Today is President Trump’s last day in office. It hasn’t been a good final week for this administration. For starters, Trump is being impeached again. He’s being targeted by congressional Democrats for inciting a riot on Capitol Hill. Granted, federal investigators now say that this riot could have been pre-planned which undercuts the impeachment charges, but no matter what—this was going to happen in the aftermath. The riot occurred on January 6 as Congress was certifying the 2020 Electoral College results. Only after the mayhem had engulfed the Capitol Building did Trump issue remarks, after Biden, and finally conceded that he wasn’t going to get a second term in office.
So, it’s over. He’s not going to Joe Biden’s inauguration naturally, so best be off as soon as possible tomorrow, right? That appears to be the plan. Trump is said to be leaving Washington DC around 8 AM tomorrow (via NY Post):
President Trump will leave Washington early Wednesday with a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews before President-elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office, one guest told The Post.
In a break from a century of tradition, Trump will not stay to participate in his successor’s swearing-in and will instead leave the White House and fly to his Mar-A-Lago resort aboard Air Force One around 8 a.m., the source said.
Invitees have been told to arrive by 7:15 a.m. at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where a crowd of several hundred supporters and former staff will bid farewell to Trump as he leaves Washington for the last time as president.
According to Bloomberg News, which first reported the ceremony, invitees have been told they can invite up to five guests and will be expected to wear masks the entire time.
Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence will be attending Joe Biden’s inauguration. Trump is off into the sunset tomorrow, but he’ll be back. The soon-to-be-former president has spoken about a 2024 run, which would clear the field. The command of the base the president hasn’t loosened. And even if it has temporarily flipped due to recent events, it’s not death knell territory. It’s easily recoverable with time, and Trump is still eons ahead of those who might toss their hat in the ring for president. We’ll see how the impeachment trial goes in the Senate. While there will be more Republican votes for conviction, it doesn’t look like Democrats will get the two-thirds majority for conviction unless Mitch McConnell has something up his sleeve. If the votes are there, then there could be a push to bar Trump from running for president again in 2024. One step at a time though.