The United States bombed multiple underground uranium enrichment sites in Iran over the weekend—targeting Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—in a move that’s ignited concerns of another U.S. war in the Middle East. While President Donald Trump publicly celebrated the operation on Truth Social, some of his most hardline supporters reacted with fury.
“F— this s—,” read a blunt message posted Saturday on the Proud Boys’ Telegram channel. The statement appeared alongside a screenshot of Trump’s triumphant post following the strikes.
Just a week earlier, the Proud Boys—a far-right group known for its role in the January 6 Capitol riot—warned they would withdraw their support if Trump dragged the U.S. into a conflict between Israel and Iran. They argued that a war “for Israel” was not what they had endorsed when backing Trump in 2024.
Following the bombings, the group’s rhetoric turned even more hostile. One post mockingly contrasted Trump as a candidate versus president, featuring an unflattering photo seemingly meant to insult his mental faculties.
The Proud Boys, whose ideology centers around xenophobic, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs, often frame their rhetoric around Western supremacy. Their recent posts mark a sharp shift in tone, after months of alignment with Trump’s policies.
The White House did not immediately comment on the backlash.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has taken several controversial steps—including a sweeping round of pardons for individuals convicted in connection to the January 6 insurrection. Among those pardoned was Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who had been sentenced to 22 years for orchestrating the Capitol attack. Freed in January, Tarrio praised Trump and vowed to target those who prosecuted him.
Until now, the relationship between Trump and the Proud Boys had appeared cordial. In May, Tarrio reportedly met Trump briefly at Mar-a-Lago during a dinner visit with his mother. According to The New York Times, Trump told him he believed Jan. 6 defendants were being unfairly punished.
That cordiality, however, may have ended with the recent airstrikes.
