Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly launched a blistering attack against Sen. Lindsey Graham Tuesday, March 10 2026, calling the South Carolina Republican a “homicidal maniac with a bloodlust that is insatiable” as divisions within the MAGA movement exploded over President Donald Trump’s military operations in Iran.
Kelly, host of “The Megyn Kelly Show” on SiriusXM, unleashed her fury after Graham embarked on a media blitz across Fox News programs, calling for expanded U.S. military involvement in Lebanon and Cuba while threatening Spain over its opposition to Iranian strikes.
The confrontation marks the latest flashpoint in what observers are calling a MAGA civil war, with prominent Trump supporters fracturing over Operation Epic Fury—the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that has killed more than 1,200 people and claimed the lives of seven American servicemembers in retaliatory strikes.
Graham appeared on multiple Fox News programs Sunday and Monday, including interviews with Maria Bartiromo and Sean Hannity, where he declared unwavering support for continued military action. The senator brandished “Free Cuba” and “Make Iran Great Again” hats during his appearance with Bartiromo, telling viewers “the liberation of Cuba is upon us.”
“We’re gonna blow the **** out of these people,” Graham told Bartiromo, promising that Iran’s regime would fall within two weeks.
Kelly escalated her criticism beyond Graham’s rhetoric, pointing to his influence over Trump. A Wall Street Journal report revealed Graham traveled to Israel multiple times to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence officials, who showed Trump classified intelligence that ultimately convinced him to authorize the Iranian strikes.
The former Fox News anchor warned South Carolinians that their senator explicitly prioritized Israel over American interests. After Graham declared he stood “with Israel, to our dying day,” Kelly urged voters to recognize he was “not with them.”
Kelly repeatedly implored Trump to keep Graham away from his inner circle, posting “For the love of God this man should never be in Trump’s orbit again” and demanding he not be allowed within 20 feet of the president. She also slammed Sean Hannity as a “supplicant to Donald Trump” who would never challenge the president’s decisions.
Kelly’s opposition placed her alongside other MAGA figures including Tucker Carlson and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who have condemned the Iranian strikes. Carlson called the conflict “absolutely disgusting and evil,” prompting Trump to declare the former Fox host “not MAGA” and that he had “lost his way.”
Conservative commentators who support Trump’s actions fired back. Ben Shapiro called Kelly “such an unbelievable coward” for not criticizing Trump directly by name, while Mark Levin dubbed her a “Crazy Grandma Groyper.” MAGA influencer Laura Loomer attacked Kelly as “not MAGA” and told her to “shut up.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the internal tensions, telling reporters Trump “is the leader of MAGA” and “there is nothing more America First than taking out terrorists.”
Multiple polls show significant public disapproval of the Iranian strikes. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found 27% approval versus 43% disapproval, while a CNN poll found 59% of Americans disapproved. An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll showed 56% oppose U.S. military action, with 59% of independents disapproving of Trump’s handling of Iran.
Kelly acknowledged the division within Trump’s base, telling listeners that service members “died for Iran, or for Israel” rather than the United States. She argued the government’s responsibility is protecting American citizens, not foreign nations.
During his Monday appearance with Hannity, Graham threatened to withdraw U.S. military bases from Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez opposed the Iranian attacks, telling the country it had “lost your way.” Rep. Tim Burchett joined the criticism, labeling Graham a “war pimp.”
Trump has maintained his base remains solidly behind him despite the backlash. The president told reporters “MAGA is Trump” and described the Iranian conflict as “a detour that we have to take in order to keep our country safe.”