Donald Trump says he won’t be attending Joe Biden’s inauguration

US President Donald Trump has announced that he will not be attending Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.

“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump tweeted Friday morning.

To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021

Only three times in US history has an outgoing president skipped an incoming president’s swearing-in — the last being Andrew Johnson 152 years ago.

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On Thursday, the day after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol to halt democratic proceedings, interrupting lawmakers who were conducting a ceremonial vote to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s win, Trump acknowledged his election loss to Biden.

“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th,” said Trump in a statement early Thursday morning, in a message posted by his social media director, Dan Scavino.

“I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the violence witnessed at the US Capitol this week was incited by Trump.

During a press briefing on Friday, Trudeau said, “what we witnessed was an assault on democracy, violent rioters incited by the current president and other politicians.”

“What we saw was shocking, deeply disturbing and frankly saddening.”

Trudeau said while the events will be remembered, it also showed that democracy is resilient in the US.

“Violence has no place in our society, and extremists will not overrule the need of the people.”

When asked if he was worried that his remarks against Trump, who is still in office for two weeks, would hurt relations with the US, Trudeau responded that it’s important to defend democracy.

With files from Clarrie Feinstein