U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration when he takes office on January 20, a senior administration official said on Saturday.
The reports come a day after President Donald Trump said he will not attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Among his last few tweets, the President wrote on Friday: “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”
He will be the first incumbent president since Andrew Johnson to skip his successor’s inauguration.
On Thursday, however, Trump pledged “a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power” following a violent insurrection by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol earlier this week.
Trump will depart Washington, DC a day before the inauguration and is expected to travel to his Florida resort.
However, Trump offered no clues for how he would spend his final hours in the office.
Reacting to Trump’s refusal to attend the inaugural event, President-elect Joe Biden pointed out it’s a good thing.
“I was told on the way over here that he indicated he wasn’t going to show up at the inauguration,” Biden said while speaking to reporters in Wilmington, Delaware.
“One of the few things he and I have ever agreed on,” Biden said, adding, “It’s a good thing, him not showing up.”
“He’s been an embarrassment to the country,” Biden added.
“He’s not fit to serve,” the president-elect added of Trump, who is already facing mounting calls to step down or risk impeachment, for inciting his supporters to storm the US Capitol.
“He exceeded even my worst notions about him,” Biden said.
“He’s one of the most incompetent presidents in the history of the United States of America.”
Biden said Vice President Mike Pence would be welcomed at his inauguration.
