Will Trump be in Scotland on Biden's inauguration day? Prestwick Airport may get high-profile US visitor on Jan 19
President Donald Trump has given enough hint that he is least likely to be present at the inauguration of his successor Joe Biden on January 20. And now, speculation is rife that the outgoing president may leave for Scotland to avoid the high-profile political ceremony when the Democrat will take oath as the 46th president of the US.
The Sunday Post reported on January 3 that Prestwick Airport, which is located around 23 miles from Trump’s Turnberry golf resort, has been asked to remain prepared for a US military Boeing 757 plane that is occasionally used by the tycoon-politician. The aircraft is expected to land at the airport on January 19 -- on the eve of Biden’s swearing-in.
Trump has been vocal about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election saying it was stolen from him and is yet to concede defeat against the former vice president. On Wednesday, January 6, his allies in the Congress have planned to object to the Electoral College votes affirming Biden as the president-elect while his supporters are set to assemble in Washington DC to protest the election.
“There is a booking for an American military version of the Boeing 757 on January 19, the day before the inauguration. That’s one that’s normally used by the Vice-President but often used by the First Lady,” the Post quoted an anonymous source as saying.
“Presidential flights tend to get booked far in advance, because of the work that has to be done around it.”The Turnberry golf course is currently shut (Tier 4 rules) and will remain so till February 5 because of the alarming surge in Covid-19 in the UK.
Speculation fuelled by military air activity
The Post report said that speculation surrounding Trump’s plan to visit Scotland to avoid Biden’s inauguration has also been fuelled by the US military’s air activity based at Prestwick Airport for around a week. The activity is said to be carrying out 3D reconnaissance of the resort.
“Sources at Prestwick said two US military surveillance aircraft were circling Turnberry in November, using the Ayrshire aviation hub as a base. US media has reported that Trump will break with tradition and snub the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20, instead announce a re-election bid on Air Force One,” the Post report said. On November 12, a MC-12W Liberty plane -- which is modified for the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) role -- landed at the Scottish airport, the report said. The anonymous source said the same plane made many flights over Trump Turnberry.
According to the source, such a military activity generally happens when Trump visits a place for a long period. Reports have emerged that Trump might announce his bid for the 2024 election on the inauguration day of Biden. In December, NBC reporter Ken Dilanian posted on Twitter: “Trump may announce for 2024 on inauguration day. Either way, he won’t attend the inauguration and does not plan to invite Biden to the White House or even call him.”
Per my NBC News colleagues: Trump may announce for 2024 on inauguration day. Either way, he won't attend the inauguration and does not plan to invite Biden to the White House or even call him.
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) December 1, 2020
Special call sign on Trump plane
Planes that are used by the president, first lady and vice president are allotted a special call sign unlike a tail number so that air traffic controllers can treat them specially. Every plane that Trump takes has a special call sign, including his own personal Boeing 757 which has the call sign 'Tyson 1'. Air traffic controllers get details of the arrival of a plane having a special call sign weeks in advance but they are not exactly told which plane at the time of the booking. A source at Prestwick Airport told the Post on the condition of anonymity: “There is a booking for an American military version of the Boeing 757 on January 19, the day before the inauguration. That’s one that’s normally used by the Vice-President but often used by the First Lady. Presidential flights tend to get booked far in advance, because of the work that has to be done around it.”
If Trump indeed skips his successor’s inauguration, he will be the fourth president after John Adams in 1801, John Quincy Adams in 1829 and Andrew Johnson in 1869 to do so. However, if Trump goes to Scotland, then he could be in the headlines for breaching the UK’s coronavirus restrictions. It is only this week that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared a new nationwide lockdown in the UK till the middle of February as the nation struggles to control a ‘super’ mutant strain of the virus that has seen a rise in the cases.
The state department said it was for the White House to comment on the matter but White House spokesperson Judd Deere told the Post that Trump was yet to finalize his plans for January 20.
The government of Scotland said it was the foreign office of the UK government which is responsible for presidential visits. Transport Scotland said it was an operational matter for the airport itself, the Post report said. Neither the airport nor the foreign office issued any statement.
Biden was asked in the recent past about Trump attending his inauguration. The veteran leader responded saying he would like to see Trump coming to the event not because it mattered to him personally but because he wanted to see the world getting a positive message from the US about a peaceful transition of power.