US President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday he would not be in attendance at President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
"To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th," he tweeted.
It had been widely speculated that Trump, who up until Thursday had refused to concede his election defeat, would not be attending the inauguration.
On Thursday evening, Trump released a video in which he condemned the previous day’s violent riots on Capitol Hill and called for unity during the transition to the incoming Biden administration.
Now that Congress has certified the election results, “a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation,” he said in the video.
On Thursday, Politico reported that Vice President Mike Pence will attend Biden’s inauguration.
Sources close to Pence said he is likely to attend the event to support the peaceful transition of power.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that former President George W. Bush, the only living former Republican president, will attend Biden’s inauguration.
Former President Jimmy Carter, however, will not attend the inauguration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This inauguration will be the first that Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, will have missed since he was sworn in as the 39th president of the United States in 1977.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)