New York Times Reports Trump ‘Regrets’ Committing to Peaceful Transfer of Power

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: President Donald Trump arrives at the “Stop The Steal” Rally on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump supporters gathered in the nation’s capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Anyone who thought President Donald Trump’s post-riot video portended a pivot to a graceful exit will have those hopes dashed by new reporting from The New York Times.

The day after the deadly insurrection on Capitol Hill that followed an inflammatory speech at a rally on the National Mall, Trump released a video in which he appeared to concede the results of the election and committed to a peaceful transfer of power on January 20.

While some noted his change in “tone,” Trump quickly reverted to form on Twitter — and then was permanently banned from the platform.

That move came not a moment too soon, according to new reporting from NYT’s Nicholas Fandos, Maggie Haberman, and Luke Broadwater. Nestled inside a report on the Democrats’ move to remove Trump from office is the chilling detail that Trump is privately wishing he hadn’t succumbed to the pressure to performatively lower the temperature:

At the White House, Mr. Trump struck a defiant tone, insisting that he would remain a potent force in American politics as aides and allies abandoned him and his post-presidential prospects turned increasingly bleak. Behind closed doors, he made clear that he would not resign and expressed regret about releasing a video on Thursday committing to a peaceful transition of power and condemning the violence at the Capitol that he had egged on a day before.

Trump has made several attempts, since his banishment, to post messages on Twitter, but has thus far been foiled. Unless he’s removed from office, Trump has 11 more days to control the U.S. government.