President Donald Trump is itching to lash out at Big Tech after many companies banned him from their platforms and could deliver public remarks at some point Monday but plans haven’t been finalized, people familiar with the matter say.
Trump’s suspension from Twitter in particular has enraged the President, who spent the weekend apoplectic about what he’s determined is illegal censorship by the company. He has signaled internally a desire to try executive actions to punish Silicon Valley but it’s unclear what precisely that would look like.
Trump is expected to award the Medal of Freedom to Rep. Jim Jordan,R-Ohio, at the White House on Monday and to New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Thursday. His visit to the Texas border town Alamo comes Tuesday.
Between those events, aides are trying to convince Trump to hold events celebrating his legacy items like helping broker normalization agreements in the Middle East, rolling back regulations and taking a hard line on China.
He has not shown as much enthusiasm for those but they are still possible between now and when he is expected to leave the White House on January 19.
Trump and some of his top aides spent part of the weekend phoning Republican allies in Congress to ask them to come out against a second impeachment, which Democrats are intent with pressing forward with. Trump and his allies have argued the country doesn’t support it.
In some conversations, Trump has told allies he does not believe he should be blamed for what happened at the US Capitol on Wednesday, saying he never intended for the crowd to turn violent.
As a result of Wednesday’s riot, five people have died, including a Capitol Police officer. Some of Trump’s supporters were armed and ready for war: an Alabama man allegedly parked a pickup truck with 11 homemade bombs, an assault rifle and a handgun two blocks from the Capitol hours before authorities discovered it, according to federal prosecutors.
Another man allegedly showed up with an assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, telling acquaintances he wanted to shoot or run over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pipe bombs were found near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee as authorities tried to dispel the mob and secure the Capitol.
Trump appears no more aware of the consequences of his actions than on the day of the riot when he delighted in the mayhem. Bunkered at the White House with an ever-shrinking circle of aides, he has offered no remorse for inciting the crowd and offered only a forced denunciation of their actions. Aides, weary and disgusted, refuse to come near him.
