Pence, other GOP officials expected to skip Trump send-off

[sabra]

Source: The Hill

Romney calls for Senate to pass sanctions on Putin over Navalny poisoning
Vice President Pence is not expected to attend a send-off for President Trump at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, joining a host of other GOP officials who have declined to see the president off for his official departure from the White House.

Trump will leave the base about 8 a.m. on Wednesday for Florida. Officials are planning a formal ceremony for the president, who is declining to attend his successor's inauguration in a break with more than a century of tradition.

Pence is slated to attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, and as a result will not be at the Air Force base. Officials cited the logistical challenges of getting between the two events. Biden is scheduled to be sworn in at noon Wednesday.

The top two Republicans in Congress — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) — are also not planning to attend Trump's send-off. McCarthy and McConnell have also been invited by Biden to attend a pre-inauguration church service Wednesday morning.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/534835-pence-other-gop-officials-expected-to-skip-trump-send-off

[no_hypocrisy]

1. If Trump wouldn't love the attention, I'd show up to moon him goodbye, esp. Pence.

[keithsw]

2. They should be FORCED to go

All these assholes are complicit to him

[Rebl2]

9. I agree!

[Talitha]

10. Hahahahaha!!!! Line 'em all up like they're in a hostage photo.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Nobody likes him anymore

[LiberalLovinLug]

4. There is no reason Trump couldn't have had his little pitty party send off today

He didn't have to have it on Wednesday. So obvious he wanted to disrupt Biden's day. I'm sure he was imagining hundreds of thousands of MAGAts, standing room only, super spreader extravaganza. Compared to Biden's purposely low key and low audience event, he could crow about is larger size. Probably slip in a line how he MUST have won the election based on crowd size.

I think it will be a flop. And any politician that attends that instead of the inauguration, the cameras will pick them out, and they will suffer for it. Of course they are counting on Trump continuing his influence, and being the de facto leader of the party. In other words, they would be counting on the destruction of the country.

Its a aspect of your system there, that there is no opposition leader between elections. Most democracies have a parliament and a leader of the opposition who speaks for the party. Mitch is the closest to that, but I don't think most Republicans would think of Mitch as their leader. So what that means is there is a hole there to fill and Trump is the orange elephant in the room. In your country, there is no opposition leader, recognized also as their next candidate running for them in 4 years, to reject Trumpism, and work to galvanize the rest of the GOP around to his or her side. I always thought that an odd tangent of your system, that the opposition is basically flailing around rudderless for at least 3.5 years.

[flibbitygiblets]

7. Although "flailing and rudderless", we did manage to get the SOB impeached twice.

Your points are interesting about the lack of an opposition leader, however, I do like that we don't have a built-in candidate in the next cycle. Supposedly, pretty much anyone can be a candidate (although it's pretty much impossible for the non-wealthy).

To your original point, absolutely, Trump could have had his alternate-reality celebration today (or next week). Looks like he miscalculated, and he'll be trying to get those who didn't come to his shin-dig in hot water with their constituents.

[LiberalLovinLug]

8. I suppose there is a disadvantage to having a "built in" candidate

ie. more time to get in a scandal?

But I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Sometimes the losing party will stick with the same leader, but usually if the candidate loses, there is a leadership conference to decide on a new leader sometime during the same year. So that the opposition has a fresh, new face, who speaks for the new direction of the party. A symbol of a change in direction from the last leader, who failed in that last election.

And so in effect as a politician celebrity you have a more equal advantage to the incumbent President/PM because the public would be well aware of your character, and positions after 3 years in the spotlight. You can spend more time on critiquing the current administration, sooner, with no interruption with a primary, less than a year before the next election. Also, I think the public has a longer time to perceive you and be comfortable with you as a leader.

[Blue Owl]

5. Suck it Donny you fat piece of shit

[Talitha]

11. Thank you!!!

[AKing]

6. I suggest the FBI attend and monitor attending Trumpkins that may have participated in the MAGA riot

[LuckyLib]

12. Pence would have more than enough time to get from the Dump send-off to

the inauguration. I call BS. A convenient out.

[riversedge]

13. I read that Pence did not show up at WH for final good bye either. Oh well.