U.S. President Donald Trump said he will not be attending Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Trump took to Twitter Friday morning, announcing the news.
“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump tweeted.
The outgoing president has skipped the incoming president’s swearing-in only three times in U.S. history, and the last one to do so was Andrew Johnson 152 years ago.
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Vice President Mike Pence is expected to attend the ceremony.
Former president Jimmy Carter has announced he wouldn’t be there, the first inauguration the 96-year-old will miss since he himself was sworn into office in 1977. He has mostly stayed home amid the pandemic. Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton said they will be there.\
Trump’s announcement follows a tumultuous week that saw a violent pro-Trump mob invade the Capitol building in Washington as Congress worked to certify president-elect Joe Biden’s win.
Many, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have accused Trump of inciting the unprecedented violence in Washington. Five people died in Wednesday’s events, including a police officer.
The formal transfer of power ceremony for Biden will have heightened security in the wake of the violence — with many criticizing the police’s handling of the chaos.
On Thursday, Trump finally acknowledged his election loss to Biden, coming as close as he ever has before to conceding.
In a video released on Twitter — which had locked Trump out of his account for 12 hours Wednesday for repeatedly encouraging the rioters — the outgoing president urged calm and defended his months-long legal challenges and false claims of voter fraud.
— With files from the Associated Press
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