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A variety of U.S. officials responded to the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack in very different ways, though Donald Trump took the opportunity to publish a poorly timed message to his social media platform. It read in its entirety:
Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes. Fear not, these “Orders” will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!
There was no shortage of bizarre errors of fact and judgment in the missive. President Joe Biden, for example, is not engaged in any prosecutorial abuses. The retiring Democrat has protected millions of acres of coastline from offshore oil and gas drilling, but (a) that’s not the Green New Deal; (b) this isn’t a “scam”; and (c) the climate crisis isn’t a “hoax,” no matter how many times Trump claims otherwise.
But it was that first part of the online complaint that stood out as especially notable: Biden, his successor whined, is making the presidential transition process “difficult.”
The obvious problem with the claim is the overwhelming evidence pointing in the opposite direction: The Democrat welcomed Trump to the White House after Election Day, for example, despite the fact that Trump did not extend the same courtesy after the 2020 race. Biden also vowed to attend his successor’s inaugural ceremony, which the Republican also refused to do.
What’s more, throughout the federal government, the retiring incumbent has pursued a policy of cooperation and collaboration, ensuring a smooth handoff from one administration to the next.
Yes, Biden continues to govern and pursue his policy priorities, but that’s because — and this is important — he’s still the president and he can issue White House decrees as he deems appropriate. This isn’t evidence of an outgoing leader creating a “difficult” transition process; this is evidence of an outgoing leader acting on the policy agenda he was elected to implement.
Even Susie Wiles, the incoming White House chief of staff, has offered praise for her Democratic counterparts as she prepares to begin work in the West Wing.
But even if we put all of that aside, it takes galactic amounts of chutzpah for Trump, of all people, to whine about Biden making the presidential transition process “difficult.”
As the Republican probably ought to remember, during the last presidential transition process, he refused to accept the election results, lied uncontrollably about his defeat, pursued a scheme to claim illegitimate power, provoked an insurrectionist riot, and became the first president in American history to deny the nation a peaceful transfer of power.
If Trump wants to see a president responsible for a “difficult” transition process, he shouldn’t look at Biden; he should look in a mirror.