Trump Aide Slams 'Pointless' Iran Strike as Deep State Play

President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in the Cabinet Room of the White House. Photo courtesy of the White House. Public domain.

A shadowy split just rocked Trumpworld — and it's not coming from the usual suspects.

Hours after President Donald Trump celebrated a successful U.S. airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities, one of his own appointees lobbed a digital grenade into the MAGA base. Andrew Kloster, general counsel at the Office of Personnel Management and a staunch Trump loyalist, accused the "deep state" of steering the president into a "pointless" war, according to the New York Post.

His now-deleted social media posts reflect a simmering panic inside a White House under pressure — not just from Iran, but from itself.

Friction in the Fortress

Kloster's online outburst was fast, blunt, and surprising coming from a man widely seen as a Trump loyalist — though he's no stranger to provocative statements. In a since-deleted post, he wrote, "I apologize and will never again doubt the power of the deep state," a biting comment made within 30 minutes of Trump's televised announcement of the airstrikes, according to the New York Post.

He followed that with another message calling the mission "just kind of pointless" — directly contradicting the administration's narrative of strength and precision, according to the New York Post.

The critiques weren't just off-message — they were loaded with meaning. Kloster's posts echoed growing unrest among Trump's non-interventionist base, who fear a repeat of the endless Middle East entanglements that Trump once vowed to end.

The Battle Inside

While the strike may have scored military points, it's exposed political vulnerabilities. The cease-fire brokered just two days later did little to ease tensions — especially among skeptics who say the mission lacked strategic vision and congressional approval. Conservative legal scholars argue that the operation sidestepped constitutional constraints and the War Powers Act entirely.

This internal dissonance couldn't come at a worse time for Trump, who is already managing a volatile staff roster. Personnel director Sergio Gor — tasked with implementing the president's "Schedule F" policy to reshape the federal workforce — has reportedly been dogged by allegations, including questions about his background and security clearance.

The irony? Kloster is part of that very vetting operation. His defiance now raises the question of who is really in control if even Trump's ideological gatekeepers are breaking rank.

Trump's Balancing Act

Officially, the White House insists everything is fine. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged MAGA supporters to "trust in Trump" and framed the strike as a peace-through-strength maneuver, according to the New York Post.

However, the post-mortem inside Trump's inner circle tells another story. A source close to the president called Kloster's comments "foolish," according to the New York Post. His social media account was reportedly locked shortly after the posts went viral.

Kloster, no stranger to controversy, has worked across key federal agencies and previously served as counsel to Rep. Matt Gaetz. His credibility with Trump's base — particularly its libertarian and anti-war wing — gives his criticism added weight.

And that's the problem.

In a movement that prizes loyalty above all, a crack like this isn't just personal — it's political. And with global tensions rising and Iran warning of retaliatory measures, internal chaos only fuels external danger.

A Tense Path Forward

For now, the official message is clear — the president acted decisively, the mission was successful, and the U.S. remains committed to peace. But that message is being drowned out by dissent from within — and not from backbenchers or anonymous leaks, but from the very officials entrusted to carry out Trump's agenda.

This rare rupture within the Trump administration reveals a larger anxiety: a fear among the faithful that the machine they built might be slipping out of their control.

References: Top Trump official calls US airstrikes on Iran 'pointless,' suggests 'deep state' swayed prez | White House official locks account, deletes posts after an ill-advised criticism of Iran mission | Trump's Iran Air Strikes and the Constitution