{"url":"https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trump-braces-for-humiliating-revelations-as-major-split-on-iran-leaks/","title":"Trump Faces Iran War Rift Leaks from New Book","domain":"thedailybeast.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/6949525/pexels-photo-6949525.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"White House meeting","category":"World","language":"en","slug":"61940bcf","id":"61940bcf-3e17-4be7-a87a-12846cc6e275","description":"Leaks from a New York Times report reveal deep White House divisions over Trump's Iran war plans before February 28 strikes.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Leaks from a New York Times report reveal deep White House divisions over Trump's Iran war plans before February 28 strikes.\n- VP JD Vance led opposition, warning of chaos, casualties, and gas price spikes from Strait of Hormuz closure, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for action.\n- The rift, drawn from an upcoming book by NYT reporters, highlights Trump's inner circle tensions amid midterm election worries.\n\n## The story at a glance\nA New York Times report details infighting among President Donald Trump's top advisors, including VP JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, over U.S. strikes on Iran that began February 28. The story draws from a forthcoming book by NYT reporters Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, based on interviews with hundreds of White House insiders. It's surfacing now as the book nears release after Trump's 80th birthday in June, with Trump already attacking the authors publicly.\n\n## Key points\n- **JD Vance** was the strongest opponent, warning Trump the war would be a \"huge distraction of resources,\" \"massively expensive,\" cause \"regional chaos and untold numbers of casualties,\" and prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, spiking U.S. gas prices; he aimed to distance himself as a potential 2028 candidate.\n- **Pete Hegseth** was the top advocate, believing the U.S. would \"have to take care of the Iranians eventually, so they might as well do it now.\"\n- **Marco Rubio** took a mixed stance: against strikes for regime change or uprising, but for them to \"destroy Iran’s missile program.\"\n- **Susie Wiles** opposed due to economic fallout that could \"tank Trump’s final two years in office\" and hurt GOP midterm chances.\n- **Karoline Leavitt** assured Trump the press team would \"manage it as best they could.\"\n- Conservative pundit **Tucker Carlson** called Trump repeatedly before strikes; Trump told him, “it’s going to be OK... Because it always is.”\n\n## Details and context\nThe divisions played out in the days and weeks before Trump authorized the first U.S. strikes on Iran on February 28, showing how his cabinet clashed right up to the decision. Vance raised alarms publicly and privately to steer clear of entanglement blame, fitting his anti-intervention stance. Hegseth's hawkish view contrasted sharply, reflecting debates on whether to hit Iran preemptively.\n\nWiles focused on domestic politics, tying war costs to voter backlash in November midterms. The leaks come from *Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump*, which Trump preemptively slammed on Truth Social, calling reporter Maggie Haberman a \"SLEAZEBAG\" who writes \"false stories.\"\n\n## Key quotes\n- Trump on Maggie Haberman: “Maggot Haberman, just another SLEAZEBAG writer for The Failing New York Times, insists on writing false stories about me, even though she fully knows and understands that the exact opposite of anything she says is usually the truth.” (Truth Social post)\n- Trump to Tucker Carlson: “I know you’re worried about it, but it’s going to be OK... Because it always is.” (per book material)\n\n## Why it matters\nInternal White House splits over Iran expose risks of rushed decisions on major conflicts, potentially weakening U.S. strategy and alliances. For voters and markets, it signals economic threats like higher gas prices and midterm fallout that could shift GOP control. Watch the full book release for more insider accounts, though White House responses may dispute the details.[[1]](https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trump-braces-for-humiliating-revelations-as-major-split-on-iran-leaks/)[[2]](https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trump-braces-for-humiliating-revelations-as-major-split-on-iran-leaks)","hashtags":["#trump","#iran","#war","#whitehouse","#leaks","#politics"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trump-braces-for-humiliating-revelations-as-major-split-on-iran-leaks/","title":"Original article"}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-08T18:39:15.949Z","createdAt":"2026-04-08T18:39:15.949Z","articlePublishedAt":null}