MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty ImagesBy EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump, holding hands with Melania Trump, left the White House for the final time as commander-in-chief shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday.
“Greatest home in the world,” Trump said as he left the White House.
“Hopefully it’s not a long-term goodbye. We will see each other again,” he said.
Trump boarded Marine One to head to Joint Base Andrews for a farewell ceremony and speech hours before Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.
Trump, who is not attending Biden’s inauguration, was greeted at Joint Base Andrews by cannons firing and the military band playing.
“We’ve accomplished so much together,” Trump said to the small crowd, as his family looked on. “People have no idea how hard this family worked — and they worked for you. They could’ve had a much easier life.”
Trump invited Melania Trump to the mic, where she said, “being your first lady was my greatest honor. Thank you for your love and your support.”
The president took a look back at his term, telling the audience, “What we have done has been amazing by any standard.”
“We’ve left it all on the field,” he said.
He touted his appointment of three Supreme Court justices, creation of the Space Force, a strong economy before the pandemic and development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Trump referred to the pandemic as if it was in the past, saying, “As bad as the pandemic was … we did something that is really considered a medical miracle. They’re calling it a miracle, and that was the vaccine. We got the vaccine developed in nine months.”
The president said, “I will always fight for you. I will be watching, I will be listening and I will tell you the future of the country has never been better.”
Trump did not name Biden or Vice President-elect Kamala Harris but said he wishes the “new administration great luck and great success.”
At the conclusion of his speech, Trump briefly thanked Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence.
He ended by saying, “We will be back in some form.”
“Have a good life — we will see you soon,” Trump said.
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