by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – While organizers claimed millions protested against him, Reverend Franklin Graham and Republicans at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) rallied behind U.S. President Donald J. Trump and his strikes on Iran.
Graham, one of the country’s best-known Christian evangelists, said Trump’s decision to attack Iran was necessary to preserve Israel’s existence.
Evangelicals are a core part of Trump’s political base, and many view support for Israel as a Biblical mission tied to beliefs about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
“He stepped up to protect Israel and the Jewish people from what I believe was the possibility of a nuclear annihilation by the radical Islamic regime,” Graham said. “Thank God for President Trump.”
IRAN OPPOSITION VOICES AT CPAC
Iranian political activists also took to the stage at the conservative gathering in Grapevine, Texas, to argue the moral case for the war before supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
Dozens of Iranian-Americans attended, many carrying Iranian and American flags and advocating for continued pressure on Tehran.
Among the speakers was Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince, who called for fundamental change in Iran’s leadership.
“Can you imagine Iran going from ‘Death to America’ to ‘God Bless America’?” he told supporters, adding that he hoped to help “make Iran great again.”
SUPPORTERS VOICE STRONG BACKING
Nima Poursohi, whose parents are from Iran, wore a “Persians for Trump” T-shirt and said he was attending CPAC for the second time to show his support.
“It is time for this regime to go after 47 years,” Poursohi said. “Dropping bombs and military action is scary, but living under an Islamic regime is a lot scarier.”
Support for the strikes was also echoed in conservative media circles surrounding CPAC.
Journalist John Solomon highlighted the strikes during broadcasts linked to Steve Bannon, a former chief strategist to President Donald J. Trump, on his “War Room” program.
PROTESTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
Elsewhere, organizers said “at least 8 million people gathered today at more than 3,300 events across all 50 states,” from major cities to smaller towns, though U.S. authorities provided no national estimate.
It marked the third wave of demonstrations in less than a year under the grassroots “No Kings” movement, one of the most visible expressions of opposition to Trump since he began his second term in January 2025.
In New York, tens of thousands rallied, including Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro, who called the president “an existential threat to our freedoms and security.”
Protests unfolded from Atlanta to San Diego, with participation also reported in Alaska.
POLITICAL DIVISIONS AND FUNDING QUESTIONS
While organizers described the protests as decentralized, critics cited reports that some activist networks involved have links to left-leaning or socialist movements.
Previous reporting has pointed to Neville Roy Singham, a tech entrepreneur known for promoting Marxist views, as having supported activist groups involved in protest organizing.
Over the past decade, Singham has reportedly financed a network of organizations advocating revolutionary socialist change and participating in protest movements across the United States.
Back at CPAC, support for Trump stood in contrast to growing skepticism about the war, which has increased political pressure on the administration to outline an exit strategy.
WAR PRESSURE AND GLOBAL IMPACT
Analysts say the conflict has rattled global markets and raised concerns about the risk of a prolonged military engagement.
Support for the strikes also extended to conservative media figures and commentators aligned with the MAGA movement.
The divide between strong backing at CPAC and large-scale protests elsewhere underscored deepening political tensions in the United States over the direction of the conflict with Iran.
Trump did not attend the conference, a rare absence from the annual gathering, with reports suggesting he remained focused on the escalating Iran conflict.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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