Inactivity – Waiting for the vaccine – The new administration and the press – Day 4 of the impeachment trial – Nikki Haley denounces Trump – Melania Trump’s composure – Jill Biden’s energy – Evening statistics
There has not been much personal activity of late. The weather has been gloomy. It is not so much that it is cold – in fact, the temperatures are quite reasonable for this time of year – but it has been consistently damp and overcast. And tomorrow there will be precipitation as well, a so-called “wintry mix” of snow, ice, and rain, combining the worst aspects of all three. On Sunday I will be obliged to go out no matter what the weather conditions may be: I am to lead a hike this coming Tuesday and I need to verify what effect tomorrow’s storm will have on the trails.
And there is still no word of the vaccine! I was hoping I could make an appointment for the first dose by this time, even if the actual administering of it is to be weeks later. But it is not to be. We simply have to accept the fact the demand at this point greatly exceeds the supply.
One of Joe Biden’s campaign promises was that he would treat the press with greater civility than his predecessor did – not an extravagant claim, to be sure. He is making good on his promise so far. Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo has been suspended for one week without pay after he harassed and threatened Tara Palmeri, a female reporter from Politico. Ducklo has since apologized but although he is retaining his position he is still being penalized, and this measure will doubtless help to ensure others on the White House staff to watch their manners. If Biden manages to eradicate the low standard under the Trump administration and to inject a note of civility in White House/press relations, I shall consider my vote for him well-cast on that account alone.
When I remarked previously that the ineptitude of Trump’s defense team might cause various senators to desert Trump’s cause, I was being rather facetious; but it appears that this jest may become a reality. The defense team, it seems, has not been covering itself with laurels today. Among other things, they have repeated the canard that the riot was fueled by “other extremist groups” such as Antifa. As if either Antifa or the Proud Boys would dream allowing themselves to march together! Then, too, they have been focusing on the conspiracy-against-Trump theme to the exclusion of everything else. It may be possible, after all, to hate Trump and still argue that he did not consciously incite a riot – but only if you concentrate on what he actually said and did. Trump’s defense team has been stricken with silence on the matter, suggesting that they are afraid to venture on any discussion of his behavior because they know it would reinforce belief in his guilt.
Already there has been one significant defection. Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and one who, moreover, spoke on behalf of Trump at the Republican Convention, has now repudiated him, condemning his role in the riot and saying he has “let us down.” In particular, she expressed her exasperation with the remarks he gave at a rally ahead of the assault condemning Mike Pence, his own vice president, thereby putting the latter’s life at risk.
In the meantime Mrs. Trump has been taking the election defeat much more philosophically than her husband. She goes to the spa at Mar-a-Lago in the morning, has lunch, goes to the spa again in the afternoon, has dinner with Donald and frequently with her parents, who also reside in Mar-a-Lago, and . . . that’s about it. The spa, in fact, appears to be her chief interest in life. It apparently is not unusual for her to spend several hours a day there, usually going twice in a 24-hour period, for massages, nail care, facial treatments, or other items on the menu. She never gave the impression of being altogether comfortable in her role as First Lady, but how delightful to learn that she has found her vocation at last!
Her successor has shown, shall we say, a little more interest in the position. Melania Trump spent the first five months after the 2016 inauguration in New York; Jill Biden moved into the White House directly after her husband was sworn in, where she lost no time in assembling a staff for herself. Within weeks of becoming First Lady, Jill Biden has done an interview with People magazine, gracing the cover with her husband as the new President, and was featured in Parents magazine, where she discussed her empathy for families dealing with homeschooling their children during the pandemic. She also appeared together with Joe Biden in a televised message that aired prior to last Sunday’s Super Bowl. She has held at least seven events or speaking engagements since January 20th, on topics including military families, cancer prevention, health care, community college education, and support for teachers. By way of contrast, Melania Trump never did a single interview with a national publication during her four years as First Lady. And, it must be borne in mind, all of this activity when Jill Biden has a job of her own, and Melania Trump has none.
There is a running theme here: different as they are in many ways, neither Donald and Melania Trump took their position or their responsibilities seriously, and both husband and wife of their successors provide a most refreshing contrast in this respect, as in many others.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 108,708,033; # of deaths worldwide: 2,392,479; # of cases U.S.: 28,102,746; # of deaths; U.S.: 492,419. Hospitalizations continue to go down. The only state in which they have risen at all this past week is North Dakota. Six other states have declines less than 10% and the remainder has falling hospitalization rates well over 10%. Death rates are also falling, but less steadily. Our mortality rate from the disease is still about 1.7%, which is on the low side; the global average is 2.2%.