It’s been a rough and sometimes embarrassing week or so for President Donald Trump as Republicans fret about how Trump’s cratering approval ratings are crushing the party’s chances in the crucial midterm elections.
What’d he say?
Trump on Wednesday experienced a humiliating bungle in the wake of his attempt to ban CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House.
The president on Wednesday was speaking outside the White House, with the normal press pool absent in protest of his attempted media ban.
But the right-wing news outlet Real America’s Voice was there to hear what the president had to say.
But background noise made the president’s comments basically inaudible.
LOL -- The White House pool is boycotting Trump, but Real America's Voice is trying to fill in the gap. Unfortunately they haven't yet figured out how microphones work so Trump is still yelling into the void. pic.twitter.com/SKaG6XCXYo
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 23, 2026
Online posters ruthlessly mocked Trump for getting hoist on his own petard.
“LOL,” wrote journalist Aaron Rupar. “The White House pool is boycotting Trump, but Real America’s Voice is trying to fill in the gap. Unfortunately they haven’t yet figured out how microphones work so Trump is still yelling into the void.”
Trump also got pushback when a judge granted White House access to the banned outlets for 14 days while their legal challenge to the banishment was adjudicated.
Read my lips
The president also had a bit of an awkward moment when welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews for the communist leader’s state visit to the US.
The two world leaders were standing side-by-side on a red carpet on the airbase tarmac as the US National Anthem played.
A military jet flyover commenced toward the conclusion of the anthem.
Lip-reading expert Nicola Hickling told The Express US that the flyover seemed to startle Trump, who visibly flinches at the jet noise.
“Oh, that was loud,” Trump remarked, according to Hickling. “God, that was deafening.”
🇨🇳🇺🇸 Trump wanted to impress the Chinese president with fighter jets flying over their heads but Xi Jinping’s face shows something completely opposite pic.twitter.com/oa9z8Qi4tk
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) September 24, 2026
Xi, however, seemed undisturbed by the noise.
Trump was also blasted for offering Xi and others a “special treat” during the state dinner: a look at the controversial, under-construction new ballroom Trump is building on the White House grounds.
“Can I puke now?” one critic posted on X.
Even pope piles on Trump
Speaking of the press ban, Pope Leo XIV, who has battled Trump, seemed to chide the president while talking to reporters on the papal jet.
A CNN reporter asked the American-born pontiff about Trump’s recent attempted media ban.
“I am very happy that here, you are all welcome,” the pope replied.
Leo went on to say that good media coverage is important, and equally important “that we have it all the way around, for everyone.”
Approval nosedive, midterm blues
Republicans continue to face a deteriorating midterm picture, driven by Trump’s continually plummeting approval ratings, which are hitting all-time lows in some surveys.
One GOP senator said that polls show Republicans consistently behind in those races and said that the party should devote resources to races they had a better chance of winning.
“I think we’re going to have a hard time in North Carolina and Georgia,” the senator said.
Remember me?
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), a former Trump supporter, twisted the midterm knife, declaring in a post on X: “I say this with the pale gravity it deserves, but we lose North Carolina Senate seat, for SURE.”
