Trump departs White House for final time as president, travels to Florida instead of inauguration

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — Donald Trump left the White House for the final time as president Wednesday morning.

Trump emerged from the building and strode across the South Lawn to board Marine One. He said, “It’s been a great honor, the honor of a lifetime.”

Trump headed to Joint Base Andrews in suburban Maryland, where he had a military sendoff. A red carpet was placed on the tarmac for Trump to walk as he boarded the plane. Four U.S. Army cannons were set up for a 21-gun salute.

Trump said he thinks the new administration will have “great success” and claims to have laid the foundation for it.

Trump did not mention President-elect Joe Biden by name during his remarks, but said the new administration has the “foundation to do something really spectacular.”

He made the brief farewell remarks before he boarded Air Force One for a flight to his Florida home at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump told cheering, chanting supporters he’ll be watching and listening from a distance. He promised he will be back “in some form” and wished the crowd a “good life” before he and his wife boarded the plane.

Trump left Washington just hours before Joe Biden takes the oath of office as the 46th president. It’s the first time in more than a century that a sitting president has rejected the tradition of attending his successor’s inauguration.

Trump wanted to be in Florida before Biden became president at noon eastern time.