Trump v. History

The judgment of history on the Trump presidency will come quickly. History, nothing if not prudent, will wait until the dust settles, so its judgment will be another few months in coming. The judgment has been prepared, however, and will be ready for delivery within days of Biden being sworn in as president. 

Trump will be president until Biden's inauguration, and the odds are that Trump will not suddenly become docile and spend this interval idly. There is more mischief to be made in the areas of legislation and regulation, and more executive orders to be signed, and there are pardons to issue, and scores to settle, so Trump will be busy. 

The transition to a Biden presidency will not be orderly, but it will occur on time. Trump will not cooperate, but he will leave, if only to avoid the spectacle of him being dragged out by his elevator shoes. My hunch is that Melania will have left already, “to be in New York for the start of Barron's first semester at a new school.” Another hunch is that Donald and Melania will never live together again. I'll bet that the Don has already consulted with every killer divorce attorney in New York, to contaminate them (like Tony Soprano), but Melania can always import somebody. I hear that Robert Kaufman is still working (California bar number 34683). Kaufman didn't buy that mansion on a high, forested bluff overlooking the Pacific with lottery winnings. He earned it.

Once he's out of office, the true ghosting will begin. Some prosecutions may make the news, and Trump will keep on shouting into a bucket, but most people will just want him to be gone. Many of his fans should start soon to feel like they are waking up from a dream, a disagreeable dream, and they'll start wishing him gone too. Like dogs feel after you come home and see the destroyed couch cushions. The look on the dog's face tells the story. It was fun while it lasted, but now I wish that I hadn't done it.

Then will come the judgment of history. It will be as short as a telegram:

“Trump was an asshole.”