The former US President has struggled with the transition from the White House to civilian life, the Washington Post reports, citing aides and advisers to Donald Trump. Trump’s decision to ask his team to invite reporters who travel with presidents to an event at his Mar-a-Lago estate was cited as one of the signs that the former president is struggling with the transition to civilian life.
Four unnamed advisers to the former president said Donald Trump was frustrated by the limited number of Secret Service agents after he left office, the lack of access to Air Force One, the plane on which US presidents travel, and the minimal media coverage compared to when he was president.
Trump, who has spent much of his post-presidency alone at Mar-a-Lago, playing golf six days a week, has used dinners as an opportunity to engage his fans, who cheer as he enters and exits the dining room. According to the report, Trump has been rewarded for his attention as president with praise from guests at his clubs in Palm Beach, New Jersey, Florida and Bedminster.
A source claiming to be a Trump confidant said, “His appetite for attention hasn’t diminished, he’s paying for it now (with compliments at the clubs)… The networks aren’t airing his rallies. He doesn’t do interviews anymore. He can’t stand under the wing of Air Force One and chit-chat [with reporters] for an hour.”
The report also noted that Trump is spending less time listening to the dissenting opinions of his aides, political opponents, colleagues and independent journalists. On November 24, Trump announced that he would run for president in the next elections, and now wants another term in the White House. In the meantime, he continues to face mounting legal and political challenges.
On January 6, 2021, the panel investigating Trump’s role in the attack on the Capitol is expected to come up with a recommendation of at least three different crimes against the former president: Sedition, obstruction of official prosecution and defrauding the US government.
These charges are not legally binding, Politico reported. Nevertheless, the panel investigating Trump believes that this action could prompt Attorney General Merrick Garland to bring charges against the former president.
