Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Nothing is listed on President Donald Trump’s public schedule today. In theory, that could mean it will be a relatively calm day from our commander-in-chief.
But, no. On Tuesday, Trump awoke and grabbed hold of his Truth Social account for a special string of posts. First, he went after a “transitioned Male athlete” in California, threatening to pull federal funding “maybe permanently” if the state did not adhere to his executive order banning trans women from women’s sports. Then, perhaps most alarmingly, Trump continued by ordering local law enforcement officials to block the trans athlete, whom he did not identify, from participating in the state finals. (As CNBC reports, a trans high school student has been the source of media attention in recent weeks; state finals for track and field are slated for next weekend.)
As with most things related to instructions abruptly cast from the Oval Office, it wasn’t immediately clear how the president wanted law enforcement officials to intervene. The post marked a dramatic escalation of the administration’s anti-trans policies, as well as Trump’s willingness to single out vulnerable individuals in his attacks.
But just before noon, the president appeared to move onto a different issue: Russia’s intensified military operations in Ukraine. “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!”
The post, which appeared to show Trump openly admitting that he has protected Putin from serious repercussions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, could stand alone in the power of its unmatched absurdity. It also hinted that Trump, who has yet to impose any punishments against Russia after its recent assaults in Ukraine, is unlikely to go beyond Truth Social to call out Putin after the two engaged in strange name-calling over the weekend.
So there you have it: the president appears to be reading the news and then wildly posting new, radical positions our government will take, with little thought. Fun!
