A cabinet meeting chaired by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday descended into what columnist Holly Baxter described as a “chaotic spectacle” marked by military threats, bizarre jokes, and rambling discussions about construction projects, exposing deep disorder within the White House decision-making process.
In an article published by The Independent, Baxter mocked the atmosphere of the meeting, saying that placing figures such as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance in the same room made the gathering resemble “a Fox News episode under the influence.”
According to the article, tension was evident throughout Trump’s remarks despite his attempts to project confidence ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
Baxter argued that Trump “always reveals what worries him without realizing it,” noting that his repeated insistence that he was unconcerned about the elections reflected growing political anxiety, particularly as recent polling has shown declining support even among some Republicans over his Iran policies.
During the meeting, Trump declared, “I don’t care about the midterms,” referring to the congressional elections, a statement the article portrayed as contradicting his visible unease.
From Iran to Construction Obsessions
The article said the meeting took an increasingly strange turn when Trump abruptly shifted from discussing Iran and foreign policy to lengthy remarks about renovation and construction plans in Washington.
Baxter compared the atmosphere to “an annual meeting at a Florida retirement complex debating maintenance budgets,” as Trump spoke extensively about granite, colors, rubber materials, and projects he hoped to build, including a “Victory Arch.”
The president, she wrote, appeared like “a grandfather explaining tedious construction details to uninterested grandchildren,” while continuing to drift through endless engineering discussions.
Amid the rambling exchange, Trump reportedly made a startling remark about Oman, saying the Gulf state “will act like everyone else or we’ll have to blow it up,” a statement Baxter said passed “with frightening speed despite its seriousness.”
Trump and His War Team
The article also focused on Trump’s relationship with Hegseth. At the beginning of the meeting, Trump reportedly turned toward the defense secretary, patted his muscles, and joked: “He loves war… I don’t, but he loves it.”
Baxter said Hegseth attempted to maintain the image of a “tough warrior” but appeared uncomfortable as Trump treated him more like “a grandfather teasing a grandson obsessed with military toys.”
When given the opportunity to speak, Hegseth launched into what the article described as an overly enthusiastic speech about bombs, aircraft, “lethality,” and the so-called “epic rage” operation against Iran.
Trump later responded with a brief “good job,” which Baxter likened to congratulating “a kindergarten child showing off too much.”
The article further criticized Vice President JD Vance, portraying him as someone who speaks as though he alone carries the burden of “saving morality and order,” while other officials directed angry rhetoric toward protesters and immigrants.
Baxter concluded that the most alarming aspect was not the bizarre nature of the meeting itself but how routine such scenes have become inside the US administration. She argued that the United States now appears to be governed “according to the rhythm of a man drifting between television news broadcasts and renovation projects,” while dragging the world along with him.