Donald Trump Is Having 'Psychotic Breaks' When Reality of the Midterm Elections Hits, George Conway Says

George Conway said Donald Trump is having 'psychotic breaks' when confronted with concerns about the midterm elections, adding that the president 'cannot deal with facts, he cannot deal with reality.'

Conway, a former Republican and prominent Trump critic, made the remarks during a panel discussion following reports of concerns within the White House about Republicans' prospects in the midterm elections.

The comments came a day after Trump announced a ban on MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House. Reporters from all three outlets were denied access on Saturday, with press badges deactivated or confiscated, according to the outlets and news reports.

Trump's Midterm Concerns Feature in Conway's Comments

Conway's comments came after a report suggesting Trump's public confidence masks a president who is 'actually starting to panic a little bit' about the possibility of Republicans losing control of the House and Senate.

Democratic strategist Neera Tanden, who also appeared on the panel, linked those reported concerns to the press restrictions. She argued that Trump was 'deeply, deeply worried about the accountability that will come' if Democrats regain control of either chamber of Congress.

'And I think all of this is, you know, him being concerned that his power is finally, finally weakening,' Tanden said.

Conway argued that Trump's response to the potential political consequences of the midterm elections was not what one would expect from, in Conway's words, 'a psychologically normal and healthy person' who might pause to consider whether something was going wrong.

'He's psychotic at this point. He's having psychotic breaks,' Conway told the panel.

He added that Trump has 'never been in touch with reality to the extent that one would expect' of someone with 'thousands of nuclear weapons at their disposal.'

What Conway Said About Natalie Harp

Conway is a former Republican who became a prominent Trump critic, co-founded the Lincoln Project and unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary for New York's 12th Congressional District in June. That background is relevant context for readers assessing his comments.

He also linked the White House's restrictions on the press to Natalie Harp, a White House aide who has faced scrutiny over material she provides to Trump.

'That's why Natalie Harp is feeding him this stuff,' Conway said. 'That's why he gets so mad at the press for asking him questions that contain facts.'

'The man is losing it, okay? He's losing it faster than ever. And I'm going to keep using the word psychotic because it is actually the word to describe him, and it's going to get worse,' Conway added.

Conway's comments are not a clinical diagnosis. He is an attorney and political commentator, not a mental-health professional, and the remarks were made during a television discussion.

Trump's Ban on Three Outlets

Trump announced on Truth Social on Friday that he was banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of reporting 'fiction and lies' about his administration.

Trump did not identify a specific article or report, telling reporters that the decision was based on 'cumulative stories over the last two years.' He also suggested that more outlets could be barred.

Journalists from all three organisations were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday. CNN and MS NOW reporters had their badges deactivated, while Politico said its reporter's badge was confiscated, according to reports.

MS NOW said it would 'take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights.' The affected outlets have indicated they may pursue legal action over the ban.

Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that 'there's something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories,' but did not specify which reports he was referring to.

Whether concerns about the midterm outlook contributed to Trump's actions remains a matter of interpretation. The scope and duration of the ban, and the legal challenges that may follow, remain unclear.