Trump Leaves White House for Last Time as President

President Donald Trump left the White House for the last time as president on Wednesday morning, telling reporters, “I just want to say goodbye—but hopefully it’s not a long-term goodbye. We’ll see each other again.” Trump flew on Marine One to Joint Base Andrews, where he spoke to a gathering of his supporters, thanked his family, and wished the new administration “great luck and great success.” Trump then boarded Air Force One to fly to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. While Trump did not attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration, as all but three of his predecessors had done, he did continue the tradition of leaving a note for the incoming president. Reporting in some left-rated outlets, particularly CNN, described Trump’s departure in less favorable terms, describing him as a “pariah” and noting First Lady Melania Trump’s historically low approval rating. Coverage in some right-rated outlets took a more positive angle, pointing to a “booming economy” and the popularity among Republicans of some of Trump’s accomplishments.