NEW YORK – President Donald Trump’s administration ends the way it started, with supreme praise for the CEO.
But now flattery is mixed with a sense of finality, as key people in the president’s orbit begin to turn the page and acknowledge his defeat. Trump himself remains in the oval office, still struggling with election day results and offering little recognition of the death and suffering that Americans endure in the darkest hours of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a week in which the Electoral College won the official victory of President-elect Joe Biden, Trump was left out of sight, staying late in the oval office and working his phone and TV remote control in his private dining area, just steps away. office solved.
While he made no public appearance, some of his most influential allies and loyal defenders gave up the fight, leaving the president to come down as gently as possible.
Attorney General William Barr resigned last Monday after weeks of tension with Trump, which led to his early departure from office. Long seen as one of the most supportive members of Trump’s cabinet, Barr in recent weeks and months has angered Trump for not supporting the president’s unfounded allegations of election fraud or for not publicly pursuing an investigation into his son Biden, Hunter.
But when Barr stepped aside, he did so in a flowery language reminiscent of compliments that were thrown as verbal bouquets to Trump during early cabinet meetings.
“Your recording is all the more historic because you made it in the face of relentless, relentless resistance,” Barr wrote in his resignation letter. Trump posted it on Twitter immediately, adding his own words of praise for the attorney general.
In the six weeks since his defeat by Biden, Trump has been increasingly detached from his job. The virus has killed more than 300,000 Americans and now loses more than 3,000 lives a day, but the president has barely given a word about the death or development of the vaccine that could end the pandemic.
At the same time, he has repeatedly published conspiracy theories and false election allegations, incorrectly insisting that they were stolen from him while taking steps to undermine the Biden administration before it began. Most Republicans went together, refusing to push Trump to stop or work with the president-elect.
Many in the GOP took their cues from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who refused to stand up to Trump, reckoning that a revolted Republican base – and an angry president – could contribute to victory. in a pair of January races in Georgia that will dictate Senate control. But last week, even McConnell, R-Ky., Leaned toward reality, declaring that the Electoral College “spoke” and that Biden was the winner.
McConnell’s recognition that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris won came only after a lengthy public recap of Trump’s achievements in the Senate. McConnell spoke about Trump for nine minutes, saying that “many of us hoped that the presidential election would yield a different result.” He talked about Biden for a minute.
Other of Trump’s fiercest allies have also appeared to give credence, albeit briefly, to the election result. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a cable television appearance that Trump is in a strong position for a possible 2024 campaign – a roundabout acknowledgment that he will not be president next year.
Others close to Trump have also marked the end. Her daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, started posting photos on Twitter with moments during her term. His son Eric Trump and his family posed for photos right in front of the oval office. West Wing employees posted photos of the White House Christmas parties on Instagram, and most of those in the picture were not wearing masks.
Vice President Mike Pence continued his role as Trump’s greatest man, even though the cheerleaders came with a smell of nostalgia. Pence in a Friday ceremony marked the first anniversary of the US Space Force, which he framed as a major part of Trump’s legacy.
But with Trump largely hidden, it was up to Pence to put on a public showdown with those who distribute the vaccine. And on Friday, he was the one who rolled up his sleeves and made a public blow to his arm as part of a campaign to convince Americans that the vaccine is safe.
Trump has been happy to enjoy praise throughout his presidency. His Cabinet meetings sometimes resembled “Dear Leaders” sessions in authoritarian nations, in which officials compliment the responsible man.
The tone was set at the president’s first cabinet meeting in June 2017, when the only topic for debate was whether Trump was a great president or the greatest. With the media invited to watch, Trump praised the achievements of his young administration, saying he has achieved more than any president in his first six months – with “few exceptions”, such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
That day, Pence said his job was “the greatest privilege of my life.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he was “delighted,” Energy Secretary Rick Perry gave Trump his “hats,” and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross thanked him for “the opportunity” to work for the president.
Perhaps the strongest words came from Chief of Staff Reince Priebus: “On behalf of all the senior staff around you, Mr President, thank you for the opportunity and the blessing you have given us to serve your agenda.”
On Wednesday, Trump convened his 25th and perhaps last Cabinet meeting. A lot has changed.
Several top officials were not there, including Barr, whose resignation was pending; acting Secretary of State David Bernhardt, who tested positive for COVID-19; and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was quarantined for exposure to the virus.
It remains unknown if there was an effusive praise of Trump.
The president did not let the media in.
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