To the editor:

On Jan. 20, the inaugural ceremony for the 47th president of our great nation, Donald J. Trump, was graciously attended by his predecessor, President Joe Biden, in spite of Trump not showing him the same, long-established professional courtesy when Biden became the 46th president, following his defeat of Trump.

In addition, President Trump, in the presence of his predecessor, stated ungraciously and incorrectly that he (Trump) had received an “overwhelming mandate from the American people” (in fact, he actually won the popular vote by one of the smallest margins in history, a mere 1.5 percent) “to reverse a horrible betrayal by the corrupt establishment (under the Biden administration),” which was totally inappropriate, inaccurate and disrespectful of our former president and his administration, and also exhibited his total disdain for the hallowed ceremony itself.

Recall, also, that four years earlier, then-outgoing President Trump not only refused to attend the Biden inauguration, he neglected to meet with the incoming president in order to ensure a smooth transition of power, which had never been done in our nation’s history, and showed his seemingly total disrespect for our nation and its mores.

Biden, however, in spite of being rebuffed by then-outgoing President Trump four years earlier, took the high road and cooperated fully with the incoming Trump administration for the good of our country.

In addition, later on that same day, Trump granted full pardons and commutation of sentences to nearly 1,600 individuals who had been charged and properly convicted for their violent participation in a horrific coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as a result of the provocation of then-President Trump, where literally hundreds had been convicted for violently assaulting law enforcement officers, which led to more than 140 peace officers being seriously injured as a result of their outstanding efforts to protect our nation’s Capitol from those who attempted to unlawfully keep Trump in power in spite of his losing a fair and democratic election to Biden.

Earlier, incoming President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other prominent Republicans had stated that those who had been convicted of committing acts of violence on that day would not be pardoned. However, when Trump assumed office he declared that all individuals so involved would be granted full and unconditional pardons.

This came from an individual (Trump) who had been personally charged with four criminal indictments, has been twice impeached and returns to the White House as a convicted felon.

Sadly, it appears to be quite obvious that our current president has little, if any, respect for the rule of law, as well as the U.S. Constitution.

Richard Hord

Martins Ferry