Vice President Mike Pence will not be attending President Donald Trump's farewell ceremony on Wednesday at 8 a.m eastern time. Instead, he will be attending the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The inauguration ceremony is schedule to take place at 12 p.m. eastern time.
According to Pence aides, it would be a logistical nightmare for the vice president to attend both ceremonies, Fox News reported.
The vice president took to Twitter to say farewell to Americans and show his gratitude for spending the last four years in the White House.
"Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Vice President these past four years, it has been the greatest honor of my life. On behalf of our Wonderful Second Lady, Karen Pence, and our entire Family, Thank You and God Bless America," Pence said in a tweet.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Vice President these past four years, it has been the greatest honor of my life. On behalf of our Wonderful Second Lady, Karen Pence, and our entire Family, Thank You and God Bless America. ???? pic.twitter.com/chbcBfvmB9
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) January 19, 2021
Pence is not the only one who will be missing from Trump's farewell ceremony. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will be attending a pre-inauguration church service alongside Biden.
President Trump is only the fourth president in American history to skip the inauguration of his successor. The three other presidents include John Adams, John Quincy Adam and Andrew Johnson.