Mike Pence Will Be No-Show At Trump's Send Off—And Attend Biden Inauguration Instead
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Topline
Vice President Mike Pence is not expected to attend President Donald Trump's send off from Washington Wednesday morning, according to multiple reports, instead opting to focus on the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, as the rift between the top two U.S. officials appears to deepen.
Key Facts
Trump is planning to leave the White House early Tuesday morning before his send off at Joint Base Andrews, where he will board Air Force One for his final time as president and depart at 8 a.m. for his post-presidential home at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Pence won't attend that send off because of logistical conflicts around his plan to attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, according to reports.
Biden will officially become the 46th president at noon Eastern time, though performances and other events surrounding the inauguration will start earlier.
The top Republicans in Congress, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), are also not expected to attend Trump's send off, according toThe Hill.
Surprising Fact
Trump's send off as president is expected to be a small, intimate event—far from the large military goodbye he was hoping for. In what's believed to be an attempt to boost turnout, Trump has reportedly cast a wide net for invitations, including former administration officials that have become outspoken critics since leaving the White House, like Anthony Scaramucci and John Bolton.
Key Background
After years of being a loyal Trump backer, Pence suffered a falling out with the president as his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. The mob at times chanted calls to execute Pence, after Trump had publicly pressed the vice president to refuse to certify the results of the election (something he legally could not do). Pence escaped from the Senate chamber just a minute before the mob might have spotted him. As the invasion was taking place, Trump tweeted that Pence was a coward for refusing to take part in efforts to overturn Biden's win, leaving Pence reportedly furious with Trump. Pence would later resist calls to invoke the 25th Amendment in order to remove Trump from power.
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I am pleased to see this. Pence showing up for the inauguration further identifies Trump as the asshole he is.
Me too. I don't like him or his policy but at least he has some respect for the office.
I wouldn't be there either, not when Trump sent a mob chanting "Hang Mike Pence" after me. Fuck that guy.
I mean fuck Mike Pence too, but definitely less than Trump.
Take that, Trump....
I don't agree with much that Pence has ever done or stands for but it seems that he does understand the Trump lost and lied and has respect for the office of the President.
I hope he gets a standing ovation, a long one.
Pence was (to his own discredit) Trump's key sycophant for four years. That must have been tough for him to do because it seems to me he was not in lockstep with the way Trump operated. But he sucked it up and carried Trump's water.
For Trump to piss all over Pence in the end is quintessential Trump. He exploits and then trashes people — a perfect malignant narcissist. Pissing on Pence (and others like Giuliani) perfectly punctuates the Trump presidency.
Even though I suspect Pence stiffed Trump over Biden partly as a counter-punch, I think Pence does believe that attending the inauguration is the right thing to do and thus I credit him for his decision.
pence had plenty of chances to redeem himself to america, and he failed repeatedly, consistently.
You give him no credit for attending the inauguration?
sure, but he definitely missed the salvation train to future political office.
He's doing that in his own self interest. Not much else going on there.
he'd be in a very small crowd, and trump had previously insisted upon howitzers for the 21 gun salute...
I would agree to the howitzers but only if I get to choose the direction that they are fired.
Trump is so desperate to get people for his party that the invitation says to bring 5 friends. So far, few RSVP's have been returned.
I guess we'll be watching Newsmax tomorrow to see how they fluff the exit.
... their entire production crew were encouraged to bring friends and family.
It's a shame that a moment of someone doing the exact right and expected thing has to be news.
I will say, I have been pleasantly surprised by Pence's behavior recently. Yes, he followed along in Trump's footsteps for years, and I can't say I liked his policies as Indiana's governor before that. But he has shown himself lately to have at least a bit of class and integrity, when it comes to the 2020 election and Trump's attempts to undermine it.
An Establishment tool welcoming an Establishment tool into office.
This is news?
Pence's career in politics is over as surely as Trump's. You need look no farther than the comments from the left on this site.
Wonder if China Joe will at least try to be gracious about Pence's presence; while delivering a speech that is sure to drive everyone even further apart. As he is surrounded by Democratic soldiers that passed their loyalty tests/oaths, and will far outnumber those in attendance. It will be an imaging befitting Beijing China, not Washington DC. Thanks Democrats, for proving to be everything you claim to hate.
Yes, because there was a question as to whether Pence would be at the inauguration.
If Hillary & Bill could survive Trumps inauguration ceremony,
I have no misgivings that the Pences, Bidens and Harriss will all be sincerely gracious to each other tomorrow
as we would expect adults to do.
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