It was the kind of moment that usually lights up the manosphere.
U.S. bombs fell on Iran on June 21 in a dramatic military operation named “Operation Midnight Hammer” that destroyed three major nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. President Donald Trump, in a televised address, warned that the United States might strike again if Iran did not agree to a diplomatic solution. In Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strikes during a press conference with reporters in Istanbul, saying: “My country has been under attack, under aggression, and we have to respond based on our legitimate right of self-defense.”
And yet… silence.
Not a word from the loudest voices in the online male influencer sphere, the manosphere. The digital brotherhood that usually has a take for every cultural moment suddenly had nothing to say. The loudest MAGA influencers, known for defining masculinity online through war metaphors, grindset sermons, and political firebombs, logged off.
The manosphere isn’t a single movement. It’s a chaotic constellation of figures from neoconservatives and libertarians to pro-Israel influencers, non-interventionist Christians, and Muslim masculinists. Together, they make up a vast online ecosystem that has shaped how millions of men, especially young ones, talk about politics, war, identity, and masculinity.
When Israel first bombed Iran on June 12, many manosphere figures were already at war digitally over whether the U.S. should get involved. Some like Ben Shapiro called for full-throated U.S. support for Israel. Others, like Matt Walsh, were firmly against American military intervention, citing Trump’s 2024 campaign promise to avoid foreign wars.
The internal feud spilled across timelines. In the week that followed, Walsh was attacked by his own followers for being insufficiently hawkish.
“Matt Walsh will become woke right,” one user posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I don’t relish that fact, because I like Matt, and he’s been one of my favorite conservative commentators for years.”
Walsh fired back: “This witch hunt is insane. You guys have lost your damned minds. Everything I’m saying about foreign policy right now is what I’ve been saying for as long as I’ve had a platform. So if me remaining incredibly consistent on the issues, and loyal to my friends, makes me ‘woke right,’ so be it.”
This witch hunt is insane. You guys have lost your damned minds. Everything I’m saying about foreign policy right now is what I’ve been saying for as long as I’ve had a platform, and even before that. Many of the “woke right” people (whatever that means) that I’m “cozy” with are… https://t.co/h0r6MLq14i
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 19, 2025
Two days later, the bombs dropped. And the discourse… evaporated.
What followed wasn’t unity. It was absence.
The same influencers who had filled feeds with infographics, hot takes, and theological justifications for or against war suddenly stopped posting.
It was especially striking given the stakes. A U.S. president had taken the country into an undeclared conflict that could widen into a regional war or worse. For a group that presents itself as truth-tellers and alpha defenders of Western values, their silence looked less like stoicism and more like paralysis.
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a close Trump ally, had warned days earlier that military action would alienate the young male voters who powered Trump’s comeback. But when the strikes happened, Kirk flipped.
“With the weight of the world on his shoulders, President Trump acted for the betterment of humanity,” Kirk posted on June 21. “For the next few hours, spare us the arm chair quarterbacking and instead trust our Commander in Chief.”
With the weight of the world on his shoulders, President Trump acted for the betterment of humanity. For the next few hours spare us the arm chair quarterbacking and instead trust our Commander in Chief.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 22, 2025
Still, he hedged, trying not to lose followers who opposed intervention.
“Rejoicing because we dropped a bomb should be met with humility. Dooming should be met with cautionary optimism. The world is not over. Our best days are ahead.”
In times like this, I find a lot of people say stuff they’ll end up regretting. Hyper emotionality should be dismissed. Rejoicing because we dropped a bomb should be met with humility. Dooming should be met cautionary optimism. The world is not over. Our best days are ahead.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 22, 2025
Others went quiet altogether. Patrick Bet-David, an Iranian-American entrepreneur who often criticizes the Ayatollah regime, merely wrote “Interesting” under Trump’s Truth Social post.
Interesting. pic.twitter.com/89yvCfSylj
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) June 22, 2025
Even Ben Shapiro, who has built a career supporting Israeli security interests, didn’t immediately weigh in.
Only a few broke the silence. Konstantin Kisin, a British commentator aligned with the pro-Israel right, supported the bombings. “Yes, I’m glad the Islamic Revolutionary regime will not get nuclear weapons,” he posted.
Yes, I’m glad the Islamic Revolutionary regime will not get nuclear weapons. This is why: https://t.co/s2B0u12Nze
— Konstantin Kisin (@KonstantinKisin) June 22, 2025
But in the anti-war camp, the pushback was scarce except for Dave Smith, a libertarian comedian and regular on The Joe Rogan Experience, who didn’t mince words.
“Donald Trump has now launched an illegal war of aggression against Iran. The risk of an absolute catastrophe is very high and the benefits are non-existent,” Smith wrote. “Worst of all, he did it on behalf of a foreign government against a country which posed no threat to us.”
Donald Trump has now launched an illegal war of aggression against Iran. The risk of an absolute catastrophe is very high and the benefits are non existent. Worst of all, he did it on behalf of a foreign government against a country who posed no threat to us.
— Dave Smith (@ComicDaveSmith) June 22, 2025
This is a crisis of identity.
The manosphere has spent years turning strength, dominance, and moral clarity into a brand. But Trump’s Iran strike broke their frame. For once, the ultimate alpha male, Trump himself, forced his online followers into a moral corner. Choose the leader, or choose the principle.
Many chose silence.
The fallout from “Operation Midnight Hammer” is still unfolding. But the long-term damage may already be done. Trump may have reminded his base who’s boss. But in doing so, he may have broken the illusion that the alpha influencers ever stood for anything more than power itself.
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