Ex-GOP operative flags Trump admin's subtle shift to appeal to MAGA base

Former Republican strategist Rick Wilson on Monday identified how President Donald Trump has made a quiet change in his messaging approach amid the ongoing Iran war.

Wilson, the co-founder of anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project, was speaking on a MS NOW panel with anchor Katy Tur and described how Trump has changed his talking points for his MAGA base. He also referenced Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's criticism of media coverage and how he was frustrated by the way the press has covered the military strikes and Trump administration.

"What you saw Pete Hegseth asking for, he wanted reporters in that room to be stenographers, not reporters," Wilson said.

"I think part of this, Katy, and that propaganda inside of the MAGA universe is often directed at their own base, and they switched very quickly from being antiwar to pro-war," Wilson explained.

Trump changed direction and has been messaging to his base that the war has been going according to his plan, Wilson argued.

"And I think part of this is that Trump feels the need to reinforce his case, that 'this is the perfect war,'" Wilson added. "'It's all great. There's no problems in the gulf. It's all going to be fine. That this is a short-term pain for long-term gain.' I think part of this is an internal base messaging operation because they like it when the administration attacks the legacy media, as they call it."

Tur added that the administration has used this tactic before with MAGA followers.

"It's always when they're on the attack, they can look like the victims," Tur said. "It plays well with the base. 'Look at them. They don't support us. They're always out to get us. They're reporting on the dead American service members. They shouldn't be reporting on that. They should be reporting on all of the victory.'"