The COVID-19 pandemic has seen millions struggle to make ends meet financially, even during the Christmas season. Outgoing president Donald Trump has finally signed the highly-negotiated COVID relief bill but a little too late.
Trump finally signed the COVID relief and government funding bill on Sunday night, days after receiving the bill, and just when unemployment aid had already lapsed. This is the latest in Trump’s questionable behavior as he leaves office in less than 30 days. The delay in signing the bill also comes as the government was within 30 hours of shutting down from lack of funding. Rather than explaining what caused the delay – which was a combined factor of Republican lawmakers drawing his ire and the amount that would be placed on the direct payment checks – Trump instead focused on his longshot efforts to overturn the election to his favor. To this day, there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Vice president Mike Pence and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were also without comment on the delay in the signing of the bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not mention the delay and instead praised the signing of the legislation. Many aides have expressed concerns toward Trump’s increasingly unpredictable behavior, especially as he attempts to cling to power, and even as they have themselves pressed Trump into signing the bill earlier, they could not predict what he may do.
GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger weighed in on the delayed signing of the bill on CNN. “I don’t understand what’s being done, why, unless it’s just to create chaos and show power, and be upset because you lost the election.”
With more Republican lawmakers and administration officials choosing to break with Trump, news outlet New York Post has also turned against the outgoing president. The outlet published an editorial urging Trump to cease efforts in trying to claim fraud and accept his defeat to Joe Biden. The opening line of the piece was also direct in asking Trump to stop trying to overturn the elections – which has been widely dismissed and the claims widely refuted even by those in his own administration.