What to Know
Nearly 10 years ago, President Donald Trump managed to predict exactly what’s happening today. It would almost be impressive, except he was actually criticizing Former President Barack Obama at the time and not predicting the future (or having a moment of self-awareness).
Back in 2016, Trump took to Twitter (now X) to complain, “While our wonderful president was out playing golf all day, the TSA is falling apart, just like our government! Airports a total disaster!” Um, sound familiar?
It sounds so familiar, actually, that people accused Trump of hating on himself.
View on Threads
Of course, we know Trump was complaining about Obama. Even today, he regularly mentions both Obama and Former President Joe Biden and compares himself to them. But this particular complaint is getting a lot of attention because, well, someone could write the exact same thing about Trump today, and no one would bat an eye.
Trump is known for golfing frequently (and also dancing in the midst of a war). And right now, travelers around the country are experiencing long wait times at airports due to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffing issues. Because of the ongoing partial government shutdown, TSA officers haven’t been paid in over a month. Many of them have quit or have been calling out of work. TSA’s acting administrator, Ha Nguyen McNeill, said the issue has led to “the highest wait times in history,” per the New York Times.
Given all of that, Trump’s tweet feels more relevant than ever. One person took to Threads to share a screenshot of the trending tweet and captioned it with, “Wow, 2016 Trump really hating on 2026 Trump!”
Even California Governor Gavin Newsom agrees with 2016 Trump.
100% agree. https://t.co/4oaLjQ7zWQ
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) March 23, 2026
The two men have finally agreed with each other about something. Newsom, who has been known to troll Trump, also reposted Trump’s old tweet and wrote, “100% agree.” And in spite of Newsom’s relentless trolling, he’s really no match for Trump’s own words from 2016. As one person described it, “Donald Trump’s worst enemy? His own words.”
Because the old tweet has been getting a lot of attention, some people have commented on the original post from 2016. “Your past tweets are the gift that keeps on giving, sir!” one person commented this month. Another person added, “This didn’t age well.”
Others were amazed to find out that he was actually predicting the future at the time. “Did you really talk about yourself in the 3rd person? Seriously?” another recent commenter wrote. Someone else questioned, “How did you predict that 10 years ago?”
Since the tweet has resurfaced, some people didn’t seem to notice that it was from 2016.
There’s always a tweet. https://t.co/0lf3ypd1id
— Maine (@TheMaineWonk) March 23, 2026
Which really speaks to how relevant it is now. To be fair, it would be particularly exasperating if Trump had written it today. Either way, though, people are clearly frustrated that he’s doing the exact same thing he criticized Obama for back in 2016. “Our govt is falling apart?” someone questioned. “Aren’t you the f—ing president?” Another critic wrote, “Maybe you shouldn’t be playing golf then.”
“Then why the hell are you playing golf?” someone else commented. “Why aren’t you attending to issues at home instead of Venezuela, Iran, Greenland and Cuba? Do your d— job and compromise.”
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