Donald Trump is becoming increasingly irate with those close to him after a series of bruising setbacks, according to a report.
The erratic 79-year-old is said to be “frustrated with everyone, from his own team to the Senate,” a top MAGA figurehead close to the White House told Politico’s Playbook.
The issues that sparked Trump’s anger range from Republicans opposing his $1.8 billion “anti-Weaponization” slush fund, the mammoth $1 billion security bill for his White House ballroom vanity project, to GOP leaders refusing to fire the nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian as he demands.
“He’s p---ed , and people are not recognizing the level of p---ed that he is,” the MAGA source told Politico. “He does not like being put in a box. When you put him in a box, then Trump’s going to blow the box up.”
Trump has not had his own way as much as he would like in his second term.
As well as the Department of Justice canning the $1.8 billion compensation fund, Senate Republicans stripped plans to add an additional $1 billion for security related to the president’s planned White House ballroom in order to pass a broader $70 billion immigration and border enforcement bill.
Last month, it was also reported that Trump went on a tirade against Senate Majority LeaderJohn Thune and demanded that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough be fired after the Senate rulekeeper said that the ballroom security funding could not be included in the immigration enforcement bill.
Elsewhere, Trump is said to be even more determined to install controversial loyalist Bill Pulte as the director of national intelligence, despite his complete lack of national security experience, after having crunch talks with House Speaker Mike Johnson to address the concerns about his pick to replace Tulsi Gabbard.
The White House has defended Trump’s pick of Pulte as the nation’s next top intelligence official. “Bill Pulte is a great selection, and he will do a phenomenal job,” spokesperson Davis Ingle told Politico, describing the president’s team as “world class.”
Trump, increasingly walled off inside a thinly staffed White House operation, is now leaning on a tight circle of loyalists who have his ear, Politico writes. That includes Pulte, along with his personal counsel Boris Epshteyn and personal aide Natalie Harp.
Harp has earned herself the nickname “Human Printer” for her habit of carrying around a portable printer, which she apparently uses to print off glowing online posts about the president so that he can read them without having to look at a screen.
“Knives are out in some capacity,” a White House ally added. “I mean, people are stabbing people. Like, it’s chaos. The chaos is like creeping back.”
Trump is also reported to have lashed out at his White House inner circle after his endorsed candidate in the Iowa gubernatorial primary, Randy Feenstra, lost last week.
“He’s really angry about this Iowa endorsement—like really, really angry,” a White House ally said. “He’s really angry that his consultants and people pushed him to do that.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for further comment on this story.
