Donald Trump's derangement is getting worse

At 1:44 p.m. this afternoon, the cameras went live, and the world instantly saw the 18 women and two men who had been packed into the Oval Office directly behind the President of the United States, who was sitting and staring off into space with a confused look in every direction. As he sat there, shoulders slumped forward in his tall leather chair, he stared off past the reporters, seemingly unaware that everyone was waiting for him to begin. Seconds later, like a light switch had been flipped, the president came to life, and he began to read his remarks line by line from his three-ring binder.

The 56-minute event was supposed to be about the signing of an executive order establishing the President’s Military Spouse Commission, but instead, with military family members packed in behind him, he spent just 14 minutes discussing the commission, followed by 42 minutes on long tirades that had nothing to do with why everyone was gathered there today. He declared that, “I know Europe better than anybody, better than the people that run it.” He went on a strange rant about trees in “blue cities,” saying, “Their trees are all gross.” And then, apparently thinking he was being thoughtful and cautious about Iran, he said, “I want to give them every last chance before decapitation.”

The women who stood in that room today represented the military family community. Many are married to people who are willing to die for this country. Their families carry the burden of moving every two to three years. Of having to rebuild their lives from scratch each time they do. Setting down temporary roots in a new city, state, and sometimes even a new country. They give up their own careers and raise children alone through deployments that stretch for months on end. They manage households with lower pay than many in the private sector, navigate new school systems, and hold families together while the person they love is far away and often in harm’s way. That is the sacrifice these families face to keep the rest of us safe. That is what real patriotism looks like.

Those families deserved this event and this commission. They deserved a president who could sit in that chair, listen to their stories, really understand their challenges, and commit to doing something meaningful about the housing shortages, employment gaps, and child care issues that make their lives even tougher. A president who dedicated more time to listening and sharing that it’s not just the service member that serves. Their whole family does. Instead, they got 14 minutes of words someone else wrote, bizarre ramblings where President Trump called his decision to add one dollar to a military bonus to make it $1,776 “one of my genius ideas,” and then 42 minutes of unhinged ranting about reflecting pools, grass seed, swimming pool liner, intimidation and attacks on reporters.

This is who is commanding our armed forces. A struggling man who described the ongoing war with Iran as “working out very well, very very well.” Even though we have already lost at least 18 American service members in the war and more than 420 have been wounded. And he said that in front of military families.

But it wasn’t just Trump’s confusion or long-winded comments. He also demanded loyalty test performances today. During his opening remarks, he turned to Desiree Thompson Sayle, a longtime White House staffer who manages public correspondence, and he started talking about how the public sends gifts and money to the president, then said, “I should be able to get it,” while those closest to him laughed along with him. “They won’t give it to me. I should be entitled to it.” Then he turned back to Desiree. “I have one question. How do I compare in terms of response with other presidents of the past?” “No comparison, sir,” she said. “Is it good or bad?” he pressed. “No, it’s good. Actually, it’s very good.” “It’s very good. We do. Okay. We do great,” he repeated, before going further. “A little more than Sleepy Joe?” “A little bit more. Yes,” she confirmed. He closed with, “I think so. Thank you. Thank you.”

He was beaming after fishing for a compliment about being better than President Biden in the middle of an event about military families who have given everything. And then came the questions from the press. Trump has always been hostile toward reporters he cannot control, but today he was more direct. Before a reporter could finish a question, he would ask, “Who are you with?” If the answer was One American News, he praised the question. “Very friendly question. I like her. Who are you with? One American News? Very good. Good question. A good group.” If the answer was the Washington Examiner, he offered approval. “Good. You’re doing good. They’ve been very nice to me.” But when a reporter identified as being with MS NOW, he instantly attacked. “What a terrible show that is. They have the worst people on that channel.” And later, “That’s the failed MSNBC, right? The failed, they failed. They gave it a new name. You know why? Because nobody watched it.” And later, when that same reporter tried to ask another question, he was met with, “You’re fake news. Don’t ever talk again. You’re fake news. One of the worst in the business. Fortunately, nobody watches you.”

The worst moment for Donald Trump came when he was asked about Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, a former Fox News host and one of Trump’s most loyal allies. Trump is still very troubled that Pirro dropped the vandalism charges against Olympian David Hearn after her office determined the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by poor contractor installation, not anyone intentionally cutting the liner, as Donald Trump repeatedly lies about. President Trump spent more time publicly ranting about her than he did discussing military families. He said she “choked,” and that she “folded like an umbrella.” He said he was “really disappointed.” CNN reports he is “furious” and that it is “highly likely she’s removed from her job.” She was seen leaving the White House hours later. And when a reporter asked whether her position was safe, he refused to answer and attacked the reporter instead.

