President Donald Trump is unraveling like never before.
On The Daily Beast Podcast, Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty dissected the president’s week: his manic social media posts, his desperate attempt to bribe voters—whom he said should “cheat like hell”—to back Republicans, his aggressive behavior toward yet another female reporter, and his struggle to stay awake during a 9/11 memorial service.
“I think it’s very hard to argue that he is not unraveling,” Dougherty said.
Among the many “unhinged” social media posts, he said, was one in which Trump was depicted attacking Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with a hockey stick. In another, he threatened to take over Iceland, while another post showed him having an Oval Office meeting with George Washington, who died 227 years ago. Trump also posted about renaming the state of New Mexico “New America.”
The flurry of posts spurred renewed calls for removing the 80-year-old president from office.
“He was obviously up late. He was posting on Truth Social late at night. His family was not around him, rather notably, over this Labor Day weekend,” Dougherty said.
On Thursday night, Trump accosted ABC News reporter Rachel Scott—as he has in their past encounters—when she asked about his offer of $5,000 payouts to every adult American if Republicans retain control of both the House and the Senate, which would add $1.35 trillion to the national debt.
Trump’s behavior toward Scott was “atrocious,” Dougherty said.
“Then this morning, falling asleep during the names,” he continued. “I think it’s impossible to see that this is anything other than a revelation of character, an unraveling and opening up of Trump in a way that we have not seen before: not even during the appalling mishandling of COVID, when it was clear that his administration then was teetering on the brink. Not even after January 6th, when people deserted him.”
“This is different,” Dougherty added. “This is much more public. The anger is at the surface, the crazy is at the surface, and the desertion of his own party as well. There was nothing for Republicans at the Republican meeting in Dallas. It was all for Trump.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast, but has previously denied that Trump was dozing off at the September 11 event.
“President Trump was solemnly listening and remembering the victims and heroic first responders who tragically lost their lives on that fateful day. Anyone ridiculously claiming the President was asleep is lying,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said.
New episodes of The Daily Beast Podcast are released every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday on YouTube, and on other podcast platforms the next morning. Follow our new feed on your favorite podcast platform at beast.pub/dailybeastpod and subscribe on YouTube to watch full episodes.
