Hours after the Republic leader promised a peaceful transition of power to the Democrat, Trump tweeted that he would not be at the inauguration on January 20.

It is traditional for the outgoing president, along with other living former presidents, to sit close to the victor at the swearing-in event.

Trump will be the fourth President in history to refuse to attend his successor’s inauguration, after John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson.

Posting on his recently restored Twitter account, which had been blocked after Trump was seen to have encouraged thugs raiding the Capitol building, he wrote: "To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th."