President Trump will leave the White House for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach shortly before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Discussions are underway for an ornate ceremony of the kind Trump has typically favored while in office. The White House has not made an announcement, and a senior White House official declined to comment on the record.
Trump will depart from Joint Base Andrews, possibly with a red carpet, ceremonial color guard, military band, or 21-gun salute, a person familiar with the planning told the Associated Press.
Once he leaves office, Trump is expected to live at Mar-a-Lago, where some current White House aides may continue to work for him. Trump declared the resort his residence in 2019.
Neighbors are said to be unhappy with the decision, with one local charging in a letter sent by his attorney that Trump’s presence will diminish property values in the area.
Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. has been house hunting in Jupiter, and his daughter Ivanka recently purchased a $31 million lot in Indian Creek.
The president previously said on Twitter that he would not attend Biden’s swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20.
“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump tweeted on Jan. 8 shortly before Twitter suspended him from the platform.
He will be the fourth president not to attend his successor’s inauguration.
Vice President Mike Pence has said he will attend the inauguration of Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at the Capitol next week. On Thursday, Pence called his soon-to-be successor to offer his congratulations and assistance, according to a Harris aide.
Trump has not called Biden, according to reports.
