White House crisis management implodes as allies berate Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a model of an arch monument during a ballroom dinner in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 15, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

President Donald Trump has spent the past 24 hours in the middle of multiple scandals, putting the embattled Republican at odds even with some of his own supporters.

New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers wrote Thursday that this pattern seems to repeat whenever Trump is under pressure and trying to pull the news cycle in a more flattering direction.

She noted that Trump’s routine is familiar. It usually begins with a major blunder, followed by an effort to distract attention from one controversy by creating another. Most of the time, it works. Trump tosses out rhetorical grenades to shift the focus elsewhere.

This week, his feud with Pope Leo XIV and the spread of AI-generated images depicting him as Jesus managed to redirect some of the outrage elsewhere. But Rogers noted that Americans are not likely to forget that the country is at war with Iran and that gas prices have risen over the past year.

“Inside the White House, some of Mr. Trump’s advisers have privately acknowledged that his attack on the pope was not productive,” the report said. “They believe a slate of events later this week will help shift attention toward some of the administration’s economic initiatives, and a tax season that has some Americans celebrating larger-than-average returns.”

That effort failed earlier this week when Trump tried to hold a public event promoting the “no tax on tips” provision in the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” Act that Republicans passed last year. Instead, the event turned into a discussion about Trump’s AI-generated image of himself as Jesus. Reporters pressed him on what he was thinking. He said he thought he was “a doctor” with “the Red Cross,” a comment that has been mocked all week as memes and videos spread across social media.

The financial markets have also been volatile since the war in Iran began. Each time Trump gives markets a reason to rally, the gains come even as the war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continue without a clear end in sight.

Conservative media has helped shape that response. Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo left the White House after interviewing Trump on Tuesday afternoon and suggested afterward that he had said the war was over. But when the interview aired, Trump actually said it was almost over and would probably end in a few weeks. His “two weeks” promise has become a familiar refrain.

Rogers also noted that Trump’s cell phone number has made the rounds among reporters, who have been bypassing the president’s press team and calling him directly for comment.

“And then there is what counts as business as usual at the White House,” Rogers continued, “when Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, ended a briefing with reporters on Wednesday by showing off renderings of a 250-foot-tall arch that Mr. Trump wants built along the Potomac River to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.”

Rogers described the constant pivots as having a “kaleidoscopic, disorienting effect.” All of it is unfolding as Republicans try desperately to shift the conversation back to affordability. Trump, however, has never been the kind of president who offers empathy when it is most needed.

“When the moment calls for Mr. Trump to publicly show empathy, he often leaves that work to others,” Rogers said.

Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said of her old boss, “He’ll double down, lie more and say that everything’s perfectly fine and great, and then do all his bonkers postings.”

But lately, “He’s being erratic, even for him,” she added.

The report closed, noting that Trump is being trolled by his allies, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

“Alright. That’s enough,” said her meme of Jesus said. “Give me the phone.”

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