The Guardian is watching Trump’s death spiral.

Trump’s decision to go it alone with rapid fire announcements on healthcare and Iran reflects his boiling frustration with the limits of presidential power, analysts say.

That’s just more of his stupidity. He should have learned something about presidential power before he decided to grab it.

The US president made a brazen move on Thursday night to halt payments to insurers under Barack Obama’s healthcare law. Democrats accused him of a “temper tantrum” and spiteful attempt to sabotage legislation he promised but failed to replace…

The one-two punch showed Trump straining to assail Obama’s legacy but stopping short of terminating either the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, or the Iran nuclear accord. Both are back in the hands of Congress, a source of constant exasperation for the property tycoon turned novice politician, who finds himself isolated and lashing out.

He apparently thought it would be like a fairy tale: give an order and the thing is done. He apparently never bothered to learn otherwise. He apparently walked into a situation he didn’t understand and is now in a rage with everyone else as a result.

Since taking office 10 months ago as the first US president with no previous political or military experience, Trump has been given a crash course in the workings of government and the delicate balance of power between the White House, Capitol Hill and the courts. That his writ only runs so far has come as a rude awakening.

It’s like signing up for a cruise and then exclaiming “It’s a big ship, it goes on the water!!“

It shouldn’t have been a rude awakening to learn that he doesn’t have absolute power.

The intervention [on subsidies], however, could backfire. It was condemned by Democrats including the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, who told reporters: “The president single-handedly decided to raise America’s health premiums for no reason other than spite and cruelty.” Senator Chris Murphy tweeted: “Trump’s decision to stop ACA payments is nuclear grade bananas, a temper tantrum that sets the entire health system on fire. My god.”

…

Trump has previously blamed the lack of healthcare fixes on Obama or Congress, but he now he risks being held personally responsible for cutting the system off at the knees. Robert Shrum, a Democratic consultant, said: “The healthcare thing is madness in both policy and politics. He’s wilful, he’s angry, he’s clearly lashing out.”

And he’s lashing out by deliberately with malice making it much more difficult for not-rich people to pay for health insurance. He’s in a temper, so millions of people have to lose their health insurance. Seems fair.

McMullin agreed that Trump seemed rattled by the recent criticisms from Tillerson, Corker and Barrack. “He probably understands their remarks represent a new stage of acceptance setting in across the country, even among his supporters, that he is unfit and incapable.

“That, I think, is inspiring his accelerated efforts to throw red meat to his base to shore up their support. I expect that to continue, if not intensify, and to result in increasing political challenges for the GOP as 2017 and 2018 elections approach and in years to come.”

In other words we’re in a death spiral. He’s doing worse and worse, so people are pointing that out, so he’s unraveling, so he “throws red meat to his base” i.e. does horrible things, so people say he’s more horrible than ever, so he unravels further, and down we spiral.

It’s going to get worse and worse and worse.