President Donald Trump confirmed he won't attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.
The move undercuts his message just a day earlier that he would work to ensure a "smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power" to his successor.
"To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th," he said in a tweet Friday morning US time (2.44am Saturday AEDT).
RELATED: Donald Trump admits defeat but stops short of conceding election
He will be the first incumbent president since Andrew Johnson in 1869 to skip his successors inauguration.
Traditionally, the incoming and outgoing presidents ride to the US Capitol together for the ceremony, as a symbol of the nation's peaceful transition.
Trump offered no clues as to how he would spent his final hours in office.
READ MORE: US faces 13 potentially perilous final days of Donald Trump's presidency despite transition pledge
Trump's comments come two days after a violent mob of his supporters occupied the Capitol for several hours as lawmakers were tallying the electoral votes that certified Biden's victory.
Biden will become president at noon on January 20 regardless of Trump's plans.
The move had been widely expected, as Trump for months falsely claimed victory in the election and promulgated baseless claims of voter fraud. His own administration said the election had been fairly run.
Vice President Mike Pence is still expected to attend the inauguration.
Biden's transition team had no immediate comment on Trump's announcement. But Jen Psaki, the president-elect's incoming White House press secretary, said last month that whether Trump attended the inauguration was not top of mind for Biden.
– Reported with Associated Press
