There are so many nice, good and/or lovely pieces of news about the incoming Biden-Harris administration, but let’s start off by looking at the photos of the preparations for the inauguration. Even before the Capitol terrorist attack on January 6th, the Biden team planned for a small inauguration, and they were already encouraging people to stay home, to not gather on the National Mall, and to keep social-distanced. Following the attack, the inauguration got even smaller. To keep people from gathering, the inauguration team has come up with a cool visual: what amounts to public art pieces along the length of the Mall, with different flag designs and stuff which will look really cool as President Biden is sworn in.
President-elect Joe Biden and Dr. Biden also spent Monday doing their day of service, volunteering in South Philadelphia at Philabundance, a food bank organization. They were joined by their daughter Ashley and one of their granddaughters (Finnegan).
It’s also known that President Biden will truly hit the ground running, with a slew of executive orders, like rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, rescinding the Keystone Pipeline authorization, dismantling the Trump-era Muslim Ban, a mask mandate on federal property, and hitting pause on student loan payments and interest. He’s also introducing an immigration bill with an eight-year path to citizenship plan. That’s in addition to his ambitious Covid/economic relief bill and his takeover of the disastrous vaccine rollout. God, I can’t wait.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.
The illuminated field of flags had me in awe last night. So pretty, so moving.
I’m so so scared. Every time we hope, something worse happens.
I saw early pics last night and it took my breath away. What a great idea, visual and meaning.
It is lovely.
I really enjoy how DJT is so freaked over Biden getting A List celebs, too, when Don knows he can’t get anyone even D List.
That eats him up the way he was obsessed w/his Inaugural crowd numbers. But he can’t lie about who performs.
I remember four years ago this day, the dread, the horror. I thought I knew then how bad it could get, turns out I didn’t. But I made it. That’s something anyway.
Darla, those are my thoughts exactly as I reflect on the last inauguration.
I’m feeling so excited about the Biden/Harris inauguration and also feel a sense of dread for whatever Trump has up his sleeve… his supporters are not going to go quietly and I am very scared about what may transpire across our country.
Darla, I remember my mom worrying that Trump was going to get us all killed. We are the lucky ones, but so many people didn’t make it out of this presidency alive, and that hurts my heart. I hope people now think about what kind of leader they’d want during a crisis — imagine how much better off we’d be right now if Hillary won.
Ugh, I know. I remember the day after the election was called for Dump. I was in Target, trying to shop but the utter despair made it impossible to concentrate. I remember making eye contact with other shoppers who felt as I did. We had tears in our eyes and we were speechless, what was there to say. I’ve been putting one foot in front of the other ever since and praying for a path forward. I am so ready to move forward. 🇺🇸
Same. I don’t know if I would have made it through if that evil had won again. The only thing keeping me going right now is knowing they’ll be gone tomorrow. I know the trouble remains, believe me, as a Black woman, I know. But at least the powers that be will be on the side of good. I truly wouldn’t have made it if Biden-Harris hadn’t won. And I’m so thankful to all of the organizers (present and Ancestral) who helped win Georgia to bring the House and Senate to 50-50 with VP Auntie as tie-breaker.
I can’t believe this is happening tomorrow. What a long four years since Trump was inaugurated, what a long year since the pandemic started, and what a long couple of months since Biden won the election. Tomorrow, finally, a momentary sigh of relief.
FINALLY! Can’t WAIT for tomorrow! Joe and Kamala have their work cut out for them, that’s for sure.
The flags/lighting last night was so lovely, and (to me) a bit forlorn…? I just kept thinking Joe and Kamala deserve SO much more than an empty mall.
Also, I just read that Joe is going to a church service this morning, and invited Traitor McTurtle to attend (and he accepted). Pelosi and Schumer will also be there.
🙏🏻 for all to go w/out incident.
I’ve been scouring the news all day and haven’t found any breaking news about a Republican Senator from Kentucky spontaneously combusting as he set foot inside a church. How disappointing….
I’ve missed having an adult in the WH.
Oh, wow , the flags are really, really pretty. A bright and positive contrast to what we saw a few weeks ago at the Capitol.
Four years ago today, I was living in D.C. and there were red hats everywhere. Everywhere. I remember walking back from Blick art supplies with my protest sign materials and avoiding the Trumpers asking for directions to the monuments. D.C. residents gathered in our local bars that the red hats weren’t going to find and commiserated.
No red hats this time. I like all of the different colors we see in these photos instead.
Very very pretty. And peaceful. And hopeful. Can we exhale yet?
I think you can 🙂 You guys made it! Now don’t ever do this again. Sincerely, Canada.
It’s beautiful. Each of those flags represents a US citizen full of hope for the future and relief that the Trump era is over.
I’m simultaneously excited and scared for the inauguration. As part of moving forward, I propose a moratorium on stories about the Trumps, unless it is about them getting convicted and going to jail. I am hopeful the NYAG can get this done but if that does not happen, they don’t deserve any more of our time and energy and they should be deplatformed and pushed into obscurity.
