Washington Examiner, January 2021
President Trump and his staff are considering holding events to mark his administration’s work on “rebuilding the economy” and “rebuilding the military” as they look to underline their achievements during their final days in office and distract from the fallout of last week’s attack on the Capitol.
On Tuesday, Trump will fly to Texas to celebrate progress on building a border wall.
And aides hope he will also showcase what they see as two other wins on the economy and the armed forces, which, under Trump, saw year-on-year increases in funding from $596 billion in President Barack Obama’s final year to $740 billion forecast for this year, and the establishment of the United States Space Force.
A senior administration official told the Washington Examiner that discussions continued about how best to mark the accomplishments.
But after a bruising week when his supporters attacked the United States Capitol — triggering a slew of White House resignations, raising a fresh impeachment challenge, and forcing the president from major social media platforms — the trip to Texas and chances to talk about two of his favorite subjects offer Trump a welcome distraction as he runs out the clock.
Trump had hoped to welcome New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but the football icon declined after last week’s events.
A fresh wave of pardons is expected, and a final raft of executive orders has reportedly been drafted.
