Trump's son privately criticised US military campaign against Iran

Private dissonance in the president's family

Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the incumbent US president, has repeatedly expressed his disagreement with the launch of the military campaign against Iran. As The Atlantic has found, this position remained confidential: the president's son shared his doubts only with his closest circle and Donald Trump himself.

Scepticism towards foreign policy decisions

Sources in the material note that Donald Trump Jr. opposed the escalation from the very first days. He has long been suspicious of US military intervention abroad and is convinced that Washington should not get bogged down in another war in the Middle East.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, he actively supported his father's pre-election promises to avoid new military conflicts in the region. For instance, in April of that year, when Iran carried out a missile and drone strike on Israel, Trump Jr. published a post on the X network praising his father for his restraint:

«Пам’ятаєте, коли казали, що Трамп втягне нас у повномасштабну війну з Іраном? Такі моменти мають змушувати нас усіх усвідомити, наскільки нам пощастило з Трампом, його силою та рішучістю» ("Remember when they said Trump would drag us into a full-scale war with Iran? Moments like these should make us all realise how lucky we are with Trump, his strength and his resolve"), the president's son wrote at the time.

Public silence and the administration's reaction

Now that America is waging a full-scale war against Iran, the president's position contradicts his son's expectations, The Atlantic notes. At the same time, Trump Jr. has not publicly criticised his father over the war.

«Дон зберігав свою думку з цього питання приватною, оскільки ніколи публічно не виступив би проти батька в такому питанні» ("Don kept his opinion on this matter private, as he would never publicly oppose his father on such an issue"), a source close to the president's son told the publication.

A representative for Donald Trump Jr. declined to comment on these reports. The White House also did not give a direct answer to questions about his personal position. Instead, one administration official stated that Iran had suffered devastating losses and that the conflict would "one way or another end very soon".