Trump spends his last full day at WH
President to leave for Florida before Biden takes oath, without giving him a WH tour
WASHINGTON: Outgoing American President Donald Trump spent his last full day in the White House mulling pardons on Tuesday, while Presidentelect Joe Biden was set to arrive in Washington, DC ahead of an inauguration that his predecessor, in a final break with tradition, will snub.
Trump has not appeared in public for a week and, suspended from Twitter in the wake of his encouraging supporters to march on Congress, has been uncharacteristically silent. There have been no call-ins to his favourite Fox News hosts, interviews with the networks, or speeches celebrating his stormy one-term administration.
Trump has yet to publicly congratulate Biden on his win, wish him luck, or invite him for the customary cup of tea in the Oval Office. The Bidens were not given a customary tour of the White House by the incumbent first couple, either.
Before he flies to Florida from Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, Trump is likely to issue scores of pardons. The latest indications are that he will not take the legally risky step of issuing himself and his children preemptive pardons.
Outside the White House fence, central Washington, DC has taken on a dystopian look ahead of Biden’s inauguration, swarming with National Guard troops and largely emptied of ordinary people.
Adding to the tension, the Senate is expected to put Trump on trial soon, following his record second impeachment by the House of Representatives over the Capitol riot.
The Trump presidency’s average approval rating of 41% is the lowest recorded by Gallup, which has tracked American presidents daily for decades. It is four points lower than the previous worst of 45%, scored by Harry S Truman.
With inputs from Yashwant Raj
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