Biden inauguration: Trump leaves White House vowing 'we will be back'

Published3 minutes ago

Donald Trump has vowed he will be "back in some form" after departing the White House for the final time as president.

He told supporters as he prepared to fly to Florida that it had been "a great honour to be your president".

He is the first president to snub his successor's inauguration since 1869 but did say: "I wish the new administration great luck and great success."

Joe Biden will take the oath of office by noon (17:00 GMT) in Washington amid heavy security.

Some 25,000 troops will guard the inauguration ceremony following a deadly riot by pro-Trump supporters at the Capitol earlier this month. The ceremony will also be missing the traditional hundreds of thousands of spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alongside Mr Biden, Kamala Harris will make history when she is sworn in as the nation's first woman vice-president.

Ahead of his inauguration Mr Biden on Wednesday set out 15 executive actions he would take immediately, covering climate, equality, immigration and the coronavirus.

Mr Biden will be sworn in as 46th president of the United States by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts outside the US Capitol.

Among those present will be three former presidents: Barack Obama - whom Mr Biden served for eight years as vice-president - Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

Outgoing Vice-President Mike Pence will also attend the ceremony, skipping Mr Trump's farewell military salute event at Joint Air Force Base Andrews.

Aides say Mr Biden, a Democrat, will use his inaugural address of about half an hour to deliver an optimistic call for national unity after his Republican predecessor's turbulent tenure.

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Minutes beforehand, Vice-President-elect Harris will be sworn in, becoming the first woman and the first black and Asian-American elevated to serve in a role a heartbeat from the presidency.

There will be musical performances from Lady Gaga - who will sing the national anthem - as well as Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks. An evening concert at the Lincoln Memorial in the city will be hosted by Tom Hanks and include Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, and Demi Lovato.

Mr Trump delivered his final speech as president at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, after flying there from the White House with First Lady Melania Trump.

He highlighted his "amazing" achievements, citing job creation, the establishment of a "Space Force", policies for veterans and on taxation, as well as the speedy development of Covid vaccines.

He urged people to be "very, very careful" about the "horrible" pandemic and paid respects to those who had suffered.

He added: "It's been a great honour and privilege to be your president... I will always fight for you. I will be watching. I will be listening.

"I wish the new administration great luck and great success. I think they will have great success. They have the foundation to do something really spectacular."

He added: "Goodbye. We love you. We will be back in some form. Have a good life. We will see you soon."

Mr Trump will be the first president not to attend his successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson snubbed Ulysses S Grant in 1869.

He is now flying off to begin post-presidential life at his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Palm Beach.

In a farewell video message on Tuesday, Mr Trump called on Americans to pray for the incoming administration, though he did not mention his successor by name. He said he was proud of what he had achieved over the past four years.

But the political drama surrounding him is far from over. The US Senate is expected to put him on trial soon, following his record second impeachment by the House of Representatives for allegedly inciting the Capitol riot.

Mr Biden has set out a flurry of executive orders.

In a statement on Wednesday he said he would sign 15 orders after he is sworn in. They will:

Other orders will cover race and gender equality, along with climate issues.

Mr Biden's vice-president will swear in three new Democratic senators on Wednesday, leaving the upper chamber of Congress evenly split between the two main parties. This will allow the vice-president to act as a tie-breaker in key votes.

Mr Biden's legislative ambitions could be tempered by the slender majorities he holds in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

On Tuesday, Mr Biden delivered a speech in his home state of Delaware, telling reporters "these are dark times... but there's always light", before heading to Washington.

In the evening, he and Ms Harris led a tribute at the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial to the 400,000 Americans lost to Covid-19.

They were almost alone on the National Mall, where some 200,000 flags have been planted to represent the crowds who will be absent at Wednesday's inauguration.

Mr Biden, a Catholic, plans to attend Mass on Wednesday morning at a cathedral in the city with the four top congressional leaders - both Republicans and Democrats.

Some 25,000 National Guard troops are guarding the Capitol, White House and National Mall, which are also protected by a ring of steel made up of barricades and tall fencing.

Ahead of Mr Biden's arrival in the city, 12 National Guard members were removed from the presidential inauguration security mission after they were found to have ties with right-wing militia groups or posted extremist views online.

There was no threat to Mr Biden, officials said.

We will bring you all the latest developments, with analysis from reporting teams in Washington at the Capitol and on the National Mall.

•Online: Follow the latest updates and live video on the BBC News website and @BBCNorthAmerica. You can also stay up to date on our BBC News Facebook account and on Instagram

•Television: The BBC's Katty Kay in Washington DC presents live coverage of the key events around the inauguration on BBC One from 16:00-18:00 GMT and on BBC News Channel (UK only) and BBC World (Outside UK only) from 15:30-19:00 GMT