I second this. Unless it’s major news like them getting arrested or fleeing the country – I don’t ever want to see or hear about the Trumps or Pence again.
Agreed. Please no more.
Those flags are so beautiful – what a creative way to make people feel patriotic again. It feels natural, not forced.
I am so excited for Biden’s administration. I know he has a hard road ahead of him – I know he’s not going to be able to fix everything, but its going to be so nice to have a decent person in the White House. I feel such a sense of relief when I think about how the president isnt going to call names or support Nazis on twitter.
Yes, I love that the Biden team is taking the flag back. MAGA world moved onto Confederate flags while they tried to torch democracy, so no, they do not get to hump the regular flag ever again.
+1 to you too, molly!!
+1
I wont pretend to know American politics,i actually find it rather complicated. I just always wonder why is it so easy for a new president to come in and undo previous administration work like obama care, the climate bill. After the amount of time and research taken to pass these policies/bills/laws ? It really should be made almost impossible to just come and flip it.
It’s complicated, but it mostly depends on how the policies/bills/laws are made in the first place. If they were just signed by the president (“Executive Action”), they can be unsigned by the next president. If they were voted into law by congress, they usually need to be voted out of law by congress. There’s also the various courts that can declare something illegal and undo it as well.
American politics is often complicated by design to keep one group from having too much power. We love our “checks and balances” despite how inefficient it can make the government run. Also, most Americans are woefully ignorant of how it all works. (Myself included. Most of what I know about politics I learned in the last four years from podcasts!)
Wouldn’t it be nice too if after the inauguration they made those flags available for purchase and donated all the monies. I would love to have one or gift a flag, to have a memento of this unprecedented event.
It might still be months away, but the taint of Trump is going to fade. Not disappear, but much needed work will now take place. Thank goodness!
I would love that! I remember when the British sold the porcelain (?) poppies that made up the display at the Tower of London to commemorate WW1. As a DE native and fellow Blue Hen grad, I would definitely buy one! We’d thought about going to DC pre-1/6. To walk around at night and our hotel would’ve had a view of the usual fireworks so we wouldn’t have to go into the crowds. But when it was really scaled down and covid was exploding post-holidays we canceled. I have my presidential seal glasses from the inauguration website (arrived today!) ready to celebrate.
This is such an amazing idea!
I love this idea, maybe proceeds benefiting first responders/health care workers!
You know what’s going to be pretty? The footage of Trump leaving the white house and getting on his helicopter/plane as it flies away
Looking forward to that particular moment myself. I’m setting my alarm clock extra early so I don’t miss it. I’m dusting off my Chuck’s (in honor of our new VP) and will toast his departure with a cocktail I have dubbed the Bye Bitch. I’ll probably be drunk off my ass by 8am local time, but I can’t wait.
I’ll join you. What’s your drink recipe?
I have a roll of toilet paper with Trump’s face on it. I’ll be using it for the first time tomorrow and flushing him away in the most fitting way I know how.
lolz! Thanks for the laugh @Darla! 🙂 Excellent name for the cocktail!
I think it would be far prettier for him to be arrested and frog-marched out to an FBI car.
I just still can’t believe we’re going to have a President Biden and VP Harris and not a racist piece of s*** anymore. I keep having to pinch myself!
I know, right? A lot of trauma and PTSD we have to get through after these last four years. God bless my therapist…god bless all the therapists.
It’s 20th Jan in Asia already and I can’t wait! Thank you to all the Americans who voted Biden Harris!
Tonight they are having a lighting ceremony at the reflecting pool to honor all the covid victims. So beautiful. We will actually have a president who cares. 1/20/21 @ noon can’t come fast enough.
I’m so bummed that he won’t get the full scale inauguration that he deserves. Would have loved to have seen Trump go apesh!t over the size of the crowd Biden would bring!
So agree @Amando but at least it’s heartening to see the beautiful events that are planned with such an incredibly diverse group of performances and commemorations. Biden-Harris seem to have a great team who care and know what they’re doing, really want to show the beauty of what this country can be when it comes together for good…
If this was Trump’s inauguration liberals would be calling it a super spreader.
It should have been a televised inauguration done with only him and his family.
The hypocrisy is breath taking. Putting on an enormous event involving thousands of people during a pandemic? People flipped your sh-t when Trump’s family didn’t wear masks during the debates but THIS is totally a-okay??
I’m sorry, but you can’t have it both ways guys…
If this was Trump’s inauguration liberals would be calling it a super spreader.
It should have been a televised inauguration done with only him and his family.
The hypocrisy is breath taking. Putting on an enormous event involving thousands of people during a pandemic? People flipped your sh-t when Trump’s family didn’t wear masks during the debates but THIS is totally a-okay??
I’m sorry, but you can’t have it both ways guys…
Trump’s events were superspreaders because people refused to wear masks and socially distance and failed to generally follow public health guidelines. The Biden/Harris event is obviously following the guidelines and I’m sure public health officials were consulted. Outdoor events are much safer in general.