WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (NewsNation Now) — President Donald Trump is cutting short his Florida holiday vacation and returning to Washington on Thursday, one day earlier than expected for reasons the White House didn’t explain.
The White House announced the abrupt change in the president’s schedule late Wednesday. Neither Trump nor the White House explained why he decided to shorten a vacation that had been expected to end on Friday.
The president and first lady Melania Trump had arrived at his Mar-a-Lago home on Dec. 23.
The schedule change came hours after Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he will raise objections next week when Congress meets to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the November election.
Trump has, without evidence, claimed there was widespread fraud in the election. The president has pushed Republican lawmakers challenge the Electoral College vote when Congress meets Jan. 6 to affirm Biden’s 306-232 win.
A group of Republicans in the Democratic-controlled House already had said they will object on Trump’s behalf. They needed at least one senator to join them to force votes in both chambers, and Hawley stepped up.
The GOP objections, however, will not prevent Biden from being sworn in as president on Jan. 20, and Sen. Kamala Harris from becoming vice president.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. All reporting by Darlene Superville of the AP.