Israel Runs Influence Campaign Targeting Trump’s Conservative Base Against His Iran Deal

Israel conducted a covert influence campaign aimed at young conservative Americans within former President Donald Trump’s base to prevent him from distancing himself from Israel. The campaign, reported by Time magazine on July 14, 2026, criticized Trump’s decision to sign a memorandum of understanding with Iran. It was led by Brad Parscale, Trump’s former presidential campaign manager, who was hired by Israel to manage a digital campaign primarily targeting Generation Z on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and podcasts.

The campaign involved producing around 100 original content pieces monthly, with at least 80% directed at young conservatives. Influencers in the MAGA movement were paid to share posts that sharply criticized Trump’s Iran policy, accusing him of failing to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and being naive toward regional powers. These posts appeared simultaneously with similar wording and tone, prompting a senior Trump administration official to investigate and identify Parscale as the orchestrator.

Parscale acknowledged the campaign’s goal to maintain conservative youth support for Israel but denied directing efforts against Trump’s objectives. One prominent figure linked to the campaign was Eyal Yakobi, a young Jewish influencer known for pro-Israel content and misinformation, who confirmed working with Parscale’s associates.

Despite the campaign’s continuation, Israeli officials expressed disappointment with its results, with one Foreign Ministry source stating, "We are angry at Brad Parscale. We paid him a lot, but the situation only worsened." Within the White House, frustration grew as the campaign, initially intended to preserve right-wing support for Israel, increasingly conflicted with Trump’s political interests. U.S. intelligence officials criticized the effort as a foreign-funded attempt to influence the president’s stance and those around him, warning it could not be dismissed as insignificant.