One of the most disappointing exchanges came when Trump was asked about Representative Max Miller of Ohio, who faces allegations from his ex-wife of pouring scalding water on her, holding a gun to her head, and their 2-year-old daughter’s collarbone fracturing while in his care. When a reporter asked whether Miller should resign, Trump quickly responded. “He’s a good person,” before adding, “I’m going to let the families figure that out.” There was also no mention that Miller’s former father-in-law, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, is a Trump loyalist as well. CNN reported that Trump allies are privately pushing the president to tell Miller to drop his reelection bid. Not because of what he is alleged to have done, but because they need that seat to stay Republican. They are worried about losing it in November, not about what he may have done.

When asked about Iran, Trump claimed, again, that he had called off a massive strike at the last moment because Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar all called and asked him not to attack. He said the strike would have been “harder than any attack since World War II.” He said it would have left “essentially very little left. There’d be nothing left.” He said that there was even some begging.

This is at least the fifth time since April that he has called off strikes to pursue talks. CBS News confirmed no new negotiations with Iran are actually planned. Iran’s foreign ministry denied any talks were taking place. This is the cycle that Trump follows. Threaten annihilation. Pull back. Claim they pleaded for an extension. Repeat. And while he stays in this loop, life becomes less affordable for people around the globe, not just here in the states.

Of course Trump couldn’t miss an opportunity to go after his political opponents. He once again called Democrats communists. He called the Michigan Democratic primary “a communist versus a socialist.” He called the new mayor of Washington, D.C., “a communist.” He claimed Democrats want to abolish the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the presidency. None of which is true. But the word “communist” still carries weight in this country. He is summoning the Cold War, McCarthyism, and generations who hear the word communism and instinctively fear it. And Trump is using it the same way every authoritarian before him has, as a label to make us stop seeing each other as fellow human beings and instead as threats.

Maybe the hardest part to hear came when he insulted a very large majority of our allies. His comment wasn’t just ridiculous; it was embarrassing for our whole country. Sitting in the Oval Office of the White House, a reporter from GB News asked about immigration in the UK, and Trump responded: “I know Europe better than anybody, better than the people that run it.” He then called the United Kingdom “essentially a bankrupt country.” And he added that “Any country with windmills is a loser.”

Like many of us, I have walked the streets of cities all across Europe. As a travel writer, and as someone who just loves seeing new places and meeting new people. Trump’s claim to know Europe better than its leaders, better than the people who live there, who can trace their roots back as far as the records go, is preposterous. Donald Trump, in no uncertain terms, is the least knowledgeable person at every table he sits at. He is incapable of having gained any knowledge because learning requires humility. It requires the ability to sit with someone who sees the world differently and absorb what they know instead of insisting you already know it better. Trump has never done that. He has never walked into a room, or a country, or had a conversation and come out having learned something from someone else. He sees himself, even now in visible decline, as the person who already knows everything.

His arrogance is not just embarrassing; it is dangerous. Because the leaders of those countries still have to sit beside him and do their absolute best to keep the peace at all costs. They have to encourage him to end his war and not start more. They are counting down the days until he is out of office and, no doubt, holding their breath, waiting for the next move he makes to keep destabilizing the entire planet.

We are now just 92 days away from the midterms, and Trump’s unchecked hold on our country continues to break. Earlier today, the Supreme Court issued its final judgment in Trump v. Barbara, the birthright citizenship case. In June, the court ruled 6-3 that Trump’s executive order attempting to strip citizenship from children born on American soil was unconstitutional. It violated the 14th Amendment and more than 150 years of settled law. Trump vowed to fight it. He posted on Truth Social in all capital letters, “I will be asking for a Rehearing by the United States Supreme Court, IMMEDIATELY.” He called the ruling “a miscarriage of justice” and said it would “destroy America.” And then the 25-day deadline to file for rehearing came and went. He had nothing submitted, so there was no appeal or fight. He likely knew he would lose, and he did not want another public defeat, so he let it expire. And today, the Supreme Court made it final.

Birthright citizenship is no longer in question. This is one of the foundational principles that makes this country what it is. The idea that if you are born here, you belong here, that you are an American. Donald Trump and his enablers tried to take it away, and they failed. In a time when so much feels like it is being stripped from us, this is a big win not just for our country but because it sends a message to Trump and his enablers. Their time is coming to an end. This is our country, the people’s country. That is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Picture of the day: This girl has learned to play hide-and-seek. She still loves her “baby blanket” from when we first brought her home. It has been used and abused for over three years and washed hundreds of times, and now she is dragging it around and hiding with it in all sorts of places. Unfortunately, she isn’t good at making sure the blanket is completely hidden, so we find her pretty quickly. And if we don’t, she starts barking until we do. Still so thankful for dogs.

Sources:

President Trump Signs an Executive Order, Aug. 3, 2026: YouTube Video

AP: Trump says Pirro “folded like an umbrella” in Reflecting Pool case

CNN: Trump allies push Max Miller to drop reelection bid amid abuse allegations

CBS News: No new negotiations with Iran are planned despite Trump’s claims

CNBC: Trump says Exxon and Chevron made “too much money” during Iran war

The Daily Beast: Supreme Court deals Trump final loss in birthright citizenship case

Navy Times: Trump establishes military spouse commission