Trump wants to leave DC soon to avoid asking Biden for a plane: CNN

• President Donald Trump wants to leave Washington, DC, before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Wednesday, CNN reported.
• His goal is to avoid leaving the White House as a former president, CNN said. A source suggested that Trump did not want to ask Biden if he could borrow Air Force One.
• Biden is due to be sworn in around noon on Wednesday amid a heightened security presence sparked by the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
• Trump intends to fly to his resort town of Mar-a-Lago in Florida to begin his post-presidential life, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
• Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump wants to leave Washington, DC, before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated because he doesn’t want to come out as ex-president or apply to borrow Air Force One, CNN reported on Friday.

Biden is set to be inaugurated on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday amid a heightened security presence sparked by the Jan.6 attack on the compound by Trump supporters.

Trump said on Jan.8 that he would not attend the inauguration, making him the first outgoing president to refuse to attend his successor’s ceremony since 1869.

Instead, CNN said, Trump plans to leave the White House before the midday swearing-in ceremony. His team are working to muster a large crowd to see him go, the network said.

The White House did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment on the president’s plans.

According to CNN, Trump plans to leave the White House for the last time as chairman of Marine One from South Lawn. He is hoping for a military-style shipment, the network reported, citing an anonymous source who had discussed the plan with Trump.

Getty

Trump has not officially confirmed his destination. At one point he was reportedly headed to Scotland, where he owns a golf course. However, the Scottish government has made it clear that it will not be welcome, citing its strict coronavirus lockdown.

Bloomberg reported Thursday that Trump would be visiting his resort town of Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

According to CNN, Trump has ruled out attending Biden’s inauguration even though allies have told him it would be a good idea to go. Trump refused on the grounds that he did not want to leave Washington, DC, as the former president, the network said.

Trump was also reluctant to ask Biden if he could take Air Force One, the president’s official plane, CNN said, citing someone familiar with the matter.

Although Trump leaves Washington, DC and the presidency on Wednesday, he still has to travel with “nuclear football,” a briefcase that presidents take everywhere, until Biden is sworn in.

To account for this, the White House military office will have a second device that will remain in Washington, DC, for Biden’s use, CNN said. When switching, Trump’s codes will be disabled.

Read more: Joe Biden hires about 4,000 political employees to work in his administration. Here’s how 3 experts say you can increase your chances of getting one of these jobs.

Since the loss of the election in November, Trump has focused on challenging the outcome without success.

Getty

In his final days in office, Trump is said to be concerned about his legacy and the fallout after the House of Representatives indicted him on “inciting insurgency” for his role in the Capitol Riot.

Trump is also concerned about the legal issues he could face when he is no longer protected by presidential immunity, according to several reports.

Prosecutors in New York and Washington, DC are investigating Trump and his organization.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is investigating the financial transactions of the Trump Organization, and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is investigating Trump and the Trump Organization on suspicion of bank fraud and insurance.