Tomorrow is the inauguration of Joseph Biden as President of the United States and Donald Trump is not going to be there. This is not the first time this has happened!
Three previous inhabitants of the White House also did not attend the inauguration ceremony. They were John Adams, his son John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson. There is a fourth, Richard Nixon. But he should be a considered a special case as his successor was not elected and it was not January 20th.
Each of the three Presidents had their reasons for not attending. Adams, the father, wanted to cool off the political situation. This election did not feature direct election like we have today. Instead each state voted for Electoral College members proportioned on their population. No direct public election was involved until the 17th Amendment which became part of the Constitution in 1913. It was a contentious election process and many tempers flared. At that point Adams did not want to add to the fire and left before the ceremony.
Adams son, John Quincy, did not attend the inauguration of Andrew Jackson because Jackson had accused Adams of interfering in the election process. Something that was not true.
Finally we have Andrew Johnson who became President when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. He lost to Ulysses S Grant. They both disliked each other to the extreme. Johnson thought Grant had betrayed him and Grant did not like how Johnson had acted as President. So by mutual agreement Johnson skipped the ceremony.
Now Nixon is a special case because his successor, Gerald R Ford, was his Vice President and under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 Ford was in line to be President when Nixon resigned. Since this did not happen on January 24th, I feel this should not count.
So while Trump is not the first and may not be the last. Our country will peacefully transfer the office of the Presidency tomorrow at Noon EST. Trump feels that the election was stolen from him and thus he feels that he has no obligation to attend plus he dislikes Biden.
Biden will be the 46th President of the United States of America when sworn-in tomorrow and I find that a pleasant thing. Why? Because the transition of power will take peacefully and that says a lot about the American system of government.
May this country continue to prosper and may we the citizens of this glorious Democratic Republic live our lives in peace and contentment.
That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike
