What Did Anyone Expect?
Today is the first full day of the second presidential term of Donald J. Trump.
So far, this transition of power has gone pretty well according to form.
On the way out, now-former President Joe Biden pardoned another list of convicted criminals, along with members of the J6 committee, along with his close family members. That final set of family pardons was announced literally as the parties were gathered in the capitol rotunda for the transfer of power.
By the way, for context…George W. Bush issued 200 pardons in eight years, Barack Obama issued 1,927 in either years, and Donald Trump issued 237 pardons during his first four years. Joe Biden, by comparison, pardoned 8,064 people in four years…nearly four times as many as his three predecessors, spanning five terms, combined.
Meanwhile, in his inauguration address, Trump outlined a number of Biden initiatives that he would end with a stroke of the executive order pen that day…then did not wait until the truncated inaugural parade was over to start putting his distinctive signature on them. Declaring there are only two genders, closing the border due to a national emergency—and doing it with Biden sitting five feet away. Then before the official luncheon, he met with governors gathered in the lower level of the Capitol and delivered a full-blown stand-up routine of greatest hits, right down to pointing out the 2020 election was stolen.
Each side, political left and right, are shocked and horrified over what the now-former and now-current presidents did in that couple of hours over midday.
How could anyone be mildly surprised, much less shocked?
The election was held last November, the results uncontested and certified…and now we are getting exactly what a plurality of Americans casting ballots voted for.
No surprises on day one…let’s see what day two—much less the first week—has in store.
