Donald Trump's Grand Exit: A Biden Inauguration Snub and An Air Force One Ride

Donald Trump intends to make a grand exit from the White House on Inauguration Day, flying on Air Force One to Florida for a massive rally where he'll announce his 2024 presidential did -- at the same time Joe Biden is taking the oath of office.

Trump is in the early stages of planning his departure from Washington on Jan. 20, NBC News reported, citing three unnamed sources.

Right now, the sources told NBC, Trump won't be attending Biden's inauguration -- a tradition that signals the smooth transition of power -- and won't even be congratulating his successor over the telephone. The president is contesting the election, filing dozens of lawsuits in six battleground states that allege either voter fraud or improper election procedures.

Biden's transition team told NBC that whatever Trump does won't affect the president-elect's swearing-in activities.

The big rally is Trump's favorite way to campaign. He criss-crossed the country this fall during his re-election campaign, drawing hundreds -- sometimes thousands -- to airplane hangars, school gyms and stadiums. Many in the crowds didn't wear face masks or stay a safe distance apart, ignoring federal guidelines on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

And the president, according to NBC, wants to announce his candidacy on Jan. 20 because he announced his re-election bid on Jan. 20, 2017 -- the day he was inaugurated.

The Twitterati was abuzz about Trump's plans, especially the Air Force One flight. Some criticized him for even thinking about using the plane to upstage Biden, others were simply confused about the rules governing presidential flights.

Air Force One is simply the designation given to whatever plane the sitting president flies on. So if Trump boards Air Force One before Biden's inauguration to attend his rally, he is still the sitting president.

Even if Trump attended Biden's inauguration or departed after Biden took the oath of office, he more than likely would still fly on a plane similar to Air Force One.

Traditionally, as a courtesy, incoming presidents allow their predecessors to fly home on one of the two custom Boeing 747s . Biden, however, probably won't deny Trump use of the plane in a show of bipartisanship and respect for the office.

Another point of conversation on Twitter -- whether the mainstream media should cover Trump's rally, if he goes through with it. Most came down on the side of "N-O."