Trump initially didn’t want to publish a video condemning the Loyalists whose actions he largely supported – and who he said he “ loved ” a day earlier – but he told the aides to prepare a speech and then he would make the decision.
After reading the short script they prepared, Trump agreed to record it Thursday night – a relief to senior staff, although concerns persisted that he could return to the office during his final days, given his factual position has remained unchanged: that he lost the election unfairly.
But now that he has admitted that he will no longer serve a second term, Trump is starting to think about how he will spend his final days in the White House, according to people familiar with the matter.
But as Trump stops his false attempt to reverse the election results, advisers hope he will finally focus on his post-presidency.
Aides still have a long list of executive actions they hope he’ll sign in his last days, including one spent on buy-US amenities. There is talk of a trip next week to watch progress on the border wall, one of Trump’s proudest accomplishments. And a slew of pardons are expected in the coming days, including possibly for himself and his family.
Assistants are still in talks about a farewell speech or an interview, but acknowledge that the video Trump released Thursday saying that a “new administration will be inaugurated on January 20” is as close to a concession he will get.
“My focus now is on ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transfer of power,” he said, speaking in monotone and reading from a teleprompter. “This moment calls for healing and reconciliation.”
Trump’s highly scripted video acknowledging that he will leave the White House is the tone his advisers hope he will maintain when he leaves office. Thursday’s video was sedate, shot indoors, and seemed heavily edited. Trump showed little emotion when he admitted that his time as president was coming to an end.
Earlier in the day, Trump called off a visit to Camp David scheduled for this weekend, according to a source familiar with the schedule, which would likely have been his last time at the presidential retreat. He had intended to go for the riots, but decided to stay in Washington on Thursday amid questions about dismissals and cabinet dropouts. Other “charges” are still in the air, such as his last flight aboard Air Force One.
Trump must also quickly decide when and how to leave the White House. Officials still don’t expect him to attend the inauguration, although he has asked advisers if he should. He has indicated to some that it is not excluded.
Vice President Mike Pence, who cursed Trump on Wednesday after letting the president know he could not reverse the election results, may be in attendance, depending on whether he was invited, according to a source familiar with the conversation.
At this point, Trump is expected to head to his members-only Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, having left the White House for the last time, despite his displeasure with the recent renovations of his private apartment there.
While disputing the election results, Trump declined to discuss how he wanted to spend his final days in the White House, or what he wanted to do next.
Officials are eager that these conservations can begin now, hoping to spend some time focusing on Trump’s “ legacy, ” even though many in the building believe it will be irrevocably tarred by its behavior that sparked this riot. week.