Donald Trump flooded social media with more than 50 posts in three hours Monday night, launching a barrage of attacks on political rivals, the press, and even conservative justices he appointed to the Supreme Court.
The late-night spree began early Monday evening and stretched into Tuesday morning, just hours before Trump was scheduled to depart for high-stakes talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The posts centered on false accusations against Barack Obama, demands that Democratic opponents be arrested, and doctored images meant to mock his political enemies.
Among the fabricated claims, Trump accused Obama of plotting a coup and branded him a traitor and "the most demonic force in American politics." He also shared altered photographs showing Obama, Joe Biden, and Nancy Pelosi positioned in the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool, which he depicted as filled with sewage under the heading "Dumacrats love sewage."
Trump's fire extended to the New York Times after the newspaper reported that a $6.9 million contract to restore the reflecting pool was hastily awarded to a company that had renovated a swimming pool at his Virginia golf course. Trump dismissed the scrutiny, describing the project as complex work deserving of praise.
The president also trained criticism on Democratic figures including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Hillary Clinton. He repeated long-debunked claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite losing to Biden.
Trump expressed particular frustration with Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, both of whom he appointed. He denounced their decision to vote against his tariff agenda earlier this year, stating he could not reconcile how judges he selected could rule against him and hurt the country.
The social media tirade unfolded as millions of Americans grapple with rising living costs tied to the ongoing U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran. The war, which began with American and Israeli strikes in late February, has created mounting economic pressure on households nationwide. Trump acknowledged this hardship earlier Monday when he signaled support for measures to address surging fuel costs.
The timing underscores a contradiction at the heart of Trump's presidency. For years he campaigned against American involvement in "endless wars," yet his administration has extended the Iran conflict well beyond initial projections. Earlier in the week, Trump characterized ceasefire negotiations with Tehran as "on life support," signaling his skepticism about a swift resolution.
Author James Rodriguez: "The contrast is stark: millions struggling with inflation and war costs at home while the president spends his eve of diplomatic talks settling scores on Truth Social with altered memes and recycled conspiracy theories."
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