'Epic Fury' Describes the Left's Response to Iran Operation

David Strom 1:50 PM | February 28, 2026
AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.

You could play a game called "Al Jazeera or Lefty?"

I actually watched about an hour of Al Jazeera this morning to get a flavor of the coverage, and it was exactly what you would expect, although, ironically, the tone changed a bit once Qatar and other Arab states were hit. 

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Now, you can find more balanced coverage on Al Jazeera than among many liberals here in the United States. 

Bonchie at RedState collected a few of the lefty responses that popped up within hours, and they ranged from ridiculous to crazy. 

Wishing Iran had a nuke to strike at the US and Israel? How insane can you be?

If you ever wanted an example of the Horseshoe theory of politics—that the far left and the far right circle back to a point where they almost meet, Operation Epic Fury should serve as a great example. Tucker, Candace, and Dave Smith are about as crazy angry about the Iran operation as Jackson Hinkle and Cenk Uygur. 

Coalition Check: Progressive Darling 50501 Joins “Stop the War on Iran” Protest Alongside Groups Flagged in State Department Influence Warnings

The sponsor list is the story. You’ve got the usual “anti-war” and anti-imperialist ecosystem: ANSWER Coalition, CODEPINK, The People’s Forum, AMP, and Palestinian Youth Movement.

National Iranian American Council (NIAC) is signed on too, even though it does not usually show up on protest posters like this. It pushes a consistent no war, anti sanctions line on Iran, but it has been a political lightning rod for years, including calls from GOP senators for DOJ to review it for potential FARA issues. Many critics now treat “NIAC” as shorthand for Islamic Republic friendly lobbying or apologetics.

But the notable addition is 50501. They have been a visible organizer in the “No Kings” protest ecosystem, and now they are partnering with CODEPINK and The People’s Forum. Those groups have been singled out in State Department messaging and related reporting about CCP linked influence efforts and narrative amplification.

A mainstreamed domestic protest brand, 50501, is helping launder that coalition’s credibility.

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As you can see, while elected Democrats are being cautious, their propaganda/activist arm, directly funded by Democratic Party donors, is laying the groundwork for using Epic Fury to generate epic fury at Trump. Democrats in power don't want to get too far out in front of their skis, but they are preparing the ground. 

Pravda is out there trolling for anti-Trump sentiments, and you can be assured that they will lead as much as they can with the "Trump is evil" spin. 

This guy is the ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent. In a sane world he’d be racing to determine what was targeted, who was affected, what the damage assessment looks like, and what happens next. That is the job. Instead, his first move is to run to Tucker Carlson for a negative quote, because his overriding fixation is not informing the public but attacking Republicans.

Most Democrats have settled on a narrative that doesn't place them on the side of the Iranian regime but still gives them ample opportunity to scream about Trump's evil. 

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It boils down to this: this is an illegal war. If they were consistent, in the manner of Rand Paul, for instance, their argument would make sense. It would be highly debatable, given the fact that we have an arguable authorization through the AUMF (Iran harbored terrorists who attacked the United States and our troops), but it would be coherent. 

But these Democrats actually supported the Libya attacks, which had no conceivable connection to the AUMF. For somebody like Ben Rhodes, who was the "Obama whisperer" in foreign policy, to complain about legal niceties is absurd. 

The "Iran has not attacked the US" argument is about as weak as a matchstick tower. A conservative estimate is that one out of five casualties in the Iraq war was directly caused by Iranian weapons and proxies, and Iran is behind almost every terrorist attack in the Western world. 

Even many statements by Democrats acknowledge that Iran is an evil regime, and most Democratic politicians are smart enough to hold back from outright condemnations. They are reserving the right to do so by attacking the legality of the attacks, but if Trump accomplishes his goals with minimal loss of American lives, they don't want to be in a position to eat their words. 

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So the vicious attacks are being made by Democrat proxies in the commentariat. People closely aligned with Democrats, but who can separate themselves if things turn out well for Trump. 

It's striking that the critics are aligning themselves with the Iranian regime as ordinary Iranians, most Arab countries, and the Iranian diaspora celebrate the (hopefully) imminent destruction of the Iranian regime. 

Not all Democrats are opposing Trump. A few brave Democrats are stepping up and supporting Epic Fury. It really shouldn't be hard. This is IRAN we are talking about. This is the country that chants "Death to America" at every opportunity. 

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But the official position of the Democratic Party is that Iran is bad, but President Trump is worse. 

Democratic Party officeholders, outside the usual suspects on the far left, will likely be more cautious than the people who make their livings spewing outrage (on either side of the aisle). 

If things go well, Democrats will try to make the issue disappear as quickly as possible. If things go badly, they will ride this issue as if Iranian mullahs were illegal alien pedophiles in need of defense. 

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And the comment everybody was waiting for:

Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war.  Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change. They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace.

I am focused on making sure that every New Yorker is safe. I have been in contact with our Police Commissioner and emergency management officials. We are taking proactive steps, including increasing coordination across agencies and enhancing patrols of sensitive locations out of an abundance of caution.

Additionally, I want to speak directly to Iranian New Yorkers: you are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders. You will be safe here.

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Tags:

DEMOCRAT PARTY DONALD TRUMP FOREIGN POLICY IRAN TUCKER CARLSON OPERATION EPIC FURY

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