A foul fireside chat

It was such a cozy moment in the Oval Office on Wednesday morning, with the roaring fire and the warm handshake and the past presidents - including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and FDR - looking down benignly on the scene.

- MAUREEN DOWD

So why did it feel so nauseating?

It is hard to watch Donald Trump be gracious, because he is gracious only when he wins, and that's not a good lesson for the children of America. When he loses, he tries to burn the democracy down.

Trump can play it smooth or rough, depending on whether you're willing to knuckle under. He promised a smooth transition but was crueler to President Joe Biden during the campaign than I've ever seen a presidential candidate be to anyone: Trump made fun of how Biden looked at the beach, how he was aging and his sad mental lapse at their debate, calling him "mentally impaired."