Trump is now planning to leave Palm Beach ahead of his annual New Year’s Eve party, although guests have already gathered at his club in South Florida and he was told that Trump would attend, according to three people who know the matter. The president usually likes to appear on the red carpet in front of the press and his friends, but he completely skips the event this year in an unusual move.
According to several people who spoke to him, he was in an irritated mood during most of the trip and he got excited about everything from the outcome of the election to the renovation of First Lady Melania Trump to his private quarters.
At one point, Trump also said he was concerned that Iran could retaliate in the coming days for the US drone that killed Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani, a year ago. A person speculates that this may be a contributing factor in his early departure. Trump was on Mar-a-Lago when he ordered the Soleimani strike on January 3, 2020.
Before leaving for Palm Beach, he learned of Vice President Mike Pence’s role in the mostly ceremonial certification proceedings on Capitol Hill. While flying to Florida for his vacation, Trump tweeted again a call from one of his supporters for Pence to refuse the 6th time from the Electoral College to ratify the Electoral College score.
While in Florida, Trump repeatedly raised the date on Jan. 6 with members of Congress and other associates, according to people familiar with the talks. He is pushing the senators over whether they will act with the Conservatives of the House against the results.
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican in Missouri, became the first senator to say on Wednesday that he would object, which would delay the results for Electoral College – but not change it.
Trump also tweeted to his supporters that he would see them in Washington on that date, a reference to large-scale protest rallies planned in the capital.
In Florida, Trump is surrounded by people who mostly support his futile election efforts, including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his son Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle. Although he fights the results in public, one question he has asked people repeatedly is whether he should attend Biden’s inauguration.
Trump recently told people that Pence is not doing enough to fight for him since his presidency ended, and recently took an interest in Pence’s traditional role during certification. As president of the Senate, Pence presides over the proceedings.
Sources say Trump brought the matter to the vice president before his vacation and was ‘confused’ as to why Pence could not overthrow the result of the January 6 election. Pence and White House assistants tried to explain him. that his role has more formality and that he cannot unilaterally reject the votes of the Electoral College.
Pence planned to leave with the foreign trip shortly after the certification on January 6th. However, people familiar with the matter have said that plans for a trip to the Middle East and Europe have now been suspended.
Pence spent the Christmas holidays on vacation in Vail, Colorado.