Watch Trump depart the White House for the final time in his presidency

President Donald Trump left the White House for the last time in his presidency on Wednesday morning, hours before his successor President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office.

Trump and his wife, Melania, flew in Marine One to attend a “sending off ceremony” at Joint Base Andrews.

“We wish the new administration great luck and success,” Trump said during the brief event. “They have the foundation to do something really spectacular. Goodbye. We love you. We will back in some form.”

Trump is the first president since Andrew Johnson in 1869 to skip the successor’s inauguration. He will spend the final minutes of his term at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Vice President Mike Pence didn’t attend Trump’s farewell ceremony because he will attend Biden’s inauguration. Officials said there would be “logistical challenges” of going to both.

Inauguration events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., and Biden is expected to be sworn in at noon.

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also skipped Trump’s ceremony because they’re attending a pre-inauguration church service with Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and their families, The Hill reported.

The outgoing president would typically ride in “the Beast” — the presidential vehicle — with his successor to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony. “The Beast” was instead parked outside the Blair House on Wednesday morning to take the Bidens to the church service.

This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 5:25 AM with the headline "Watch Trump depart the White House for the final time in his presidency."