Trump arrives in Florida to begin post-presidency life
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Donald Trump spent his final moments as America’s 45th president in South Florida waving to his new neighbors from inside an armored Escalade and settling into post-presidential life in Palm Beach, rather than attending President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Trump, in the company of his family, touched down at Palm Beach International Airport at 10:54 a.m. Wednesday in Air Force One, becoming only the fourth president in the history of the United States to skip the swearing-in of his successor.
Without taking questions from reporters at the airport, the Trumps entered their motorcade, which proceeded to crawl slowly down Southern Boulevard, giving the outgoing president time to wave and give double thumbs-ups to cheering crowds grouped at various points along his route.
By 11:49 a.m., when Biden took his oath of office, Trump had already arrived home at Mar-a-Lago, his private Palm Beach club and residence.
Trump’s decision to leave Washington early took him far from the nation’s frigid capital, where he had been largely isolated and frustrated following a riot at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters that led to his historic, second impeachment. And it delivered him into the warm embrace of South Florida, where he is expected to live in his retirement.
“He’s going to be overwhelmed. He’s going to see the support and the love we have for our president,” said Willy Guardiola, a 63-year-old Palm Beach Gardens activist who helped organize Wednesday’s welcome for Trump. “He’s our neighbor.”
Trump and first lady Melania Trump had departed the White House on Marine One shortly after 8 a.m. He stopped briefly on the White House South Lawn to tell reporters that his time in office “has been something really special.”
Trump did not answer a question about what he planned to do once he was home in Florida.
“I just want to say goodbye. But hopefully, it’s not a long-term goodbye, and we’ll see each other again,” Trump said, before traveling to Joint Base Andrews, where Air Force One awaited.
From a viewing platform at Andrews, Trump once again spoke to a small crowd of supporters for 10 minutes. Without naming Biden, he wished the new administration “great success,” and told the crowd that what he had accomplished during his term in office would be considered “amazing by any standard.”
“When we’re sitting in Florida, we’re not going to be saying, ‘You know, if we only worked a little bit harder.’ You can’t work harder,” Trump said.
Trump’s youngest son, Barron, and his adult children — Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany — joined him on Air Force One, which took flight to South Florida at 9 a.m. Most of Trump’s children are expected to reside in Florida in the immediate future.