It’s pretty fair to say that the presidential transition in 2020-2021 was much more chaotic than the one in 2024-2025. This year, unlike four years ago, the losing candidate agreed to concede the race quickly, the incumbent president agreed to meet at the White House with the incoming one, and — most importantly — there was no violent disruption to the certification vote on the part of the losing candidate.
Yet even so, around the anniversary of the January 6 riot, Donald Trump has accused Joe Biden of making the presidential transition too difficult.
“Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes,” Trump said on Truth Social Monday, the fourth anniversary of January 6. “Fear not, these ‘Orders’ will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!”
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Just as in Trump’s previous complaints about Biden’s judicial appointments, he is complaining about actions Biden is taken while the current president still holds executive power. It’s not clear what the “money wasting hoaxes” are.
As pointed out by HuffPost, Trump’s statement contradicts what his incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, said in an interview with Axios that was published on the same day. Rather than seeing the outgoing Biden Administration as obstructing what Trump wants, Wiles described Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, as “very helpful.”
“He has made great suggestions, helped make sure we stay on time with required functions, helped us navigate the labyrinth that is the Executive Office of the President, and been very professional,” Wiles told Axios. “He introduced me to the ‘former chief of staff club’ and even hosted a dinner [for Wiles and the former chiefs] at his beautiful home.”
January 6, 2025, unlike four years ago, passed relatively uneventfully, with no Democrats objecting to the vote count, as the defeated candidate herself, Vice President Kamala Harris, presided over it. While some BlueAnon types online found themselves disappointed that Trump’s victory was certified, none of those conspiracy theories got any buy-in from any elected Democrats.
Vice-President Kamala Harris certifies President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. pic.twitter.com/vRkSZRpNFU
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 6, 2025
There was one other big difference from 2021 to 2025: Republicans who expressed concerns back then about the violent riot at the Capitol found themselves with fewer qualms about Trump returning the White House.
Late at night on January 6, 2021, Sen. Lindsey Graham gave a memorable speech in which he declared “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president, but today, first thing you’ll see. All I can say is a count me out. Enough is enough.”
Exactly four years later, Graham was welcoming Trump back to office- and posted a video going along with Trump’s wish to conquer Canada:
“My only thought today as the states’ electoral votes were listed off: they skipped Canada.
We’ll fix that next time!”
– Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
pic.twitter.com/ZASu9ekFHK— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) January 7, 2025
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
