We finally had Barack Obama’s portrait unveiled today after Donald Trump refused to do it.
I am guessing that Trump’s portrait will not even be considered during the Biden first term. I don’t think Trump would ever attend a ceremony where “the guy who stole the election” is acting as president right in front of him. It’s why Trump will never do appearances at presidential gatherings. He’s kind of not invited, so to speak.
My dream scenario is indeed that Biden would do it. I certainly think he should do it, but I can’t see any scenario where Biden will initiate the conversation and can definitely not see Trump every coming.
Biden should just put it up and have Mike Pence talk or something instead.
Maybe they’ll wait until Trump dies and someone will unveil one quietly.
I assume he will. I think part of what makes someone the ‘bigger person’ is stuff like that. In this case, I think it’s a good way to say ‘you were an asshole, but this is tradition and it makes no impact on my life, so why not’. In fact, I’d say it could almost be a bit of a power move. Just goes to show that Biden really doesn’t care what Trump thinks of him. Plus, I assume Trump expects it not to happen, so this might piss him off.
On top of all that, I’m interested to see how the right would spin it into something bad. “How dare evil Joe unveil this portrait on a Tuesday/in that lighting/when it’s this sunny out?” Who knows, they’ll find something to be angry about and that seems like a great place for them to burn off some excess energy.
I have no idea how much production goes into this, but keep it to a minimum. Better yet, unveil it when there’s a covid spike so there’s that many fewer people in attendance AND all the event pictures will show everyone wearing masks.
Now that I think about it, did trump tweet anything about why he didn’t unveil Obama’s? I’d be interested to see what he had to say. I feel like there’s a good chance he gave some stupid reason that can easily made to bite him back, not that he cares.
All I read is that there was no elaboration as to why he did not unveil it. It’s rather obvious, though.
Trump is, above all things, a cowardly bully. He only says things about people behind their back. He can never face Barack Obama or anyone else important ever again. I don’t think Trump will attend any other presidential funerals, though if he does attend Jimmy Carter’s(the most likely), I think he will not greet and sit with Clinton, Obama, Bush, etc.
I think he’d rather decline than actually have to see the other proper presidents.
If the US tradition is like in Germany (and most likely it is the other way around: the Germans having copied the US custom) the departed president / chancellor decides which artist paints him/her. Many did not like their successors or predecessors or both, it’s only human after all, but they still attended the ceremony. I believe it was Merkel who said to Schröder during this ceremony that she loved to see him hanging there. Or was it the other way around, was it Schröder who said that he was looking forward to the day she would hang too? Anyway, such a ceremony is a good oportunity to trade punches and land jabs. Should not be missed.
And if tanTrump’s taste is only half as bad as suspected the punch lines will we epic. I say invite him! Tell him he will be the center of attention twice, in person and in effigy.
Then put him (ETA: the picture! thanks, @Joey_P ) in a dark, damp corner by the broom closet. And hang him a little bit askew.
I don’t know about the OP, but I think the MAGAts and TFG himself should be trolled with the possibility of this event happening, even if it remains TBD at this point. Think of all the potential artists rendering their portraits and sharing across social media. TFG will probably just love the idea of a ceremonial event involving him being reduced to mock and ridicule, and all the while perceiving Biden with his finger on the power switch as TFG cannot do anything about it. A contest could even be started for naming the portrait (think “Boaty McBoatface”) and we’d have even more fun at his expense.
No way in Hell should he. And if the next President after Biden is a Democrat, I hope their turn features the unveiling of Biden’s portrait.
Trump felt like being a douchebag concerning Obama’s portrait, so fuck Trump.
