What to know about Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration donald trump news
On Monday, Donald Trump will make a grand return and be sworn in for a second term as President of the United States.
After his defeat in the 2020 election, many believed that Trump’s political future was over. Critics also questioned whether the scandal would affect his legacy.
Ultimately, his false allegations of election fraud inspired a mob to violently attack the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Then, he faced four criminal indictments: one for allegedly withholding classified documents, one for falsifying business records, and two for falsifying business records. Interference in elections.
But in November, Trump won his biggest election victory to date, securing both the Electoral College vote and the symbolic popular vote.
His latest inauguration is set to bring together a number of former critics-turned-associates, including powerful members of the country’s tech elite.
What happens during a US presidential inauguration, who will attend, and what can it tell us about Trump’s return to power? We answer those and other questions in this short explainer.
What is inauguration?
In the United States, a presidential inauguration occurs when a president-elect takes the oath of office and formally begins his or her four-year term.
To take the oath, the president-elect usually places his hand on the Bible, although some have opted for another book of spiritual or political significance.
After taking the oath of office, the new president delivers an inaugural address to a gathered crowd of supporters, government officials, and foreign dignitaries.
What does the oath of office say?
The oath comes from Article I, Section II of the U.S. Constitution.
It reads: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully perform the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Which book will Trump take oath on?
During his first inauguration in 2017, Trump was sworn in on the same Bible that was used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861. He also used a second Bible gifted to him by his late mother, Mary Anne McLeod Trump.
Media reports indicate that Trump may use a similar combination of books this year: a Lincoln Bible, plus a book from his mother.
Trump also used the occasion to promote sales of a special edition “Inauguration Day” Bible, which currently retails for $69.99.
“The biggest thing we have to do to make America great again is to bring God back,” Trump said in a promotional video on the website.
When and where will the inauguration take place?
The inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025 at 12 noon Eastern Time (17:00 GMT).
The ceremony was originally scheduled to be held outdoors on the west front of the U.S. Capitol, overlooking the park on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
But the icy temperatures forced Trump to reconsider. On Friday, citing security concerns, he announced that the ceremony would be moved to the Capitol’s Rotunda, under an 88-meter-high (288-foot) dome.
However, that enclosed space will limit the number of attendees. About 250,000 guests have tickets for the original outdoor event, but Trump has encouraged his supporters to watch the live broadcast at Capital One Arena, where he will appear later.
How cold will it be?
Early projections indicate that Trump’s second inauguration could be one of the coldest in recent decades, as a polar vortex sweeps across the US.
As of Friday, the National Weather Service was forecasting temperatures around -6 °C, or 22 °F, at noon on Monday.
Has any other president held his inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda?
Just one. In 1985, Ronald Reagan was also taking office for the second time – and he too had to deal with snowy weather. The temperature reached -14 °C, or only 7 °F, lower than the forecast for Monday.
Therefore, like Trump, Reagan decided to move his inauguration ceremony to the Capitol Rotunda.
However, other presidents have held their ceremonies in other parts of the Capitol, such as inside the Senate Chamber, although outdoor ceremonies have increasingly become the standard.
Who will participate?
While presidential inauguration ceremonies have always been attended by influential people, this year’s list of attendees has drawn additional attention.
Three former presidents – Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – will all be in attendance. The leaders of the outgoing administration, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, will do the same.
Both Biden and Harris faced Trump during the campaign. While Biden won his 2020 contest with Trump, he dropped out of the 2024 race, and Harris, who replaced him, ultimately lost.
Trump’s guest list also includes far-right leaders from around the world. Argentinian President Javier Meili, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French politician Eric Zemmour and British Member of Parliament Nigel Farage are all expected to attend.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to attend, but his country’s Supreme Court deemed him a flight risk due to facing legal proceedings at home.
Several prominent businessmen will also help Trump return to power, among them billionaire Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Critics have taken the presence of tech billionaires as a sign that the industry has embraced Trump despite caution and outspoken criticism in the past.
Although he previously called the January 6 insurrection a “shameful day”, Apple’s Tim Cook reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
Cook is not alone. In a sign of the business community’s efforts to win favor with the incoming administration, Trump’s inaugural fund had raised a record $170 million as of January 8.
By the time the celebrations begin, some insiders expect the total raised to exceed $200 million.
Those funds help cover the expenses of the inauguration as well as related events such as private balls and parades.
Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta have said they will donate $1 million, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman donating $1 million.
Other big donors include pharmaceutical company Pfizer, financial services company Intuit, stock-trading app Robinhood and automakers such as Ford and General Motors.
Trump’s previous inauguration also brought in a record number of donations, exceeding $106.7 million. By contrast, Biden received only $61.8m in donations for his 2021 campaign.
Who will perform at the opening ceremony?
Trump famously struggled to find performers for his 2017 inauguration — but this year, that’s not the case.
Pop star Carrie Underwood is set to perform the song America the Beautiful, while country singer Lee Greenwood will repeat his hit God Bless the USA, a popular entry on Trump’s soundtrack during the campaign.
Meanwhile, opera singer Christopher Macchio will perform the national anthem.
The group Village People will also appear to perform Trump’s favorite disco song “YMCA.”
What was the controversy regarding the American flag?
On December 29, former President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100, and as per tradition, American flags were lowered on federal buildings for a 30-day mourning period.
But that 30-day period overlapped with the inauguration, and Trump objected to flags being flown at half-staff at his ceremony.
“All Democrats are ‘gimmicky’ about our glorious American flag potentially flying at half-staff during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on social media this month. “Nobody wants to see it, and no American can be happy with it.”
Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson ultimately sided with Trump and requested that the flags be pulled to full height on Monday. However, he specified that they would be lowered again the next day.
This symbolizes the breaking of presidential tradition. In the past, flags remained at half-mast throughout the mourning period, as was the case in 1973, when President Richard Nixon took his second oath of office while the nation honored one of his predecessors, Harry Truman.
Will there be protests?
When Trump took office in 2017, he faced widespread protests across the country as demonstrators took to the streets to protest his far-right politics.
More than 200 protesters were arrested on Trump’s first inauguration day — though charges were dropped against almost all of them.
Then, the next day, nearly 500,000 people joined the Women’s March on Washington, one of the largest one-day protests the city had ever seen. Nationwide, approximately four million people participated in local editions of the Women’s March.
However, this time the response appears to be more slow. While protests are expected to take place, few expect demonstrations to be on a similar scale to 2017.
What about security?
Security is expected to be higher, especially after the attempt on Trump’s life last July, when he was shot in the ear while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Approximately 48 kilometers or 30 miles of fencing has been erected around the Capitol, the largest amount of fencing ever installed. Two meters (7 ft) high, the fence is designed to stop people who might otherwise cross the barrier.
An estimated 25,000 law enforcement agents are also expected to patrol the capital, including 7,800 National Guard members.
City officials in Washington, DC, have said that streets will be closed near the inauguration, and ticket holders will be required to undergo security checks before entering any related events.
How big is the crowd size expected to be?
Crowd size is an obsession for Donald Trump, and his Inauguration Day crowd is no exception.
In 2017, Trump insisted for weeks that he had drawn the largest crowd ever to an inauguration, although this is not true.
Approximately 220,000 tickets have been issued for this year’s inauguration, with space available for approximately 250,000.
But change in venue may prove to be a hindrance. The original site, the grassy National Mall, has room for hundreds of thousands of visitors. Capital One Arena, where the live telecast will now take place, has space for just over 20,000 people.
