Biden’s challenge: big, early victories in a toxic political climate

Having won by projecting competence and renewal, the new president has a narrow window to get things done.

American flags along the National Mall in Washington, DC, ahead of a scaled-back inauguration ceremony for Joe Biden. Bloomberg

James Politi and Lauren Fedor

Jan 20, 2021 – 11.18am

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The shock of the mob attack on the US Capitol had barely subsided when Joe Biden took the stage last week at the Queen, a theatre in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, to lay out his $US1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion) relief plan for the world’s largest economy.

That evening, the President-elect made no mention of the January 6 insurrection that shook Washington, leaving five people dead and Donald Trump being swiftly impeached for the second time.