- President Donald Trump wants to leave Washington, DC, before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Wednesday, CNN reported.
- His goal is to avoid leaving the White House as a former president, CNN said. A source suggested that Trump did not want to ask Biden if he could borrow Air Force One.
- Biden is expected to take office around noon on Wednesday, amid an enhanced security presence sparked by the riot on the United States Capitol.
- Trump plans to fly to his resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to begin his post-presidential life, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
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President Donald Trump wants to leave Washington, DC, before President-elect Joe Biden takes office because he doesn’t want to leave as a former president or borrow from Air Force One, CNN reported on Friday.
Biden is due to open on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday amid an intensified security presence sparked by the January 6 attack on the complex by Trump supporters.
Trump said on January 8 that he would not attend the inauguration, making him the first outgoing president to refuse to attend his successor’s ceremony since 1869.
Instead, CNN said, Trump plans to leave the White House before the midday swearing-in ceremony. His team is working to gather a large crowd to wave at him, the network said.
The White House did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment on the president’s plans.
According to CNN, Trump plans to leave the White House for the last time as president of Marine One from the South Lawn. He expects a military-style farewell, the network said, citing an unidentified source who had discussed the plan with Trump.
Joe Biden and Trump.
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Trump has not officially confirmed his fate. At one point, it was rumored that he was going to Scotland, where he owns a golf course. However, the Scottish government made it clear that it would not be welcome, citing its strict blockade of the coronavirus.
Bloomberg said on Thursday that Trump would travel to his resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
According to CNN, Trump ruled out attending Biden’s inauguration, although the allies told him it would be a good idea to go. Trump declined, saying he did not want to leave Washington, DC, as a former president, the network said.
Trump was also reluctant to ask Biden if he could borrow Air Force One, the president’s official plane, CNN said, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Although Trump leaves Washington, DC, and the presidency on Wednesday, he still needs to travel with “nuclear football”, a briefcase that presidents carry everywhere, until Biden takes office.
To address this, the White House Military Office will have a second device that will be in Washington, DC, for Biden’s use, CNN said. During the transition, Trump’s codes will be disabled.
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Since losing the election in November, Trump has focused on challenging the outcome to no avail.
Trump in Washington, DC, in December.
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In his last days in office, Trump is concerned about his legacy and the consequences after the House of Representatives impeached him on charges of “inciting insurrection” for his role in the Capitol riot.
Trump is also concerned about the legal issues he may face when he is no longer protected by presidential immunity, according to several reports.
Prosecutors in New York and Washington, DC, are investigating Trump and his organization.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is conducting an investigation into the Trump Organization’s financial negotiations, and Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is investigating Trump and the Trump Organization on suspicion of banking and insurance fraud .