Ideas

Trump’s Latest Meltdown

Attacking the pope was only part of the president’s disturbing night on Truth Social.

First published in The Atlantic on April 14, 2026.

by Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

April 16, 2026 | reading time: 6 Min.

On many recent nights, Donald Trump has been posting obsessively on his Truth Social site into the wee hours. The president, of course, has never been one for a solid night’s sleep—or restrained and temperate commentary on social media—but his emotional state seems to be fraying: This weekend, he attacked Pope Leo XIV, presented himself as Jesus Christ, and then jabbed at his phone until dawn.