By Charlotte Calick
“Mr. President, for your own sake, it’s time to concede.”
When you ask supporters of the president why they voted and continue to support him, a common response is that they like his tough guy, fighter approach.
Put aside the fact he becomes a shrinking violet when face to face with an adversary, Vladimir Putin or Nancy Pelosi for example, or that the only way he is able to fire someone is via a tweet from the safe confines of the White House. In any event, this fighter persona is what his supporters love most about him. To preserve that image, it is time for him to concede.
For months leading up to the election, Trump and his allies portrayed Joe Biden as a frightened old man, bunkered in his basement. Trump on the other hand was the bravely (read: irresponsibly) campaigning out in public. Now the roles are reversed.
As Biden does what he can during this period of transition holding meetings and press conferences, Trump is M.I.A. Since the election the president has only been seen a handful of times out in public. For an eight-day stretch, he made no public appearances at all. Remember, we are talking about Donald Trump. Eight days with no television appearances, it’s unheard of. Also, the few times he is seen he only wants to talk about untruths and conspiracy theories. How voting machines flipped votes, which they did not, and how he actually won Pennsylvania and Michigan, which he didn’t.
The fighter has now become the whiner, blaming everyone else for his loss. No longer the self-proclaimed advocate for his constituents, he sulks in the residency, according to reports, not arriving at the office until noon and spending most of the day watching TV.
There is talk of him running again in 2024, but this temper tantrum is not going to help that cause, and it may end up what he will be mostly remembered for.
As the country is in the grips of a major spike of the Coronavirus, there is finally news that the cavalry is on the way. As companies have reported amazing results from new vacancies, Trump should be out there taking a victory lap, deserving or not. Although true that Pfizer did not participate nor receive any money from the program, Operation Warp Speed has been a success. Still, all he does is sulk and now lashes out, saying these companies held back their results until after the election.
Trump and his allies are trying to defend a hill that has already been overrun. It is time for the white flag. His petulance can do serious damage to the county and tarnish any legacy he had hoped to have. It may also give other Republicans the cover they need to break away and possibly run against him for the 2024 nomination, if in fact he decides to run again.
The 2020 election is over. Joe Biden will be sworn into office on January 20th. If the sake of the country is not enough of a reason, for your own sake Mr. President, it’s time to concede.
