President Trump Will Not Attend The Inauguration

President Trump tweeted earlier this morning that he will not be in attendance at the Biden inauguration on January 20.  There has been some speculation as to the reason that he has decided not to go as he did not explicitly give a reason.  President Trump is not the first president to skip an inauguration.  

The news comes after President Trump released a video where he admits that Joe Biden will be sworn in in a few days.  “A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th.  My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power,” President Trump said in a video.  

The video attached to this article speculates about why President Trump will miss Biden’s inauguration.  The video argues that perhaps President Trump will not be there because he will 

have been removed from office by then.  The calls for impeachment and or the use of the 25th Amendment are very popular right now within the government.  

President Trump is not alone in his decision to pass up on an inauguration.  He joins John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Johnson as other presidents to not be in attendance during an immediate successor’s inauguration (Singman).

Former President Jimmy Carter will also not be in attendance on Inauguration Day.  Carter and his wife are 96 and 93, respectively.  While the Carter’s did not give a reason as to why they won’t be in attendance it is likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is the first inauguration that the Carter’s will have missed since Jimmy Carter’s own in 1977.  George W. and Laura Bush are planning on attending (AP). 

The usual packed crowds during Inauguration Day will not be present due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  There is an expected crowd of about 1,000.  Congressional members are typically allotted 200,000 tickets for their constituents, but this is obviously not the case for this year (Friedell).  

AP. “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Won’t Attend Biden’s Inauguration.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 6 Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/jimmy-carter-joe-biden-inauguration-883b9255c96441cd72082cf429b9b331.

Friedell, Dan. “FAQs: 2021 Inauguration Plans so Far.” WTOP, 1 Jan. 2021, wtop.com/presidential-election/2021/01/faq-what-are-the-current-plans-for-the-2021-inauguration/.

Singman, Brooke. “Trump Says He ‘Will Not Be Going’ to Biden’s Inauguration.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 8 Jan. 2021, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-wont-attend-biden-inauguration.