Biden Says He Hopes Trump Will Attend Inauguration for Symbolism

(Bloomberg) -- President-elect Joe Biden said he hoped President Donald Trump would come to his inauguration in January because the peaceful transfer of power in the United States sends a message of strength and stability to the rest of the world.

Biden added in an interview with CNN broadcast on Thursday night that it was unimportant to him personally whether Trump shows up or not, but that showcasing two formal rivals, standing together as one takes office is a key part of American democracy.

“More than the impact on the domestic politics, I really worry about the image we’re presenting to the rest of the world,” he said in the joint interview with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. “The rest of the world looked at us, and you’ve heard me say this a number of times, they followed us not just for the example of our power, they followed us for the power of our example.”

Trump has declined to say whether he would attend the Jan 20 inauguration and continues to insist that he actually won the the election, although he has allowed the official transition to begin as states continue to certify their election results.

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