Overview
- In an interview with Rachael Bade, Trump rejected criticism from Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson, asserting that his base supports the Iran offensive.
- Conservative figures condemned the operation, with Kelly questioning U.S. sacrifices and Carlson calling the strikes "absolutely disgusting and evil."
- Reporting says the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes hit Iranian leadership targets and reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, alongside attacks on missile and nuclear sites.
- Media accounts cite heavy casualties, including at least 165 civilians — mostly children — at a girls' elementary school in southern Iran and six U.S. service members killed.
- Trump defended the campaign’s goals and has not ruled out deploying ground forces, as polls show only about one in four Americans support "Operation Epic Fury" and visible rifts inside the right-wing coalition.