Vice President Mike Pence is attending Democrat president Joe Biden's inauguration, according to a source familiar with the plan.
CNN previously revealed that Pence intends to attend the inauguration, but he was waiting for an invitation.
The news came after Pence defied Donald Trump by certifying the election results that were in favor of Biden.
Pence experienced intense pressure from Trump and his supporters to not hold the ceremonial vote counting during a joint session of Congress, although he said that it was not his right to do so.
The vice president presented the tallies at around 3:40 a.m. ET after lawmakers accepted the result. He gaveled the session closed at 3:44 a.m.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a letter to colleagues explained that the decision to resume counting votes despite the riot was consulted with political leaders including Pence.
“Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol,” Pence said. “We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms,” said the vice president, who previously served as a congressman from Indiana.
“The violence was quelled, the Capitol is secured, and the people’s work continues,” Pence said. “To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins,” he said.
Biden's reaction
Biden was pleased that Pence would be attending.
"He's welcome. I think it's important that as much as we can stick to what have been the historical precedents of how an administration changes should be maintained. And so Mike, the vice president, is welcome to come. We'd be honored to have him there, and to move forward in the transition," Biden said.
Meanwhile, before his Twitter account was suspended, Trump announced that he would not be attending Biden's inauguration.
Biden thinks that Trump's decision is "one of the few things he and I have ever agreed on."
"It's a good thing, him not showing up," Biden said during a news conference after he introduced Cabinet nominees.
"He exceeded even my worst notions about him. He's been an embarrassment to the country, embarrassed us around the world. He's not worthy to hold that office," Biden said.
Biden describes Trump as "one of the most incompetent presidents in the history of the United States of America." He added that if Trump had several months left in office, he would call for his impeachment. However, today, Biden said, "The quickest way that will happen is us being sworn in on the 20th. What action happens before or after that is a judgment for Congress to make."
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Trump “undoubtedly our worst president,” and whom he said, “bears a great deal of the blame” for the riot.
“This mob was in good part President Trump’s doing,” said Schumer. “His responsibility, his everlasting shame.”
Trump has approved an emergency declaration for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on 20 January.
The request for a federal emergency declaration was made by Mayor Muriel Bowser on Sunday in the wake of the riots at the US Capitol on 6 January.
“Our goals right now are to encourage Americans to participate virtually and to protect the District of Columbia from a repeat of the violent insurrection experienced at the Capitol and its grounds,” she said.
