By Aiyeku Timothy
Vice President Mike Pence will shun President Trump’s departure ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, according to two Pence sources.
The source affirmed it would be difficult for Pence to be at Joint Base Andrews for Trump’s sendoff and attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inaugural, as the outgoing vice president is expected to do.
Trump will depart the White House South Lawn via Marine One for Joint Base Andrews early Wednesday morning, giving Pence a chance to bid farewell to the President then.
Also, Senate Majority Leader, soon-to-be Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will both attend church with Biden as they will not be present in Trump’s farewell ceremony.
Key White House staff will also avoid the ceremony. One former White House official who got out early put it this way: “No one wants to touch them, they’re just toxic.”
Another former Trump aide, pointing to the fallout from the Jan. 6 insurrection, was more blunt, telling Politico: “They’re f—ed.”
The snub of Trump’s farewell has been described as a confirmation of a possible GOP establishment break with Donald Trump and a sign of unity for the country.
Invitations have gone out to Trump’s friends, allies and former administration officials saying it will begin at 8 a.m. ET. Each invitee is allowed five guests; organizers hope to secure a large crowd because Trump has complained about the size of his gatherings in the past.
In a sign the guest list may not have been carefully curated, Trump’s former communications director turned critic, Anthony Scaramucci, was invited to the departure. He told CNN he did not plan to attend but saw his invitation as a sign the White House was eager to bulk up the guest list.
Junior staff who have never interacted with the president have also received invitations.
ABC News senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce told Inside Edition: “The president wants a big send-off with lots of flair. We’ve heard that he wants to be surrounded by uniformed military at Joint Base Andrews. There’ll be a military band. He wants a red carpet. We’ve even heard that he may be flanked by troops as he boards Air Force One for the final time. And there may even be an Air Force fighter jet flyover.”
However, the Catholic service that will be attended by Mr Biden and congressional leaders will take place at St Matthew’s church about 10 blocks from the White House in Washington, DC, and is expected to begin at 8.45am. All those snubbing Trump will be in attendance in support of Biden.
Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States on the steps of the Capitol building at noon.
Meanwhile, Trump will also skip Biden’s inauguration as he earlier claimed.
