Trump is our first semi-retired president

He's leaving the important stuff to Musk

Breaking news from The New York Times:

President Trump, furious about delays in delivering two new Air Force One jets, has empowered Elon Musk to explore drastic options to prod Boeing to move faster, including relaxing security clearance standards for some who work on the presidential planes.

His administration has even discussed whether a luxury jet could be acquired and refitted during the wait, according to five people with knowledge of the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe closely held deliberations.

This comes after last week’s big news:

He has told associates that he wants to rip up the grass in the Rose Garden, one of the White House’s most iconic and meticulously maintained spots, and replace it with a hard surface to resemble a patio like the one he has at Mar-a-Lago.

Designers have drafted options for how to remake the surface of the Rose Garden, which sits just outside the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room. Mr. Trump has discussed whether it should be limestone or an easily interchangeable hard surface, with the possibility of installing hardwood floors for dancing, according to four people briefed on the discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.

Which of course followed this:

President Trump is the new chair of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, following through on a promise the president made last week. He posted the following on the social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon.

There’s been a lot of “Elon Musk is co-president now” during Trump’s first month back in office, and to me the clearest sign that’s true is that the actual president is spending a disproportionate amount of time doing retiree things like joining the local arts center board and thinking a lot about redecorating.

Trump has never — outside of one or two items of interest, like mass deportations and tariffs — been much interested in the tasks of governing. In his second term, he doesn’t seem to even be bothering with it all that much. That’s what Elon is for. America has its first semi-retired president.