Err, I'm not sure which republican candidate was the darling of the neo-cons, but it was certainly not Trump.
Trump ran on a platform of non-intervention.
Remember when he was in South Carolina and denounced the Iraq War? That was one of the times all the talking heads predicted he was done, because South Carolina is so pro-military.
He won.
How Donald Trump blasted George W. Bush in S.C. -- and won - CNNPolitics
"the Republican presidential front-runner stood on the debate stage in South Carolina and accused former President George W. Bush of lying about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He also faulted the former president for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, that brought down the World Trade Center.
"That's not keeping us safe," Trump argued.
Right away, it was clear that those charges would not sit well with many in this Southern state, home to a large population of military personnel and veterans. The audience in the Greenville auditorium booed the New York businessman, and undecided voters expressed a mixture of disbelief and disdain in the days that followed.
For any other politician, it could have been a campaign-ending moment. Instead, it underscored Trump's unique ability to make statements that would sink anyone else but still come out on top. He easily won the South Carolina primary on Saturday, beating the runner-up by about 10 points. And the former president's brother, Jeb,
dropped his bid for the presidency after a disappointing showing."
By attacking Trump, you are weakening the man that defeated the neo-cons in the Republican Party.