As Joe Biden prepares to take office, Donald Trump was getting ready to leave. His final days have been overshadowed by the violence on Capitol Hill but Trump released a video praising his administration”s legacy and listing economic and foreign policy achievements.
In it, he surprised many by wishing his successor luck but failed to mention Joe Biden by name.
“I stand before you truly proud of what we have achieved together. We did what we came here to do and so much more. This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes and we also want them to have luck, a very important word.”
And while Trump might be leaving office, Trumpism hasn’t gone away, the 45th President said:
“I fought for you. I fought for your family. I fought for our country. Above all, I fought for America and all it stands for, and that is safe, strong, proud and free. Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning.”
As is traditional with an outgoing president, Trump issued a flurry of pardons in his final hours in office.
Formerly one of Trump’s biggest allies, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell broke publically with Trump – raising questions about whether he might vote to convict when the former president’s impeachment trial takes place in the Senate.
“The last time the Senate convened, we had just reclaimed the Capitol from violent criminals who tried to stop Congress from doing our duty. The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.”
Trump has at no point conceded the election to Joe Biden and is among several staying from the inauguration. Trump is flying to Florida – the first president to skip his successor’s inauguration since Andrew Johnson in 1869.