The First 100 days & Trump's Last day

Trump’s Last Day in Office
 & Biden's First

As of 8 am (EST) on Wednesday morning, Donald Trump has left the White House, holding hands with his wife, Melania for the last time as President of the United States. Trump’s exit came hours before President-Elect Joe Biden prepared to be sworn in as the 46th President. Even though Trump was heading out of office, he still had plans of his own during his final day.

Not Attending Joe Biden’s Inauguration 
Despite wishing the new administration good luck and great success, Trump decided to not attend the inauguration for Biden. The last time an outgoing President did not attend the inauguration of an incoming president was 152 years ago, when Andrew Johnson refused to do so.
 
By 8:30 am, Trump arrived at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland with his family and close associates to deliver his own send-off instead. He spoke for about 10 minutes and did not mention Biden by name. During the farewell, Trump recapped his accomplishments made by his own administration during his Presidential term. Trump also thanked his friends, family, and staff for all of their hard work. Gratitude was also expressed for Congress saying “We really worked well with Congress”.  Finally, Trump told the public, “We love you. We will be back in some form,”.
 
The speech was brief, and he departed after only 20 minutes on a helicopter. By 8:50 am, Trump flew to his regular home in Palm Beach, Florida where he will permanently reside after his time in office. He regularly spent time at his Florida resort even during his days as the 45th President.
 
Trump Issues 73 Pardons
Trump’s final full day in the empty White House on Tuesday still kept him pretty busy on Tuesday with many meetings and decisions to make. Trump shifted his long focus on fighting the results of the 2020 Presidential election since November. Instead, 73 last-minute pardons were issued to convicts and commuted the sentences of another 70 people. The list was issued to the public Wednesday morning, which included some notable names.
 
Steve Bannon: Indicted on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges. Bannon was a key strategist to Trump during his 2016 Presidential campaign. While one of Trump’s main selling points was the “We Build The Wall” campaign, Bannon used crowdfunded money for his personal expenses. The White House recognized him as, “an important leader for the conservative movement”.
 
Elliott Broidy: Charged with conspiring to violate foreign lobbying laws. Broidy admitted to accepting money in order to sway the US Justice Department. He was also accused of his involvement when billions were stolen from a Malaysian investment fund. In the early stages of Trump’s presidency, Broidy was a deputy finance chair for Republicans.
 
Lil Wayne: Plead guilty after carrying a gun from California to Florida on federal weapon charges. The famous rapper was banned from carrying handguns based on previous weapon charges. Wayne showed support for Trump and applauded him for his work on criminal justice reform, especially during the 2020 election.
 
Kodak Black: Another famous rap artist who pleaded guilty to federal gun charges. Kodak admitted to providing false information on federal forms in order to buy firearms. He had a near four year sentence commuted. The White House recognized his philanthropic efforts including charity work for underprivileged children and providing resources for daycare centers.
 
Kwame Kilpatrick: Former Detroit Mayor was charged with public crimes in 2013 who lost several appeals in the past. Kilpatrick was involved with racketeering and bribery during his days in office. The White House statement praised Kilpatrick for taking lead on bible study groups with inmates and teaching others about public speaking. He served nearly 7 years in prison and was facing nearly 20 more years before the pardon.
 
Anthony Levandowski: Sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing secrets from Google involving self-driving cars. Levandowski worked for Google’s self-driving car company Waymo. He downloaded thousands of files and left Google, before founding his own company. The pardon statement cited that he “paid a significant price for his actions and plans to devote his talents to advance the public good”.
 
First 100 days
USA reported it best, saying in the first 100 days Biden, does not need to act but he needs to listen. “The most important thing that President Biden can do in his first 100 days is listen. It’s the most important form of communication — and the least utilized one, especially by politicians. It’s also a good way to get informed, defuse tension and disarm critics. While many of those who run for president boast that they will know how to do the job on Day One, that is rarely true.” (USA Today, 2021)
 
For Helen’s Project we hope to see a shift in the way the world views the importance of Social Worker’s in communities. Through the past four years of racial tension, pandemic, police brutality and continued radical divides driven by political voices. Social Workers have been there carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders with little to no recognition in the process.
 
We hope with this shift in power there will be a substantial shift of self-reflection in politics to see that as a non-profit WE NEED HELP! Our communities need help and we need the funding to do so. Hat’s off to another 4 years and we hope to see the change that we all seek in the world.   

Rob

Rob is a blogger and pod caster of Bois & Bar Talk a He typically loves to talk about gaming, sports, music, and all kinds of current events. He tries to learn something new about the world and himself everyday!