The White House is seen from a riser on Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, two days before the 59th presidential inauguration in US history, when president-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn into office. AFP
The White House is seen from a riser on Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, two days before the 59th presidential inauguration in US history, when president-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn into office. AFP
The White House is seen from a riser on Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, two days before the 59th presidential inauguration in US history, when president-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn into office. AFP
The White House is seen from a riser on Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, two days before the 59th presidential inauguration in US history, when president-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kama

What does a US president do on the last day in office?


Willy Lowry
  • English
  • Arabic

The final day of a president's time in office is almost always spent with their successor, a tradition epitomising the peaceful transfer of power between US administrations.

It is customary for the departing president to host the president-elect at the White House, welcoming the next first family. Then come the inauguration ceremony and other public events.

But that will not be the case on Wednesday.

Donald Trump will break with tradition and fly out on Air Force One after a military send-off at Joint Base Andrews in nearby Maryland early on inauguration day.

He will leave Washington as president, something that has not happened since John Quincy Adams’s presidency in 1829.

Both John Quincy Adams and his father, John Adams, who followed George Washington as the second US president, left Washington before their successors’ inaugurations.

President Trump will soon join them as the third president not to be present in the capital at the time of the transition of power.

“What we think of as a traditional last day in office is actually more recent than many realise,” said Thomas Balcerski, a presidential historian at Eastern Connecticut State University.

"What's been really significant about transitions and traditions in the last several administrations has been the consistency, the commitment to uphold a peaceful transfer of power, a smooth transition between the certified and ascertained winner of an election and an outgoing president, and to ensure, really, our national security."

A meeting of the families

The day often starts with a meet and greet between the two families.

"They will receive the incoming president and first lady. What had been typical was actually to have tea at around 10 in the morning, which would last about an hour. They would then take the ride together [out of the White House], incoming and outcoming presidents and first ladies respectively, in two different vehicles to the Capitol. They would then gather inside the Capitol," said Mr Balcerski.

This is the build up to the public inauguration that now takes place on the west side of the Capitol building, a tradition started by former president Ronald Reagan.

Pardons until the very end

Perhaps the most interesting final act of a president is the issuing of pardons. Mr Trump is expected to pardon more than 100 people. This is a tradition that put some former presidents in hot water.

"Bill Clinton really set a new standard by signing more than 140 pardons on his last day, so in a sense, there's continuity between what President Trump is doing and what president Clinton and others did," said Mr Balcerski.

Mr Clinton famously pardoned his brother and international fugitive Marc Rich. “Before this [president’s last day], we looked at Clinton's last day as the most infamous of recent memory,” said Mr Balcerski.

John Adams used his last night in office to appoint judges. It was a much debated move that led to the establishment of judicial review, the power of US federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional.

Dear Mr President…

There is also the tradition of leaving the successor a letter. In the early days of his presidency, Mr Trump often showed off the letter former president Barack Obama had left him. Mr Trump may well choose to spurn yet another tradition and not write Mr Biden a letter.
It would be one last deviation from an administration full of them.

_________________

Gallery: The US during the Trump presidency

Sonchiriya

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey

Rating: 3/5

The Birkin bag is made by Hermès. 
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.

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The Intruder

Director: Deon Taylor

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good

One star

THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS

Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.

Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.

Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.

While you're here
Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Race card:

6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; 2,000m

7.05pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; 2,200m

7.40pm: Conditions; Dh240,000; 1,600m

8.15pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 2,000m

8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed; Dh265,000; 1,200m

9.25pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; 1,600m

10pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 1,400m

Manchester United's summer dealings

In

Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million

Romelu Lukaku (Everton)  £75 million

Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)  £40 million

 

Out

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released

Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer

Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million

 

 

Naga
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5
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TV (UAE time);

OSN Sports: from 10am

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight

Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.

Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.

Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.

“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.

Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.

Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.

However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.

With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.

In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.

The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.  

The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.

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In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press 

Scoreline:

Barcelona 2

Suarez 85', Messi 86'

Atletico Madrid 0

Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Fitness problems in men's tennis

Andy Murray - hip

Novak Djokovic - elbow

Roger Federer - back

Stan Wawrinka - knee

Kei Nishikori - wrist

Marin Cilic - adductor

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS

Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8

Gearbox: eight-speed automatic

Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km

Price, base: from Dh571,000

On sale: this week

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
SERIE A FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm) 
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)

Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.