Carrie Underwood’s a cappella, Melania’s air kiss and other moments

It is a rite of passage in the United States: a newly-elected president takes the oath of office in front of his people.

On Monday, Trump took the oath of office for the second time amid pomp and circumstance as the 47th President of the United States.

But no Inauguration Day is without surprises, and no program of events – no matter how carefully planned – can lead to strange, bizarre and charming moments. Here’s what you might have missed — and what people might be talking about in the days to come.

After Trump’s inauguration speech ended, country singer Carrie Underwood took the stage to sing the patriotic song America the Beautiful.

Ms Underwood, who rose to fame after winning the television series American Idol singing competition in 2005, had faced criticism for her decision to perform at the ceremony, particularly among Trump’s critics.

“I love my country and I am honored to be asked to sing at the inauguration and be a small part of this historic event,” she said in a media statement last week. “I am grateful to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in a spirit of unity and looking toward the future.”

Ms. Underwood’s performance did not start smoothly – just as she was to perform, the musical backing stopped due to a technical glitch.

“You know the words, help me here,” she said after waiting a few moments for the music to return.

The crowd in the Rotunda joined him in signing a cappella version of America the Beautiful, which ended with applause.

What’s Inauguration Day without a little romance?

Melania Trump arrived in a dark blue and white dress and a striking hat. As our fashion writer noted, hats have long been a staple of the First Lady’s inauguration attire and Monday’s hat was a new addition to the style.

The wide brim famously hid the enigmatic First Lady’s eyes, putting literal distance between her and other attendees, including her husband.

In one of the most awkward moments of the day, Donald Trump greeted his closest aides as he walked to the stage for his swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol. When he reached his wife, he leaned in for a kiss, but the edge made it difficult to get close enough to Melania’s face.

The couple settled on an air kiss instead.

Is it possible to fit the entire “manosphere” on a single bus? Probably not, but if there was a time to try, it was the 2025 Trump inauguration.

YouTuber-turned-wrestler Logan Paul and his brother Jake Paul, a professional boxer and influencer, spent the morning documenting their trip to Washington, DC, on Instagram. The brothers shared video from inside a chartered bus where Trump’s boys-club was celebrating. They included Theo Vaughn, the famous comedian and podcast host who interviewed Trump this autumn, Internet prankster Kyle Forgard and Conor McGregor. Controversial Irish mixed-martial arts fighter,

They were some of the VIPs invited to watch the ceremony in a viewing area in the Capitol complex’s Emancipation Hall.

A group of hyper-masculine, hyper-online young men dubbed the “manosphere” emerged as a growing group Among Trump’s diverse mix of supporters.

Trump ultimately won the election among male voters aged 18-29 56% to 42% – a demographic he lost by 15 percentage points in 2020. The Manosphere helped get him the presidency – so it’s no surprise to see its key figures sharing in the celebration.

Inauguration style has always been a hot topic, with everything from coats to hats to shapes having their own style — like Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter ella emhoffMelania Trump; and former Trump adviser Roger Stone, who has a style blog and hobby of elaborate menswear,

But sometimes it’s the lack of style that draws the most attention – the anti-fashionistas.

In 2020, independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders stole the show with his utilitarian coat and patterned gloves — a gift from a constituent. which went viral Unlike a day of pomp and circumstance.

But gloves? This is 2020. This year, Senator John Fetterman wore perhaps the most unique outfit of the day – his signature oversized hoodie, long, loose athletic shorts and sneakers.

It’s a look the Pennsylvania Democrat is famous for — he wears it almost daily and even inspires Senate dress code changes,

Much of the conversation focused on why Fetterman chose to ditch the coat and wear shorts on such a cold day, considering the inauguration ceremony was held indoors. Forecasters have predicted a low of -11C (12F).

In 2017, Fetterman told CNN that she dressed casually and found it challenging to find more formal attire for her 6-foot-8-inch frame. “Nobody came straight to me and said if you wear a hoodie the world will burn,” he said, adding that his work speaks for itself.

Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day started with a visit to church.

But the traditional service isn’t just about worship — it’s also about who the incoming president chooses to fill in for him at the more intimate event.

The morning service was among the faces who will help shape Trump’s second administration — as will his children and Cabinet picks, including nominee Pam Bondi for attorney general and nominee Pete Hegseth for the Defense Department.

Besides him, America’s tech industry giants fill a billionaire’s chair: Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg; Amazon chief Jeff Bezos; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet; and Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO whom Trump once referred to as “Tim Apple.”

He later accompanied Trump to the Capitol’s Rotunda, again as part of a select group given front row access to the incoming president. They were joined by Tesla/X/SpaceX mogul Elon Musk, a close Trump confidant who will soon run his own cost-cutting advisory group for his administration.

OpenAL founder Sam Altman was also seen at the Capitol.

Notably, the inauguration overlaps with this year’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland – typically a gathering place for tech executives to socialize and assert their influence. Looks like the venue this year wasn’t Davos – it was Washington DC.

On Friday, forecasts of bitter cold and damaging winds prompted Trump to change the venue, turning the traditionally outdoor event into a more private indoor event. Public ticketholders were instead directed to gather at Capital One Arena, an indoor sports and concert venue in Washington, DC.

But some people weren’t expecting the bag-size rules to come with the change in venue. As the grounds filled, photos emerged of piles of discarded bags, water bottles and other items that were deemed too large or too risky to be allowed inside.

Initial guidance provided by Capitol Police banned bags larger than 12″x12″x5″ from the Capitol grounds for the inauguration, but it appears there are stricter requirements in the area.

Purses and backpacks of all sizes were left in piles on the street, obviously abandoned. Some appeared to be from designer brands including Coach and Louis Vuitton.