Latest news with #AndrewKloster
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
White House official and self-described 'misogynist' says Iran nuclear strikes were 'pointless'
A White House official who once described himself as a 'raging misogynist' slammed Donald Trump 's strikes on Iran as 'pointless' and only serving the 'deep state.' Andrew Kloster is a general counsel for the Office of Personnel Management which manages the civil service for the administration. Kloster - who worked for Trump during his first term and most recently served in the same role for Matt Gaetz - posted a string of criticisms of the U.S. giving 'handouts' to Israel and suggesting fears of Iran getting a nuclear weapon were far-fetched. An X user posted that 'Iran's nuclear sites being crushed seems a long-term benefit for the US.' He responded from his now locked account: 'I just think it was kind of pointless.' The lawyer also retweeted Vish Burra, the former spokesperson for George Santos, who wrote: 'Can we please ignore this god-forsaken region of Earth and their tribal squabbles?' Kloster - who's social media bio once included 'Suicide bomber in the Butlerian jihad' in a reference to the 'Dune' novels - eventually deleted the posts, including one writing: 'I apologize and will never again doubt the power of the deep state.' It's not the first time Kloster has set off controversy, as the liberal Project on Government Oversight claimed he called himself 'a raging misogynist.' He did tweet in 2023: 'I'm 100% women respecter precisely because I'm a raging misogynist. I'm so kind you'll want to kill yourself and die, which is the goal.' Kloster has almost made comments regarding consent - calling it 'probably modern society's most pernicious fetish' - and race - joking that 'Slaves owe us reparations.' The New York Post reported that Kloster is believed to be an ally of Sergio Gor, the head of the Presidential Personnel Office who was said to be against Elon Musk. reached out to the Office of Personnel and Management for comment. A White House spokesperson declined comment. Trump himself appeared to be showing frustration with both Israel and Iran on Monday. The president went on a foul-mouthed tirade saying that both Israel and Iran violated the ceasefire deal that he announced Monday evening. 'We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing,' Trump said before boarding Marine One en route to the NATO Summit early Tuesday morning. The president said Monday evening that he had brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel after ordering his own strike on three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Kloster - who worked for Trump during his first term and most recently served in the same role for Matt Gaetz - posted a string of criticisms of the U.S. giving 'handouts' to Israel and suggesting fears of Iran getting a nuclear weapon were far-fetched Kloster - who's social media bio once included 'Suicide bomber in the Butlerian jihad' in a reference to the 'Dune' novels - eventually deleted the posts, including one writing: 'I apologize and will never again doubt the power of the deep state Earlier Monday, Iran had retaliated by sending missiles toward the U.S.'s largest military base in the Middle East, located just outside of Doha in Qatar, which didn't prompt a response from Trump. Instead he announced the ceasefire. On Tuesday morning Trump was fired up after Israel decided to launch another massive assault on Iran just as the deal was to take hold. 'Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I've never seen before, the biggest load that we've seen,' an incredulous said. 'I'm not happy with Israel,' he added. 'I'm not happy with Iran either. But I'm really unhappy if Israel's going out this morning because of one rocket that didn't land, that was shot, perhaps by mistake, that didn't land. I'm not happy about that.' Later Tuesday, a leaked intelligence assessment claiming Donald Trump 's strikes on Iran did not destroy Tehran's nuclear program was deemed 'flat-out wrong' by the White House. The report, conducted by the Defense Intelligence Agency and leaked by CNN, claims Saturday's airstrike on three Iranian nuclear sites only set the country's program back by months instead of completely destroying it. Trump claimed the strikes 'completely and totally obliterated', a statement echoed by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt who dismissed the assessment as a 'clear attempt to demean President Trump'. 'Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,' Leavitt said. Trump faced calls for his impeachment on a sole charge of abuse of power over his launch of military strikes on Iran without first seeking authorization from Congress - but the House today overwhelmingly voted to block the resolution.
