Administration aides reel after Trump's nonsensical 24 hours: 'He just seemed to go crazy today'


Monday was … strange. President Trump spent the day questioning the cause of the Civil War, doubling down on his praise of Andrew Jackson, claiming he would be "honored" to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, admiring controversial Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, disparaging the current iteration of his party's health-care bill, suggesting breaking up big banks, wobbling both ways on a gas tax, and abruptly walking out on an interview after a reporter pressed him on his renewed allegations of being wiretapped by former President Barack Obama.
"He just seemed to go crazy today," one Republican aide told Politico.
The short period was one of Trump's most accessible days in office as he gave interviews to Bloomberg, SiriusXM, and Face the Nation, but administration officials winced as the president's comments repeatedly came out of left field. "They were not helpful to us," one official said of the interviews. "There was no point to do all of them."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley went a step further. "It seems to be among the most bizarre recent 24 hours in American presidential history," he said. "It was all just surreal disarray and a confused mental state from the president."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Can Trump put his tariffs on stronger legal footing?
Today's Big Question Appeals court says 'emergency' tariffs are improper
-
Film reviews: The Roses, Splitsville, and Twinless
Feature A happy union devolves into domestic warfare, a couple's open marriage reaps chaos, and an unlikely friendship takes surprising turns
-
Thought-provoking podcasts you may have missed this summer
The Week Recommends Check out a true crime binger, a deep-dive into history and more
-
US kills 11 on 'drug-carrying boat' off Venezuela
Speed Read Trump claimed those killed in the strike were 'positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists' shipping drugs to the US
-
Trump vows to send federal forces to Chicago, Baltimore
Speed Read The announcement followed a California judge ruling that Trump's LA troop deployment was illegal
-
Trump crypto token launch earns family billions
Speed Read The World Liberty Financial token is now the Trump family's 'most valuable asset'
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges