President Trump skipped a special side-conference about the COVID-19 pandemic at the virtual G20 summit to play golf in Washington D.C. amid his refusal to concede in the U.S. presidential election to Joe Biden.
Speculations regarding the President’s attendance at the international event flew all week, but Trump on Saturday appeared via video-conference to the 15th annual G20 summit hosted by Saudi Arabia.
However, Trump was spotted hitting the green at the Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C. in Sterling, Virginia, some 30 miles from the White House soon after.
It’s the 298th golf trip Trump has made during his four years of the presidency.
According to CNN, Trump had arrived for the conference at 8am before skipping the ‘side event on Pandemic Preparedness’ and leaving the White House by 10am as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke.
President Trump (right) played rounds of golf on Saturday after virtually attending the first day of the G20 summit, which is hosted by Saudi Arabia this year
The latest G20 summit, scheduled for November 21 and 22, will likely be his last after the 2020 Presidential election was called in Joe Biden’s favor – but Trump has not yet conceded
President Trump (right) played golf for the 298th time since becoming president at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on Sunday following the first day of the G20 summit
Pictured: President Trump wored a red fleece jacket and a ‘Make America Great Again’ baseball cap while golfing with a friend in Sterling, Virginia
Photos showed Trump donning a red fleece jacket and a ‘Make America Great Again’ baseball cap, despite the 2020 election being called for President-elect Joe Biden.
Two weeks ago, the Associated Press and several networks called the contentious election race in Biden’s favor four days after ballots were cast.
The Trump campaign has since launched voter fraud allegations and accused Biden of essentially stealing the election.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer and longtime defender, held a press conference on Thursday to decry ‘massive fraud.’ No evidence has been revealed.
But Trump has maintained that he’s the election’s actual victor and has yet to concede, muddying up the waters on Capitol Hill as the possibility of a smooth transition dissipates.
If Trump’s plan to overturn the election fails, this latest G20 summit will be the last of his administration.
Trump (right) has repeatedly claimed that the 2020 Election suffered from several instances of voter fraud and contends that Joe Biden may not be the actual winner
Pictured; President Trump (bottom left) was virtually seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin during Saturday morning’s G20 summit, which could be his last
Pictured: European Council President Charles Michel (bottom screen) participates in a virtual G20 meeting, hosted by Saudi Arabia, at the European Council building in Brussels,
The G20, or Group of 20, summit refers to the annual meeting of world leaders to discuss international economic cooperation.
Throughout Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz,’s opening remarks, Trump kept his head down and appeared to be looking at something off screen.
Just 13 minutes after the session began, Trump turned his attention to Twitter where he continued to decry voter fraud.
‘We will show massive and unprecedented voter fraud, Trump wrote, sharing a statement from GOP Michigan Sen. Mike Shirkey.
Trump later wrote; ‘Big voter fraud information coming out of Georgia! Stay tuned!’
Biden was named Georgia’s winner after a hand recount was done this week and officials dismissed his voter fraud claims.
President Trump posted on Twitter to assert allegations of election voter fraud on Saturday morning during the G20 summit
President Trump: ‘Big voter fraud information coming out of Georgia! Stay tuned!’
Media persons gathered at the International Media Centre in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on November 21, 2020 watch on a projected screen as Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz gives an address opening the G20 summit, held virtually due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic
Trump shared opening remarks that addressed the US’s coronavirus response and economy recovery. Much of the remarks stressed Trump’s ‘America first’ ideology and advocated that Americans should receive the coveted virus vaccine first.
Although Trump left Saturday’s summit, the Pandemic Preparedness side-event saw remarks from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, French President Emmanuel Macron and several others.
Trump had previously knocked heads with other world leaders during similar summits, with differences on climate trade and international trade.
In 2018, Trump left the G7 summit in Canada early and rescinded his signature on the conference’s final communique.
He reportedly asked aides before the 2019 G7 summit in Biarritz, France, if it was necessary to attend.
The Trump administration was tapped to host the G7 summit this year, but the coronavirus pandemic pushed it to the wayside.
Trump offered to host the event after the election, but CNN reports there’s currently no plans for the meeting before G7 presidency shifts to the UK in January.
He is expected to attend another G20 summit meeting on Sunday morning, CNN reports.
Source: Daily Mail
