The 25 worst Donald Trump tweets of 2017, so far

They're a scrolling synopsis of his disastrous, year-long presidency. Enjoy?

By Rachel Leah

Published December 3, 2017 8:30AM (EST)

(Getty/Drew Angerer/Salon)
(Getty/Drew Angerer/Salon)

President Donald Trump's tweets serve as an electric, delusional narration of his first year as president. They've been called deeply offensive, bizarre, paranoid, error-filled and many other distressing adjectives that, before 2017, America had never seen a president embody quite so publicly.

Trump's tweets also function as receipts for his falsehoods and odious behavior. Remember the time he called Meryl Streep overrated? What about the time he announced a ban on transgender people in the military? Or that time he attacked the media? Or that other time he attacked the media? Or that other time he attacked the media?

Overall, the president's feed is as telling of the state of American politics as any memo or executive order coming from his administration. It's also a reminder to all those Republicans who said the presidency would "tame" Trump — that he wouldn't govern in the same manner in which he campaigned — that they were very, very wrong.

So, let's all kick back and reminisce over Trump's worst, most hateful, most unhinged digital missives of 2017 . . . so far (best to check his handle and see what's happened in the last 15 minutes).

November 19, 2017, 12:42 PM

"Now that the three basketball players are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting is no big deal. I should have left them in jail! Shoplifting is a very big deal in China, as it should be (5-10 years in jail), but not to father LaVar. Should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead. China told them why they were released. Very ungrateful!"

This tweet came after three UCLA basketball players were detained in China for shoplifting and freed by the efforts of the Trump administration. Days earlier, Trump questioned whether the players would thank him for helping to get them home. But after LaVar Ball, a father of one of the players, tried to suggest that there were much more egregious crimes in the world, Trump went off (the president has a habit of haranguing people of color for not being "grateful" enough). 

A few days later, Trump attacked Ball again. This time, it was a full-on temper tantrum for not being given enough credit. 

"It wasn’t the White House, it wasn’t the State Department, it wasn’t father LaVar’s so-called people on the ground in China that got his son out of a long term prison sentence - IT WAS ME. Too bad! LaVar is just a poor man’s version of Don King, but without the hair. Just think. . . LaVar, you could have spent the next 5 to 10 years during Thanksgiving with your son in China, but no NBA contract to support you. But remember LaVar, shoplifting is NOT a little thing. It’s a really big deal, especially in China. Ungrateful fool!"

September 30, 2017, 7:26 AM

...want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.

"...Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They . . . want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."

During one of the most devastating hurricanes Puerto Rico has ever experienced, President Trump decided to abuse San Juan's mayor and accuse Puerto Ricans (residents of a U.S. territory) of wanting "everything to be done for them." The tweets were just as despicable as his administration's slow response to the disaster and limited assistance to the island.

July 26, 2017, 8:55 AM

"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow . . . Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming . . . victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you"

Trump felt it presidential to announce a ban of transgender people in the military via Twitter. As if the ban wasn't bad enough, Trump's reasoning, that trans service members present "tremendous medical costs and disruption," was as ridiculous and as it is untrue (as many have pointed out, the military spends significantly more on erectile dysfunction medicine). Luckily, the courts are making a hash of his proposal.

February 6, 2017, 7:01 AM

"Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting."

Trump has attacked the media on many, many occasions, but this is certainly one of the most disingenuous (he's very happy to promote poll numbers whenever they are even slightly in his favor).

There was also the time he suggested that there should be a Fake News trophy. All networks were in the running, except Fox, of course.

"We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!"

Similarly, he declared all news organizations unwatchable, again, except Fox (dude, we get it, you love them, they love you, it doesn't make it real news.)

"The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great!"

Let's not forget when Trump said the media is the enemy of the American people. Beware, fellow citizens!

"The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"

November 24, 2017, 6:48 AM

"Can you believe that the disrespect for our Country, our Flag, our Anthem continues without penalty to the players. The Commissioner has lost control of the hemorrhaging league. Players are the boss!"

One of Trump's favorite pastimes has been berating black NFL players for protesting racial injustice and perpetuating the false narrative that they are disrespecting the flag. How dare they assert their agency?!

"Marshawn Lynch of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders stands for the Mexican Anthem and sits down to boos for our National Anthem. Great disrespect! Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way down."

Again, with the NFL. Look, man, no matter how many times you say players are disrespecting the flag, it doesn't make it true.

