White House staffers had filled President Trump’s diary with a string of awards ceremonies to brighten his final days in office.
On Wednesday, it was an event to present the National Medal of Arts to country music singers Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs — one of the perks of being president.
But they had not anticipated that the day would be dominated by impeachment proceedings unfolding live on television.
The Trump that appeared in the East Room of the White House to honor the singers was not the same figure who likes to crack jokes and extemporize freely when rubbing shoulders with superstars.
“It was 15 minutes. He stuck to the script,” said a senior administration official. “This was long planned, and he wanted to honor the commitment.”
“Then, it was straight back to watching the impeachment.”
The sight of 10 House Republicans voting to impeach left Trump in a filthy mood.
Interviews with officials and former officials paint a picture of a White House working hard to keep the president engaged with the business of leading the country and preparing to hand over power. They say he has a slew of pardons ready to announce, executive orders to sign, and special counsels to appoint but that last week’s Capitol riot, impeachment, and his Twitter ban are thwarting their best efforts.
On Tuesday, he flew to Texas to deliver a speech celebrating 450 miles of his border wall.
Aides hoped it would be one of a series of trips to underline the administration’s successes. But discussions to hold events underlining his work to build America’s economic strength and military prowess have apparently come to naught.
Instead, he has spent hours poring over television coverage of his final days in office and using his press office to replace his suspended Twitter feed.
“United States military troops in Afghanistan are at a 19-year low,” he said in a 375-character statement emailed to journalists on Thursday. “Likewise, Iraq and Syria are also at the lowest point in many years.”
“I will always be committed to stopping the endless wars. It has been a great honor to rebuild our military and support our brave men and women in uniform. $2.5 trillion invested, including in beautiful new equipment — all made in the U.S.A.”
For weeks, he appeared to exist in a state of denial about the election, arguing repeatedly that victory had been stolen from him and he would soon be embarking on a second term.
But by Thursday morning, reality was clearly visible from the windows of his residence. Workmen could be seen affixing blue banners proclaiming “2021 Biden-Harris Inauguration” on the temporary stands set up for next week’s events just across from the White House.
And the signs of transition were everywhere in the West Wing. Departed staffers’ desks sat empty while packing crates dotted the floor around the skeleton crew remaining.
Aides were seen carrying out mementos. A day earlier, trade adviser Peter Navarro was spotted with a photograph of Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Yesterday: White House advisor Peter Navarro leaves the West Wing of the White House with a photograph of U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Washington. Photo by @erinscottphoto pic.twitter.com/MoS00tnH07
— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) January 14, 2021
Gaggles of junior officials giggled in the Rose Garden as they posed for selfies. And little tour parties roamed the grounds as employees made use of a perk of the job to show relatives around.
The day should have included a ceremony to present New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. But he declined the invitation this week, following the deadly violence at the U.S. Capitol.
Instead, Trump spent time posing for photographs in the Oval Office with staff. “He was doing it, so his mood can’t be that bad,” said an official.
