‘Cocoon of Bitterness’: New Reports Detail Trump’s Raging Post-Election Sulk
President Donald Trump has been seething with anger since the midterm elections, according to a series of new reports, and it might soon have a direct impact on the state of his administration.
The reports detail the souring of Trump’s mood following the midterm elections, buttressed by the inner-White House conflicts that have caused Trump to become increasingly withdrawn and bitter. Trump has reportedly raged at media coverage of his week, including the criticism he faced for skipping a visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day or one to the WWI cemetery in France. Also revealed are his tensions with fellow world leaders, and the uncertain futures of both John Kelly and Kirstjen Nielsen.
Washington Post reports that British Prime Minister Theresa May called Trump to congratulate him for Republicans’ midterm successes while he was flying to France, but that the U.S. president responded by berating his U.K. counterpart. The president stewed in his disappointment with the midterms throughout his trip to Europe, and things didn’t get much better after he reportedly felt personally insulted by the anti-nationalism speech given by French President Emmanuel Macron — one that erupted into a flurry of Twitter attacks on Tuesday.
Despite watching plenty of television while he was in Paris, Trump reportedly told aides that he felt uncomfortably disconnected from the midterms while he was out of the country, especially with the vote counts happening in Florida and Arizona. He also grew “infuriated” when he learned of all the negative media coverage over his decision to not join his fellow world leaders at an event to commemorate the end of World War I.
From WaPo:
…Trump quickly grew infuriated by a torrent of tweets and media coverage suggesting that the president was afraid of the rain and did not respect veterans…
Trump told aides he thought he looked “terrible” and blamed his chief of staff’s office, and [Deputy Chief of Staff Zachary Fuentes] in particular, for not counseling him that skipping the cemetery visit would be a public-relations nightmare.
Trump has issued angry tweets about all of this throughout the week.
Putting WaPo aside, the Los Angeles Times reported similar anger emanating from the Oval Office, saying Trump has “retreated into a cocoon of bitterness and resentment” since the midterms. Much of this stems from the fact that Democrats are now in a position to launch a series of investigations into his conduct.
Behind the scenes, they say, the president has lashed out at several aides, from junior press assistants to senior officials. “He’s furious,” said one administration official. “Most staffers are trying to avoid him.”
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, painted a picture of a brooding president “trying to decide who to blame” for Republicans’ election losses, even as he publicly and implausibly continues to claim victory.
The Times suggested that Trump’s fury is the reason why he hasn’t made a whole lot of public appearances or held scheduled events in the last few days.
[Image via Getty]
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