At a rally held the night before his Inauguration Day, Donald Trump predictably peddled a variety of false claims, but of particular interest was the Republican’s assertion that he and his team are poised to “inherit disasters.”
The rhetoric was certainly familiar. As the new year got underway, the president-elect published a related message to his social media platform, describing the United States as “a disaster” and a country that’s in the process of “breaking down.” About a week later, he held a rambling press conference in which he described his own country as “a horrible place.”
Vice President-elect JD Vance, of course, has read from the same script, recently telling Fox News that President Joe Biden has left the incoming Republican administration with “a dumpster fire.”
There’s a whole lot of evidence to the contrary. The New York Times recently published an analysis pointing to reality.
For the first time since that transition 24 years ago, there will be no American troops at war overseas on Inauguration Day. New data reported in the past few days indicate that murders are way down, illegal immigration at the southern border has fallen even below where it was when Mr. Trump left office and roaring stock markets finished their best two years in a quarter-century. Jobs are up, wages are rising and the economy is growing as fast as it did during Mr. Trump’s presidency. Unemployment is as low as it was just before the Covid-19 pandemic and near its historic best. Domestic energy production is higher than it has ever been.
That’s a hearty list, and fortunately for Americans, we can keep going, pointing to lower inflation, a stronger manufacturing sector, a reduction in overdose deaths, a shrinking uninsured rate, a smaller budget deficit than when Trump left office the first time, and even data from abroad showing stronger international support for the United States.
What’s more, since the Times’ analysis was first published, the Biden administration has even helped negotiate an end to the war between Israel and Hamas, removing an enormous challenge from the incoming White House’s to-do list.
The challenge for Trump isn’t cleaning up a mess; the challenge for Trump is trying to keep intact the gift the retiring Democrat has left for his successor.
A Reuters report published last week added that when it comes to the economy, all the Republican has to do is keep three words in mind: “[D]on’t break anything.”
Stepping back, there’s no great mystery as to why Trump is whining about his inheritance: He wants the public to believe he’s facing daunting challenges, reality be damned, and the more he struggles after taking office, the more he’ll want to blame Biden. Indeed, he’s done this before.