Mint
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Top Trump official calls US strikes on Iran ‘pointless', says ‘deep state' made the call; deletes post later
A top official in the Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday called the United States strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities 'pointless' while also suggesting that the the decision was rather made by Washing DC's 'deep state' – only to delete his claim later. Andrew Kloster, who is general counsel at the Office of Personnel Management, first called the US strikes on nuclear facilities of Iran 'pointless' while reacting to a post on X and then shared a number of posts slamming the government policy of aiding Israel while downplaying the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran. As soon as Donald Trump announced the US strikes in Iran, Andrew Kloster wrote: 'I apologize and will never again doubt the power of the deep state.' Later, in response to a post on X that read, 'If striking Iran runs the risk of WWIII, then Iran's nuclear sites being crushed seems a long-term benefit for the US,' Kloster replied, 'I think it was just kind of pointless.' These remarks have came since a classified preliminary US intelligence report concluded that American strikes on Iran set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months – rather than destroying it as claimed by President Donald Trump and his administration. US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency findings as saying the weekend strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium. The strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report. Over the weekend, Donald Trump, who has so far asserted that Iran was making a nuclear bomb, ordered strikes on two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs. After claiming to have been 'destroying' the nuclear strikes, Donald Trump said they were a 'spectacular military success'.
New York Post
17 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Andrew Kloster calls US airstrikes on Iran 'pointless,' suggests ‘deep state' swayed prez
WASHINGTON — A top staffer in the federal agency overseeing personnel for the Trump administration has denounced the US strikes on Iran as 'pointless' and suggested the decision was made by members of DC's 'deep state.' Andrew Kloster, who serves as general counsel at the Office of Personnel Management, tweeted — and then deleted — a string of posts ripping the US for having sent 'handouts' to Israel in the past and for previously downplaying the threat of Tehran getting a nuclear weapon. Within a half-hour of President Trump announcing successful US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday night, Kloster wrote on X, 'I apologize and will never again doubt the power of the deep state.' Advertisement 7 Top Trump administration staffer Andrew Kloster posted views on X within a half hour of the president announcing successful US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday night. Andrew Kloster/X 7 'I think it was just kind of pointless,' Kloster added Sunday in a response to an X user. Andrew Kloster/X In a response to an X user saying that 'Iran's nuclear sites being crushed seems a long-term benefit for the US,' Kloster wrote, 'I think it was just kind of pointless.' Advertisement He also boosted a post from Vish Burra, disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos' ex-director of operations, that referred to Israel's conflict with Iran as a 'tribal squabble' after Tehran broke a cease-fire Trump secured Monday night. The posts — still visible as of Tuesday morning — have since been deleted. 7 Kloster's commentary is extremely unusual — due in part to the fact that he can be fired at will as a political appointee. ARKloster/X The senior official's candid commentary is extremely unusual — due in part to the fact that he can be fired at will as a political appointee. Advertisement OPM also has a role in implementing Trump's 'Schedule F' directive to ensure that non-political appointees in the federal bureaucracy are upholding the president's policies. In April, Trump tweeted that pursuant to one of his Day One executive orders, all career government employees would need to 'be held to the highest standards of conduct and performance. 7 The Trump official also boosted another post that referred to Israel's conflict with Iran as a 'tribal squabble.' Andrew Kloster/X 'If these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job,' Trump added. Advertisement Kloster's posts reflected the broad unease among Trump's non-interventionist supporters who fear that US involvement in bombing Iran will trigger a prolonged conflict in the region, sap trillions of dollars more from the US Treasury and result in American deaths — after prior US interventions turned into quagmires in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had urged the president's jittery MAGA base ahead of the bombing mission to 'trust in Trump' to secure 'peace through strength.' 7 Kloster's posts reflect the broad unease among Trump's non-interventionist supporters who fear US involvement in bombing Iran could trigger a prolonged conflict in the region. Planet Labs PBC/AFP via Getty Images Just two days after his unprecedented attack on Iran, Trump swiftly returned to his anti-war messaging — brokering a cease-fire Monday and then strong-arming both sides after violations Tuesday. A source close to the White House described Kloster's tweets as foolish. Kloster worked at the White House Office of Presidential Personnel during the final year of Trump's first term and also as a lawyer for then-Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz's congressional office from February 2023 until his resignation in November. He also had stints as deputy general counsel and later acting general counsel in OPM during the first Trump administration as well as in senior positions in the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. 7 Just two days after his unprecedented attack on Iran, Trump swiftly returned to his anti-war messaging. via REUTERS Advertisement 7 The US used B-2 bombers to help nail Iran over the weekend. AP The tweets are just the latest drama surrounding Trump appointees put in charge of filling his administration. Presidential Personnel Director Sergio Gor allegedly sparked Trump's feud this month with Elon Musk. Sources also revealed that Gor, the top administration official in charge of vetting job applicants, had not submitted paperwork for a standard government security clearance and that despite saying he's from Malta was not born on the Mediterranean island. Advertisement Kloster has been described by sources close to the White House as a close friend and ally of Gor. Kloster did not respond to Post requests for comment. The White House declined to comment.
