Trump silent on Ukraine drone attacks as MAGA blames "Deep State"
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MAGA influencers warned of dark forces at play — and the risk of dangerous escalation — as Ukraine celebrated a historic drone operation targeting Russia's bombing fleet.
Why it matters: President Trump has not publicly commented so far on Ukraine's stunning "Spiderweb" operation, in which more than 100 drones infiltrated air bases deep inside Russia and destroyed nuclear-capable bombers.
- MAGA's alarm over Ukraine's attack — and comparative silence when Russia targets Ukrainian civilians — underscores the movement's deep skepticism of the Western-backed government in Kyiv.
- While Trump seeks to present himself as a neutral mediator trying to bring broker peace, large swathes of his base see Ukraine — not Russia — as the enemy.
Driving the news: Ukraine's successful operation, which took 18 months to covertly plan, delivered a major strategic coup in a war that has otherwise been mired in stalemate and trench warfare.
- As Ukrainians and their allies praised the breakthrough, some MAGA influencers expressed suspicion and anger that Kyiv had not informed Trump about the operation ahead of time.
- At best, MAGA treated the attack as counterproductive to nascent peace talks; at worst, they feared an attempt by Ukraine and American "Deep State" actors to drag the U.S. further into the conflict.
State of play: Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have failed so far to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire. Peace talks at the staff level have yielded little progress beyond prisoner swaps.
- Top Trump administration officials — including the president himself, at times — have warned that the U.S. could walk away from the conflict completely if talks do not advance.
What they're saying: Pro-Trump influencer Jack Posobiec speculated on Steve Bannon's "War Room" Monday about whether the Biden administration could have been involved in the operation, given that planning began 18 months ago.
- "Seems very much on the interior of Russia. I sure hope America had nothing to do with it," said Charlie Kirk, a top MAGA activist with close White House ties.
- Rogan O'Handley, who runs the popular DC Draino X account, alleged, without evidence, that the attack was "intentionally conducted to drag America into WW3."
Dan Caldwell, a former top Pentagon official who advocates for "America First" foreign policy, warned that the operation "raises risk of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO."
- "U.S. should not only distance itself from this attack but end any support that could directly or indirectly enable attacks against Russian strategic nuclear forces," Caldwell wrote.
Between the lines: MAGA has been nothing if not consistent throughout the war, treating Zelensky as a "globalist" puppet and Ukraine as a backwater of corruption.
- Zelensky and any Ukrainian military operations against Russian troops have been met with hostility from MAGA for years.
- Meanwhile, Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure garner sporadic criticism from Trump, but mostly silence from his staunchest supporters.
The bottom line: Trump is facing pressure from multiple sides: Republican senators who want tougher sanctions on Russia, and an agitated MAGA base that sees Ukraine as the enemy.