November 16, 2017, 10:06 PM

"The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? ....."

That picture is really bad. You know what else is really bad? Sexual assault, like the kind you've been accused of. [Patiently waits for the many sexual misconduct allegations against Trump to topple his presidency . . . dies first.]

March 4, 2017, 7:02 AM

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!"

In this grossly unsubstantiated tweet, Trump accused former President Barack Obama of wiring his phones, with no proof and definitely no apology once his own Department of Justice determined the accusations were unsupported by fact.

November 11, 2017, 7:48 PM

"Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat?' Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!"

I would never call Kim Jong-un "short and fat," except in this tweet that entire world saw!

August 17, 2017, 9:07 AM

"Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments."

Things Donald Trump is sad about: taking down monuments dedicated to leaders of a treasonous insurrection that sought to perpetuate human slavery. Things he's not sad about: institutional racism and white supremacists.
November 11, 2017, 7:18 PM

"When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics - bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!"

Between the "haters and fools" and the egregious "there always playing politics," this tweet has got it all.

June 15 2017, 7:57 AM

"You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history - led by some very bad and conflicted people! #MAGA"

Just because you write something in caps, doesn't make it real. Let's try: TRUMP IMPEACHED. See? Didn't work.


March 4, 2017, 8:19 AM

"Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't voluntarily leaving the Apprentice, he was fired by his bad (pathetic) ratings, not by me. Sad end to great show . . . Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger did a really bad job as Governor of California and even worse on the Apprentice... but at least he tried hard!"

Ratings is a favorite topic for Trump. In his mind, nothing hurts more than accusing someone of having "bad ratings," which says so much about why he acts the way he does.

February 19, 2017, 4:57 PM

"My statement as to what's happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden."

Remember when Trump made up a terrorist attack that happened in Sweden, then blamed it on his beloved Fox News? No? Good for you.

June 29, 2017, 8:52 AM

"I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came . . . to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"

The playground insults here are fairly routine until the end. It's honestly still unbelievable this happened.

August 14, 2017, 5:29 PM

"Made additional remarks on Charlottesville and realize once again that the #Fake News Media will never be satisfied...truly bad people!"

Just to be clear, in Trump's mind, Muslims are bad people, as are immigrants, journalists and judges. White supremacists? Well, at least some are "very fine people."

January 30, 2017, 8:31 AM

"If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the 'bad' would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad 'dudes' out there!"

Trump's administration: It's not a Muslim ban. Trump: It's definitely a Muslim ban. Also, why is he putting quotes around "dudes" and "bad"? 

November 2, 2017, 7:50 AM

"Would love to send the NYC terrorist to Guantanamo but statistically that process takes much longer than going through the Federal system . . . There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!"

Obama wanted to close Guantanamo Bay because of its reported abuse and alleged torture of inmates, so it's somewhat bizarre and unethical for a president to say he'd love to send someone there, regardless of their crime.

November 29, 2017, 9:14 AM

"So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the 'unsolved mystery' that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!"

For a president who screams about fake news, it's strange how much of it he tweets.

November 29, 2017,  3:40 PM

Trump retweeted three anti-Muslim videos from the Britain First political party, a right-wing extremist group that banned nonwhite people from joining until 2009 when it was forced to amend that policy through a court order. Swell.

January 9, 2017, 6:27 AM

"Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes."

Honestly, how dare you.

February 21, 2017, 6:23 PM

"The so-called angry crowds in home districts of some Republicans are actually, in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists. Sad!"

All negative polls are fake and so are the actual human people protesting against him, the president says.

November 1, 2017, 7:03 PM

"CHAIN MIGRATION must end now! Some people come in, and they bring their whole family with them, who can be truly evil. NOT ACCEPTABLE!"

Executive Order: Keep Families Apart?

October 10, 2017, 6:42 AM

"With Jemele Hill at the mike, it is no wonder ESPN ratings have "tanked," in fact, tanked so badly it is the talk of the industry!"

"Mike," enough said (it's "mic," Mr. President). The treatment of Jemele Hill by the Trump administration for speaking her opinion, of course, was worse.

January 31, 2017, 6:21 AM

"Nancy Pelosi and Fake Tears Chuck Schumer held a rally at the steps of The Supreme Court and mic did not work (a mess)-just like Dem party!"

Hopefully by 2018, Trump gets new insults. These ones getting tired.

By Rachel Leah

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