Day One as a strongman
Did Donald Trump intentionally forget to put his hand on the Bible when being sworn in, or was the Bible back a couple rows where Elon Musk, the fascist-saluting richest man in the world, sat?
Musk later gave that Hitler-invoking salute twice during a speech at the Capital One Arena where 10s of thousands of Trump’s most ardent grassroots supporters waited for Trump to speak.
Later, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of basically everyone charged for their role in the January 6th attack on our Capitol. Among them, people convicted not only of attacking law enforcement, spreading feces on the walls of the Capitol, flaunting their law-breaking audacity to literally sit in seats designated for government leaders and, most disgustingly, commuted sentences for people found guilty of sedition — those who planned the January 6 effort to block the election that was won by his predecessor.
I’m no fan of the myriad of pardons President Biden handed out in his last days in office. Pardoning people convicted of drug crimes that, today, don’t exist seems fair to me. I understand why he pardoned Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney and others who haven’t been charged with crimes — but it sets a horrible precedent. Imagine our democracy exists four years from now and Trump, if he leaves office, uses the same logic for people he wants to avoid being charged or spending millions defending themselves. Shit show doesn’t cover it.
Even Trump’s seemingly top advisors — Vice President Vance and First Lady Melania Trump — advised not to pardon those who committed violence. But Trump obviously wanted to ensure his private militia isn’t locked up if he needs them again.
Heidi Beiruch, co-founder of the non-profit Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said those who received pardons and commutations, ”…are emboldened. They’re back, and I think it means that their ranks are going to grow, and we’re going to see them involved in all kinds of pro-Trump and other white supremacist activity and their slate has been cleaned.”
Day One was full of Trump talking, lying, celebrating. His new rich thanks to the Internet friends have come to heel. Given the opportunity, as has been his won’t, to compliment Russian Dictator Putin, he didn’t.
He seemed confident in not complimenting him. A good thing. But the worry is it was because he, too, feels (overly) emboldened by his comeback.
Back on the key reason he was elected — the economy — he also signed an executive order commanding his Cabinet members to find ways to bring down costs for all Americans. Interestingly Trump’s people did not share details.
That may be because if Cabinet departments had that ability, within our free market system, maybe other presidents would have done it before.