Abcarian: Trump’s 2nd inauguration outdid cruelty of first

“President Kennedy, who at one point worked as a senator in this building and would often walk through this very rotunda, once said, ‘In a democracy, every citizen, regardless of interest in politics, holds office. Every one of us is in a position of responsibility.’ With that responsibility of citizenship comes an obligation not to seek out malice, as President Lincoln once reminded us, but to view others with a generosity of spirit despite our differences.”

Fat chance.

For those of us who like to read crowds the way entomologists study insect behavior, the inauguration ceremony offered a bounty of decipherable body language and fashion choices.

There was first lady Melania Trump sporting a form of personal protective equipment: a wide-brimmed hat that screamed, “Get away from my face.” (Trump tried to give her a peck at one point but couldn’t get within kissing distance of her cheek.)

Vice President Kamala Harris, who would visit the residents of fire-scorched California later that day, wore a black power suit — the better to mourn our democracy — with some silver zippers.

World’s richest man Elon Musk, who later appeared to give the Nazi salute (twice) at a post-inauguration rally, lolled his head around as if he had imbibed a mind-altering substance. Some on social media joked that he appeared to be “malfunctioning.”

Trump’s speech was an echo of his first “American carnage” inaugural address, only with more details. Humility, a hallmark of most inaugural addresses, was predictably absent.

“I was saved by God to make America great again,” said Trump, who survived an assassination attempt in July.

If the president gets his way, he’s going to make life miserable for many: people of color, people who are LGBTQ+, immigrants in search of better lives, the poor. In one of his first official acts, he reversed dozens of Biden administration executive orders designed to promote equity, protect public health and address climate change, among other aims.

“We will forge a society that is color-blind and merit-based,” he said, a worthy goal that is undermined by his history of racist behavior and statements.

Later Monday, Trump took an egregious step toward undermining American democracy and the rule of law. He pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 rioters who engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Capitol police and desecrated the halls of Congress as they tried to execute a coup on his behalf.

It’s hard for many of us to accept that the man who incited that violence just became our 47th president. Trump’s flurry of executive orders showed that he learned something — even if it was the opposite of what many of us might hope — from his mistakes. The American people? Not so much.