January 20, 2025 will go down in the history books, but not for the reasons Donald Trump thinks. His inauguration was a “shock and awe” affair, but the shock was at how much Trump’s narcissism has grown and how long his anger over his own mistakes has lasted. That anger has sent Trump on a journey to rewrite the sordid history of his own treason in the hopes that once he is dead, he will still be viewed by some as a great man.
Trump’s inauguration speech this year was as remarkable as that of 2017 but bests it in the depth of its lies and the sheer viciousness, expressed in how the speech treated President Biden and his administration.
Trump implies that the Biden administration was one of the most consequential—in a bad way—in American history. To believe Trump, Biden, ridiculed for years by Trump as senile and incompetent, not only undid America’s last golden age (2017-2021) but most of the things that made America great before Trump’s first term.
As president, Trump is entitled to his own perspective on history, but we are entitled to judge its veracity. Similarly, Trump won the presidency, in part, because he is brash and crude, but, as citizens, we have the right to condemn him when his behavior disgusts us. Trump tripped that wire in his inauguration speech.
President and Jill Biden, unlike Trump in 2017, chose to attend the inauguration of his successor despite the viciousness of Trump’s campaign. Starting in 2021, Trump systematically sought to destroy Biden’s presidency and credibility, both through personal attacks and by lying. Trump succeeded. Biden left office with a permanently broken legacy he doesn’t deserve. Biden had every reason in the world not to attend the inauguration.
Had Biden not been the fundamentally decent and patriotic man he is, he would have left Washington on January 19.
Here is what Trump told America in his speech with Biden sitting a few feet away:
“As we gather today, our government confronts a crisis of trust. For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair.
“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home while, at the same time, stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad.
“It fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions, that have illegally entered our country from all over the world.
“We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people.
“Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina — who have been treated so badly — and other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago or, more recently, Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense. They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country — some of whom are sitting here right now. They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting. But we can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change.
“We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster, yet more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world.
“And we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves — in many cases, to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them.”
President and Jill Biden—and Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff—should have walked out on Trump.
J.E. Dean writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s List on Medium and Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.
Dan Menefee says
That’s the dumbest thing I’ve read lately. Biden walking out would have made him look weak and defeated when in fact he had an extraordinary presidency that fixed a lot of problems. To be bullied out of the ceremony would have struck fear and hopelessness in the Democratic base. The fact that Biden endured Trump’s snot-nosed ramblings makes him look strong and should make the Democrats feel resolute about the upcoming midterms. Biden was disciplined to let the focus remain on Trump making a complete ass of himself.
George Hardy says
I disagree that walking out would have looked weak. It was weak to just sit there and take all of those insults. Leaving would have made a statement about truth and decorum that would go down in history. I suspect Obama and the Clintons would have joined him.
John Dean says
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I agree that Biden showed strength in stoically sitting through Trump’s ridiculous speech. My point was that Trump’s comments–the part I included in the piece–was a personal attack on Biden that would have justified his standing up and walking out.
In any case, thanks.
Bill Anderson says
Mr. Dean —
I seriously doubt that American citizens, knowing that Mr. Trump’s spoken thoughts were reasonably accurate statements of fact concerning the Biden Presidential Administration, would have cared at all if Mr. and Dr. Biden and Ms. Harris and her husband had walked out on that inauguration speech. Their contributions to the degraded condition of this nation had been duly recorded and witnessed. Many are happy to see them leave.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Any person who says what Trump said in his address is not only insane but delusional.
I will not even touch what you have said about amazingly successful Biden presidency,only
about day two of the autocrats’: The freeing of felons who beat police. The elimination of price protection for selected drugs for seniors. An open threat to take the Panama Canal. A directive allowing ICE to take people from churches. A fascist salute. There is no need for interpretation. There is no nuance. And this is only the beginning. Predictively, his fans will love him all the more.
I love how a women spoke the word of God, mercy and understand, and the right wing
is calling for her “deportation”. LOL. You all are so predictable.
John Dean says
“Reasonably accurate statements of facts?” Don’t you mean “alternative facts?”
In any case, thank you for reading the piece despite your disagreement.
Beryl Smith says
What country are you living in Bill? May you be the beneficiary of all your idol trump can bestow on you–higher prices, armed gangs and militias, isolation from all cooperation with the rest of the world. Go for it!
Karen Mack says
Respectfully, you need to watch something besides Fox News. If you think Mr. Biden was bad, you are in for a shock with the ascent of the narcissist and his oligarch pals. Prices will not be going down. Our healthcare system, already fragile, will be undermined by fact-free idealogues. Our standing as a world power will be mocked and in fact our enemies will be emboldened. At least try to look at some reporting that is not based on mis and disinformation– even if it is only one other source.
Paula Reeder says
Got that right Mr. Dean – As should every American who values truth, democracy, birth right citizenship, equal rights, womens’ rights, the right to vote, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, justice, due process, fair play, decency, and morality; all of which are under radical, concerted and potentially deadly attack by Trump and his admnistration. It’s time for a new national “Just say No” movement.
Patty Heaps says
It was about time someone said what Trump said. And be realistic – for Biden to have walked out would certainly have required someone to take him by the hand and lead him out and considering the level of his dementia, it wouldn’t have happened without a scene that would only cement what everyone now knows. The “sharp as a tack” narrative has been debunked. Not even a week in and priorities are being reordered, highlighting the ineffectiveness and emptiness of this past administration. How refreshing to see a President answer questions contrasted with “handlers” who would literally shout and corral the press out the door – or his back as he walked away from the podium. Unlike the last administration, we now know who is running the show and judging by the first week, it should be entertaining on several levels.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Sorry Patty. Your man is declining. Fast. His address via zoom to the WEF in Davos was so embarrassingly inarticulate, members had to hide their faces while laughing. He cannot speak
two sentences without sounding deranged. Which of course he is.
He sits in the Oval like a human auto-pen, being given 2025 “executive orders” he knows nothing about,
signing with a sharply in a flamboyant display.
Ron Jordan says
Thank Deirdre. I am not sure our fellow citizens here on the shore understand the pain and sacrifice we all will endure and suffer because of their, ” we won, you lost, get over it, mentality.” Whereas, in the full scope of this new administration, we all will lose and the damage to our democracy, he is doing with his minions on a daily basis, with a racist and bigoted playbook 2025 will push our nation back 20 years at least. We must stand up to tyrants and oligarchs, otherwise we should allow the monarchy that Trump is pretending to be become a reality.