America’s Vice President Mike Pence will attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, a source said on Sunday.
It was previously reported that Pence was planning to attend the inauguration, but was waiting on an invitation.
Word of Pence’s intention to watch President-elect Joe Biden take his oath of office in person spread one day after the first major break between Pence and President Donald Trump – when Pence defied the President by performing his constitutional duty to certify the election results.
Pence had faced intense pressure from Trump and his supporters to stop the ceremonial vote counting during a joint session of Congress, although he told the President it was not within his power to do so.
Biden said he was glad Pence would be attending.
“He’s welcome. I think it’s important that as much as we can stick to what have been the historical precedents of how an administration changes should be maintained. And so Mike, the vice president, is welcome to come. We’d be honoured to have him there, and to move forward in the transition,” Biden said.
President Donald Trump announced on Twitter, before his account was suspended, that he would not be attending.
Biden said Trump’s decision to skip his inauguration is ‘one of the few things he and I have ever agreed on’.
“It’s a good thing, him not showing up. He exceeded even my worst notions about him. He’s been an embarrassment to the country, embarrassed us around the world. He’s not worthy to hold that office,” Biden said.