I’m exhausted… and part of the reason are the events of the day.
While I didn’t believe there would be another January 6th type insurrection, there was the risk that some “lone wolf” type might do something during Joe Biden’s inaguration.
Thankfully, nothing happened.
All went as well as could be and Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony was an emotional, IMHO beautiful one…
Trump, of course, decided to leave early, hoping on his helicopter and flying via Air Force One to Mar A Largo after delivering a typically oddball speech which was followed by his departure to the sounds of The Village People’s YMCA. As someone (wish I could give them their proper credit!) noted on Twitter: “Has this all been some kind of weird dream?”
The crowds there for Trump’s departure at the airport -as in the various Capitols around the country- were sparse and one wonders if the self-loathing our now ex-President has in spades was churning into overdrive during his departure.
What’s he done today? What’s he been doing? Watching TV? Going volcanic at seeing how quickly -and happily- the country has moved away from him?
CNN seemed to be only to happy to cut away from Trump the moment he stepped onto the airplane, as if to say “We won’t bother with you again”. Their focus turned entirely to Biden and very little -if any- mention was made of Trump.
I don’t recall seeing any footage of his arrival in West Palm Beach, though I didn’t see every minute of the coverage during the day.
Now that Trump’s gone, I can’t help but think back to his term and, especially, the last few days.
One of the bigger things I -and I’m sure many others- wondered was who Trump would pardon.
He managed to pardon a bunch of crooks, many who probably didn’t deserve to be pardoned, but it was who he apparently didn’t pardon which makes you wonder.
There was no pardon for his children. There were no pardons to the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on January 6th. There was no self-pardon.
Supposedly, Trump’s lawyers discouraged the later pardon, to himself, for fear he would subsequently face lawsuits arising from whatever he pardons himself for.
I can’t help but wonder about the insurrectionists, though. These people, inflamed by Trump’s winks and nods, took action on January 6th and, as a result, 5 people are dead and this wonderful democratic government was very close to being overturned by fascists.
There could have been more deaths. One wonders what would have happened if some of these fanatics -driven by conspiracy theories and a delusional sense of self-importance- had actually confronted members of congress.
As it is, its over.
Joe Biden is President and Trump -and hopefully many of the most dangerous of the fanatics egged on by him- are in our past. Each of them will have to deal with the law, I’m quite certain, and for many of them things will get very tough.
For the rest of us, let’s hope for a respite.
In the short term, let’s hope for a more competent roll out of the COVID 19 vaccines and, let’s hope really soon, we get to the point where this deadly virus has been if not eliminated, at least better controlled.
Then, let’s see where we go from there.