Donald Trump melted down in a private White House meeting after a series of setbacks that are affecting the president’s mood.
A new Wall Street Journal report cites advisers, administration officials and sources close to Trump who claim he is livid about not getting his way, as his popularity sinks and living costs rise in his second term.
The report reveals how an increasingly frustrated Trump used the Oval Office meeting to explode over not being publicly thanked enough by key figures in his administration.
In particular, Trump, 80, expressed “deep frustration” that his staff had not publicly praised his attempts to overhaul the Kennedy Center.
Trump has become obsessed with the building, which opened in 1971 as a memorial to slain former President John F. Kennedy. He filled the Kennedy Center’s board with handpicked allies and, briefly, had his own name added to the front of the building last December. A court ruled for its removal in June.
In August, his administration suggested the prospect of demolishing the venue and replacing it with an outdoor amphitheater, unless it could be shut down for two years to carry out renovations, claiming it was “structurally unsound” and “embarrassing to the Nation’s Capital.”
He also wants his name returned to the exterior of the building, which was closed last week under an ominous cloud of Trump’s plans for its future.
Trump was also photographed last week inspecting a poster on Air Force One which appeared to read “Kennedy Center” and “DEMOLISHED.”
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters linked their hands around the iconic arts venue over the weekend to call out his actions.
In a humiliating moment for Trump, demonstrators held signs reading “You’re No Jack Kennedy,” and “Hands Off the Arts.”
The senior president has also been warned that his ongoing war with Iraq is alienating him from his conservative support base ahead of the critical midterms elections, according to the Journal.
Trump’s general anger over how the media is covering him saw him ban three outlets on Friday in a Truth Social tantrum.
“Behind the scenes, the president has told aides he doesn’t have enough political allies defending him on television and making the case for his second-term achievements, according to people familiar with the matter,” the report continued.
While Trump wants more of his administration to talk him up in the media, the president is also continuing to flatline in opinion polls.
A New York Times poll released last week found that far more likely voters plan to vote for a candidate who would keep Trump in check than to support him.
The figures demonstrated that 49 percent of people polled want candidates to “provide a check on Trump,” while just 26 percent want candidates who support Trump. Only 21 percent said it did not matter.
Democrats were trusted more than Republicans on nearly every issue with less than 50 days to go before Election Day.
That included the key MAGA talking points of immigration and the economy.
Trump’s war with Iran has seen the price of gas soar in the U.S. It is now sitting at $4.48 per gallon, according to AAA, while in Hawaii, California and Washington prices exceed $5 per gallon.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
