Topline
Vice President Mike Pence is not expected to attend President Donald Trump’s send-off from Washington Wednesday morning, according to multiple reports, instead opting to focus on the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, as the rift between the top two U.S. officials appears to deepen.
Vice President Mike Pence visits Rock Springs Church to campaign for GOP Senate candidates on ... [+]
Key Facts
Trump is planning to leave the White House early Tuesday morning before his send-off at Joint Base Andrews, where he will board Air Force One for his final time as president and depart at 8 a.m. for his postpresidential home at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Pence won’t attend that send-off because of logistical conflicts around his plan to attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, according to reports.
Biden will officially become the 46th president at noon EST, though performances and other events surrounding the inauguration will start earlier.
The top Republicans in Congress, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), are also not expected to attend Trump’s send-off, according to The Hill.
Surprising Fact
Trump’s send-off as president is expected to be a small, intimate event—far from the large military goodbye he was hoping for. In what’s believed to be an attempt to boost turnout, Trump has reportedly cast a wide net for invitations, including former administration officials who have become outspoken critics since leaving the White House, like Anthony Scaramucci and John Bolton.
Key Background
After years of being a loyal Trump backer, Pence suffered a falling-out with the president as his supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6. The mob at times chanted calls to hang Pence, after Trump had publicly pressed the vice president to refuse to certify the results of the election (something he legally could not do). Pence escaped from the Senate chamber just a minute before the mob might have spotted him. As the invasion was taking place, Trump tweeted that Pence was a coward for refusing to take part in efforts to overturn Biden’s win, leaving Pence reportedly furious with Trump. Pence would later resist calls to invoke the 25th Amendment in order to remove Trump from power.
Further Reading
Pence, other GOP officials expected to skip Trump send off (The Hill)
Pentagon Won’t Throw Traditional Farewell Ceremony for Trump (Defense One)
How the rioters who stormed the Capitol came dangerously close to Pence (The Washington Post)
Pence Tells Pelosi He Won’t Invoke The 25th Amendment To Remove Trump (Forbes)
