Melania, Donald Trump leave White House for last vacation before Biden takes over

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Wednesday left the White House for a vacation ahead of Christmas celebrations. The Republican leader and his wife will celebrate Christmas at their lavish Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Trump and Melania departed the White House in Marine One helicopter before waiving at the press for photographs. This could be the last such trip for the first couple before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20. 

Read: Trump Vetoes Defense Bill; Speaker Pelosi Calls It “an Act Of Staggering Recklessness'

Trump left the White House hours after vetoing the $740.5 billion Pentagon defence budget, which he said failed to address his dispute with the bill. Trump wanted the removal of certain clauses before the approval of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by the US Congress. 

Read: 'Diverting Attention From Failures': Iran Slams Trump Over Embassy Attack Allegations

Trump wanted the removal of Section 230, a law that grants immunity to social media firms from third-party content published on their platforms. Trump alleges that the law hampers the national security of the country and has rallied against it repeatedly. Trump is also against the bill because it calls for the renaming of US military bases named after Confederates generals, who fought for preserving the institution of slavery during the American Civil War.

However, the US Congress, which had passed the bill with a comfortable majority to override the presidential veto, is likely to pass the bill anyway. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called Trump's action a "staggering act of recklessness".

Read: Trump Admin Considers Immunity Request For Saudi Prince In Assassination Attempt: Report

Trump slams COVID relief bill

Meanwhile, Trump in an address to the nation called the COVID-19 relief package negotiated between the Democrats and Republicans, a "disgrace". Trump alleged that the 5,000 page COVID-19 relief bill is so lengthy that nobody in Congress has read it. He further added that it has nothing to do with COVID-19 and is meant to push forward the "leftist" agenda, citing assistance to foreign nations such as Cambodia and Myanmar that has been allegedly included in the bill. 

Read: US Lawmakers Support Defence Bill With Majority Needed To Override Trump's Veto Power