Joe Biden will attend the inauguration in January, regardless of who wins

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden will attend his successor’s inauguration in January regardless of whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump wins next week’s election, the White House said Wednesday.

“This president believes in the peaceful transfer of power, and that’s what you’re going to see this president do,” spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Outgoing presidents traditionally have attended their successor’s swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the Capitol. But Trump broke that tradition in 2021.

After losing a bitterly fought race against Biden – one he still falsely claims he won – Trump refused to attend Biden’s inaugural. He walked out of the White House a few hours before Biden was sworn in, boarded a helicopter and immediately departed Washington.

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U.S. President Joe Biden visits the New Hampshire Democratic Party Headquarters, in Concord, New Hampshire, U.S., October 22, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
U.S. President Joe Biden visits the New Hampshire Democratic Party Headquarters, in Concord, New Hampshire, U.S., October 22, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Biden, however, recognizes that Americans want to see a peaceful transfer of power, Jean-Pierre said.

“It’s not about him – it’s about the American people,” she said. “He understands this need to see a peaceful transfer of power, and that’s what you’re going to see from the president.”

Attending the new president’s inaugural ceremony is part of that transfer of power, Jean-Pierre said, “and he certainly is going to partake in that.”

A monumental decision: Biden has changed course over his 50-year career. None of that compares to his 2024 choice.

Polls show Harris, the Democratic nominee, and Trump, the Republican, locked in a razor-close race.

Biden had expected to be the Democratic candidate, but he ended his bid for a second term in July and endorsed Harris amid questions about whether or not he could defeat Trump.

Biden has repeatedly labeled Trump as a threat to democracy, citing his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters trying to stop the certification of those results on Jan. 6, 2021.

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on X @mcollinsNEWS.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden will attend the inauguration in 2025. No matter who wins.