It’s hard to imagine any administration feeling enthusiastic about handing over power to a new president, especially after a hard-fought and often bitter campaign.
However, for a regime that has relentlessly sought not only to defeat but to destroy its opponent, a smooth transition becomes almost impossible. Despite the irony that President Joe Biden may have actually cast a vote for President-elect Donald Trump, it’s evident that he and his team are actively creating obstacles to hinder their successors.
In ways large and small, from domestic policy to foreign affairs, the most un-American and power hungry administration in modern memory appears determined to obstruct Trump’s agenda.
While it is uncommon for a president to implement major policy shifts with potentially significant consequences during the lame-duck period, Biden authorized Ukraine’s use of long-range U.S. missiles to strike inside Russia, escalating the conflict even as Trump plans for a negotiated a settlement.
CNN reported that the Army Tactical Missile Systems, better known as ATACMS, were approved by the president in February, delivered to Ukraine in April, and were ostensibly intended for use within Ukraine only.
According to Politico, Biden also reversed his position on giving Ukraine anti-personnel landmines.”
So, why did Biden wait until 60 days before leaving office to give Ukraine the green light? According to the official party line, his authorization was a response to Russia’s unexpected decision to bring North Korean troops into the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who clearly considered Biden’s decision to be a major escalation in the war, reacted by formally lowering the threshold for a nuclear strike.
Two days after Biden’s approval, Ukraine fired their first U.S. missile into Russia and hit a weapons arsenal.
Putin fired back with a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile. Politico reported that, in a televised statement, Putin “claimed the new missile, nicknamed ‘Oreshnik,’ struck an industrial complex in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Putin said that ‘as of today there are no means of counteracting such a weapon,’ asserting that the new missiles move at 2.5-3 kilometers (1.6-1.9 miles) per second — a speed he claimed air defense systems used by the U.S. and Europe ‘cannot intercept.'”
Putin added, “We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities. In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond just as decisively and symmetrically.”
Biden’s dangerous and reckless decision undoubtedly heightened tensions in the region, complicated Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the war, and increased the risk of Putin resorting to nuclear weapons.
On the domestic front, one of Trump’s immediate priorities is to bring federal employees—many of whom have been working remotely since the early days of the pandemic—back into the office. However, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley, a Biden appointee, recently signed an agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing 42,000 federal workers, to “lock in work-from-home protections” until 2029.
It remains unclear whether the Trump administration will be able to reverse this deal. However, Stephen Miller, who will serve as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity the agreement can be overturned.
Perhaps the most egregious move of all is the widely reported revelation that members of Biden’s inner circle are actively discussing preemptive pardons for individuals who could potentially face scrutiny from Trump’s Department of Justice. These individuals are implicated in the partisan impeachments and the lawfare campaign targeting Trump. Stacey Matthews provided detailed coverage of this story on Thursday.
Additionally, according to a White House fact sheet dated November 26, the Biden-Harris administration “proposed a new rule that would make weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic free for obese Americans on Medicare or Medicaid.” Currently, for those without insurance, a one-month supply of Ozempic costs approximately $1,000.
If finalized, this rule could “help an estimated million more people—seniors enrolled in Medicare and low-income individuals on Medicaid—gain access to these drugs.” However, it would also drive Medicare and Medicaid premiums even higher and cost the government approximately $35 billion over the next decade, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Medicare premiums have already risen significantly since the ironically named Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) became law in 2022. In August, Politico warned that the IRA would “cause a significant spike in Medicare premiums for millions of Americans just ahead of the November election. Now, [the Biden] administration is preparing to dole out billions of dollars to private insurance companies to blunt the impact of the increase.”
Meanwhile, during his Africa trip this week, Biden pledged $1 billion in aid to Angola to help the country recover from a drought. This comes at a time when many people in western North Carolina are still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene two months ago. Some families are still living in tents.
For his part, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed to “Trump-proof” his state.
These actions are the ones we know about. While we can only speculate about what’s happening behind the scenes, it’s safe to assume none of it is intended to benefit Trump. Fortunately, aside from the issue of pardons, much of the damage can be reversed on Day 1.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump has reportedly been in contact with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, both of whom have expressed openness to negotiations once Trump takes office. Shortly after his victory, Trump spoke with Putin by telephone, reportedly advising him against escalation and “reminding him of Washington’s sizable military presence in Europe.”
In just over six weeks, Biden’s corrupt and failed presidency will finally come to an end. As Trump once remarked, former President Jimmy Carter no longer holds the unfortunate distinction of being America’s worst president.
Elizabeth writes commentary for The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation and a member of the Editorial Board at The Sixteenth Council, a London think tank. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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