BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Within 24 hours of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, many eyes are still on outgoing commander-in-chief Donald Trump.
During the final hours of a presidency, we typically see the outgoing and incoming presidents participate in several ceremonial activities. But not a lot of that is expected this time around, in fact, there’s been little word coming at all from the president’s camp as of late.
“He’s not on Twitter, he’s not on Facebook, he’s not on social media sites, so this is the first time where he's quieter. And I think the American people are trying to digest, what does that mean for his plans," said Dr. Jeanine Kraybill, associate professor of political science at CSUB.
President Trump’s presidency has been unconventional in many ways, and his farewell to the White House is expected to be the same.
"Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning," said President Trump in his farewell address.
The White House released a taped farewell address Tuesday afternoon, where the president says he’s praying for the Biden administration’s success in keeping America safe and prosperous. There was no mention of how Trump will spend his final hours as president.
“There’s been this percolation. Is he going to try to pardon Steve Bannon? Who else in his inner orbit that has now been charged by the federal government is he going to pardon,” added Dr. Kraybill.
ABC News reports President Trump is expected to reduce penalties for crimes to as many as 100 people, including names unfamiliar to the American public, as well as politically-connected friends and allies like those he’s pardoned in the past. The president is also expected to skip several presidential customs on his way out.
“Typically the new president comes over to the White House and they have tea or something to eat. That’s not going to happen. Typically they ride over in a limousine to the inauguration. That’s not going to happen,” said Jeremy Adams, political science teacher at BHS and CSUB.
President Trump will not be attending President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, instead choosing to hold a farewell event at Joint-base Andrews on Wednesday morning, before getting on Air Force One for the final time as president and flying to Florida.
Some expect Trump to continue breaking traditions post-presidency. Political science teacher Jeremy Adams says most former presidents share a certain camaraderie, for example, every living former president had a luncheon with President Obama in 2009, but doesn’t expect the same for Trump.
“I think you’re not going to see much of a relationship between Donald Trump and all the other former presidents, which has been so pivotal in so many different ways in the past 30 or 40 years,” added Adams.
The Trump presidency will end Wednesday at 9 a.m. pacific time. Our political experts say any last-minute executive orders Trump may sign won’t matter because the Biden administration will likely ignore them.
