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 Hegsethasking for, he wanted reportersin that room to bestenographers, not reporters," Wilson said.

"I thinkpart of this, Katy, and thatpropaganda inside of the MAGAuniverse is often directed attheir own base, and theyswitched very quickly frombeing 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 Ithink part of this is that Trump feels the need toreinforce his case, that 'thisis the perfect war,'" Wilson added. "'It's allgreat. There's noproblems in the gulf. It's allgoing to be fine. Thatthis is a short-term pain forlong-term gain.' I think part ofthis is an internal basemessaging operation because they like it when theadministration attacks the legacy media, as theycall 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.'"