Mike Pence to attend president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration

Vice President has taken different course to Donald Trump who has confirmed his planned absence

Workers on lifts prepare the doorways of the Capitol Rotunda for the inaugural drapery that will be hung for the 20 January inauguration when Joe Biden will be sworn-in as President of the United States, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, USA. EPA

A worker builds a wooden structure, part of the preparation for the presidential inauguration, at the Rotunda of the US Capitol. AFP

Members of the House of the Representatives Office of Chief Administrative Officer hang a drape, part of the preparation for the presidential inauguration, at the Rotunda of the US Capitol. AFP

Workers stand near construction for the inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Bloomberg

Preparations take place for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on the West Front of the US Capitol. AP Photo

Workers install no-scale fencing around the US Capitol. AP Photo

A partial view of Washington DC, including the US Capitol and surrounding area with a view of the inauguration stands and seats along the west side of the Capitol as well as an overview of the Capitol grounds. EPA

The National

US Vice President Mike Pence will attend president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, a senior administration official said on Saturday.

President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday that he would not attend the inauguration of his successor on January 20 - one of the two tweets Twitter cited as inculpatory evidence for banning him from the platform.

With the 45th US president deprived of his favourite mode of communication, US Democrats were gearing up on Saturday to imply the coup de grace - his impeachment.

The charge of "incitement of insurrection" is set to be introduced by House Democrats on Monday, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would move forward with impeachment if Mr Trump did not resign immediately.

They accuse him of encouraging a riot in Congress in which five people died.

US Vice President Mike Pence is to diverge from his boss once more and attend Joe Biden's January 20 inauguration. AFP

President-elect Joe Biden said impeachment was for Congress to decide but said he had thought "for a long time President Trump was not fit to hold the job".

Despite there being only two weeks before Mr Trump is due to leave the White House, there are also those within the Republican Party who want to see him gone sooner.

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Lisa Murkowski, Republican senator for Alaska, also told the Anchorage Daily News that Mr Trump "needs to get out".

The US Justice Department does not plan to seek incitement charges against the president or any of the others who spoke at a rally in Washington just before protesters began Wednesday's violent siege, ABC reported.

Fifty-five of the insurrectionists were charged by the department on Friday, however, including Richard Barnett who broke into Ms Pelosi's office and posed for pictures with his feet on her desk.

Some Democrats suggested that Mr Trump and others should potentially face criminal charges over the fatal riot.

Updated: January 10, 2021, 4:57 AM