For all of Trump's whining about the 2020 election being stolen from him, it is Al Gore who arguably has the more legitimate right to that claim. With the 2000 presidential election too close to call, the Supreme Court effectively put its finger on the scale, anointing W as President. Gore could have either accepted the questionable ruling or plunged the country into a constitutional crisis. In the interest of preserving the union, Gore was forced to concede a defeat that didn't necessarily exist.
Given the questionable legitimacy of his presidency, W's best move would have been to strike a course toward reconciliation at the beginning of his term. Instead, aided by Vice President Dick Cheney, W leaned into the partisanship already gripping the country. He had lost the popular vote yet governed as if he had a mandate.
The unimaginable tragedy of September 11, 2001, did the work for him. Although W did nothing more than encourage Americans to maintain normal economic activity, they did what is expected after an attack and rallied around their country. And their president.
Before the terrorist attack on 9/11, Bush's approval rating stood at an anemic 51%, but in the immediate aftermath it jumped to 86%. It eventually climbed to a high of 92% in a poll by ABC News/Washington Post, a record"'breaking achievement.
Twenty-five years later, one has to wonder if that same cohesion would occur in a Trump presidency. It used to be that natural disasters would bring us together, but Trump has politicized that process, basing relief on the level of support victims had given him at the ballot box. The start of a war was usually a reason to rally around the flag, but if Trump's hostilities with Iran have resulted in any bipartisanship, it has been in opposition to his actions. Before Trump, government agencies were trusted to protect public health through vaccine programs, but a takeover by "Make America Healthy Again" forces set the stage for measles outbreaks unseen since a vaccine was developed.
Those responsible for holding the annual memorials at the World Trade Center site have prioritized keeping partisan politics out of the solemn events. Their efforts have included barring politicians from making speeches.
While the White House initially indicated that Trump would attend the events to mark the 25a' à à ? ? ?Ã? €š à ? ? ?Ã? €š à ? ? ?--Ãà ? ? ?... degrees anniversary, as the date drew closer it has since been announced that the vice president would attend in his place, making him the only living president who is not scheduled to mark the anniversary at the site.
Reputable news outlets have quoted multiple sources in reporting that Trump wanted to speak at the memorial, but organizers would not reverse the long-standing prohibition on political speeches. Instead, he will attend the memorial at the Pentagon, where he will be allowed to speak.
Despite the veracity of this reporting, the White House has disputed these accounts. They have belatedly claimed that Trump always knew he would not be able to speak and have stated that he understands the solemnity of these proceedings. It is hard to think of any other president for whom that statement would not have been assumed. But no other president has boycotted the inauguration ceremonies for the new administration, traditions meant to emphasize the peaceful transfer of power to their successors. They also did not leave this trail of posts on social media:
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