Conservative political pundit Ann Coulter, a former Donald Trump supporter who endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the 2024 GOP presidential primary, is delighting Trump critics on social media, including fellow former Trump supporter Candace Owens.
After the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire was announced Tuesday, and the Strait of Hormuz reopened, Coulter wrote: “Yay. The Strait that was open before we began bombing Iran open, is open again. Everybody pretend this is a huge victory for Trump so he’ll end this catastrophe.” Owens replied with a series of laughing/crying emojis.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 17, 2026
Coulter and Owens are getting pushback for their shared laughter. MAGA-aligned U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) replied to Coulter: “Thank you for your stupid take.”
[NOTE: The Strait of Hormuz was fully open to commercial shipping before the Feb. 28, 2026 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran then restricted it in retaliation, triggering attacks on vessels and a subsequent U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.]
Influencer Jeffrey Mead also responded to Coulter: “So we’re really going to pretend nothing has been accomplished? Everybody play dumb and pretend like Ann’s post is genuine so she’ll think she actually did something.”
As seen below, President Trump continues to repeatedly call out his (former) MAGA allies in the media, including Owens, Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Alex Jones, for criticizing his decision to initiate a war in Iran. Kelly called the war a “total and complete disaster,” Carlson called it “evil,” and Jones — along with former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene — has called for the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.
Why is my name in quotation marks though? https://t.co/1xEl81l8Dk
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 17, 2026