Donald Trump will become President of the United States for the second time on Monday in a day of pomp and circumstance marking the peaceful transfer of power following his extraordinary political comeback.
Nearly 250,000 people are expected to brave the freezing weather and descend on central Washington to see Trump become the 47th president of the United States. He will be the second president in the country's history to serve two non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland in the late nineteenth century.
How will the day unfold?
The ceremony will begin in the morning with a prayer service in St. John's Church. Trump will then head to the White House to have tea with outgoing President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden before heading to the US Capitol to attend the swearing-in ceremony. With a military parade along the way, the day will conclude with lavish black-tie inauguration parties throughout Washington.
Key events of opening day
St. John's Church service
Having tea at the White House with Joe Biden and Jill Biden
11 a.m. EST
Swearing-in ceremony
With the event now indoors, Capitol One Arena will host a live show
Goodbye to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
President's Room signing ceremony
3.30pm EST
Presidential Parade at Capital One Arena
Trump said he would “join the crowd” after the swearing-in ceremony
Oval Office signing ceremony at the White House
What happens during the swearing-in ceremony?
The main event will be held in the Rotunda of the US Capitol after the ceremony was moved indoors due to extremely cold temperatures, expected to be around -5 degrees Celsius during the ceremony. This is the first inauguration ceremony to be held indoors since 1985, when a severe cold wave hit Ronald Reagan's inauguration for the second time. Typically, the ceremony is held on a marble balcony on the west side of the Capitol Building, facing the National Mall.
After some music and prayer, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance takes the oath of office, placing his hand on the family Bible that belonged to his maternal great-grandmother, administered by U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will then administer the presidential oath, stipulated in the Constitution, to Trump. The president-elect will have his hands on the same two Bibles he used during his first inauguration: one given to him by his mother in 1955, and the other used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861.
Trump will officially become president when he is sworn in, at approximately 12 noon EST.
Taking the presidential oath
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Trump is scheduled to then deliver his inauguration speech, explaining his vision for the next four years. In 2016, his 1,434-word speech struck a sombre tone when he declared that “the American carnage stops here.”
Former presidents, first ladies, lawmakers, Trump and Vance, and their families and friends, will fill the Capitol to watch the ceremony, along with tech executives and billionaire allies including Company X owner Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend the opening ceremony as he struggles to get his viral app back up and running in the US.
Although foreign leaders do not usually attend the inauguration ceremonies, Beijing confirmed that Chinese Vice President Han Zheng will attend after Trump extended an invitation to President Xi Jinping.
Will Trump put any policies in place that day?
Trump is expected to sign about 100 executive actions after being sworn in. He pledged to be a “dictator from day one” and during the election campaign, Trump made a set of promises that he would implement on his first day in office. They range from launching a mass deportation program to imposing comprehensive tariffs on imports, pardoning those charged in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, and repealing energy and climate regulations.
On Sunday, he also promised to issue an executive order to postpone the trial ban Against Tik Tok.
There are two opportunities during his busy Inauguration Day schedule to make good on those pledges. While at the Capitol, he will head to the President's Signing Room, outside the Senate Chamber, for a signing ceremony that may include executive orders or proclamations. Later, he will have an opportunity during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office.
It is also possible that he will outline the policy during his inaugural address.
How tight are security measures for this event?
Security is always tight during presidential inaugurations, but will be more robust than in the past due to the “high threat environment,” according to the Secret Service. There were two attempts on Trump's life during the election campaign last year, including a shooting that injured his ear.
Nearly 25,000 law enforcement and military officers will secure the event, including from the Secret Service, the Metropolitan Police Department and the National Guard.
More than 30 miles of anti-range fencing have been constructed, more than any previous national private security event. Law enforcement agencies will also conduct air patrols with drones.
Officials said there were no specific threats to the inauguration, but US Capitol Police warned that a “lone actor” was the greatest potential risk during the event.
Who will perform at the concert?
Country music star Carrie Underwood, who rose to fame after competing on American Idol, is the inauguration's headliner. The song “America the Beautiful” will be performed between Vance and Trump's swearing-in. Country singer Lee Greenwood will also perform, and the swearing-in ceremony will end with the singing of the American national anthem by opera singer Christopher Macchio.
Later in the evening, rapper Nelly, country band Rascal Flatts and disco group The Village People will be among the artists performing at the opening concerts. Trump composed the anthems “YMCA” and “Macho Man” for the latter during the campaign.
The high-profile lineup stands in stark contrast to Trump's first inauguration, when his team struggled to attract stars. In a sign of America's deep political divisions, there was a backlash against Underwood and the village people. “We know this won't make some of you happy to hear it, but we believe music should be performed without regard to politics,” the disco group said in a Facebook post.
