Trump leaves White House for last time as US President, will skip Biden's inauguration

Washington: Donald Trump has left the White House for the final time as President.

Mr Trump emerged from the building on Wednesday morning and strode across the South Lawn to board Marine One. He said, “It’s been a great honor, the honour of a lifetime.”

Mr Trump now heads to Joint Base Andrews in suburban Maryland, where he’ll have a military sendoff. A red carpet has been placed on the tarmac for Mr Trump to walk as he boards the plane. Four U.S. Army cannons are set up for a 21-gun salute. Mr Trump then flies to Florida, where he’ll stay at Mar-a-Lago.

Mr Trump is leaving Washington just hours before Joe Biden takes the oath of office as the 46th President. It’s the first time in more than a century that a sitting President has rejected the tradition of attending his successor’s inauguration.