{"id":2584283,"date":"2026-03-26T20:50:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T00:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/matt-gaetz-sounds-alarm-on-iran-war-as-gop-splits\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T20:54:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T00:54:41","slug":"matt-gaetz-sounds-alarm-on-iran-war-as-gop-splits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/matt-gaetz-sounds-alarm-on-iran-war-as-gop-splits\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt Gaetz sounds alarm on Iran war as GOP splits"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmatt-gaetz-sounds-alarm-on-iran-war-as-gop-splits%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2584283&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz used his CPAC speech to warn that deeper U.S. military involvement in Iran could make Americans poorer and less safe, arguing that a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >ground invasion woudl raise gas<\/a> and food prices and likely generate more terrorists. he urged exhausting diplomatic options and cautioned against a prolonged campaign, citing the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as examples of how U.S. involvement can backfire. The remarks come amid a divided public stance on Iran-polls show most voters oppose military action, even as many republicans support it-reflecting growing internal GOP tensions between interventionist and noninterventionist strands and skepticism about commitments in the Middle east and to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Gaetz also criticized elements of the conservative consensus, praising Tucker Carlson and denouncing what he called \u201ccancel culture\u201d on the right, while criticizing the Anti-defamation League and aligning with a faction wary of long wars and heavy foreign entanglements. the speech highlighted broader debates within the republican Party over foreign policy and lingering disagreements over U.S.support for Israel, as CPAC coverage noted related stories about Iran, Reza Pahlavi, and shifts within conservative circles.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Gaetz warns Iran escalation would &lsquo;make our country poorer and less safe&rsquo; at CPAC<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2544347\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>GRAPEVINE, Texas &ndash;<\/strong> Former Florida Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/matt-gaetz\/\">Matt Gaetz <\/a>delivered a forceful rebuke of possible U.S. military escalation <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\">in Iran <\/a>during his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cpac\/\">Conservative Political Action Committee speech<\/a>, warning that deeper involvement would carry significant economic and strategic consequences for Americans.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A ground invasion of Iran will make our country poorer and less safe,&rdquo; Gaetz said, arguing it would drive up gas and food prices while risking the creation of more terrorists than it eliminates.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4505639\/cpac-2026-cools-on-trump-2028-campaign\/\">CPAC 2026 cools on Trump 2028 campaign<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4505614\/andy-barr-seeks-to-thwart-patently-false-kentucky-senate-ad-with-cease-and-desist\/\">Andy Barr seeks to thwart &#8216;patently false&#8217; Kentucky Senate ad with cease and desist<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4505204\/graham-platner-poll-maine-senate-race-janet-mills\/\">Graham Platner holds comfortable lead over Janet Mills in Maine Senate race: Poll<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>His comments come as public opinion remains divided over U.S. involvement, not just across party lines, but increasingly within the Republican coalition. A recent <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/poll.qu.edu\/poll-release?releaseid=3953\">Quinnipiac poll<\/a> found a majority of voters oppose military action in Iran, even as most Republicans support it, while overwhelming majorities of Democrats and independents are opposed.<\/p>\n<p>That divide is also emerging inside the GOP, where a more populist, noninterventionist wing has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spacex-receives-thumbs-up-to-carry-military-satellites-on-reused-rockets\/\" title=\"SpaceX Receives Thumbs-Up To Carry Military Satellites On Reused Rockets\">grown increasingly wary<\/a> of deeper escalation, particularly when it comes to the prospect of deploying U.S. ground troops.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Drawing on past conflicts, Gaetz pointed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as cautionary examples, warning that prolonged U.S. involvement can backfire. &ldquo;We stayed for decades in Iraq, and we ended up giving the country to Iran,&rdquo; he said, adding that after &ldquo;20 years in Afghanistan, we just ended up giving it back to the Taliban.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He warned that similar intervention in Iran could follow the same trajectory, underscoring skepticism among some conservatives about another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-what-trump-means-by-calling-for-peace-through-strength\/\" title=\"Here&#039;s What Trump Means By Calling For &#039;Peace Through Strength&#039;\">extended military campaign<\/a> in the Middle East. While expressing trust in President Donald Trump&rsquo;s leadership, Gaetz stressed the need to exhaust diplomatic options and avoid a broader conflict, saying he wants the president to have &ldquo;every diplomatic tool at his disposal.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Beyond Iran, Gaetz&rsquo;s remarks highlighted growing divisions within the Republican Party over foreign policy and the U.S.-Israel relationship. He took a veiled swipe at prominent pro-Israel conservatives, criticizing what he described as a &ldquo;near slavish loyalty to a country in a faraway land,&rdquo; a comment that drew a contrast with other conservative figures such as Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t bring a list of people to denounce or disclaim, and antisemitism isn&rsquo;t hiding around every corner and in every bush,&rdquo; Gaetz said. &ldquo;President Trump is a builder. He understands that politics is an exercise in addition, not subtraction and division.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The speech also aligned Gaetz with a faction of the Right increasingly willing to challenge long-standing GOP orthodoxy on Israel and intervention abroad. He defended conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who has faced criticism for his own views on U.S. foreign policy and Israel, telling the audience that &ldquo;Tucker Carlson isn&rsquo;t going anywhere&rdquo; and warning against what he described as &ldquo;cancel culture &hellip; on the Right&rdquo; that he said gets in the way of dissent.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t bring a list of people to denounce or disclaim, and antisemitism isn&rsquo;t hiding around every corner and in every bush,&rdquo; Gaetz said. &ldquo;President Trump is a builder. He understands that politics is an exercise in addition, not subtraction and division. &ldquo;<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in the speech, he sharply criticized the Anti-Defamation League, calling it an &ldquo;anti-white, anti-Christian hate group&rdquo; and praising the FBI for ending cooperation with the organization.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4505110\/persians-cpac-push-reza-pahlavi-iran-next-leader\/\"><strong>PERSIANS AT CPAC PUSH FOR REZA PAHLAVI AS TEHRAN&rsquo;S NEXT LEADER AMID IRAN WAR&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Gaetz&rsquo;s appearance at CPAC also served as a reminder of the growing divide among conservatives over both the Iran war and the U.S. alliance with Israel. While many Republicans have rallied behind military action, a vocal faction has grown increasingly wary of deeper involvement, echoing concerns about another prolonged foreign war and its economic toll.<\/p>\n<p>As host of a show on the conservative One America News Network, Gaetz has been among those arguing the U.S. has grown too close to Israel, a position that has drawn criticism from more traditional, pro-Israel Republicans and underscored the broader foreign policy rift within the GOP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gaetz warns Iran conflict would hurt economy and safety<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2584284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25336712614970.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[76626,75205,32688,50611,32515],"class_list":["post-2584283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-gop-splits","tag-iran-war-2","tag-matt-gaetz","tag-national-security-2","tag-us-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25336712614970.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2584283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2584283"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2584283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2584291,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2584283\/revisions\/2584291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2584284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2584283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2584283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2584283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}