Outside, the handpiece often appears monolithic: a gang of hyper-allynas viral influences united in their war against feminism, political correctness and what they see as mitigating Western civilization. Whether it is red-sneakers, traders, incels, nationalists, or so-called alpha gurus, their message is usually loud, synchronized and singular.
But below the surface, the ecosystem is disorderly and fragmented. These men cannot even agree with what is “true alpha”, except to assert, for self-serving and brand-conscious reasons that Donald Trump and Elon Musk are the ideal male archetypes.
Now a geopolitical crisis has cracked the whole thing wide open.
For months, speculation has turned that Israel will launch a preventive strike on Iran. Within the handphere, this perspective was a source of brilliant tension. Some influencers warned of upcoming World War 3.. Others tried to keep their foods focused on fitness, feminism and Western decline. But when Israel launched a large-scale aircraft on Iranian nuclear facilities late on Thursday night, on June 12, the fall through the online male space was immediate and brutal.
The strike exhibited a bitter ideological rift. On the one hand, there are those who accumulate behind Israel, defending what they see as values of Western civilization and Jewish-Christian superiority. On the other hand, there are anti-interventionists, neo-traditionalists, and Muslim influencers who either support Iran or reject the idea of US involvement in yet another Middle East conflict. What develops is an identical crisis for a movement built on certainty and control.
Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the daily wire, leads the accusation on the pro-Israeli front. A longtime sound supporter of Israel, Shapiro went on YouTube shortly after the strike, streaming for more than an hour to explain “why Israel was 100% right to do it.” His Post on x And Daily Wire’s live nutrition was seen by hundreds of thousands of users. Shapiro, who is Jewish, has since flooded its food with support for Israel and shared any coverage, which strengthens the idea that Trump and other global powers support the attack. To his 7.8 million followers, the message is clear: Israel is not alone.
But while Shapiro asserts the role of Israel in defense of the West, most of the powerful players in the handphere sound the alarm, and they are not by his side.
Tucker Carlson, with 16.3 million followers in X, used his newsletter to blast the Trump’s response management, particularly that of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio said the United States was not involved in the attack, a claim Carlson flattered. “The United States says it was not involved.” That’s not true, “Carlson wrote on June 13.” This could be the final newsletter before an all-war war. “He warned that Iran’s threat will retaliate climb and that US citizens may pay the price.
Charlie Kirk echoed the warning. With 5 million followers, Kirk warned that Iran could hit US military bases more easily than Israeli goals and argued that involvement in this conflict would be catastrophic. “Drag America into this war could be irrational and suicide,” he wrote, comparing the situation with Ukraine. “In any extracted war with Iran, the United States loses even if we win.”
Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer and recent Muslim convert, took a more ironic route. He repulsed a thread by skating the language used to defend Israeli military actions. The poster satirically lists “rules” to discuss Israeli wars, including: “Rule 1: Israel is never the aggressor” and “Rule 14: The US government has never lied about anything, ever.” Here is the thread He claimed.
Myron Gaines, a fellow Muslim and fellow host of Fresh & Fit, was more direct. “I hope Trump does not make the same mistake that Bush has made and prevents his legacy with more foreign wars in the Middle East, which does nothing for the United States,” he wrote.
Just hours before the strike, Matt Walsh, another daily wire personality, warned its 5 million followers that Iran poses no credible threat to the United States “we do not need to participate in yet another war in the Middle East for reasons that have nothing to do with defense of our own nation,” he declared to his 3.7 million followers at X.
The fall is even more complex because many of these figures are supportive supporters of Trump. Now they find themselves against Trump’s foreign policy, or at least to the stories pushed by those closest to him. There is a splash that no one in the movement seems to know to manage.
The separation is among whole ideological tribes that make up the male ecosystem. The Christian nationalists find themselves opposed with pro-Muslim influencers. Western traditionalists now conflict with isolationist libertarians. The common ground that once brought them together – feminism bad, Trump good – is no longer enough.
More fringe figures, such as Nick Fuentes, also weigh, using the moment to Amplify their openly anti-Israeli attitude.
This rift is important. If Israel’s strike escalates into a broader conflict, or if US troops are attracted, the fracture in the handphere can become constant. Influences who have built empires on the illusion of ideological clarity are forced to face contradictions, which they would rather ignore. Christian nationalists struggle to square support for Israel with increasing resentment between its base. Islamic influencers can no longer co-sign Western rule during Western intervention. And libertarians find themselves surrounded by Warhawks in their own movement.
This is a test of what the manosphere is really aiming for when the stakes are higher than cultural warfare. What has begun as a struggle for manhood is now a battle of war, an empire and whose lives are worth defending. The Griffin stretches. The alliances make noise. And no matter who wins this war, the brand will never be the same.
