The last days of Trump’s presidency inspire hour-by-hour countdowns

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Were there hourly countdowns until the end of the Bush presidency? The end of the Obama years? No, certainly not to that extent. Trump’s term in office ends in a noble way. Wednesday is the countdown to noon, as Trump leaves in disgrace – the first president to do so since Richard Nixon. Trump “has long ceased to rule, but is leaving with a sealed reputation now: that of one of the worst presidents in U.S. history and certainly the most dangerous,” said David Gergen. on CNN Sunday evening.

Even in this late hour, Trump is delusional about losing his election or is still in deep denial or a combination of these. He is “calm and I think it’s important to say, according to the people I spoke to, still telling people he won,” Maggie Haberman told “Reliable Sources” on Sunday morning. “You know, he still maintains this. So the idea that he accepted the loss, he’s not there yet, if he ever gets there.”

Trump’s inability to cope with the truth of his loss to Biden could explain why he has barely confronted reporters in the last weeks of his presidency. Even more remarkable, he rarely resorted to his favorite TV shows. Apart from a few discussions with Maria Bartiromo and Brian Kilmeade and a few videos produced by WH, he was invisible.

“I think the feeling is that if he goes out and talks more, he’ll just add fuel to the fire,” Haberman said. “That’s part of why we don’t listen to him, because people are afraid of what he will say – people, that is, his advisers – what he will say from the cuff in an interview.”

A farewell address?

American presidents usually send a farewell address to the nation. Is it Trump? We know he wants a TV referral on Wednesday, but it’s unclear if he wants to talk about his legacy. CBS News reports that he they will talk “At a farewell event on Andrews Joint Base asphalt.” It is also unclear how TV networks would resolve such a discourse, given its past deceptions and incentives.

>> I don’t raise these questions because I “want” to hear from Trump himself. I raise my Qs because what leaders don’t say is often more revealing than what they say. Trump cancels the rules until the last minute of his presidency, leaving the city before Biden takes the oath …

Pence filling as price?

Vice President Mike Pence attended briefings and organized events, trying to project American leadership, because Trump can’t. Speaking to California sailors on Saturday, Pence said he was proud that “this is the first administration in decades that has not brought America into a new war.” I appreciate what he meant about foreign relations, but America is not at peace. The war came home. Here is my monologue “Trustworthy”.

Pence – who, in another Trump-era history, would have become president if Trump had been convicted by the Senate or deemed unfit by the cabinet – landed in DC on Sunday night after his last official trip to office. In the press group, he left Air Force Two and “stopped for a minute to look around and take everything.” As he descended the stairs, the pool reporter shouted questions, “Sir, are you worried about the violence on Wednesday?” And: “Do you greet the president-elect of the White House on Wednesday?” Pence did not answer.

Coming soon: a “slow news day?”

Haberman told me that one of the constants of the Trump era was the “constant feeling of entry,” a meaning largely driven by his Twitter flow.
His Twitter feed is gone now, but that sense of duck and cover isn’t gone yet. Years of history happen in a few days. “We thought that in 2020, behind us, things could slow down,” but so much for that, USA Today editor Nicole Carroll said in Sunday’s show.
John Dickerson presented this in a play for CBS Sunday Morning. He said that “the new Biden administration could only benefit by providing a steady stream of useful information – potentially reviving the long-forgotten ‘slow news day'”.

He interviewed Jill Lepore, who said, “Actually, you just have to introduce yourself, have real information, bring in people who do their job, and answer questions that the press and the public have.” Sounds simple – and refreshing …

Do you remember how the presidents spoke?

With Biden about to take the lead, it’s a good day to read or reread the inaugural speeches and other convincing addresses of previous presidents. I reread John F. Kennedy’s 1961 speech to newspaper editors, which contained much wisdom about democracy, national security, and the power of the press. Kennedy spoke of “our obligation” – both his own and that of the media – “to inform and warn the American people, to make sure they have all the facts they need, and to understand them – the dangers.” , the perspectives, the goals of our program and the choices we face. “Read or listen to the speech here …

FOR REGISTRATION

– On Sunday night, the NYT front page led to the American failure of Covid-19, mentioning that “the country is heading for a total of 400,000 deaths …” (NYT)

– We should all remember that Trump said that 100,000 to 200,000 total deaths will be considered a “very good job.” The death toll will exceed 400,000 until he leaves WH …

– In “Face the Nation”, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that “we expect half a million deaths in this country” by mid-February … (CBS)

– Walensky was part of an action coordinated by the Biden transition team to have representatives at all five of the biggest shows on Sunday morning …

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