It was a stirring sight to see the beautifully illuminated White House from the South lawn, all awash with American flags and the President of the United States standing before it at the podium. If the occasion had been, say, a memorial for American victims of the Covid pandemic or a recognition of America’s servicemen and servicewomen it could have been truly inspiring. However, it was nothing more than an opportunity to use the “people’s house,” as Ronald Reagan used to call it, as a prop for a political campaign. Employees of the United