Trump and His Team Will Leave Lots of Booby Traps for Biden in Last Two Months

Now that Donald Trump’s administration has allowed Joe Biden’s team to formally begin its transition into the White House, the president is running out of overt ways to disrupt an election he clearly lost 18 days ago.

His flimsy and misbegotten lawsuits challenging the vote are all but deflated and he’s been less active than usual on TV and Twitter. Perhaps he’ll make his traditional visit to Mar-a-Lago for the Christmas holidays and then stay put, preferring to endure his humiliation over Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration outside the capital.

Out of sight shouldn’t mean out of mind, however. Even if he’s off sulking, Trump has ample opportunity over the next two months to abuse his powers or throw sand in the federal machinery Biden will inherit. In this context, Trump loyalists overseeing the bureaucracy, including Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and senior adviser Stephen Miller, may be just as important to watch as the president.

Trump’s clemency powers enable him to issue potentially undeserved pardons at the last minute (think back on the 176 pardons Bill Clinton issued just two hours before exiting the White House in 2001). Seven of Trump’s political advisers have been charged with crimes since his own inauguration, and he’s already commuted the sentence of one them, Roger Stone. Trump is also mired in ongoing civil and criminal probes, and he’ll undoubtedly be tempted to pardon himself and family members for potential federal crimes, such as obstruction of justice. (His pardoning power doesn’t extend to the possible state charges he faces in New York.)

Trump also can deploy executive orders, which he has already used to great effect to roll back environmental regulations and change immigration rules. In June, he signed an order instructing federal agencies to drop environmental laws that slow approvals for oil pipelines, mines, highways and other projects in protected areas. That same month, Trump issued an order suspending new work visas for foreigners and their dependents — making it impossible for American companies to hire skilled immigrants. His administration is now reportedly considering an order meant to end birthright citizenship and challenging whether it’s protected by the 14th Amendment.

A couple of weeks ago, Trump moved to lock down his tough trade stance toward China through an order banning U.S. investments in companies linked to China’s military. The day after Election Day, the Health and Human Services Department introduced a new rule that would suspend thousands of its own regulations automatically after granular reviews — a move the New York Times reported was likely meant “to tie the hands of the next administration.”

Last week, the Treasury Department successfully clawed back $455 billion in Covid-19 relief funds from the Federal Reserve, a move it said was designed to sunset unused rescue programs. But it also gave the incoming Biden administration less flexibility and resources to combat any further economic downturns stemming from the pandemic. On Tuesday, Mnuchin placed the funds in an account that his likely successor, Janet Yellen, can’t access without approval from Congress.

Trump still holds the nuclear weapons codes (try not to think about that one) and also has the latitude to pursue covert special operations and military confrontations overseas. Christopher Miller, the interim defense secretary Trump installed after canning Mark Esper recently, has been rushing policy changes that will be thorny for Biden to manage — including a Jan. 15 troop drawdown in Afghanistan. On Nov. 12, Trump reportedly asked senior advisers, including Miller and Pompeo, about options for a military strike against Iran. (The group advised against it.)

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[FranckJuniorFlores]

Who are these clowns clapping like seals on the back?

[stevenlukowski]

WHY WOULD PRESIDENT TRUMP LAY BOOBY TRAPS, HE'S GOING TO BE RE-ELECTED!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[daddog]

And WHERE IS THAT AWESOME HEALTHCARE every 3 weeks for almost 5 years at work.

[joyjames]

😅😅😅😅😅 Think it is the other way around.

[Johansen]

Bloomberg you really need to put that teleprompter closer to the camera so her eyes does not look so fucked up when reading what she has to say.

[crystal]

THATS a joke if they broke the law theft should go jail

[jmcfarlandjr]

When is trump finally going to unveil the new healthcare plan?

[PointnShootMovies]

I read the title and pictured trump himself putting down bear traps

[marvinellis]

Did anyone else go cross-eyed looking at the caster? I did.

[stephengrant]

Wat booby traps Donald Trump is doing will comes back at him America justice is watching u Donald Trump

[yukozuna]

Like Hillary did when she was the First Lady?... like that?

[nazer]

wow, you can just plead guilty and then...get away with it...if your friend is the president? damn...party of law and order huh.

[mrsseasea]

More like make Biden stutter a little more....LOL

[quentinsmith]

I guess this what a leader of a country does. You don't make it harder for your successor, you try your best to make a smooth transition. Then you pardon a con, liar and crook. Good job president dump.

[iess]

I hope he leaves a copy of Hunter's hard drive on the Resolute desk.

[dukeFJBnHyenaKamala]

Becareful Biden when you sit to take a crap in the oval office, ejecto seato!!! Cuz~~~

[apagoogoo]

who the eff is typing through this whole video?

[whitelily]

More conspiracy theories from the leftist media. 😂😂😂 People are eating this up too. You cant make this stuff up... or maybe you can?

[Mike-cvhv]

Of course he will. He doesn't care about the country he just wants revenge.

[karenlynch]

Oh i sure hope so!!!! Please do ! I indent to fully lead a group to inflict every thing the democrats inflicted upon us these last 4 years!!!! I was married to a psycho narcissist & ALL ALL DEMOCRATS ARE NARCISSISTS!!! What we do see are SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS! There is reaching out to Bullies! They ONLY RESPECT ✊🏿A PUNCH BACK TWICE AS HARD & i with millions will dedicate my life to the next 4 years of FUCKING OVER THE DEMOCRATS