WASHINGTON:Donald Trump will walk out of the White House and board Marine One for the last time as president Wednesday morning, leaving behind a legacy of chaos and tumult and a nation bitterly divided.
Four years after standing on stage at his own inauguration and painting a dire picture of “American carnage," Trump departs the office twice impeached, with millions more out of work and 400,000 dead from the coronavirus. Republicans under his watch lost the presidency and both chambers of Congress. He will be forever remembered for the final major act of his presidency: inciting an insurrection at the Capitol that left five dead, including a Capitol Police officer, and horrified the nation.
Trump will be the first president in modern history to boycott his successor’s inauguration as he continues to stew about his loss and privately maintains the election that President-elect Joe Biden fairly won was stolen from him. Republican officials in several critical states, members of his own administration and a wide swath of judges, including those appointed by Trump, have rejected those arguments.
Still, Trump has refused to participate in any of the symbolic passing-of-the-torch traditions surrounding the peaceful transition of power, including inviting the Bidens over for a get-to-know-you visit.
By the time Biden is sworn in, Trump will already have landed at his private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, to face an uncertain future, but not before giving himself a grand sendoff — with a red carpet, a military band and even a 21-gun salute.
Guests have been invited, but it is unclear how many will attend. Even Vice President Mike Pence plans to skip the event, citing the logistical challenges of getting from the air base to the inauguration ceremonies. Washington has been transformed into a security fortress, with thousands of National Guard troops, fencing and checkpoints to try to stave off further violence.
Aides had urged Trump to spend his final days in office trying to salvage his legacy by highlighting his administration’s achievements — passing tax cuts, scaling back federal regulations, normalizing relations in the Middle East. But Trump largely refused, taking a single trip to the Texas border and releasing a video in which he pledged to his supporters that “the movement we started is only just beginning.”
Trump will retire to Florida with a small group of former White House aides as he charts a political future that looks very different now than just two weeks ago.
Before the Capitol riot, Trump had been expected to remain his party’s de facto leader, wielding enormous power as he served as a kingmaker and mulled a 2024 presidential run. But now he appears more powerless than ever — shunned by so many in his party, impeached twice, denied the Twitter bullhorn he had intended to use as his weapon and even facing the prospect that, if he is convicted in his Senate trial, he could be barred from seeking a second term.
For now, Trump remains angry and embarrassed, consumed with rage and grievance. He spent the week after the election sinking deeper and deeper into a world of conspiracy, and those who have spoken with him say he continues to believe he won in November. He continues to lash out at Republicans for perceived disloyalty and has threatened, both publicly and privately, to spend the coming years backing primary challenges against those he feel betrayed him.
Some expect him to eventually turn completely on the Republican Party, perhaps by flirting with a run as a third-party candidate as an act of revenge.
For all the chaos and drama and bending the world to his will, Trump ended his term as he began it: largely alone. The Republican Party he co-opted finally appeared to have had enough after Trump’s supporters violently stormed the Capitol, hunting for lawmakers who refused to go along with Trump’s unconstitutional efforts to overturn the results of a democratic election.
But although Washington may have had enough, Trump retains his grip on the Republican base, with the support of millions of loyal voters, along with allies still helming the Republican National Committee and many state party organizations.
The city he leaves will not miss him. Trump rarely left the confines of the White House, except to visit his own hotel. He and his wife never once ate dinner at any other local restaurant; never ventured out to shop in its stores or see the sites. When he did leave, it was almost always to one of his properties: his golf course in Virginia, his golf course in New Jersey, his private club and nearby golf course in Palm Beach, Florida.
The city overwhelmingly supported Biden, with 93% of the vote. Trump received just 5.4% of the vote — or fewer than 18,600 ballots — not enough to fill the Washington Capitals hockey arena.
AP Newsroom
Wed Jan 20 2021
IShowSpeed tiba di KL, terima baju batik daripada peminat
Speed menerima hadiah daripada beberapa orang peminat Malaysia ketika kenderaannya berhenti di lampu isyarat di ibu negara pada Selasa,
Penyanyi Sean Diddy ditangakp di New York
Penerbit muzik terkenal, Puff Daddy atau lebih dikenali sebagai Sean Diddy Combs yang berdepan dengan beberapa tuduhan serangan seksual telah diberkas di Manhatann, New York oleh ejen persekutuan pada Isnin waktu tempatan.
