REUNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
Please step up... President Biden!
JOE Biden takes on the challenge of a lifetime today to reunite America as he replaces Donald Trump in the White House.
The 78-year-old President-elect spent his final day as a senator making an emotional speech at the memorial to his late son Beau.
He wept as he said Beau “should have been sworn in as president” at today’s Inauguration Day.
Meanwhile Donald Trump remained bitter to the end – refusing to see his successor being sworn in or even leave him the traditional White House note from old president to the new.
Biden spoke at the Major Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III National Guard Center, named after his son, who died from brain cancer in 2015 aged 46.
His dad chose the venue for his farewell to Delaware, where he was first elected as senator in 1972. He told supporters: “You’ve been there for us in the good and the bad. You’ve never walked away and I am proud, proud, proud to be a son of Delaware and I am even more proud to be doing this from the Major Beau Biden facility.
“My only regret is that he can’t be here today.” Biden and his wife Jill were due to fly to Washington DC last night and stay in Blair House, opposite the White House. They are likely to see Trump depart in the Marine One helicopter from the White House’s lawn.
He’ll fly to Joint Base Andrews, from where Air Force One will take him to his home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Sources said he was adamant he would leave Washington as President and hated the thought of having to ask Biden to use the official plane.
Trump spent his last day as President preparing to pardon up to 100 people, said to include rapper Lil Wayne, Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon and lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
The White House press office said: “He’ll work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He’ll make many calls and have many meetings.”
Fuming
Behind the scenes Trump was said to be fuming that Biden had attracted big name acts to perform at his inauguration ceremony today, while he struggled to find any in 2016.
Among those taking part later will be Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and country star Garth Brooks.Tom Hanks will host a TV special in the evening.
Meanwhile it was revealed that 12 National Guard soldiers protecting the Capitol have been removed from their duties over their ties to extremist groups. No plot against Biden was found and neither the National Guard nor Secret Service would comment.
They have been undertaking an unprecedented security operation to ensure Trump loyalists do not hijack the ceremony, following the riots that killed five on January 6.
More than 25,000 National Guard soldiers are protecting the US Capitol building – more than double the number at any previous ceremony.
President Trump, who still claims without evidence that the election was “stolen” from him, will be the first leader in 152 years not to participate in his successor’s swearing-in.
Biden is expected to spend his first few days in office undoing many of Trump’s policies.