Conservative media personalities who played a key role in helping Donald Trump win the 2024 election are now discussing him significantly less, according to a new analysis by the Wall Street Journal. The study found that mentions of Trump’s name per hour on conservative podcasts have dropped nearly 70% since the peak of the 2024 campaign. Additionally, monthly mentions of Trump’s name on these platforms have decreased by 30% since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran in late February. The analysis was based on nearly 70,000 hours of podcast content reviewed using artificial intelligence. Many influential figures in Trump’s base, as well as some Republican lawmakers running in key states, have distanced themselves from the president over the controversial and expensive war in Iran. A recent CNN/SSRS poll found that GOP support for Trump’s handling of the conflict has fallen, with 60% of Republicans approving of his actions, down from 73% in March. This shift reflects growing unease among some in the party over the war’s costs and popularity. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson was among the first to publicly criticize the Iran war, calling it “absolutely disgusting and evil” in a statement to ABC News. In response, Trump accused Carlson and other prominent MAGA figures, such as Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones, of criticizing the war due to their “low IQs.” Later in June, Carlson told Sky News that he believed the MAGA movement had no future, stating that the war was a clear betrayal of the movement’s core “America First” principles. He argued that the U.S. went to war not to protect its own interests, but to serve Israel’s. As the MAGA movement faces internal divisions, many of its influencers have seen a decline in their audience, according to a New York Times analysis from late July. For example, conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, who gained millions of views on YouTube during Trump’s 2024 campaign, has since lost millions of viewers. In an unusual effort to rally support for Republican candidates ahead of the midterms, Trump recently held a two-day conference in Dallas, urging supporters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.” However, some Republicans in competitive races are instead choosing to distance themselves from the president, citing his low approval ratings and the controversy over the Iran war. In Iowa, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, who is running for the Senate against Democrat Josh Turek, criticized the war’s economic impact, saying Iowans shouldn’t have to bear the costs at the gas pump or grocery store. Similarly, former congressman Mike Rogers, running in Michigan, called for an end to the war to reduce costs. Meanwhile, in Texas, the race between Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico has drawn significant attention. Talarico, who has not held a presidential position, has become the most-discussed non-president among conservative podcasters, with MAGA media figures mentioning his name more often than prominent Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Gavin Newsom.