Editor in chief of The Atlantic
50.
Donald Trump touches the magic orb
“For clarification,” the Church of Satan helpfully tweeted, “this is not a Satanic ritual.” Read More
49.
A Cabinet officer likes private planes too much
In retrospect, this scandal almost seems quaint. Read More
48.
The president praises the congressman who body-slammed a reporter
In Trump’s view of masculinity, cheap shots replace bravery and hostility replaces honor. Read More
47.
An overcompensating press secretary lies about crowd size
In his inaugural appearance as White House press secretary, Sean Spicer set the tone for the next two years. Read More
46.
Trump tells the Boy Scouts about a hot New York party
"I was doing well, so I got invited to the party," the president told thousands of teens at a jamboree. "I was very young.” Read More
45.
A name-calling feud ends with the secretary of state’s ouster by tweet
It’s difficult to advance diplomatic goals when the president shows no qualms about publicly embracing American adversaries. Read More
44.
The WikiLeaks president goes silent
Julian Assange and Donald Trump share enemies—and they use similarly nihilistic tactics toward similarly antidemocratic ends. Read More
43.
The nation loses its consoler in chief
In the wake of a tragedy, a president must act as the leader of supporters and critics alike. Trump has proved incapable of this. Read More
42.
The first president to complain about an election he won
The past two years have shown that Trump has no special affection for the democratic process. Read More
41.
Trump waits 19 months to pick his science adviser
In this administration, empiricism is inconvenient and expertise unnecessary. Read More
40.
The president’s most trusted adviser is his own gut
The president’s glandular instinct has become a substitute for all expertise and all nuance. Read More
39.
A White House economist creates facts for the president
In Trump’s world, reality is negotiable. Read More
38.
Trump holds a top secret confab on the Mar-a-Lago dining terrace
The president has repeatedly proved himself a hypocrite when it comes to information security. But what about her emails? Read More
37.
The president just wants to go home
Trump has visited fewer foreign countries than his predecessors, as American influence abroad diminishes. Read More
36.
Trump threatens to strip security clearances from his critics
The administration may have broken precedent in more than one way. Read More
35.
Mueller’s “witch hunt” is good at finding witches
The indictments keep coming, no matter what Trump says. Read More
34.
Trump leads the country to the longest government shutdown in American history
And it isn’t just the longest—it’s different in another meaningful way. Read More
33.
The chief justice of the United States corrects the president
The rare rebuke from John Roberts shows that he fears for the viability of our political system. Read More
32.
Trump disseminates Soviet propaganda
Seriously, though. Read More
31.
The White House punishes a CNN reporter for asking questions
What started as a theatrical rivalry is now actively putting press freedom in jeopardy. Read More
30.
The president loves splashy displays of military might. But when something goes wrong, he blames his generals. Read More
29.
The president tries to kick transgender service members out of the military
Do impulsive Twitter messages from the president count as formal policy action? Read More
28.
Trump tweets the wisdom of Mussolini
“I know who said it,” he insisted. “But what difference does it make?" Read More
27.
Turkish agents assault protesters near the White House
And Trump stayed silent. Read More
26.
Trump helps the Saudis cover up a murder
The president made it very clear what really matters to him. Read More
25.
“We’re gonna have the cleanest air”
In withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement, an indoor man rewrote the future of the Earth’s climate. Read More
24.
The president can’t stop talking about carnage
Donald Trump’s grim view of the world was obvious from the day he was inaugurated. Read More
23.
That's not really a thing. Read More
22.
The UN General Assembly laughs at the president
And American allies are laughing at the whole country. Read More
21.
Rain stops Trump from honoring the dead
Most presidents have visited and spoken at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day. Not Trump. Read More
20.
The president learns about separation of powers
And he does not like it. Read More
18.
Americans have never seen this level of truth-bending come out of the Oval Office. Read More
17.
Trump threatens to press his “nuclear button”
Then he tried to persuade North Korea’s dictator to abandon his weapons with a faux movie trailer. Read More
16.
Public humiliation comes for everyone in the White House
James Mattis's departure was a turning point. Read More
15.
The president’s strained relationship with the intelligence community goes back to his visit to Langley just a day after his inauguration. Read More
14.
You know you’re in a constitutional crisis when...
The health of the republic may seem imperiled, but this is in many ways a slow-moving catastrophe. Read More
13.
Trump mocks Christine Blasey Ford to a cheering crowd
He’s a master of reading a room—and he knows exactly how to use cultural context as a provocation. Read More
12.
A new term enters the presidential lexicon: “shithole countries”
In insulting certain countries, Trump revealed the hierarchy he imposes on the world. Read More
11.
Trump throws paper towels at Puerto Ricans
That really happened. Read More
10.
“I have the absolute right to pardon myself”
Trump’s claim goes way beyond Nixon’s “I’m not a crook.” Read More
8.
The president calls his porn-star ex-paramour “horseface”
No other commander-in-chief has offered such direct, unfiltered access to his psyche. Read More
7.
Trump picks the wrong countries for his travel ban
The president’s stated purpose was to keep terrorists out, but his plan has all kinds of problems. Read More
6.
Trump declares war on black athletes
Trump is the only president in recent memory to attack players for their politics. Read More
5.
May 9, 2017, could turn out to be the most consequential day in the history of this presidency. Read More
4.
Putin and Trump talk without chaperones
What did Donald Trump say to Vladimir Putin when no one else could hear them? Read More
3.
The president still hasn’t released his tax returns
He also seems to be making a lot of money outside the presidency. Read More
2.
“Very fine people on both sides”
Trump’s response to Charlottesville reveals the core of his philosophy. Read More
1.
Children are taken from their parents and incarcerated
To separate children from their parents is an offense against nature and civilized society. Read More
Which moments from the Trump presidency would you add to this list? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line "Unthinkable," and include your full name, city, and state. Or tweet using #TrumpUnthinkable.
Image Credits
Photography: Gage Skidmore (CC BY SA-2.0) / Video Footage: Reuters and AP