Outgoing US Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen have attended the inauguration of new President Joe Biden after skipping both a farewell ceremony for Donald Trump and the usual protocol of welcoming his successor to his home at the Naval Observatory.
Pence, whom some of Trump's supporters during the deadly January 6 assault on the US Capitol had threatened to hang for refusing to try to overturn Biden's Electoral College win in Congress, applauded the next vice president, Kamala Harris, as she arrived at the US Capitol.
Trump skipped the inauguration.
Pence, the Republican former Indiana governor, and his wife on Wednesday will fly home to Columbus, Indiana, where they will be greeted by a group of supporters and friends, according to a source familiar with the plans.
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READ NOWThe couple plans to move back to Indiana later this year.
Pence was a loyal lieutenant throughout Trump's four-year term.
But he found himself shunned by the outgoing president for days for not supporting his quest to overturn Biden's victory based on claims of voting fraud and irregularities, although the two men sought to repair their ties before leaving office.
Pence spoke with Harris last Thursday, marking the highest-level known contact between the outgoing and incoming administrations.
The father of a Marine Corps F-35 pilot, Pence and his wife thanked troops for their service during a final visit to US troops at military bases in California and New York over the weekend.
Pence also met with National Guard troops guarding the Capitol, vowing to ensure a safe transition of power.
Pence, who certified Biden and Harris's electoral win in Congress last week after a violent mob stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the process, has not publicly spoken directly about the siege or the subsequent impeachment of Trump by the US House of Representatives for inciting an insurrection.
But on Sunday, in his final speech as vice president, Pence praised the resilience of the US public, adding, "I have faith that the day will come where we put these challenging times behind us".