Hope Hicks, senior counselor to President Trump, tests positive for COVID-19. She traveled with President Trump to the debate in Cleveland on September 29 and to a rally in Minnesota on September 30.[1] Although some White House officials were aware of her diagnosis in the morning, "Trump still took a trip to New Jersey for a fundraiser, and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany still held a news briefing at the White House."[2]
Friday, October 2
President Trump tweets that both he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 and would immediately quarantine.[3] Later that day, President Trump boarded a helicopter to Bethesda Naval Hospital for treatment.[4]
Nick Luna, one of President Trump's closest personal attendants in the White House, tests positive for COVID-19.[6]
Senators Thom Tillis, Mike Lee and Ron Johnson all test positive for COVID-19. As a result, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell halts all Senate floor action for two weeks.[7]
Sunday, October 4
After President Trump rides in a motorcade around Walter Reed Medical Center, a physician at the hospital says that every Secret Service agent inside the vehicle will have to quarantine for 14 days.[8][9]
Week 195
Monday, October 5
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announces she has COVID-19 and will quarantine. Two of her deputies also test positive.[10]
President Trump is discharged from the hospital and returns to the White House in the evening.[11]
Tuesday, October 6
Stephen Miller, senior political advisor to the president, tests positive for COVID-19.[12]
President Trump, having suddenly announced two days ago that he was ending negotiations with lawmakers regarding a new economic stimulus package,[14] now says the talks are back on.[15]
Friday, October 9
The Commission on Presidential Debates cancels the October 15 scheduled debate between President Trump and Joe Biden. President Trump had refused to participate virtually. The third and final debate remains scheduled for October 22.[16]
Saturday, October 10
President Trump holds a rally on the South Lawn of the White House. Attendees' travel and lodging was paid for by Candace Owens' group BLEXIT, which encourages Black Americans to leave the Democratic Party.[17]
Sunday, October 11
Week 196
Monday, October 12
President Trump addresses a crowd of supporters at a campaign rally in Sanford, Florida.[18]
President Trump participates in a town-hall meeting style event with undecided Florida voters instead of a planned second presidential debate, which was cancelled after Trump refused to participate in a virtual event.[22]
Friday, October 16
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rejects California's request for federal aid for the ongoing forest fires. A FEMA spokesperson remarked that the damage was "...not of such severity and magnitude to exceed the combined capabilities of the state, affected local governments, voluntary agencies and other responding federal agencies."[23]
The Trump Administration brokers a peace agreement between Sudan and Israel, the third agreement between Israel and an Arab-Muslim nation in less than three months.[34]
President Trump addresses a crowd of supporters at two campaign rallies in Florida: The Villages and Pensacola.[35]
CBS aired President Trump and Vice President Pence's interview for its news show 60 Minutes which was filmed earlier in the week. President Trump was perturbed at host Lesley Stahl asking "hard questions" and complained that former Vice President Biden had received "softball questions". Trump then walked off the set.
Amy Coney Barrett takes the final judicial oath with Chief Justice John Roberts at the Supreme Court of the United States thereby officially starting her tenure as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.[44]
The interim results show President Trump carries 23 states and leads 213 electoral votes compared to Democratic Party nominee former Vice President Joe Biden, who carries 19 states and leads 227 electoral votes.[67]
A projected winner of the election is still yet to be declared with eight remaining states are still being counted. These states are Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and Maine's 2nd congressional district.[68]
Despite the lack of a clear projected winner, President Trump prematurely declares victory at approximately 2:00 a.m., falsely claiming concerns about voter fraud and mail-in ballots. President Trump states his intention to request the Supreme Court to prevent any more ballots from being counted and continues on to claim, "Frankly, we already won this election."[69][70]
In the evening, Biden is projected to win Michigan (16 electoral votes) and Wisconsin (10 electoral votes), putting the projected total to 253 electoral votes compared to President Trump at 214 electoral votes. However, a projected winner of the election is still yet to be declared.[71]
Thursday, November 5
The interim results show President Trump carries 23 states and leads 214 electoral votes compared to Biden, who carries 21 states and leads 253 electoral votes.[72]
A projected winner of the election is still yet to be declared with six remaining states are still being counted. These states are Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.[72]
President Trump holds a press conference in the White House. His opening statement is, "If you count the legal votes I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us." He continued, displaying misinterpretation of the Constitution, the role of the Supreme Court and the rule of law regarding the counting of votes. He did not take questions.[73]
Friday, November 6
Biden overtakes President Trump's leads in Georgia and Pennsylvania, further jeopardizing the presidents re-election chances. A projected winner of the election is still yet to be declared.[74]
President Trump joins Biden as the second presidential candidate to reach 70 million votes in a United States presidential election and reaches second place in highest number of votes in any election, with Biden taking first place, having earned more than 80 million votes.[75][76]
Saturday, November 7
Democratic Party nominee former Vice President Joe Biden becomes president-elect after he had secured the projected total to 273 electoral votes by winning Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), which he had reached over the required electoral votes of 270 to clinch victory. However, President Trump refuses to concede defeat and continues to challenge the results.[77]
In the evening, Biden is projected to win Nevada (6 electoral votes), putting the projected total to 279 electoral votes.[78]
Sunday, November 8
