Although Trump is now preparing to leave Palm Beach before his annual New Year’s Eve party, guests at his South Florida club had already gathered and were told Trump would attend, three people were aware of the matter. The president is usually relieved to appear on the red carpet in front of the press and his friends, but this year the event has been largely ignored as to whether this would be an unusual move.
In the president’s daily public timetable on Thursday, the White House said President and First Lady Melania Trump will leave Florida at 11 a.m. to return to the White House.
Throughout most of his travels he was in an irritable mood and focused on everything from the election result to the renovation of First Lady Melania Trump to his private quarters, many who spoke to him said.
At one point, Trump also said he was concerned that Iran could retaliate in the coming days for the American drone strike that killed Iran’s top general, Qasim Soleimani, a year ago. One person speculated that there may have been a contributing factor to his early departure. Mar-a-Lago was on strike when Trump ordered a Soleimani strike on January 3, 2020.
Before moving to Palm Beach, he learned about the role of Vice President Mike Pence in the certification proceedings on Capitol Hill, which is largely a mon formal. While he was on his way to Florida for a vacation, Trump responded to a call from one of his supporters for Pence on January 6 to refuse to ratify the Electoral College Ledge calculation.
While in Florida, according to people familiar with the conversation, Trump has repeatedly extended the Jan. 6 date with members of Congress and other allies. He lobbied the senators about whether the House would run with conservative people objecting to the result.
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Howley said Wednesday he would raise objections that would delay – but not change – the results of the election college count.
Trump has also tweeted to his supporters that he will see them in Washington on that date, referring to a large protest planned in the capital.
In Florida, Trump is surrounded by people who largely support his futile electioneering efforts, including his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and his son Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly Gilfoil. Although he fights the outcome in public, one question that people have repeatedly polled is whether he should attend Biden’s inauguration.
Trump has recently told people that Pence is not doing enough to fight for him as his presidency is coming to an end, and has recently taken an interest in Pence’s traditional role during the certification. As Senate President, Pence presides over the proceedings.
Sources say Trump, before his vacation, brought the matter to the vice president and was “confused” about whether Pence could overturn the January election results. Pence and White House colleagues tried to persuade him that his role was more of a formality and that he could not unilaterally reject the electoral college vote.
Pence thought of going on a foreign trip soon after the Jan. 6 certification. But travel plans to the Middle East and Europe have now been put on hold, said people familiar with the matter.
Pence spent the Christmas holidays in Vale, Colorado.
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