Ten worst political moments of 2020
Editor’s note: Dominated by the pandemic, economic crisis, and the presidential election, 2020 was for the most part a terrible year. Here are a few moments, in chronological order, that we’d rather forget, but can’t.
1. The U.S. assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander, on January 3 in Iraq, which almost started another war.
2. Juan Guaidó’s presence at Trump’s State of the Union Address on February 4.
3. The Senate’s acquittal of Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. After a quick trial with no witnesses, on February 5 Trump’s GOP lackeys voted to let their leader off the hook. Despite Senator Collins’s hope that Trump “has learned from this case,” the corruption in the White House continued.
4. Trump suggesting we inject ourselves with disinfectant to kill COVID-19.
5. John Lewis, veteran of the Civil Rights movement and Georgia congressman, died on July 17 at age 80. In his final message to the world, published on the day of his funeral, he urged Americans to make “good trouble.”
6. In the October 22 presidential debate, Biden and Trump compete with each other on who would be tougher on China.
7. Trump leaving Walter Reed hospital in early October while infected with COVID-19 to greet supporters in a presidential “drive-by.”
8. On October 26, Senate Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court appointment, giving the far-right conservatives a 6-3 majority for a possible 20 years or more.
9. Trump’s refusal to concede the election. Will he need to be dragged out of the White House?
10. A mixed bag: The Senate’s passage of the long overdue COVID-19 relief bill on December 21. If Trump signs off, this modest, $900-billion law will extend unemployment and provide some aid for local and state governments, but it doesn’t come close to the House-sponsored, $3 trillion HEROES Act passed in May. Since then, the Senate Republicans refused to pass new relief legislation, preferring instead to fill 48 federal judge positions since June 1 alone. The new relief legislation is only a down payment — all the more reason to fight like hell!
Images: Top, Blink O’fanaye (CC BY-NC 2.0); No war with Iran, Charles Edward Miller, Public Domain; Juan Guaido, The White House, Public Domain; Remove Trump, Public Citizen (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0); Injectable bleach, id-iom (CC BY-NC 2.0); John Lewis, Mobilus In Mobili (CC BY-SA 2.0); Presidential debate, Elvert Barnes (CC BY-SA 2.0); Trump drive-by, The White House, Public Domain; Amy Coney Barrett, The White House, Public Domain; Trump is over, yashmori (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0); Fight don’t starve, Joe Piette (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).