Marjorie Taylor Greene, Megyn Kelly reveal why Israel is losing MAGA support 

There are few women more important in the conservative media ecosystem than Megyn Kelly. 

The former Fox News host has her own podcast empire, and is among the most influential pro-Trump voices in independent media. Though initially combative with Donald Trump while previously serving as a host at Fox, Kelly has become an ideologically reliable enforcer and promoter of pro-Trump views, particular on cultural issues. On foreign policy, she has been an ardent defender of Israel and the U.S.’s special relationship with that country. 

And so it really means something when even Megyn Kelly is sounding less than enthusiastic about what Israel is doing in Gaza, about the level of financial support the U.S. is supplying to Israel, and the amount of influence the Israeli lobby exerts on the U.S. government. 

On her show this week, she invited on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to discuss pro-Israel group AIPAC, and the sway it holds over other members of Congress. Like Kelly, MTG’s MAGA credentials are unimpeachable. She is one of Trump’ most reliable backers, and she believes in America First. But MTG is questioning whether reflexively supporting everything the Israeli government does is actually in America’s best interests. She also resents the level of influence that AIPAC seems to exercise over her colleagues.  

Here is MTG explaining it to Kelly: “Israel is the only country I know of that has some sort of incredible influence and control over nearly every single one of my colleagues. … I don’t know how to explain it.” 

Elsewhere in the interview, Kelly does plenty of throat clearing. She says she has always supported Israel’s right to defend itself, and still does. She would never ever side with a terrorist group. She’s unwavering in that regard. But she knows that the ground is shifting.  

“There’s a contingent of people who are worried that they’re “losing me,’ and I’ve said, you’re not losing — I’m not on Hamas’s side, but it’s been a while now that this is going on, and we’re getting more involved with the Iranian bombing and so on. My own feelings, I’m looking at Israel  in a different way right now than I was on 10-8, that’s for sure — of ’23. And I can feel the pressure being slightly ratcheted up.” 

Megyn Kelly is not alone. The fact is that many, many, many people in the MAGA movement are becoming more suspicious of the Israeli government. That does not mean they are anti-Israel, and it certainly doesn’t mean they’re anti-Semitic. What it means is that Israel has a slow-rolling PR crisis on its hands.  

For decades, Israel has enjoyed unqualified support from Republicans and Democrats, and in exchange, the president of the United States was able to exercise some power over the Israeli government’s actions in the Middle East. Presidents from Reagan to Bush to Clinton to Obama got to say, OK, enough is enough, we aren’t getting dragged into World War III. 

But under the Biden administration that changed, as President Biden basically let Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do whatever he wanted in Gaza as a result of October 7. Even as that ultimately meant the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people, the utter destruction of Gaza, and the starvation of women and children. Israel’s backers are now forced to present deeply uncomfortable arguments about how, well, such and such child is not really, starving, they were already very sick. These are not winning arguments, and MAGA is noticing. 

I’ve certainly noticed it — and I’ve been defending Israel’s right to defeat the terrorist group Hamas for years. I’ve been uncompromising on this. But like Megyn Kelly, and like Marjorie Taylor Greene, I cannot defend an unending campaign that kills tens of thousands of children. I can’t defend a foreign lobbying group sidestepping requirements that every other foreign government has to follow, like signing up under FARA. And I’ve never defended the aid money we send to Israel: Israel is a rich country with a lower debt-to-GDP ratio than the U.S. Let them buy our weapons with their own money. 

Which brings me to my last point. There are certainly elements of MAGA that want to back aid and support to Israel no matter what. I retweeted the MTG/Kelly interview on X, and Laura Loomer replied to me: “MTG doesn’t speak for MAGA.” 

True, she doesn’t speak for everyone. But young, online, right-leaning MAGA folks are resentful of how much money we send to Israel. If Israel wants to restore its good standing with the America First crowd, they don’t necessarily have to compromise their policies, but they should consider ending their reliance on our aid. 

Robby Soave is co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising” and a senior editor for Reason Magazine. This column is an edited transcription of his daily commentary.