“As he looked over the protective equipment [in a retooled mask factory in Phoenix], the Guns and Roses rendition of the Paul McCartney song ‘Live and Let Die’ blared over loudspeakers. Searches for the song exploded on social media and critics were quick to take note. ‘I can think of no better metaphor for this presidency than Donald Trump not wearing a face mask to a face mask factory while the song ‘Live and Let Die’ blares in the background,’ the late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel wrote on Twitter.” There was a video that accompanied the story which I played for eleven of its thirty-one seconds, when a thought struck me. Remember seeing pictures of U.S. presidents at the beginnings of their terms? They almost, to a man [sadly], look invigorated, enthusiastic, ready to hit the ground running. Four years later, or eight, no matter what has gone down in the nation or the world, they almost, to a man [sadly], look exhausted, determined, and with much more grey hair than they had on Day One.

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