As Congress’ Democratic and Republican leaders for the past week tortuously negotiated a long-awaited $900-billion coronavirus relief package, President Trump remained mostly out of sight at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, tweeting falsely that he’d won reelection and hosting holiday parties despite a worsening pandemic. It’s been a constant of his four years in the White House. He has taken credit for Congress’ biggest accomplishments, from a Republican tax-cut package to a criminal justice overhaul written largely by Democrats. “His heart just wasn’t in it,” said one senior Republican congressional aide, who asked not to be identified describing the president. After congressional leaders objected that he’d risked killing the bill, Trump reversed himself in another tweet within the hour, encouraging lawmakers to support the renewal.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 20, 2020 11:02 UTC