What does President-elect Jill Biden do about the Trumps and the Democrats? A bittersweet moment in Washington, where the president failed to show up
The Trumps tried to do things the official way, so they didn’t show up. They will do anything they want this time. They will run the country like a Trump company. Trumpism will take the place of tradition. That is a very troubling thought.
The most telling signal was sent by Mrs. Trump, who didn’t show up at all. Underscoring that lapse in politesse, Jill Biden delivered a handwritten note to the president-elect to give to his wife.
Biden is an institutionalist and honored the institution. It was nauseating to watch Biden confronting a monster of his own making. If Biden had not bogarted the presidency, if he had not run for a second term, the Democrats would have had time to put together a stronger, centrist ticket with governors of swing states. The ride up Pennsylvania Avenue could not have happened if Trump had been there.
The almost two-hour Oval meeting, in which Trump announced bizarre cabinet picks and Democrats tried to play fair, was indicative of an important fact in Washington: Republicans play to win while Democrats try to play fair.
At the time, in mid-November 2020, President-elect Biden warned that Trump’s refusal to authorize an orderly transition would stain him as “one of the most irresponsible presidents in American history,” adding that “it sends a horrible message about who we are as a country.”
This ritualistic tableau did not take place the last time these two transitioned, when Biden took over from Trump. Partly that was because of Covid, and partly it was because Trump was busy throwing monkey wrenches into the transition and desperately devising scenarios to purloin the election.
Trump can play it smooth or rough, depending on whether you’re willing to knuckle under. I have never seen a presidential candidate be cruel to someone like President Biden, who was being cruel to Trump during the campaign, even though he had promised a smooth transition.
It is hard to watch Donald Trump be gracious, because he is gracious only when he wins, and that’s not a good lesson for the children of America. He tries to burn democracy down when he loses.
The warmth of the handshake and roaring fire between Presidents George Washington, F.D.R. and Abraham Lincoln was enough for all of them to be comfortable in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
Donald Trump is expected to visit his old office today. President Biden invited his predecessor and successor for what is a ceremonial tradition meant to signal the desire for a smooth and peaceful transfer of power.
Sitting side by side, Trump called Obama a “very good man,” said it was an honor to meet with him and that he looked forward to being with him “many, many more times in the future.”
The president said that he wanted to help set up the transition for success. “I believe it’s important for all of us, regardless of political preferences, to now come together, work together, to deal with the many challenges that we face, and I think that’s something that all of us can agree on,” Obama said.
It was going to be a 10 or 15-minute meeting and we would get to know each other. We’d never met before. I have great respect. The meeting lasted for almost an hour and a half. And it could have — as far as I’m concerned, it could have gone on for a lot longer.”
That’s something Trump immediately ignored when in office. He frequently held court as reporters shouted questions, responding to the ones he felt like answering and sometimes sparring with the journalists.
When Biden and his challenger clashed on a debate stage in late June, they ended his campaign for a second term. During the remaining months of the campaign Trump often gloated about his knock-out punch in the debate and bemoaned the “coup” that forced Biden out of the race.
