When There are Two Presidents (Or Maybe One-and-a-Half) - 12/9/24
This past weekend, when Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled his country and rebel forces claimed control of that country’s capital, the Washington Post (Lean Left bias) headlines unintentionally admitted what has become increasingly clear: that Donald Trump is not bothering to wait until his official inauguration next month to take over and that Joe Biden is still our nation’s president in name only.
That is, admittedly, an exaggeration. Biden still holds control of U.S. nuclear codes and can issue orders to the military. His outgoing administration is scrambling to spend money on his unrealized policy priorities, to approve new judges and to institute last-minute regulatory measures. But while the official transfer of power is still several weeks away, it appears that most of the country – and most of the world – has already moved on.
The top story on the Post’s Politics page on Sunday morning was headlined “Trump Calls For Hands-Off Approach to Syria as Assad Regime Falls.” Underneath, almost as an afterthought, was this subheadline: “The White House says President Joe Biden is also monitoring the situation and communicating with regional partners.” (The fact that the Post removed the word “also” from the subhead several hours later only underscored their thoughts as to Biden’s growing irrelevance.)
The Associated Press’ (Left bias) coverage of the grand reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was just as transparent in how their attention has shifted. The international news organization began its story thusly: “French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full dose of presidential pomp as the two held a hastily arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.” The only reference to Biden in the article was to note that he had declined an invitation, citing a scheduling conflict, and that his wife was attending in his place.
It’s not uncommon for incoming presidents to command public and media attention before they take the oath of office. President-elect Bill Clinton convened the nation’s business and labor leaders for an economic summit in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, before taking office. George W. Bush and Barack Obama were similarly assertive, as were both Trump and Biden. But the contrast between the incoming and outgoing chief executives has seemed especially pronounced this year, perhaps intensified by Biden’s age and Trump’s naturally aggressive tendencies.
Trump has begun negotiations with Mexico and Canada about tariffs, migration and drug interdiction. He has sent his envoy to the Middle East to meet with that region’s leaders about a Gaza ceasefire (but not before pledging that Hamas would have “all hell to pay” if the hostages were not released by the time he took office) By contrast, Biden last week traveled to Africa where he spoke about future infrastructure projects and the legacy of slavery. He held no news conferences and conducted no interviews throughout his trip. If Trump was behaving as if he already was president, Biden’s travels seemed more suited to an outgoing vice president or undersecretary of state than what is likely to be the last foreign travel of a chief executive before his term expires.
There were other areas where the contrast between the two men was not nearly as noticeable. Trump’s warning that congressional leaders of the January 6 oversight committee hearings this past weekend should be jailed provided a fitting bookend to Biden’s announcement that he would grant his son one of the most sweeping and preemptive pardons in presidential history. Both actions highlighted the unfortunate fact that the two men were equally unhesitant to undermine the basic principles of the American legal and justice system to serve their own ends. But even here, the stark difference in public presence between the presidents was unavoidable. Trump outlined his beliefs in a nationwide television interview. Biden issued his decision in writing, and as of the time this column was submitted, he had neither answered reporters’ questions about the pardon nor discussed it in public in any manner.
Just as we did not know of the extent of Biden’s infirmities until after last June’s debate, we won’t understand how much his continued decline has contributed to his vanishing public profile until some time after he has returned to private life. On the other hand, we can be very confident that Trump’s outsized public presence will continue to grow in the weeks and months ahead. But it won’t be long until it is once again clear to us exactly who is running the country.