Day 1,461: Series finale: Trump releases 20-minute, prerecorded farewell address that doesn’t mention Joe Biden even once
There are sour grapes, then there is the pathetic farewell that Donald Trump has embarked on over the past 2.5 months.
He baselessly denied the election results for months. He fomented an insurrection of mad MAGA-ites at the Capitol. He rarely left the White House or appeared in public.
Trump is wrapping up the pathetic excuse of lame-duckdom by leaving the White House early Wednesday morning — so he doesn’t have to ask Joe Biden for his permission to use government aircraft — after crafting a celebration for himself.
But, to add feebleness to embarrassment, Trump touted the past four years of a reality show of a presidency not in a live and primetime farewell address. Rather, Trump used a 20-minute, prerecorded, teleprompter-backed video dropped onto YouTube in the middle of the afternoon. The address didn’t have the decency to mention Biden’s name even once. (Both Trump and wife Melania have refused to reach out to Biden and wife Jill at any point since the election, in an unsurprising break of every transition norm.)
Low-energy, wearing excessive amounts of bronzer and contorting his shoulders at odd-angles, Trump seemed uncomfortable and unhappy to be forced to do anything associated with the job, even if that meant bragging about what he thinks were victories.
Trump is leaving office historically unpopular. Abandoned. Feuding with his own party. Angry that he can’t pardon himself. As COVID-19 and civil unrest are unchecked throughout the country.
A year ago, Trump would have to be restrained to avoid giving a primetime speech, carried by every network. Now, Trump has receded to recording pro forma remarks that are unceremoniously dumped onto the internet.
The physical transition is done, with Trump’s moving boxes already having made it to Florida.
The mental transition for Trump even pretending to the job of president is long gone.
The official transition, just hours away, is all that remains for Trump’s exit.
1,461 days in, 1 to go
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