Hours after publicly conceding defeat, President Donald Trump announced Friday he will not attend Joe Biden's inauguration this month. And Biden has co-signed the decision.
"I was told on the way over here that [Trump] indicated he wasn't going to show up at the inauguration—one of the few things he and I have ever agreed on," the president-elect told reporters. "It's a good thing, him not showing up."
Weeks after winning the 2020 election, Biden argued Trump should attend the presidential inauguration because it would symbolize a peaceful transfer of power. Biden told reporters Friday that his view of Trump has drastically changed since then.
"He has exceeded even my worst notions about him," the president-elect said. "He has been an embarrassment to this country, embarrassed us around the world, and is not worthy of the office."
The comments come just days after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, resulting in property damage and death. Many lawmakers, including Republicans, have blamed the president for the insurrection, claiming his divisive rhetoric and baseless claims about election fraud incited his base to violence. Congress members have since called for Trump's impeachment, which threatens his ability to run for a second term in 2024.
Although Trump will be absent, Mike Pence is expected to attend Biden's swearing-in ceremony. The vice president's press secretary, Devin O’Malley, told USA Today that the Pence family has not decided if they will make an appearance, but Biden made it very clear Pence and his wife have an invitation.
"The vice president is welcome to come," Biden said Friday, "[I'd] be honored to have him there."