The interim results show President Trump carries 23 states and leads 214 electoral votes compared to President-elect Biden, who carries 23 states and leads 279 electoral votes.[79]
A projected winner of the election is still yet to be declared with four remaining states are still being counted. These states are Alaska, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina.[79]
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to acknowledge President-elect Biden's victory in the recent 2020 presidential election, falsely claiming that "there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration."[83]
President Trump is projected to win Alaska (3 electoral votes), putting the projected total to 217 electoral votes compared to President-elect Biden's 279 electoral votes.[85]
Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina are still yet to be declared.[85]
After Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was presented with an unusual memo signed by Trump ordering the removal of all troops from Somalia and Afghanistan, Milley then drove to the White House for an unusual, no notice appearance. The memo was then determined not to be fraudulent, but was revoked until after Trump could meet with his national security team.[86][better source needed]
Thursday, November 12
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, reports that the 2020 presidential election was "the most secure in American history". The election officials also said they found "no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised".[87]
President Trump is projected to win North Carolina (15 electoral votes), putting the projected total to 232 electoral votes.[89]
President-elect Biden is projected to win Arizona (11 electoral votes)[90][91] and Georgia (16 electoral votes),[92][93] putting the projected total to 306 electoral votes.
The interim results show President Trump carries 25 states and 232 electoral votes compared to President-elect Biden, who carries 25 states and leads 306 electoral votes. All states have now been declared within 10 days after the election.[89][90][92]
After the Georgia recount is completed, President-elect Biden is certified as a winner in Georgia.[98]
Friday, November 20
President Trump briefly participates in the virtual APEC summit, hosted by Malaysia, his first appearance at the APEC summit since 2017.[99]
President Trump meets with two Republican legislative leaders from Michigan at the White House to discuss the possibility that the Michigan board of canvassers could choose to not to certify the election results. The state legislatures would then appoint different electors who would possibly overturn the will of the voters. However, the lawmakers reaffirmed that they would honor the results of the election in Michigan and stated that there is no reason to overturn the results.[100]
Saturday, November 21
President Trump briefly participates in the virtual G20 summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia, his last appearance at the G20 summit meeting with world leaders before handing powers to president-elect Joe Biden on January 20, 2021.[101][102]
President Trump speaks with armed services personnel in a Thanksgiving video teleconference call.[111]
President Trump admits that he would leave office if the electoral college votes for Joe Biden, adding it would be a mistake "and a very hard thing to concede".[112]
President Trump uploads a 46-minute speech on his claims of alleged voter fraud to his social media platforms titled "This may be the most important speech I've ever made....".[117][118]
President Trump holds a rally for Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Valdosta, Georgia, and spends most of the 100 minute speech on his conspiratorial theories of electoral fraud rather than on the runoff elections against Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively.[121]
Sunday, December 6
President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is admitted to hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.[122]
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton files an amicus brief with the Supreme Court asking to block four states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia — from casting electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden.
President Trump hosts the annual White House Hanukkah Party and in a speech to guests claims he will be re-elected, despite losing the election, if the Supreme Court "[has] courage".[126]
The third (No portrait was taken for 2019) and final official White House Christmas portrait of the Trump administration is taken on the Grand Staircase by White House photographer Andrea Hanks. It is not released publicly until December 18, 2020.[128]
Friday, December 11
President Trump acknowledges that there may be a Biden administration that can be prevented. He called for the Supreme Court to follow the Constitution and "do what has to be done" in order to avoid a Biden admin.[129]
President Trump signs a one-week spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.[130]
The Supreme Court declines to hear the Paxton lawsuit (seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election) stating that the State of Texas did not have legal standing to bring the case before the Court.[131]
Saturday, December 12
President Trump takes part in the coin toss for his third and final Army–Navy Game as commander-in-chief before handing power to Biden.[132]
Sunday, December 13
Week 205
Monday, December 14
All 538 electors for the electoral college met to cast their votes and finalize the 2020 presidential election results. Both candidates received their projected counts of 306 for President-elect Biden and 232 for President Trump without any faithless electors.[133]
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell congratulates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory, accepting the results of the 2020 election in another blow to President Trump's attempt to delegitimise the election results, saying, "Many of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result" and that "all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the very first time".[135]
Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams all receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in a televised White House event with Vice President Pence becoming the most senior figure in the U.S. so far to receive the vaccine.[137]
The Trump administration announces they will close the remaining two U.S. consulates in Russia following a suspected cyberattack on government agencies.[138]
First Lady Melania Trump releases the third (no portrait was taken for 2019) and final official White House Christmas portrait of the Trump administration taken by White House photographer Andrea Hanks on December 10, 2020.[128]
