We all know that Donald Trump takes his presidential inaugurations seriously. Remember the fuss he made over the crowd size at his first inauguration in 2017? It was a big deal to him—he was upset that some people didn’t fully appreciate the “magnificence” of the event. Now, as his second inauguration approaches, it looks like he could be facing a few more frustrations that might dampen his moment of glory.
One thing that’s already casting a shadow over the celebration? The passing of his predecessor, Jimmy Carter. After Carter passed away on December 29, President Joe Biden declared a 30-day mourning period, which means flags across the country will be flying at half-staff on Inauguration Day. Trump is clearly upset about this, as he took to social media to voice his frustration, saying that the Democrats are “giddy” about the flag situation. In his post, he wrongly referred to the flag being at “half mast” (that’s a term for flags on ships, not flagpoles) and accused his political opponents of not caring about the country.
But here’s the thing—Trump doesn’t have any control over the flag situation until he actually takes office, so he’ll just have to stew over it for now.
But that’s not all. It seems like Trump’s plans for his Cabinet are also getting a reality check. In the days leading up to his swearing-in, he expected to have most, if not all, of his Cabinet picks confirmed by the Senate right away. However, it looks like that won’t happen. With just a couple of weeks left until January 20, only a handful of nominees are even close to being confirmed.
There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes drama here. Some of Trump’s nominees haven’t even completed their background checks, financial disclosures, and other paperwork. Even Republicans in the Senate are pushing back, and things are getting a little messy. For example, Trump’s pick for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, may not get a hearing on time because her FBI background check is delayed. And the Senate still hasn’t received the necessary paperwork for other nominees, like Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence.
To make things more complicated, even if everything gets sorted out, the Senate works slowly, and fast-tracking confirmations requires cooperation from both parties. That’s not something Trump is known for getting easily.
So, what’s the bottom line here? It looks like Trump’s second inauguration might not go exactly as planned. It’s not going to be the smooth, flawless moment he probably imagined, and if the crowd sizes aren’t what he expected, that might make things even worse. Let’s just say, January 20 might not be the glorious day Trump is hoping for. If reality sets in, it could be a long and frustrating day for him—and anyone who has to deal with him.
