The Donald’s graceless departure revealed his true colours
ALMOST a hundred years ago, T. s. Eliot wrote in his poem The Hollow Men: ‘This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.’ And so it has ended for Donald Trump, scurrying out of the White House through the side door. He boarded his helicopter, and rode in The Beast with its cavalcade but with no crowds to cheer him, his tail between his legs.
Can there have been a more ignominious end to a presidency? Days after inciting that riot in the Capitol, he refused to honour the tradition of greeting the new incumbent and turning up for the inauguration ceremony.
Rude, selfindulgent, he denied President Joe Biden the respect Barack Obama had offered Trump himself when he handed over the keys to the White House through gritted teeth.
Even Trump’s staunchest Republican supporters have deserted him, while businesses are refusing to have anything to do with him. He has fallen from leader of the free world to pariah, the architect of his own undoing.
Nothing says so much about a leader as the manner of their departure. For it is at moments like this that we get a glimpse of their true character.
Who can forget Margaret Thatcher weeping as she left Downing street for the final time in November 1990? The iron Lady no longer — at last we got a glimpse of the humanity close friends had talked of over the years.
Even her enemies felt sorry for her.
The tears had started when she thanked her Downing street staff in person — in stark contrast to Melania Trump who reportedly could not be bothered.
And what about samantha Cameron on the steps of No 10, shellshocked after the referendum defeat in 2016? The way samcam welled up said everything about the disappointment of defeat, and made Dave’s stoical resignation speech all the more poignant.
gordon Brown left office by walking down Downing street holding hands with his two young sons alongside his wife sarah. Again, we saw the man himself — so different from the scowling, brooding PM we never liked. A lump-inthethroat moment.
As for Theresa May blubbing as she told us she was resigning having had the opportunity to ‘serve the country i love’, it seemed to confirm our opinion. A decent woman who tried her best, which sadly was not good enough.
All arrived in power with hope in their hearts. All were defeated. But they left with dignity and honour and grace.
Unlike the petulant Trump — no bang, just a pathetic whimper.