10 maut, puluhan cedera bas Iran terbalik
Menurut angka awal, kemalangan itu mengakibatkan 10 maut dan 41 cedera.
Malaysia perlu melabur dalam infrastruktur
Pengarah Eksekutif Ukrainian Prism, Hennadiy Maksak berpandangan, Malaysia juga tidak boleh bergantung kepada satu laluan, selain menjalin hubungan yang baik dengan negara-negara jiran.
Lebih 1,000 rakyat termasuk pejuang Hezbollah cedera parah
Lebih seribu rakyat Lubnan termasuk anggota pejuang Hezbollah dan petugas perubatan cedera parah dalam satu letupan pada Selasa.
Tetingkap Tunggal Nasional memudahkan operasi perdagangan antara Malaysia dan China
Menteri Pelaburan, Perdagangan dan Industri (MITI), Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz berpendapat inisiatif Tetingkap Tunggal Nasional (National single window) yang bakal diharmonikan Bersama system kastam China akan memudahkan operasi perniagaan dan perdagangan (ease of doing business) antara Malaysia dan China.
Medan selera perlu ditambah baik, kemudahan asas tidak lengkap
Air bergenang di lantai dan tempias sehingga meja makan mengakibatkan pengunjung basah. Itu situasi apabila keadaan hujan lebat di Medan Selera Taman Makmur di dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Mahkota yang menempatkan deretan 12 kedai makan.
Calon manfaat platform media sosial dekati pengundi luar
Kempen Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Mahkota turut memberi tumpuan kepada penggunaan media sosial bagi menambat hati pengundi luar selain kempen secara bersemuka.
Seorang wanita maut jatuh lubang saluran air
Seorang wanita maut selepas terjatuh ke dalam lubang saluran air sedalam dua meter ketika menyertai aktiviti mendaki di Bukit Cherok Tok Kun pada Selasa.
Kerja pembersihan sisa kimia dijalankan pada Selasa
Kerja-kerja pembersihan sisa bahan kimia yang dibuang secara haram di Kawasan Perindustrian Tiong Nam dan Kawasan Perindustrian Tropika, Johor bermula pada Selasa.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Cubaan bunuh: Trump ucap terima kasih kepada perkhidmatan rahsia pastikannya "selamat"
Trump mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua pihak atas keprihatinan mereka terhadap cubaan bunuh yang menimpanya pada Ahad di Florida.
FBI siasat "cubaan bunuh" selepas insiden tembakan berhampiran Trump
Insiden tembakan berhampiran bekas Presiden Amerika Syarikat Donald Trump pada Ahad disiasat sebagai "yang kelihatan seperti cubaan bunuh".
Biden lega Trump tidak cedera selepas cubaan bunuh
Presiden Amerika Joe Biden lahirkan rasa lega kerana bekas presiden Donald Trump tidak cedera berikutan cubaan membunuh.
Trump selamat cubaan bunuh di Florida
Pegawai penguat kuasa undang-undang menyatakan, penembak bersembunyi di kawasan semak berhampiran sempadan padang golf.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Trump tidak akan sertai satu lagi debat presiden bersama Harris
Trump mendakwa beliau memenangi debat yang dihoskan oleh ABC News di Philadelphia pada malam Selasa.
Debat Presiden AS tarik 57.5 juta penonton TV - Data Nielsen
Debat malam Selasa itu merupakan kali pertama calon-calon dalam Pilihan Raya Presiden 5 November bertemu secara bersemuka.
Debat calon presiden: Jika Harris menang, Israel tidak akan wujud dua tahun lagi - Trump
Bekas presiden AS itu berkata, Harris "membenci Israel" dan tidak menyokong Perdana Menteri Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.
Pilihan Raya Presiden AS: Debat pertama dengan Trump, Harris sukar diduga
Perdebatan itu adalah yang pertama antara Trump dan Harris, walaupun Trump pada Jun lalu pernah berdebat dengan Presiden AS, Joe Biden.