said. “I noticed that every time Axios announces an imminent end to the war, a lot of people make huge bets on oil futures right before it comes out and presumably make a lot of money on that, and then it never happens.”
“I have no idea whether there’s a 14-point deal or not,” Kelly responded. “None whatsoever. I don’t trust a word President Trump says about this anymore.
“He’s told us 31 times that the Iran war is over, OK? Only to then tweet about how we’re going to bomb them into oblivion.”
open image in gallery Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson join forces to attack President Donald Trump's messaging on the Iran war with Kelly saying she ‘doesn’t trust a word’ the president says about the conflict ( The Megyn Kelly Show/Sirius XM )
Trump has made a series of contradictory statements about the war since Operation Epic Fury started on February 28 with the launch of joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. The president then said in early March the battle was “won,” contrary to the evidence, and insisting throughout that Iran is keen to sign a peace deal, which the country’s theocratic regime has shown little sign of doing.
The president’s early April Truth Social posts calling Iran “crazy bastards” and warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” caused particular alarm.
The fragile ceasefire that has just about held since, though it appears to have been placed in jeopardy this week, with the two sides exchanging fire in the Strait of Hormuz after Trump’s proposed “Project Freedom” initiative to guide oil ships through the passage immediately ran into opposition.
He has since reverted to threatening language, declaring Monday that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it refused to change its ways.
open image in gallery Trump continues to issue threats against Iran with one breath before talking up the chances of a peace deal being signed with the next ( AFP/Getty )
Kelly and Carlson were not the only conservatives to express concern about the reported 14-point peace plan.
The much more hawkish MAGA pundit Mark Levin, posted on X Thursday: “If the Axios report is close to accurate, the Iranian regime will survive, the Iranian people will face even more extensive brutality, and the Israeli government could fall in the October election. A disastrous result.”
Elsewhere in their conversation, Kelly and Carlson discussed Trump’s sliding approval numbers and likely political fate, calling him “incompetent” in comparison to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, agreed that the state of the U.S. was “bad but could be worse” and that, under Trump, the country had shown a tendency “to ping pong from one bad idea to another.”
They both claimed to have been the targets of vitriol from “Israel First” commentators in recent weeks while picking up Muslim viewers, despite previously facing criticism for expressing views hostile to Islam.
Carlson further claimed to have told the president to his face that the likes of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and influential press baron Rupert Murdoch secretly hate him, to which Trump is said to have answered vaguely: “I know.”