"We'll Be Back" Says Donald Trump Who lands in Florida as first president in over 150 years to skip inauguration

Soon-to-be-ex-President Donald Trump left the White House early Wednesday and will spend his final minutes in office at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida – though he also suggested he will seek to remain in political life.

“We will be back in some form,” Trump told supporters during a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews that featured a 21-gun salute and a military band playing “Hail to the Chief.”

“Have a good life,” Trump said. “We will see you soon.”

In a nine-minute speech on “an incredible four years,” Trump recounted highlights that included the creation of the Space Force, veterans benefits, and the 2017 tax bill.

The outgoing president did not mention his two impeachments, nor the more than 400,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, though he did warn supporters to “be careful” in the face of the “horrible virus.”

Trump, the first president in more than 150 years to skip his successor’s inauguration, did not cite President Joe Biden by name, but did joke: “I hope they don’t raise your taxes … but if they do, I told you so.” He also wished the new administration “great luck and great success,” and the White House said he left a note of encouragement to Biden at the White House.

Air Force One took off from Andrews at 9 a.m. as the PA system played Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Meanwhile, Biden and members of Congress attended a church service in downtown Washington.

Trump landed in South Florida shortly before 11 a.m., little more than an hour before the new president takes the oath of office.

Trump will be at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach club he calls the “Winter White House,” when the clock strikes noon, ending a contentious presidential term that closed with days of seclusion after the Jan. 6 riot U.S. Capitol.

Trump’s exit came just hours after he released a list of nearly 150 pardons and commutations and a day after a videotaped farewell address that suggested a preview of another Trump presidential run in 2024.