Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump went into the White House while directing his spokesman to tell blatant, huffy lies about his crowd size, but he can’t tweet out those same lies about his departure, four years later. Yep, Trump literally left the building early on January 20. He will not attend Joe Biden’s inauguration but, instead, left for his Florida Mar-a-Lago residence. First though, he descended Marine One at Joint Base Andrews (for a final military send-off), and this is where things come full circle. Apparently, Trump’s planned departure rally did not go as planned. The chain of events as narrated on CNN was kind-of amazing.
Things looked calm enough when Jake Tapper tweeted footage of Trump flying away and made uneventful comment while kicking off coverage.
Trump leaves the White House pic.twitter.com/fed7XB4I99
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 20, 2021
JUST IN: President Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House for the last time aboard Marine One https://t.co/l9MRKCRF4k pic.twitter.com/mnSyoNqGDJ
— CNN (@CNN) January 20, 2021
Then the dam began to break. Dana Bash got an initial dig in, saying that Trump “just looks like a small man” as he crossed the White House lawn.
“He looks small,” @DanaBashCNN says on CNN as Trump leaves the White House for the final time. “He just looks like a small man.”
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 20, 2021
And when Trump arrived at Joint Base Andrews, his followers weren’t really there for him. Wolf Blitzer flat-out called this a “pathetic, tiny little crowd.”
Wolf Blitzer just repeated “pathetic, tiny little crowd at Joint Base Andrews” on CNN
Accurate.— Ethan Bearman,
democracy, anti-white supremacy (@EthanBearman) January 20, 2021
CNN: “pathetic, a tiny little crowd” pic.twitter.com/6r7q3BgEOw
— ⓁⒶⓉⒾⓃⓍ ⓅⓄⓌⒺⓇ (@sapphiresdust) January 20, 2021
White House Correspondent Jim Acosta was on the scene at Joint Base Andrews, where the farewell Trump rally went as follows: “There’s no crowd at all here. This might be the smallest Trump rally ever.”
CNN’s Jim Acosta at Joint Base Andrews, site of Trump farewell rally & departure via Air Force One: ‘There’s no crowd at all here. This might be the smallest Trump rally ever.’
Event was called for audience arrival by 7:15 am.
As of 7:35 am, many more flags than spectators.
— (((Charles Fishman))) (@cfishman) January 20, 2021
Jim Acosta says there is no crowd waiting for Trump at Andrews. Ha!
— Ellanne Charlene (@simplysnowymist) January 20, 2021
Acosta wasn’t done yet. He declared that the scene “feels more like a deposed autocrat going into exile.” And he quoted a Trump aide who stated, “Trump is like spoiled food in the refrigerator now. It’s just time to throw him out.”
Jim Acosta at Trump’s Dear Leader send-off rally. “It feels more like a deposed autocrat going into exile.” pic.twitter.com/aq0gibMhBs
— Alan (@GammaCounter) January 20, 2021
Trump aide to CNN’s Jim Acosta: “Trump is like spoiled food in the refrigerator now. It’s just time to throw him out.”
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) January 19, 2021
Here was Acosta this morning, ready and waiting. And watching.
I like the super creepy idea of Trump looking out his window and a lone Jim Acosta is standing on the White House lawn, watching. Waiting. https://t.co/twumJ8C6gb
— This is the voicemail for Rebekah Weatherspoon (@RdotSpoon) January 20, 2021
Trump out.