Donald Trump began Monday with a rapid-fire burst of Truth Social posts touching on everything from gas prices to John Brennan, the Kennedy Center and the three news organizations he has just banned from the White House.
The late-night spree stretched past 1 a.m.
And in less than ten minutes, the president jumped between some of the biggest political fights surrounding his administration.
At 12:57 a.m., Trump shared an article about former CIA Director John Brennan and the Justice Department investigation examining the origins of the Trump-Russia probe.
One minute later, he posted about alleged structural and safety problems at the Kennedy Center.
At 12:59 a.m., he shared another article about his decision to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
Then came the visual.
At 1:06 a.m., Trump posted an AI-generated image showing the names of the three news organizations printed across trash bags outside the White House.
A minute later, he reposted material from Breitbart.
The sequence capped a night that had already included another politically loaded post.
At 10:02 p.m. Sunday, Trump wrote that gas prices were “much higher under Biden than under ‘TRUMP,’” adding that “almost all other prices” had also been higher.
That claim mixes a real comparison with a broader conclusion that is much harder to support.
Gasoline did reach significantly higher national averages during parts of Joe Biden’s presidency, especially after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
But prices overall have not broadly fallen under Trump.
Inflation means many goods and services still cost more than they did a year ago, even when the rate of price increases slows.
And energy prices have again become a major problem in 2026.
The ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict has disrupted global oil markets, while Reuters reported this week that diesel prices in the United States have climbed above $6 per gallon amid severe supply constraints.
Oil itself has also remained elevated, with Brent crude hovering near $100 per barrel as markets react to the Iran war, Houthi attacks and instability in Saudi export routes.
So Trump’s post accurately reflects that Americans experienced very high gasoline prices during Biden’s presidency.
But saying “almost all other prices” were higher then is not the same as saying Americans are now broadly paying less.
By early Monday morning, however, Trump had moved on from economics.
His 12:57 a.m. post focused on Brennan, whose role in the 2016 intelligence assessment concerning Russian election interference remains under renewed Justice Department scrutiny.
Trump has long argued that investigations into Russian interference were part of a coordinated effort against him.
But the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee and U.S. intelligence agencies previously concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and sought to help Trump’s candidacy.
The existence of a new investigation does not itself establish that those earlier findings were fabricated.
One minute later came the Kennedy Center.
Trump shared an article highlighting inspection reports that described longstanding maintenance and safety problems at the performing arts complex.
That issue has become politically explosive because Trump has repeatedly floated extensive reconstruction — and even possible demolition — of the building.
Thousands of protesters surrounded the Kennedy Center over the weekend in opposition to those plans.
A federal judge has also ordered the administration to provide advance notice before making major physical changes while litigation continues.
Then Trump turned back to his escalating fight with the press.
His administration has now barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters from entering the White House after he accused the organizations of deliberately producing negative and false coverage.
The ban is no longer merely rhetorical.
Reporters from the three outlets had their credentials deactivated and were turned away over the weekend.
The organizations have since notified the administration that they intend to sue.
They argue that the White House cannot selectively exclude journalists because the president dislikes their coverage.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has also condemned the restrictions and warned that allowing viewpoint-based exclusions could create a precedent affecting every newsroom covering the presidency.
Trump has defended the bans.
He argues that he should not be required to provide White House access to outlets he believes intentionally misrepresent his administration.
He has also suggested that additional organizations could face similar restrictions.
That made the AI image posted at 1:06 a.m. particularly pointed.
Rather than merely repeating the policy, Trump used a fabricated visual to mock the three excluded organizations.
The posting spree also intersects with another emerging story inside the White House.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Natalie Harp, Trump’s executive assistant, showed him clips of MS NOW anchors criticizing his administration before he announced the ban.
Harp is known inside Trump’s orbit for supplying him with printed articles and other media material.
But the fact that she showed him critical coverage does not establish that she caused the ban.
Trump made the decision himself.
What the report does illustrate is how closely the president continues to follow media coverage — favorable and unfavorable — during his second term.
That fixation was evident again Monday morning.
Within minutes, Trump moved from intelligence investigations to a cultural institution, then to his fight with three news organizations and finally to praise from a friendly outlet.
The posts do not establish anything about the president’s sleep habits, health or state of mind.
They establish something simpler.
At around 1 a.m. Monday, the president of the United States was very much online.
And nearly every major political grievance currently surrounding his White House made an appearance.
