‘An embarrassment to the country’: Did Trump skip Biden’s inauguration?

We’re just a few short days away from the second inauguration of Donald Trump for the presidency of the U.S. — and as we draw closer to Jan. 20. questions surrounding the much-discussed event continue to be asked.

Whether it’s in regard to a lineup of performers — with Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts already confirmed to be taking the entertainment stage — or if Snoop Dogg himself is actually performing, to questions about what upscale fashion designer Melania Trump will choose to don while her husband is officially sworn into the presidency for a second time.

Among the questions being asked, however, is one particular inquiry pertaining to Joe Biden’s inauguration back in 2021, with many wondering whether Trump attended the inauguration in person or not. Considering the highly publicized feud between the two politicians, it’s certainly no surprise why years later, people are still interested to know if the Don left his ego at home and decided to attend Biden’s swearing in.

So, did Trump actually skip Biden’s 2021 inauguration?

In the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration, Trump proceeded to release a tweet that insisted he would not be attending the event. “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump officially explained in the aforementioned tweet, further establishing the narrative that he refused to undergo a peaceful transition of power from one president to another, thus etching himself into history as the first president to skip his successor’s ceremony in over 150 years.

In hindsight, Trump deciding to opt out of attending Biden’s inauguration fits perfectly with his traditional approach to defeat, especially when you consider the way he handled the Jan. 6 insurrection just days earlier. Funnily enough, Mike Pence, Trump’s VP at the time, expressed an interest in attending Biden’s inauguration — further adding fuel to the still-growing fire between Trump and Pence. Yes, Karen Pence, we see you.

Aside from Trump, a handful of other presidents also did not attend the inauguration of their successor — including John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Johnson — although, again, those incidents happened far before Trump was the first of this century to do so. While Trump tucked his tail between his legs and stayed behind, former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush were all in attendance for Biden’s 2021 inauguration.

The kicker of it all? Biden decided to respond in the best way he knew how, calling Trump “an embarrassment to the country” after learning the news that Trump would be skipping out on attending that day.

But despite the upcoming Cheeto-in-chief choosing to skip the event, Biden himself has already stated he will be attending Trump’s inauguration, reiterating that the history books will show Trump as the only president in recent memory to skip out on the democratic procession. So while Donny took his ball and went home those four years ago, Biden undoubtedly believes in a peaceful transition of power, and will do so on Jan. 20 when Trump officially becomes the 47th president of the U.S.