Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden's inauguration

President Donald Trump will go away Washington subsequent Wednesday morning simply earlier than President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration to start his post-presidential life in Florida.

Refusing to abide by custom and take part within the ceremonial switch of energy, Trump will as a substitute maintain his personal departure ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland earlier than his closing flight aboard Air Pressure One.

Officers are contemplating an elaborate send-off occasion paying homage to the receptions he is acquired throughout state visits overseas, full with a pink carpet, coloration guard, army band and even a 21-gun salute, based on an individual acquainted with the planning who spoke on situation of anonymity forward of a proper announcement.

Trump will turn into solely the fourth president in historical past to boycott his successor's inauguration. And whereas he has stated he's now dedicated to a peaceable transition of energy — after months of attempting to delegitimize Biden's victory with baseless allegations of mass voter fraud and spurring on his supporters who stormed the Capitol — he has made clear he has no real interest in making a present of it.

He has not invited the Bidens to the White Home for the standard bread-breaking, nor has he spoken with Biden by telephone. Vice President Mike Pence has spoken together with his successor, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, calling her on Thursday to congratulate her and provide help, based on two folks acquainted with the decision. Pence can be attending Biden's inauguration, a transfer Biden has welcomed.

Whereas Trump spends the ultimate days of his presidency ensconced within the White Home, extra remoted than ever as he confronts the fallout from the Capitol riot, staffers are already heading out the door. Many have already departed, together with those that resigned after the assault, whereas others have been busy packing up their places of work and shifting out private belongings — souvenirs and taxidermy included.

On Thursday, chief of workers Mark Meadows’ spouse was caught on digicam leaving with a useless, stuffed fowl. And commerce adviser Peter Navarro, who defended the president's effort to overturn the election, was photographed finishing up an enormous photograph of a gathering between Trump and Chinese language President Xi Jinping. (Employees are allowed to buy the images, stated White Home spokesman Judd Deere.) Additionally noticed departing the West Wing: a bust of Abraham Lincoln.

Stewart D. McLaurin, the president of the White Home Historic Affiliation, stated he had reached out to the White Home chief usher, who manages the constructing's artifacts with the White Home curator, due to questions raised by the pictures.

“Be reminded that staff have items of their own that they brought to the White House and can take those items home as they wish. Some items are on loan to staff and offices from other collections and will be returned to those collections,” he stated in an announcement.

Earlier this week, reporters masking the president's departure from the South Garden noticed workers taking containers into the residence for packing up the primary household's belongings.

And on Friday the packing continued, with shifting crates and containers dotting the ground of the workplace suite the place senior press aides work steps from the Oval Workplace within the West Wing. Partitions within the hallways exterior that when featured a rotating gallery of enlarged pictures of the president and first girl framed in gold instantly have been naked, with solely the hooks that held the image frames left hanging.

Transferring vans pulled out and in of the driveway exterior.

Whereas some folks have been requested to stay round by the incoming administration, the White Home has been diminished to a skeleton crew, with extra scheduled to depart on Friday. That features White Home press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. Come Monday, the press workers can be down to 2.

Trump will go away Washington together with his future deeply unsure, two weeks after his supporters despatched lawmakers and congressional staffers scrambling for security as they tried to halt the peaceable transition of energy. Whereas Trump was as soon as anticipated to go away workplace as probably the most highly effective voice within the Republican Get together and the main contender for its 2024 nomination, he has been shunned by a lot of the social gathering over his response to the violence, which left 5 folks useless, together with a Capitol Police officer.

Trump is predicted to be joined in Florida by a handful of aides as he mulls his future.