Podcast host and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino sounded the alarm Wednesday, warning listeners about what he described as “doomers” and “lunatics” masquerading as part of the MAGA movement while actively trying to fracture it – specifically over the issue of Iran and Israel.
Without naming names, Bongino made clear he was talking about a familiar lineup of loud, one-issue voices with big platforms – figures like Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, and Piers Morgan. According to Bongino, this faction represents a tiny slice of the movement – “probably less than 1%” – but one that’s disproportionately loud and increasingly disruptive.
These yahoos have also been getting praise from the Leftists. And when you can do that, you are 100% ALWAYS on the wrong side of an issue.
Bongino characterizes these anti-Israel voices as a “concentrated interest group” singularly focused on Israel, warning that their fixation is crowding out broader conservative priorities. In his view, some within this camp are veering into rhetoric that blames everything on the Jews, a trend he condemned while cautioning listeners not to let these voices hijack the direction of the party.
Bongino’s message: don’t confuse volume with influence, especially when there is a plethora of bots out there (fake accounts) pushing the anti-Israel/anti-MAGA narrative. He warns not to let a fringe, one-note faction splinter a coalition he argues is far bigger than any single issue.
“There is a deliberate effort right now…to fracture our coalition,” Bongino warned, pointing to “the doomers and the left-wing media” trying to split the movement before Trump even leaves the stage .
Bongino also took aim at new Leftist media darling Joe Kent, a longtime “friend” of his, saying his service is “beyond questioning” – but his recent positions are not.
Kent has claimed that Iran isn’t a real threat to America and recently resigned his position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. But what’s really going on is that he’s under FBI investigation for leaking.
BREAKING: It was just revealed by Fox News that Joe Kent has been under investigation by the FBI since BEFORE his departure.
“Just a moment ago sources are saying that Joe Kent, the former director of the United States national counter terror center. He just resigned. He’s now… pic.twitter.com/YEhNpFzrvz [1]
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) March 18, 2026 [2]
Bongino flatly rejects Kent’s argument about Iran not being a threat, saying: “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Bongino also flagged Kent’s pivot – once calling Iran a threat, now framing conflict as “a war for Israel” – as a head-scratcher echoed even in conservative circles. But not such a head-scratcher if you see who his current wife is.
This is Joe Kent’s current wife, an employee of former Hezbollah and RT (Russia) propagandist @MaxBlumenthal [3]…who just was platformed by Dugin-linked Aleksander Dugin.
Joe Kent’s FORMER wife was Shannon Mary Kent, a highly decorated U.S. Navy Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician… https://t.co/HOk98LRhkg [4] pic.twitter.com/XxmSgCs4bL [5]
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) March 17, 2026 [6]
Throw in Kent popping up with Tucker Carlson in a recent podcast and invoking the name of Charlie Kirk to make his argument, and let’s just say Bongino isn’t buying what’s being sold.
Bongino laid out a laundry list of Iran’s threat to our country: ballistic missiles, nuclear material, drone tech, terror proxies, even plots against U.S. officials and Trump himself. And Bongino knows about even more stuff that is classified that he can’t disclose.
“They (Iran) were clearly looking to reconstitute (their nuke program),” Bongino said. “How do we know that? Because the intel was everywhere,” he said. In short: this isn’t a pet issue – it’s about national security.
Bongino also blasted what he describes as a reversal where Democrats and the Leftist media instantly rebrand any new Trump critic as a “respected conservative,” despite years of trashing patriotic and military-serving Republicans (like John McCain) and ignoring the sacrifices of many others who don’t align with their ideology.
Funny how that works.
Bongino’s message: what’s happening isn’t a grassroots MAGA split – it’s a pressure campaign coming from anti-Israel loudmouths. And it’s because people are jockeying for position to be the leaders of the future Trumpless MAGA movement.
And if the movement lets a one-issue, anti-Israel obsession take over?
“Count me the hell out,” Bongino said.