This article was first published as World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK. Click here to receive this newsletter every Thursday, direct to your inbox.
When Abraham Lincoln gave his second inaugural address) in March 1865, his message was delivered: “With malice toward none, with charity for all” (thanks to Rory Stewart for mentioning this on The Rest is Politics). As anyone who watched Donald Trump deliver his second inaugural speech and has followed the 47th president’s first few days back in office will know, there has been malice aplenty. And a distinct lack of charity.
For malice, you’d have to go a long way to beat the way Trump spent the first few minutes of his speech trashing the record of Joe Biden. Only an hour or so before, the outgoing president had graciously welcomed the incoming president into the White House – and was sitting right behind Trump as he tore him to shreds.
