White House confirms Biden will attend Trump's inauguration

WASHINGTON

The White House confirmed Monday that President Joe Biden will, in fact, attend President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, restoring a key democratic practice broken by the incoming president.

"The president promised that he would attend the inauguration of whomever won the election. He and the First Lady are going to honor that promise and attend the inauguration," spokesperson Andy Bates told reporters on Air Force One.

"He views that as an important demonstration of commitment to our democratic values and to honoring the will of the people as we continue to provide an orderly and effective transition," he added.

Trump, notably, chose to skip Biden's 2021 inauguration, maintaining baseless claims that the election was stolen from him, allegations he continues to recite despite having a lack of evidence and being consistently reject in court.

Trump also neglected to invite Biden to the White House after he lost the election. Biden also restored that tradition earlier this month when he hosted Trump for a White House sit-down as the president and his senior officials vow to ensure a "smooth transition" of power.