The Online Israel Fight vs. the Voter Economy

While American voters wrestle with affordability issues and job anxiety, much of the right over the past few weeks has been fixated on a narrow ideological feud about Israel, antisemitism and Groypers, the extremely online disaffected right-wing youths led by Nick Fuentes.

The online fight: Influencers on the right, like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, have ramped up their opposition to Israel and its alleged influence in American politics, prompting backlash from Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, and other pro-Israel conservatives.

• In late October, Carlson interviewed Fuentes, a troll and provocateur who has said he is hurt in his daily existence by Jews, called conservative influencer Matt Walsh a “race traitor” because he “works for Jews,” called Vice President J.D. Vance a “fat race-mixer” and referred to Second Lady Usha Vance as a “jeet.” Carlson’s interview sparked infighting between conservatives who denounced and praised his platforming of Fuentes.

• The Heritage Foundation, a conservative D.C. think tank, became the latest flashpoint after president Kevin Roberts said his organization stood by Carlson in a video posted to social media. (Roberts would later partially walk back his defense of the former Fox News host).

• The discourse, which mostly took place on X, spiraled into theological minutiae — even debates over whether it’s proper for Catholics to refuse to attend Shabbat dinners — far removed from the populist, anti-elitist posture that once defined MAGA.

What Americans are struggling with: Outside the timeline battles, Americans (especially, young Americans) are focused on bills, housing and jobs.

Layoffs: October saw the highest level of layoffs since 2020.

Healthcare costs: The average family health-insurance plan now costs $27,000 a year, the Wall Street Journal reported in October, citing KFF data.

Finding a job: The unemployment rate for new graduates hit a nine-year-high in 2025.

Housing: A report released this month by the National Association of Realtors found the share of first-time home buyers has fallen to a record-low of 21%, while the median age of buyers has risen to 40.

The Warning Signs: Economic unease is starting to show up electorally and in polling numbers.

Approval: Trump’s job approval has drifted downward alongside growing dissatisfaction with inflation and the economy.

Ballot Box: Democrats posted strong results in 2025’s off-year elections, flipping or holding suburban seats on the strength of economic frustration and youth turnout.

Sentiment: Consumer confidence in the economy dropped to a near record-low in October, according to the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index.

What Trump’s doing about it: For his part, the president does appear to be aware of the domestic pressures.

• On Truth Social last week, he urged Senate Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act and “redirect federal health-care funds to individual Americans.”

• He also floated a $2,000 tariff dividend payment for all but the highest-income households.

• White House aides have stressed the need for the administration to focus on relieving Americans’ economic anxieties, with one official telling MSNBC, “The president needs to focus on domestic issues versus his foreign policy legacy.”

Perspective: While both sides of the Israel debate plead their respective cases passionately, by some measures, the topic just isn’t that impactful.

Spending: According to the Office of Management and Budget and Department of Defense, the U.S. provides roughly $3.8 billion a year in military aid to Israel — less than one-tenth of one percent of total federal spending.

Voter concerns: Many who fixate on the Israel issue often cite young Americans’ increasing skepticism toward the nation as a significant data point. But whether we should be worried or happy about this development, polling suggests it doesn’t have much of an impact on elections.

Among both young voters and the broader electorate in the 2024 election, foreign policy ranked below virtually all other concerns (including relatively niche causes like racism and climate change).

Narratives: Some right-wing commentators have speculated that figures like Fuentes and Candace Owens are being boosted to make conservatives look toxic. Whether that’s true or not, the mainstream media appears to be reveling in the MAGA infighting.

Bubba’s Two Cents

Trump’s recent moves suggest he knows the real fight is economic. But the right’s most visible voices — from Carlson to Fuentes to Shapiro — keep dragging attention back to insider feuds about theology and loyalty tests.

These are precious, insular arguments, the kind of D.C. parlor games MAGA once promised to ditch. Every minute spent litigating who’s “too Zionist” or not “Zionist enough” is a minute not spent talking about premiums, layoffs, or paychecks — the issues that still decide elections.