Mike Pence plays president while Trump's schedule is cleared to watch Fox
Upon returning from his second trip abroad as president, Donald Trump should have a full schedule. He and his fellow Republicans are trying to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a disastrous plan that would gut Medicaid funding to give tax cuts to the rich. Trump also boasted about the “excellent meeting” he had with […]

He and his fellow Republicans are trying to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a disastrous plan that would gut Medicaid funding to give tax cuts to the rich.
Trump also boasted about the “excellent meeting” he had with Chinese President Xi, where they discussed trade and North Korea — two significant issues on which Trump has repeatedly vowed to be aggressive, if not downright threatening.
So what is on the president’s schedule for his first day back in the office?
Nothing. Literally nothing.

Nonetheless, Trump was up early Monday morning, watching his favorite TV show, “Fox & Friends,” and furiously tweeting about a range of topics — from accusing former FBI Director James Comey of illegally leaking classified information, to an utterly bizarre defense of his despotic decision to have his daughter Ivanka Trump sub in for him during a meeting with world leaders at the G20 summit.
If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother,as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017
It’s unclear whether Trump intended to admit that he “gave our country away” during his trip, though by all accounts, including his own it certainly appears that way, given his decision to cooperate with Russia on cybersecurity.
While Trump’s scheduled is cleared for the day, freeing him up to watch Fox, Vice President Mike Pence has a much busier schedule.
According to the White House daily schedule, Pence is participating in not one, not two, but three separate meetings with the prime ministers of Greece, Macedonia, and Tunisia. He’s also joining right-wing radio host Laura Ingraham for an interview.
The media’s access to the actual president, on the other hand, is more limited. Deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be holding a press briefing — off camera.
Pence is keeping a fuller scheduled in general, these days. He’s been traveling to swing states that Trump carried by single digits and has a fifth trip scheduled to Ohio later this month. He’s also been hosting private dinners at his home with powerful Republican donors.
Numerous outlets have reported that Trump is bored and dissatisfied with his job. All of his plans to “Make America Great Again” have thus far failed, as he has come to the realization that completely restructuring the country is harder than he had anticipated.
In February, for example, he stunningly announced that “nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.”
Meanwhile, Pence has been keeping himself busy and has issued no complaints about the job at all. In fact, it would seem that Pence is far more interested in the presidency — now, and in 2020 — than Trump is.
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