We begin on Saturday, December 12th, President Trump appears at the 121st annual Army-Navy college football game in West Point, New York, receiving a very warm reception before taking part in the coin toss in the middle of the field. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the game, which is typically played in Philadelphia, was moved to West Point. It’s first time the game between the two military academies has been played at that location since World War II.
Sunday, December 13th, the Trump administration confirms a report that a foreign government-backed group successfully carried out a cyberattack on the U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments. Sources told Reuters that the hackers were suspected to be working for the Russian government and have been monitoring internal email traffic at the two departments. The breach was considered so severe that the National Security Council convened for a meeting on Saturday. Despite acknowledging the report, the Trump administration did not confirm the source or identity of the hackers.
Meanwhile, after reports that senior White House officials would be on the fast track to receive the coronavirus vaccine, President Trump reads the room and delays that plan in an announcement on Twitter. The president also said that he isn’t scheduled to take the vaccine.
Monday, December 14th, as the coronavirus death toll surpasses 300,000 in the U.S., the first coronavirus vaccinations outside of clinical trials begin. Sandra Lindsay, a New York critical care nurse, was reportedly the first American to receive the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the Electoral College convenes to affirm President-Elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Trump, by a count of 306 to 232 electoral votes with no faithless electors.
Later, President Trump announces on Twitter that Attorney General William Barr has submitted his letter of resignation, making his last day in office December 23rd.
To cap off a busy day, the United States lifts Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terror. The move, which has been in place since 1993 due to the African country’s support for terror groups like Hamas and harboring Al Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden, allows them to gain access to international markets, including lending institutions, to grow their economy.
Skipping ahead to Thursday, December 17th, after reports that President Trump was considering the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Hunter Biden, the son of President-Elect Joe Biden, Trump takes to Twitter to deny the report saying he has nothing to do with it.
Meanwhile, following weeks of veto threats, President Trump confirms that he will veto the National Defense Authorization Act because the Senate failed to include any language that would terminate Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
While there’s still a lot going on in the White House, President Trump’s schedule is beginning to wind down as more Trump political appointees are sending out their resumes and leaving the administration en masse. Yet, in spite of Trump losing the Electoral College vote, there’s still one card left to play: getting Republicans to challenge the results in Congress.
