Early Saturday morning, former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to launch a fiery rant, starting with an attack on HBO’s Real Time host Bill Maher, and quickly expanding to target MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens.
Just hours after Maher’s late Friday night show aired, featuring Ruhle and Stephens as guests, Trump expressed his outrage over what he perceived as excessive focus on him during the discussion. “The ratings-challenged Bill Maher, on his increasingly boring show on HBO, is really having a hard time coping with TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. He is a befuddled mess, sloppy and tired, and every conversation, with B and C list guests, seems to start with, or revert back to ME!” Trump wrote.
Trump then singled out Ruhle, calling her a “dumb as a rock bimbo” and took a swipe at Stephens, labeling him a “Trump-hating loser” who appeared “confused and unsure of himself.” Trump’s criticism of Stephens seemed particularly pointed as he claimed, “Steven’s [sic] should find himself another line of work because I am driving the FAILING New York Times absolutely crazy.”
In typical Trump fashion, he then veered off-topic, criticizing the New York Times for its past coverage of him, referencing the paper’s apology to readers following the 2016 election. “It is very hard, perhaps impossible, for a writer to write well of me without suffering the wrath of the degenerate editors who, with a push from the top, have gone insane.”
He concluded his rant with a scathing attack on the newspaper, suggesting it had lost all credibility. “The FAILING New York Times is a badly run ‘newspaper’ that has totally lost its way. Put it to sleep!” he added.
Trump’s post illustrates his ongoing frustration with media figures who criticize him, particularly those who discuss his influence even after his presidency. As always, he did not shy away from personal attacks or broad condemnations, further igniting his long-standing feud with major media outlets and commentators.