President Trump announces that he may not sign the $900B COVID-19 relief bill, which was passed by both the House and Senate. He also calls for Congress to amend the bill and increase the stimulus amount from $600 to $2,000.[141]
President Trump grants 20 high-profile pardons. Among them are 4 Blackwater guards convicted of 17 murders in 2007, 2 Border Patrol agents in prison for murder and several corrupt former politicians.[142]
President Trump signs the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act, a law that honors the memory of slain journalists, including the victims of the Capital Gazette shooting.[145][146]
President Trump departs the White House for Mar-a-Lago to celebrate Christmas.[147]
A phone call between President Trump and Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger is leaked showing Trump telling him the election was a fraud and demanding he find "11,780 votes, which is one more than we have." Raffensperger responds that the election results were correct and that Trump's data is wrong. Trump continued to claim voter fraud and said Raffensperger would be a "criminal" if he did not change the election results.[159][160]
President Trump holds a rally for Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Dalton, Georgia, ahead of the upcoming runoffs to determine who controls the Senate. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Mike Pence also hold rallies.[162][163]
President Trump holds a rally in Washington, D.C., to decry the certification of President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. He also calls on Vice President Pence to reject the electoral votes, even though the Vice President does not hold such legal power.[166]
As a result of the January 6 Capitol Hill breach, President Trump was suspended from Facebook and Instagram until after Biden's inauguration for allegedly inciting the riot.[169] He was also suspended from Twitter for 24 hours, with the suspension only being lifted if he deleted three Tweets that Twitter say violated their terms of service because they used the platform "for the purpose of manipulating or interfering in elections or other civic processes".[170]
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls for President Trump to be removed from office invoking the 25th Amendment over his involvement in the Capitol attack or they would begin impeachment proceedings against President Trump should this not happen.[172]
President-elect Joe Biden calls President Trump's decision not to attend his inauguration "One of the few things he and I have ever agreed on. It's a good thing, him not showing up."[177]
President Trump's personal Twitter account @realDonaldTrump is permanently suspended with Twitter citing "risk of further incitement of violence" following the Capitol attack which Twitter allege Trump incited.[178][179]
President Trump orders all federal flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Brian Sicknick, a police officer who was killed during the Capitol attack four days earlier.[181]
Week 209
Monday, January 11
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gives Vice President Mike Pence an ultimatum: Invoke the 25th Amendment within 24 hours to remove President Trump from office or they would begin impeachment proceedings against President Trump.[182]
The Professional Golfer's Association announced the PGA Championship would no longer be taking place at President Trump's Golf course in New Jersey as they say it would be "detrimental to the brand".[183]
President Trump awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jim Jordan.[184]
Democrats in the House of Representatives formally charge President Trump with one count of "incitement of insurrection" after Republicans in the House block invocation of the 25th Amendment making Trump the first President to face two Impeachment trials.[185]
President Trump and Vice President Pence speak for the first time since the Capitol attack.[186]
Alex Azar announces that HHS would make changes to their vaccine distributions in an effort to speed up the rollout by encouraging states to open vaccination sites to all persons older than 65,[192] however at the time the announcement was made, stockpiles were already exhausted.[193]
During his speech at Alamo, President Trump asserted the Twenty-fifth Amendment is of "zero risk" to him and claimed it will "come back to haunt the Biden administration" adding "be careful what you wish for".[194]
.
Wednesday, January 13
President Trump releases a statement calling for "no violence" in wakes of reports of planned armed demonstrations ahead of Biden's inauguration.[196]
President Trump becomes the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. President Trump would not face his second impeachment trial in the Senate until after his term has expired.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accuses Iran of actively supporting Al Qaeda, saying the country now serves as a "home base" for the terrorist group and provides operatives with travel documents and logistical support.[204]
President Trump signs an executive order that lifts travel restrictions on Brazil, the United Kingdom, China, and Europe after January 26. However, Jen Psaki, Biden's Press Secretary, says that the restrictions are expected to remain in place.[206]
Tuesday, January 19
President Trump delivers his farewell address from the White House. Trump talks about the accomplishments during his first term as president and wishes good luck to the "upcoming administration", without mentioning President-elect Joe Biden by name.[207]
The Trump administration declares that China has committed genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minority groups.[208]
Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli signs an agreement with the union representing ICE agents that essentially hands control of immigration policy to the union.[209]
Wednesday, January 20
President Trump grants pardons to 73 individuals and commutes the sentence for 70 others prior to finishing his full term.[210]
President Trump completes his first full term in office and leaves the White House for the final time as Commander-in-chief. A farewell ceremony is held at Joint Base Andrews after which he and his wife depart aboard Air Force One.[211]
President Trump did not attend the inauguration ceremony and returns to Mar-a-Lago to begin his inter-presidency.[212][213] However, Vice President Pence did attend the inauguration ceremony and later returns to Indiana to begin his post-vice presidency.[214]
Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, at noon EST.