Trump skipped the traditional farewell speech to the nation, the press conference and televised interviews designed to serve as a framework for his term. He left a handwritten note to Biden at the Resolute Desk at the request of the people around him, including Republican leader Kevin McCarthy – about the only custom he followed.
But as soon as Trump took office in his unique way, he left on his own terms as well. The outgoing president organized his own ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base. Before that, his team pressured former employees – including former White House aides like John Kelly, John Bolton and Omarosa Manigault-Newman – to appear in hopes of producing a big farewell.
But it fell far short of that. Only several hundred fervent supporters appeared to watch the president’s departure. Advisers Mark Meadows, Stephen Miller and Kash Patel were there. Substitute Sebastian Gorka too. Vice President Mike Pence and Republican Party leaders in Congress do not. Neither does the president of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, who is still recovering from surgery. Those who attended were in a cool breeze as the Trump campaign’s playlist – from “Macho Man” to “Tiny Dancer” – rumbled through the speakers. A military band played when Trump left Marine One and walked down a red carpet to an improvised stage.
“We were not a regular administration,” said Trump, in what was one of the most truthful testaments offered during the day.
“It has been something very special,” he told the crowd. “And I just want to say goodbye, but I hope it isn’t a long-term goodbye.”
How long this goodbye will last now depends on a number of factors, several beyond Trump’s control. He has not yet set up a defense team for his impeachment trial in the Senate, which could result in his ban on running for a future position. He has no clear way to regain his prominence on social media after the biggest platforms kicked him out. And although he has a team of about a dozen, including a small political operation, with him on his Florida property, there is still no clear indication of what he will actually do.
On board Air Force One on Wednesday, only a small circle of advisors, including Trump’s senior campaign advisor Jason Miller, political director Brian Jack and social media director Dan Scavino, accompanied Trump and his family. Some took the flight as a one-way ticket to their new jobs: Margo Martin, a press officer, will handle Trump’s communications in Palm Beach; Molly Michael will continue to be Trump’s assistant; and Beau Harrison is in charge of operations. Their salaries, an aide said, will be borne by the General Services Administration, which covers the livelihood of former presidents.
Although Trump no longer holds the presidency, he has his fans. On Thursday, the Trump family, most loyal donors and friends are ready to offer him a welcome home lunch at his Mar-a-Lago club. And when When he arrived in Florida, about 400 hardcore were gathered along Southern Boulevard in Palm Beach, waiting for what was, in essence, the final MAGA rally of Trump’s presidency. They came with their Keep America Great flags and women for Trump and Trump-Pence signs, many with Pence crossed out in protest against their decision to certify the results of the Electoral College. A pink plaque congratulating Tiffany Trump on her engagement was also seen by reporters.
Trump’s motorcade slowly maneuvered along the roads leading to his club, “presumably,” noted the pool report, “so that POTUS could receive support and the wave.”
Paul Amirata, a 52-year-old insurance lawyer, said that Trump raised his thumb at him after seeing his hand-made sign: “On the 8th Day, God Created Donald Trump.” Like most of the hundreds of supporters who gathered to wave in his latest motorcade, Amirata believes Trump was betrayed by virus writers in China, fake media, Big Tech, fraudulent democrats, disloyal Republicans and a profound, all-powerful state.
“The problem was solved and that is why we are seeing it on Southern Boulevard in Palm Beach, instead of taking the oath in Washington,” said Amirata.
Cynthia Potenza Taylor, a Christian activist who makes sets of cribs, cried all morning at the prospect of Trump being no longer in charge. Although she initially expected Pence or the Supreme Court to overturn the election results, she said that she now accepted the election results as part of God’s plan and that good Christians still needed to fight harder.
“We are in a battle and God is still on our side,” she said.
Just a few weeks ago, Trump’s advisers and allies urged Trump to attend Biden’s inauguration to show the world that the United States can engage in a peaceful transfer of power. But after a two-month crusade to overturn the election that ended in riots that left five people dead and Washington on the edge, even his own advisers seemed relieved not to have to deal with the issues after another Trump explosion.
The little-attended opening may not have counted on Trump, but it did include members of Congress from both parties, including the part of the Republican Party that never took Trump.
Former mayor Paul Ryan said Trump’s decision not to attend the opening was “a kind of disgrace”, but he called Pence, a longtime friend, an “honorable man” for coming. “I wanted to come and pay my respects to the institution and the peaceful transfer of power,” added Ryan. “I felt compelled to come and pay my respects to the process.”
Former Arizona senator Jeff Flake also said Trump should have attended, but “considering everything, I’m not surprised”.
Even Representative Jim Jordan, one of Trump’s greatest allies on Capitol Hill, attended the inauguration – his fourth – a day after visiting the White House to thank Trump for his service.
“I just went to say goodbye and say thank you,” said Jordan. “I hope he runs again. I think he did an excellent job. “
While Jordan may wish for this, the allies say it is unlikely that Trump will run again after the events of the past two weeks. He talked about starting a new political party, investing in his own conservative network or just traveling around the country to organize his MAGA rallies.
He burned several bridges when he left and broke even more rules. Trump never spoke to his successor, even though Biden spent the night across the street from the White House at the Blair House presidential guesthouse. The departure of First Lady Melania Trump also did not give Jill Biden the traditional tour of the White House.
While Trump’s political future is uncertain, so is his life outside politics. While at the White House, Trump was widely protected from facing criminal charges, given a long-standing precedent for the Justice Department of not indicting an incumbent president. Now, he will have to deal with a series of investigations that may directly implicate him.
The New York Attorney General’s Office is investigating whether Trump and his company incorrectly declared assets in the financial statements used to seek loans, tax breaks and economic benefits. And Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance is still investigating Trump’s rewards to two women for keeping them quiet during the 2016 campaign over extramarital affairs with Trump. Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has already been arrested for payments, which violated the campaign finance law. Trump himself was implicated in the scheme, with prosecutors saying he instructed Cohen to make secret cash payments.
“He is more at risk of getting into serious legal difficulties than any other president who has served from a distance,” said presidential historian Michael Beschloss.
Daniel Lippman contributed to this report.