President Trump said on Friday that he “will not” go to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration – an extraordinary move that will make him the first to skip his inaugural ceremony since 1869.
“To all who asked, I will not take office on January 20,” tweeted the president.
Trump will be the fourth president not to attend his successor’s inauguration day. Former presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson did not attend the inauguration ceremonies of their successors.
On Thursday night, the president – who has not been successful in several electoral challenges since election day – acknowledged that “a new government” would be inaugurated on January 20.
“My focus now is on ensuring a smooth, orderly and continuous transition,” said Trump. “This moment now requires healing and reconciliation.”
Trump’s announcement came just days after he spoke at a rally on Wednesday, telling supporters that he “would never give in” and repeated baseless claims that the election was “stolen” from him and that he won with a “slip of Earth”.
TRUMP SAYS THAT HIS SUPPORTERS WILL STILL HAVE A ‘GIANT VOICE’ AND WILL NOT BE ‘UNKNOWN’
During his remarks, he renewed the pressure on Vice President Mike Pence, claiming that he should cancel the presidential election results certification and send it “back to the states” and that if he did, Trump would be president for more four years.
Trump’s comments earlier this week came before a joint session of Congress to certify the results of the presidential election.
As members of the House and Senate raised objections to certain electoral votes, both chambers called for a recess and left their chambers while pro-Trump protesters stormed the Capitol, leaving it closed for hours.
Washington, DC police said the Capitol rebellion resulted in five deaths – including a Capitol police officer and a woman who was shot inside the building – and at least 70 prisons.
The president, during the invasion inside the Capitol, tweeted a recorded video to supporters, telling them to “go home” while claiming he had the 2020 presidential election “stolen” from him.
In the president’s video, addressing supporters, he said: “I know your pain, I know your pain”.
“We had an election that was stolen from us,” Trump said in the video, recorded from the White House. “It was an overwhelming election and everyone knows it, especially the other side.”
“This was a fraudulent election, but we cannot play the game of these people,” said Trump. “We need to have peace.” State and local election officials say they have found no evidence of widespread electoral fraud that could have changed the election results.
Trump added: “So go home, we love you, you are very special, you have seen what happens, you have seen how others are treated, who are so bad, so bad. I know how you feel.”
“But go home and go home in peace,” he said.
The president, after posting the video, tweeted: “These are the things and events that happen when an overwhelming and sacred electoral victory is so unceremoniously and cruelly withdrawn from great patriots who have been treated badly and unfairly for so long,” tweeted Trump . “Go home with love and peace.”
He added: “Remember this day forever!”
SCHUMER: USE THE 25TH AMENDMENT OR IMPEACHMENT TO REMOVE TRUMP FROM THE OFFICE
Republicans and Democrats criticized the president for not condemning the violence, resulting in a series of layoffs of senior government officials – including Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who said the president’s “rhetoric” incited agitation.
Congress returned later on Wednesday night, just hours after the Capitol was secured, and certified the Electoral College vote on Thursday, formally giving Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino posted a statement from the president on Twitter Thursday morning, saying: “Although I totally disagree with the election result and the facts confirm it, there will be an orderly transition in 20 of January. “
“I always said that we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted,” said Trump. “While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it is only the beginning of our struggle to make America great again!”
TRUMP CONDEMNS ‘HEINING ATTACK’ TO CAPITOL, CALLS FOR ‘HEALING, RECONCILIATION’
The president, on Thursday night, posted another video, after being blocked on Twitter and Facebook for violating his policies with his previous posts, condemning the “heinous attack” on Capitol Hill by his supporters and called for healing.
But on Friday morning, the president tweeted: “The 75 million great American patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE in the future.”
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“They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form !!!” he added.
Meanwhile, Democrats and some Republicans have asked Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office – just days before Biden’s inauguration, saying that if Pence and the Cabinet fail to act, Congress should introduce impeachment articles again.
Fox News’ John Roberts contributed to this report.