New Golden Or Gilded Age?
Normally Inauguration Day is an attempt to unify the country and persuade skeptics to join a new president’s higher mission and new vision, as articulated in soaring rhetoric. Not so, Donald Trump.
Yes, he did declare this the beginning of “a new golden age.” However, it’s hard not to think of it as a new “gilded age,” especially since Trump was surrounded inside the nation’s Capitol by billionaires Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and about a dozen others. At the same time, his most ardent supporters — about 20,000 ordinary Americans — were left out in the cold.
On Instagram, Barack Obama’s photographer Pete Souza recalled the estimated 1.1 million who attended the 2009 inaugural in colder temperatures.
One can only hope that progressive forces come roaring back, more powerful than in 2024, as the American people feel the disastrous impact of Trump's policies.
I’m coping with the dystopia or farce by enjoying satire and ridicule.
perusing the djtrumplibrary.com.
suggesting bathroom exhibits.
declaring that I wholeheartedly agree with Trump’s proposal to annex the 10 Canadian provinces, plus Denmark and Panama. Go Trump! That would transform the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, and the Electoral College into overwhelmingly progressive institutions. Surely this is not another one of his half-baked ideas?
Trump’s inaugural speech was similar to a riff at a campaign rally. Here are his most extreme statements, from Panama to Mars, revoking green energy incentives and denying climate change.
James Fallows, journalist and former speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, put Trump’s inaugural address in historical context while correcting some of its many errors. “I’m one of the few people you’ll find who has read all 59 previous Inaugural Addresses and survived. (I did so in preparation for helping write one, long ago.)”
On Monday night, Trump pardoned about 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants. Watch the outrage of ex-Capitol police officer Michael Fanone who lost consciousness and suffered a heart attack after a rioter shocked him with a stun gun.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina is one of the few members of his party who says he disagrees with Trump’s decision. This kind of dissent from the cult might get him a primary challenge in 2026. Former GOP Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson has called him a “lily-livered, jelly-backed, spineless toad.” Tillis and Susan Collins of Maine are ranked the two most vulnerable Senate Republicans.
Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham, offered a small-minded and partisan prayer at the inauguration.
Critiquing Theology at the Trump Inaugural: Catholic Priest Edward Beck
At a prayer service at the National Cathedral on Tuesday, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde appealed directly to Trump to show mercy towards immigrants and gay children. Trump and his family looked quite uncomfortable. Pope Francis on Sunday called his plans for mass deportations “a disgrace.” Gift link.
What Did America Look Like in 1925?
CBS News: “President Biden warned of the rise of an oligarchy in his farewell address, comparing influential billionaires of today to the “robber barons” of 100 years ago. American historian H.W. Brands discusses their influence over government and the American way of life in the 19th century.” (3:49)
This reinforces one of the mini-courses in history I offer on Substack. If interested, you can sign up for $5 or $60 for the whole package of 65+. Subscribe.
