Since the presidential library holds all the records of the administration, rather than the president’s personal reading material I think it would be great fun to have some academic go through all the various PowerPoints and briefing documents prepared for the president to read or be shown.
The key thing they’d find is Obama’s were written to be read by someone with a college education and Trump’s were written to a 2nd grade (age 7) reading level.
It’d also be fun to count how often the president’s name appeared in the documents. As in once per 100 pages in Obama’s stuff and 10x per page in Trump’s stuff.
I bet he hasn’t made any plans for or against lying in state or for a funeral at all, and the decisions will be left to his family after he dies. To plan for your own funeral would be to admit that you are not Superman or Jesus, and he could never admit that or bear to think about it. Too much pain for the narcissistic mind to contemplate.
Any lying in state in DC would really be a circus. I can’t imagine his family would want that, even if they are otherwise attention-seeking narcissists just like Daddy. There would be protestors somewhere nearby and somebody trying to break in and get a selfie with his dead body. There’d no doubt be security, but there’d at least be protestors and weirdos attracted nearby.
Yes, and also, the TV he spends hours a day with watching FoxNews.
After Trump is gone for good, the government needs to take Mar-a-Lago, by eminent domain, as the museum part of the library. Decorate half as it was when Marjorie Merriweather Post lived there, and half with Trump’s decor. Should give the tour guides good compare and contrast points. I want to go.
Similarly, I wondered if a Democratic President would order flags to be flown at half-staff. President Eisenhower solved that dilemma with a proclamation that
The flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions for the period indicated upon the death of any of the following-designated officials or former officials of the United States:
(a) The President or a former President: for thirty days from the day of death.
Not really. A proclamation is just another decision by a president. it’s binding until another sitting president decides it isn’t. So far, Ike’s decision hasn’t needed revisiting. But the future is a very big place full of all sorts of exciting possibilities.
It’d be best if trump lasts long enough in slobbering impotent incompetence that a national grave-spitting-on would be uncontroversial. I doubt that will come to pass. Shame.
Truth be told, nowadays US flags seem to fly at half-staff for any reason or no reason with amazing regularity. ISTM that when I was a kid it was a rare big deal. In the last 10+ years, so over multiple presidents, it seems to be more like every other month for something. If they did lower them for trump’s passing I’m not sure I’d notice among all the other lowerings for reasons indeterminate.
Addressing the OP and not participating in the “Another thread to bag on Trump” parade.
This is to me an example of respect the office even if you do not respect the person. It would not be Trump lying in state just like it won’t be Obama or Biden. It is a former president lying in state regardless of political party or views.
Sure, he can lie in state somewhere, but not in the capitol building. His minions invaded it, desecrated it while he did nothing. He doesn’t get to enter it even dead.
There’s precedent for presidents lying in state elsewhere, both in DC and other places. Let’s do that.