It wouldn’t traditionally be worth noting, but amid a transfer of power that has been marred by violence inflamed by an outgoing president, it’s notable that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has committed to attending Joe Biden’s inauguration as the nation’s 46th president next week.
The Republican governor issued a statement on Thursday affirming the plans, adding that he was “honored” to represent his state at the upcoming ceremonies.
“In America, we believe in the peaceful transition of power. It doesn’t matter who you supported in the election — once the election is over, we put country before party,” Ducey said in the statement. “Never has it been more important than right now to observe these traditions for the whole world to see.”
Arizona had been at the center of Trump’s repeated false election fraud claims. A majority of House Republicans voted last week — even after the deadly riot at the Capitol — to reject the presidential election results from the key battleground state.
“I believe President-elect Biden is a good man and wants to serve his country,” Ducey said.
Ducey had previously denounced the recent insurrection on the U.S. Capitol without addressing President Donald Trump by name for inciting the attack.
Ducey’s RSVP comes after Trump said last week that he wouldn’t be attending his successor’s swearing in — an unprecedented move that hasn’t been made by an outgoing president since 1869.
Biden told reporters after learning the news of Trump’s decision last week, that it was “a good thing” Trump had formally decided not to show up, adding that Trump was “an embarrassment to the country,” after fueling last week’s Capitol siege.
