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WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said on Friday (January 8) that he would not attend the inauguration of his successor, Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, on January 20, hours after pledging a peaceful transition. power.
There have been discussions at the White House about Trump’s departure from Washington on January 19, said a source familiar with the matter. He is expected to travel to his Florida resort, the source said.
“For everyone who has asked, I will not be going to the inauguration on January 20,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Trump offered no clues as to how he would spend his last hours in office, and will be the first sitting president since Andrew Johnson to skip the swearing-in of his successor. Traditionally, incoming and outgoing presidents travel together to the United States Capitol for the ceremony, as a symbol of the nation’s peaceful transition.
Trump’s comments come two days after a violent mob of his supporters occupied the Capitol for several hours while lawmakers counted the electoral votes certifying Biden’s victory. Biden will become president at noon on January 20, regardless of Trump’s plans.
Vice President Mike Pence was expected to attend the inauguration. Pence spokesman Devin Malley said “Vice President Pence and the Second Lady have yet to make a decision regarding their attendance.”
Biden’s transition team had no immediate comment on Trump’s announcement. But Jen Psaki, the incoming White House press secretary to the president-elect, said last month that whether Trump attended the inauguration was not the most important thing to Biden.
