(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
A week ago, I witnessed the horrible events at the U.S. Capitol Building. The image of a malcontent sitting on a Congresswoman’s desk and a shirtless man wearing a buffalo hat standing in the Senate chambers reflected the state of chaos the country was in.
My immediate reaction was that everyone involved should be treated as though they were foreign invaders and punished accordingly. As for President Donald Trump, he needed to be quiet for the rest of his term or Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet should quiet him down by threatening to invoke the 25th Amendment. What happened that day destroyed any remaining credibility with his more rational supporters. While he may not have intended for this to happen, his words might have had a role in starting it.
Now before some of you dismiss this as another “I Hate Trump” column, know that I have been more sympathetic to Trump than others. I have tried to be neutral or fair when covering him while many in the media wanted his administration to fail just because their favored candidate did not win.
I certainly do not agree with the vulgar things he said or tweeted about women, minorities, the disabled, foreigners, journalists, Democrats, his election opponents, the poor, the “poorly educated,” and I’m sure a lot more. But behind his bluster, he had some good ideas and most of his ideas that I disagreed with should be given a chance. And I believed that some of his more controversial provisions would be ignored by Congress or struck down by the courts.
I’ve heard the rationalizations for what happened. They said the protests last summer were worse in terms of scope, casualties and property damage. Or the media and Big Tech were treating them and covering the event unfairly. Or if Antifa or Black Lives Matter did the same, they would be considered heroes and patriots and the protests would be considered “mostly peaceful.” Finally, those people were extremists and only represented a fringe of the population that got the most media attention.
They might have a point. But regardless, this insurrection made a few things clear.
First, if Trump was somehow able to reverse the election results and get a second term, there will be no peace for a long time. Democrats will be up in arms and there will be greater calls to resist. Trump’s supporters will believe that violence and extremism can force the government to see things their way. Protests will be met with counterprotests that will likely end violently.
Second, Trump will not achieve unity in government. Congressional Democrats will likely try to block or hamstring anything that he does using whatever procedural means possible. Their constituents will demand it, or they will replace them with someone who will.
Finally, the rest of the world is likely to take the United States less seriously under Trump. Because of his calls to put America first, foreign nations might exclude the U.S. when forming alliances and trade pacts. Because of Trump’s inflammatory statements about COVID-19 — like calling it the China Virus or Kung Flu — other countries will think that the U.S. is not taking it seriously. As a result, they may continue to ban Americans from entering until some time after the entire population has been vaccinated.
It is unfortunate that it took an insurrection for President Trump to acknowledge his defeat. It will not be without consequences. He is on track be the first president to be impeached a second time — with some Republican support — although a Senate conviction at the end of his term is unlikely.
Despite this, I think he could still be redeemable to the moderates and maybe a Democrat or two if he took some remedial action.
He can start by giving a public, sincere, concession speech. There he will acknowledge President-elect Biden’s win and offer to fully cooperate with the transition process. He should also tell his supporters to acknowledge the new president-elect and vice president-elect. While he does not have to agree with Biden’s policies or even like the man, he should pledge at least give him a chance and not resort to childish whining like wanting his government to fail.
He must not make any claims about the election being stolen, make snide comments or use code words that could incite more chaos. It has gotten to the point where people are scrutinizing every word Trump says to see if it will incite violence, even if Trump does not intend it. And he must urge his supporters to refrain from protesting or even leaving their houses.
Second, Trump should offer to meet with Biden between now and the inauguration and respect Biden’s decision to decline if that is what he chooses. They probably will not have much to talk about but the image of both of them together could start the nationwide healing process and reduce the chances of violence at the inauguration.
Finally, once he is out of office, Trump should take some time off from the public eye for a while. A long while. He should stay away from social media altogether. He should spend time with his family or play golf at one of his courses.
Last week’s insurrection was the last straw for some Trump supporters. There is no question that he lost the election and even if he won, his second term would have been a long, miserable four years. Even friendly publications such as the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal have demanded that he stop his antics or resign. It has cemented his legacy and could create more headaches for him after he leaves office. If Trump wants to minimize damage to himself and start the healing process, he needs to take genuine action to ensure that the transition of power will be peaceful. Even if it means doing the one thing he hates — admitting that he lost.
Steven Chung is a tax attorney in Los Angeles, California. He helps people with basic tax planning and resolve tax disputes. He is also sympathetic to people with large student loans. He can be reached via email at sachimalbe@excite.com. Or you can connect with him on Twitter (@stevenchung) and connect with him on LinkedIn.