President Trump on Wednesday awarded the National Medal of Arts to five people, including country singers Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs, and the National Humanities Medal to two people and a museum, the White House said Thursday.

Trump awarded the medals as the House voted to impeach him.

Keith is a supporter of Trump’s who performed for the then-incoming president at a 2017 inauguration-eve “Make America Great Again Welcome Celebration and Concert” at the Lincoln Memorial. Skaggs is also a Trump supporter who endorsed him in 2016.

One of the humanities medal recipients, Kay Coles James, is the president of the conservative Heritage Foundation.

The museum that received the humanities award was the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro, in an interview with Fox Business Thursday, blasted the House's impeachment vote as a "travesty" and blamed the Democratic Party for the country's violence.

"The Democratic Party did violence to this country by attacking a president, who I believe was legally elected on Nov. 3," Navarro said. "I would say to these people on Capitol Hill, knock it off, stop this. Let the man leave peacefully with his dignity."

The false and unsubstantiated belief that the presidential election was stolen from Trump played a large role in driving some of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol last week in a siege that left at least five people dead and Trump impeached for a second time.

Navarro went on to predict if the election were held again "today," Trump would be elected, and added, "If he runs in 2024, he will be elected then."

-ABC News' Elizabeth Thomas

There is a preliminary plan to close the entire National Mall to the public for Inauguration Day amid security concerns, ABC News has confirmed.

The Washington Post was the first to report on the development, but The National Park Service has said it will make an announcement on the Mall following ongoing discussions with the Secret Service, the Biden Inaugural team and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Traditionally, members of the public gather on the National Mall -- bookended by the Capitol building and Lincoln Memorial -- for viewing of the inauguration on large jumbotrons.

But the Mall's potential closure comes in the wake of a violent seige on the U.S. Capitol building last week, which left at least five people dead, and amid heightened security concerns regarding armed protests being planned ahead of Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.

Security preparations for next week have already increased with up to 20,000 National Guard troops authorized to provide security at the Capitol and around Washington, D.C., for next week's ceremony, according to a Defense Department official.

Bowser has already warned visitors to stay away from the District for the inauguration due to threats of both the coronavirus pandemic and of violence.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this post reported that the entire National Mall would be closed to the public for Inauguration Day amid security concerns. The text has been updated to reflect the fact that the closure is only a preliminary plan.

-ABC News' Dee Carden and Josh Margolin

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, has announced he will attend Biden’s inauguration after weeks of attacks from Trump for signing the certification of Arizona's election results affirming Biden's narrow win in the state.

“It doesn't matter who you supported in the election — once the election is over, we put country before party. Never has it been more important than right now to observe these traditions for the whole world to see," Ducey said in a statement Thursday.

"I was honored to represent Arizona at the inauguration of President Trump in 2017, and I am honored to represent our state at the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies next week. President-elect Biden is assuming office at a critical time in our nation’s history, and I wish him well," he added.

The Arizona Republican Party is scheduled to meet a few days later on Jan. 23, when members will vote on censuring some apparent party foes including Ducey, Cindy McCain and former Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

-ABC News' Meg Cunningham

House GOP leadership will not be encouraging members to vote for or against Democrats' impeachment push Wednesday or on a resolution later Tuesday calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, according to House leadership aides.

House Leader Kevin McCarthy has already announced that he does not support impeachment, but sources tell ABC News that it’s possible some Republicans may vote to impeach Trump.

On a private House GOP-wide conference call that lasted roughly two hours on Monday evening, GOP Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 Republican in the chamber, told members that they should "vote their conscience" and not as a "political vote," sources familiar confirm.

Cheney has not said if she will support the article of impeachment against Trump, but is not a Trump loyalist and has already shown she is not afraid to split with the party.

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and Mariam Khan