WASHINGTON (WBAP/KLIF News) – Hours after President Donald Trump pledged a peaceful transfer of power following a day of violence at the Capitol, he announced via Twitter he will not attend President-elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration on Jan. 20.
He will be the first incumbent president since Andrew Johnson to skip his successors ceremony, the Associated Press reports.
To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021
Vice President Mike Pence is expected to attend the inauguration in some capacity.
Since the November 3rd presidential election, President Trump and his campaign’s attorneys have been claiming the election was stolen based on unproven claims of fraud.
The campaign’s lawsuits have been tossed out of dozens of courts nationwide including the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Wednesday, as Congress certified Biden’s victory, a group of Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol delaying the proceedings after attending a “Stop the Steal” rally.
Five people died including a U.S. Capitol Police Officer, a woman who was shot and killed by police and three died of medical emergencies.
On Thursday, President Trump issued this message to Americans.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021
Former President Obama and then-Vice President Biden both attended Trump’s inauguration in 2016.
Copyright 2020. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
