WASHINGTON: Unemployment aid lapsed this weekend for millions of Americans as the country's departing President played golf, complained that fashion magazines discriminated against his wife, and continued his tirade against an election his own party says he lost.
The political gridlock in Washington, caused mainly by the President and the fiscally conservative wing of the Republican Party, meant Americans were denied even the $600 stimulus aid in addition to $300-a-week unemployment relief contained in a spending bill that Trump himself shafted while demanding a $2000 payment, which is supported by Democrats.
But the domestic economic crisis arising from the Republican wrangle, which could also cause millions of Americans to lose their homes from the lapsing of an eviction moratorium, took a backseat to more frivolous issues. Trump relayed a rightwing news outlet's complaint that "elitist snobs in the fashion press have kept the most elegant First Lady in American history off the covers of their magazines for 4 consecutive years," adding the First Lady is the "greatest of all time" and berating "fake news" for ignoring her.
That invited a cascade of ridicule from critics who derided her qualifications or lack of it, and reveled in the fact that former First Lady Michelle Obama -- who was subjected to racist taunts by white supremacists -- featured a dozen times on the cover of fashion magazines. "In 26 days we will have a First Lady, a President, a Doctor, a real human couple, and dogs in the White House," read one tweet in response to Trump's complaint.
The outgoing President's critics also torched him for going on vacation and playing golf while millions of Americans are heading into a dark winter with no financial aid because of the impasse in Washington. Although the President's aides claimed he was holding multiple official meetings while at his home in Mar-a-Lago in Florida, photos emerged of the President, his belly hanging over his belt, golfing on Friday. By one count, trump has hit the golf course more than 300 times during his four-year Presidency slated to end on January 20.
Trump though is suggesting that he will not leave without a fight, tweeting "History will remember. Never give up. See everyone in D.C. on January 6th." That is the day a joint session of Congress presided over by the vice-president is scheduled to formally count electoral votes from the states and declare a new President elected. Since states have already certified that Joe Biden has 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232, the event would normally be a formality, but Trump proxies are expected to create a scene with objections claiming the election was rigged.
"A young military man working in Afghanistan told me that elections in Afghanistan are far more secure and much better run than the USA’s 2020 Election. Ours, with its millions and millions of corrupt Mail-In Ballots, was the election of a third world country. Fake President!" Trump tweeted on Saturday morning, continuing his tirade against an election process he accepted when it threw him up as the winner in 2016, despite the fact he lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million.
"The U.S. Supreme Court has been totally incompetent and weak on the massive Election Fraud that took place in the 2020 Presidential Election. We have absolute PROOF, but they don’t want to see it - No “standing”, they say. If we have corrupt elections, we have no country!" he added, despite his campaign having failed to make a case for his win in dozens of cases it filed in lower courts, many of which were summarily thrown out even by judges he and his administration had appointed.
The defeated President railed against his own party and administration while making the case that he had won to a dwindling number of supporters. "The “Justice” Department and the FBI have done nothing about the 2020 Presidential Election Voter Fraud, the biggest SCAM in our nation’s history, despite overwhelming evidence. They should be ashamed...If a Democrat Presidential Candidate had an Election Rigged & Stolen, with proof of such acts at a level never seen before, the Democrat Senators would consider it an act of war, and fight to the death. Mitch & the Republicans do NOTHING, just want to let it pass. NO FIGHT!" he complained.
Trump also characterized "the $740 defense bill" (he forgot the billion) as "a gift to China, Russia & Big Tech," even though it was forged by his administration and cleared by Republican grandees. "It fails to terminate the internationally dangerous Section 230, won’t allow us to bring our troops back home (where they belong), renames & destroys our forts & National Monuments, & makes 5G almost impossible!" he added.