Advertisement

Some of Donald Trump's allies knock Biden as new administration begins

WASHINGTON – Donald Trump stayed quiet in his first hours as ex-president Wednesday, but some of his prominent supporters quickly began attacking new President Joe Biden.

Trump allies criticized Biden for executive orders reversing several Trump policies, including an end to travel restrictions from Muslim countries, stopping construction of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border and offering a path to citizenship for migrants who are in the U.S. illegally.

Stephen Miller, a Trump White House senior adviser and speechwriter, attacked the new commander in chief on his immigration policies.

"Today, @POTUS pledged to be a president for all Americans," he wrote in a tweet. "It’s unclear how all Americans are served by opening travel from terror hot spots, proposing a giant amnesty, or halting the installation of security barriers along the Southwest border."

More: Day 1 agenda: Joe Biden plans to swiftly reverse Trump's 'most egregious moves' on first day in White House

More: Donald Trump spends final minutes in office at Mar-a-Lago, is first president to skip inauguration in more than 150 years

Trump 2020 campaign adviser Jason Miller, who traveled with Trump to his home in South Florida after he left the White House Wednesday, retweeted criticisms of Biden's inaugural address. One Miller retweet quoted a commentator as saying "this was one of the most unmemorable speeches I ever heard."

Most Republican members of Congress took a low key approach to Biden's first day on the job, but not all of them.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a major supporter of Trump, said he still wants to investigate the business dealings of Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son. Trump was impeached in 2019 on allegations he pressured Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden.

In an interview with CBS News, Graham said he plans to stay in touch with Trump in the months ahead about next year's congressional elections. The goal, he said, is to "try to rebuild the Republican Party and do well in 2022."

Biden did reach out to Trump voters in his inaugural address, saying he would listen to and respect the concerns of all Americans, including those who disagree with him.

"Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war," Biden said. "And, we must reject a culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured."

Trump, who had his Twitter account suspended this month, was not heard from after he returned to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Wednesday morning. Before he arrived at Mar-a-Lago, crowds of Trump supporters lined up along the motorcade route to cheer on the former president.

Having boycotted his successor's inauguration, Trump arrived back in Florida in the late morning, a little more than a hour before Biden's speech.

In a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Trump did not mention Biden by name, but did say "I wish the new administration great luck and great success."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump's allies knocked Joe Biden as administration starts