Mitch McConnell reportedly wanted to disinvite Trump from the inauguration
Before then-President Donald Trump announced he wouldn't attend President Biden's inauguration, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reportedly planned to tell him he wasn't invited.
That's according to ABC reporter Jonathan Karl's new book, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show, which reveals McConnell "wanted to get a letter together from the top four congressional leaders informing Trump that he had been disinvited" from Biden's inauguration. McConnell was reportedly concerned the inauguration would be "another opportunity" for Trump "to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power" after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) reportedly wasn't on board with the plan, believing it would send an "important message of unity to have Trump attend the ceremony as Biden took the oath of office." McConnell reportedly still planned to put the letter together without McCarthy's involvement. But McCarthy, Karl reports, told the White House about McConnell's plan, and Trump subsequently announced he wouldn't attend the inauguration before the letter could be drafted. "To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20," Trump announced in a Jan. 8 tweet.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Trump apparently wanted people to think it was his decision alone to become the first outgoing president after an election to fail to attend an inauguration since Andrew Johnson skipped the inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant in 1869," Karl reports.
McConnell voted to acquit Trump for incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial but still criticized his "disgraceful" actions, saying on the Senate floor, "There's no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of [Jan. 6]. No question about it." Read more at ABC News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
5 seriously spooky cartoons about HalloweenCartoons Artists take on the GOP boogeyman, a white sheet, and more
-
Political cartoons for October 25Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include hospital bill trauma, Independence Day, and more
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
‘Congratulations on your house, but maybe try a greyhound instead’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump wants to exert control over federal architectureThe Explainer Beyond his ballroom, Trump has several other architectural plans in mind
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Whistles emerge as Chicago’s tool to fight ICEIN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal agents continue raiding the city, communities have turned to noisemakers to create a warning system
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
