On Friday she sacked her chancellor because he couldn't run the economy, and on Wednesday she lost her home secretary because she couldn't keep her secret. The prime minister's government was on the verge of collapse.
The financial market turmoil that led to Kwarteng's dismissal as chancellor was followed by the rightwing Budget that focused on tax cuts. The ousting of Suella Braverman as home secretary laid bare the bitter feelings within the Conservative party.
One of her long-time allies said that the mood in the Prime Minister's office was that she was nearing the end of her term. He said it was difficult to see a way back from this.
The administration is working from hour to hour. The prime minister was berating her for preparing to abandon the triple lock when she woke up on Wednesday.
The triple lock would stay after all, despite the fact that she had summoned Jeremy Hunt to the Prime Minister's Office. The rate of inflation is now over 10 percent.
Most of the tax cuts have been reversed. When Conservative parliamentary discipline is falling apart, both tax rises and public spending cuts are fraught with difficulty, so he has to make a decision soon.
The triple lock is a pledge to increase the state pension in line with inflation or average earnings growth. It was a key part of the election manifesto of the Conservative Party.
What is the point of a prime minister whose promises don’t last a week?
There are other options if pensions are cut in real terms. Hunt will be looking at tax rises of up to £20 billion in his October 31 Budget.
Rightwing Conservatives will not vote for them because it will split the party. There would be a rebellion in the parliament.
As Truss tried to quell the pension triple lock issue before her crucial midday appearance at prime minister's questions in the House of Commons, another problem looms over the future of her special adviser.
Stein is thought to have been behind briefings against Sajid Javid, the former chancellor, and Michael Gove, the former leveling up secretary.
According to government sources, Javid told the prime minister to fire Stein on Sunday after complaining about the briefings. If the aide stayed in Number 10, Javid would raise the issue with the prime minister. Stein was suspended while the Cabinet Office investigated the collapse.
According to officials, Javid was in talks with Truss about taking over as home secretary. The prime minister has been left without her closest aide after Saj messed himself out of a job.
Sir Keir Starmer was in the Commons. He wondered how she could be held to account when she wasn't in charge. A prime minister's promises don't last a week.
Many of the Conservative MPs think that she must stay in Number 10 until Hunt delivers his Halloween Budget.
He repeated a famous line from Lord Peter Mandelson. She apologized for her handling of the economy.
More Conservative MPs withdrew their support. Wragg said he had sent a letter of no confidence in the prime minister to the party's top brass.
There was a rebellion over the issue of restarting the practice of frack in England. Chris Skidmore, her net zero adviser, said they would vote against the government on a Labour motion.
Conservative business managers in the Commons billed the vote a "confidence motion", implying that they would lose the Conservative whip. They have lost control of the MPs and their threats are no longer effective.
The news of Braverman's shock departure came as the Commons was engulfed in the fracker row. The ex- home secretary provided crucial support to the rightwing of the Conservative Party.
Braverman resigned for using her personal email to send information related to government business.
The comments in her resignation letter summed things up. "Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government's commitment to honour manifesto commitments."
The appointment of Grant Shapps as home secretary confirmed that the centrist wing of the party was trying to take control. Shapps was the first choice to succeed Braverman.
With the installation of Shapps and Hunt into senior government positions, the grasp on power was weakened.
Shapps said on Monday that he believed that the hopes of remaining prime minister were akin to "threading the eye of a needle with the lights off". As one of her most senior ministers, Shapps is part of the same journey that many MPs don't think Truss can survive.
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