Trump leaves White House for last time with Biden set to take power

***WATCH LIVE COVERAGE***

WASHINGTON (CBS News) — President Trump left Washington for the final time as president Wednesday morning, thanking supporters and vowing to “be back in some form” before boarding Air Force One and leaving for Florida ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Mr. Biden is hours away from being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Mr. Trump is the first president in more than 150 years to decline to attend his successor’s swearing-in ceremony.

The outgoing president exited the White House shortly after 8 a.m. and boarded Marine One for a brief flight to Joint Base Andrews, where he is spoke at a farewell ceremony before several hundred supporters and family.

“I wish the new administration great luck and great success,” Mr. Trump said, declining to name Mr. Biden and Harris by name. “I think they’ll have great success. They have the foundation to do something really spectacular.”

Mr. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take the oath of office and assume power at noon, in an inauguration ceremony unlike any other in American history. The coronavirus pandemic and the recent assault on the Capitol have led to dramatic changes to the proceedings, with no crowd allowed on the National Mall and downtown Washington practically locked down.

Within hours of taking office, Mr. Biden plans to sign more than a dozen executive orders on the U.S. government’s response to the pandemic, immigration, climate change and more, incoming press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday evening.

Mr. Trump issued a flurry of pardons and commutations late Tuesday evening, granting clemency to more than 140 people, including former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, the rapper Lil Wayne and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.