Trump remains defiant, furious as term winds down

WASHINGTON — President Trump enters the last days of his presidency isolated and shunned by former allies and members of his own party as he faces a second impeachment and growing calls for his resignation after his supporters assaulted the nation’s Capitol in an effort to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

Cut off from the social media channels that have been the lifeblood of his presidency, Trump will nonetheless try to go on offense in his final days, with no plans of resigning.

Instead, Trump is planning to lash out against the companies that have now denied him his Twitter and Facebook bullhorns. And aides hope he will spend his remaining time trumpeting his policy accomplishments, beginning with a trip to Alamo, Texas, on Tuesday to highlight his administration’s efforts to curb illegal immigration and border wall construction.

Events have been discussed to highlight his administration’s efforts to bolster Mideast peace, roll back regulations, support jobs and manufacturing, and curb China’s power.

Trump’s decision to travel to Alamo — named after the San Antonio mission where a small group of Texans fighting for independence against the Mexican government were defeated after a 13day siege — served as a symbol of his defiance as he faces the most volatile end of any presidency in modern history.

Trump has not taken any responsibility for his role in inciting Wednesday’s violence amid a rebellion from members of his own party and ongoing efforts to remove him from office.

A new ABC News/ Ipsos poll released Sunday found that over half of Americans — 56% — believe that Trump should be removed from office before his term ends. And twothirds of respondents said he deserves a “good amount” or a “great deal” of blame for the rioting last week.

Trump has not expressed contrition and has instead been consumed by anger. He has been described as apoplectic over the loss of his Twitter platform and is now without an outlet for releasing that anger.

And he remains surrounded by an ever shrinking coterie of aides as more mull early departures, and he rages at others, including Pence, who had spent the past four years as his most loyal soldier. Pence informed Trump that he would not be going along with Trump’s unconstitutional scheme to throw out legal electoral voters in his bid to overturn the election.

He and Trump met late Monday in the Oval Office for the first time since the Capitol attack, a senior administration official said. They pledged to continue working for the remainder of their terms.