Three US presidents who did not attend their successors inauguration.

The inauguration of the president of the United States is a ceremony that marks the beginning of a new four-year term. This ritual takes place even if the sitting president will continue in office for a second term as with Barack Obama in 2012. The inaugural service has been taking place at noon EST on January 20, since the 1981 swearing in of Ronald Reagan. This ceremony is held at the west front of the United States Capitol facing the National Mall. This view allows the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument to be seen from a distance. President elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on January 20, 2021.

As of this writing, incumbant Doanld Trump has refused to concede the recent election and continues to say it was stolen from him. He now has filed six different law suits and has not congratulated his successor. Neither has First Lady Melania Trump reached out to the new First lady elect, Jill Biden. Laura Bush was gracious and welcoming to Michelle Obama who extended the same curteosy to Mrs. Trump. It is believed that the Trumps may skip the swearing in of president number 46, but this should not stun anyone as it is nothing new and has happened before

Traditionally, the president-elect arrives at the White House and proceeds to the inaugural grounds at the US Capitol with the current president. This is what took place in 2008 when president George W Bush acompanied successor Barack Obama. In 2012 Obama won a second term but in 2016 the Inaugural tradition took place yet again when president Obama followed the protocol for Donald Trump. If number 45 skips the January ceremony, he will be only te fourth US president to do so, There have in the past been only three incumbents who have refused to accompany the president-elect to the Inauguration.

These were John Adams, his son John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Johnson. The first time this occurred, was in March 1801, when outgoing second US President John Adams fled Washington DC in the early morning hours on the day of Thomas Jefferson’s inauguration. At 4:00 he boarded a stagecoach and headed to Baltimore. It was believed that Adams was distraught over losing the election as well as the death of his son Charles Adams because of alcoholism.

Like father,like son, in 1829 John Quincy Adams refused to attend the inauguration of his successor Andrew Jackson. The reason is that two men had been bitter rivals as presidential candiates in 1824. Andrew Jackson won the popular vote, but did not received the required majority, of electoral votes which pushed him into the House of Representatives, while Adams became president. Four years later when Jackson won, John QUincy Adams could not bring himself to attend the inaugaration.

In 1869, Andrew Johnson did not attend the inauguration of his successor, Ulysses S. Grant, This was because the Civil War hero had refused to sit next to Johnson during the carriage ride to the Inaugural ceremony. This lets the American people know that the men who have occupied the highest office in the land can at times act like children. It is believed that Donald Trump will not attend the swearing in of Joe Biden for several reasons. The first is because he lost and the Donald has said many times he likes to win. The second would be that he lost both the popular and the electoral votes. He watches the news, and knows the truth even if he continues to deny it.

The third reason Trump will probably not show up on January 20 is that he lost his bid for a second term. He had been campaigning for 2020 practically ever since he took the oath of office in 2016. A fourth issue that will eventually set in with the outgoing president is that his predecessor, Barack Obama won a second term, the popular vote and the electoral numbers. Trump has seemed obsessed with Obama since number 44's first time in office when number 45 began the birther lie.

Losing to Biden, not winning the popular nor electoral votes, not getting a second term, while Obama did with the numbers to prove, is a pretty harsh reality for a man who loves to win. Please keep in mind that it is entirely possible that the sitting president may get his self together and do the right thing come January 20. If he does not, don't be surprised and remember that three of his predicessors did the exact same thing.