Olajide Meseko
United States President, Donald Trump on Friday stated that he would not attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden who is expected to be sworn in on January 20, 2021.
Taking to Twitter, Trump wrote: “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.“
Reacting to Trump’s decision on Friday, Biden told reporters that it is “a good thing”, that the incumbent President Trump wished stay out his inauguration.
However, Biden said Vice-President Mike Pence is “welcome” at the inauguration, saying it will be a “honour’ to have him at the event.
He also refused to weigh in on moves to impeach Trump, saying the matter was up to Congress.
“What the Congress decides to do is for them to decide,” he told reporters in his hometown of Wilmington, two days after Trump encouraged a mob of supporters to march on Congress.
“We’re going to do our job and Congress can decide how to proceed,” he said.
He said Trump’s conduct on Wednesday showed how “thoroughly unfit for the office he is”.
Biden said some Republican lawmakers felt really ashamed of Trump’s conduct this week.
Recall that Trump’s supporters had invaded Capitol during a joint session of Congress held to certify the electoral victory of Biden.
The Capitol violence, hours after an extraordinary rally by Trump challenging his defeat, saw flag-waving backers break down barricades outside the Capitol and swarm inside, sending the legislative sessions into an emergency recess.
Four persons have been pronounced dead while scores were reportedly injured.
Congress leaders, however, reconvened after the riot and affirmed Biden’s Electoral College victory over Trump.
Political leaders across all continents have condemned Trump’s action, with many accusing him of dragging one of the world’s most respected and resilient democracy in the mud.