Vice President Mike Pence is reportedly not expected to attend President Donald Trump’s military sendoff at Andrews Air Force Base on Tuesday, but he will attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, a source familiar with Pence’s plans told the Daily Caller.
The White House declined to comment on Pence’s travel plans. Pence choosing to attend Biden’s inauguration instead of the president’s farewell would be the culmination of the growing rift between the pair. Pence first began breaking with Trump when the president asked him to refuse to certify Biden’s electoral college victory, an action he can’t take under the Constitution. (RELATED: REPORT: VP Mike Pence, Not President Trump, Approved Deployment Of National Guard To Stop Mob In DC)
“VP Pence is not expected to attend President Trump’s sendoff at Joint Air Force Base Andrews tomorrow morning, per White House officials. He is attending the inauguration later in the day, and aides say it would be logistically challenging for the vice president to do both,” Washington Post White House Reporter Josh Dawsey said Tuesday.
VP Pence is not expected to attend President Trump’s sendoff at Joint Air Force Base Andrews tomorrow morning, per White House officials. He is attending the inauguration later in the day, and aides say it would be logistically challenging for the vice president to do both.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) January 19, 2021
Pence reportedly made the step of calling Vice President-elect Kamala Harris last week to congratulate her on her election victory, something Trump has yet to do for Biden. While Trump has plans to leave the White House, he has not conceded the election.
Pence made the call just over a week after pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol. The Department of Justice announced Friday that some of the rioters intended to capture and assassinate Pence and other elected officials for refusing to name Trump the victor.
Washington is bracing for planned protests ahead of Biden’s inauguration, deploying roughly 25,000 National Guard troops to the city. Protests have also reportedly been planned at the Capitols of all 50 states, according to the FBI.