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Today is Inauguration Day, when president-elect Donald Trump officially takes over from President Joe Biden. As befits a quarter-millennium-old tradition, there will be much pomp and ceremony. Here’s what to know.
Opening day occurs every four years on January 20, or January 21 if the 20th is a Sunday. This time it is on Monday, January 20.
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It’s a busy one, starting with a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, which was built in 1815 and has long been the site of such inaugural events around 8 a.m. ET, per USA Today.
Next, a tea at the White House. This will be followed by opening remarks around 9:30 a.m. ET, as well as musician Carrie Underwood’s rendition of America the Beautiful, according to USA Today.
The swearing-in ceremony will follow, which is scheduled to take place at the United States Capitol at noon. “The terms of the president and vice president will end at noon on January 20,” according to the National Constitution Center.
Due to extreme cold weather, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, that it would be moved indoors.
“Therefore, I have ordered that the inaugural address, in addition to prayers and speeches, be delivered in the rotunda of the United States Capitol, like the one Ronald Reagan used in 1985, also because of the very cold weather,” said. .
Then comes the farewell of former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Trump will then head to the President’s Room, near the Senate Chamber, where it is classic to point to the nomination papers.
Following the signing room ceremony, there’s a luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). Trump will then kick off the presidential parade, which normally goes from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, with a review of the troops.
The parade will now take place indoors at 3 p. m. ET, according to USA Today. “We will open Capital One Arena on Monday to view this historic occasion LIVE and host the presidential parade. “I will sign up for the crowd at Capital One after my inauguration,” Trump said in his Truth Social message.
After the parade and a signing rite in the Oval Office, Trump will attend 3 inaugural balls: the Commander in Chief Ball, the Liberty Inaugural Ball, and the Starlight Ball. He is expected to deliver a speech at all three conferences, according to a news release.
The White House YouTube channel will livestream the event, which you can watch on the day at nationalpost.com.
No. This year, the two dates coincide, since MLK Jr. Day is commemorated on the third Monday in January. The last time this happened was in 2013, at Barack Obama’s second inauguration. The only other time was in 1997, Bill Clinton’s second term as president of the United States. MLK Jr. Day became a national holiday in 1986.
Coincidentally, this year Inauguration Day also falls on “Blue Monday,” a term coined in 2005 through British firm Sky Travel as the maximum miserable day of the year.
It is short, simple, administered through the Supreme Court’s chief justice (John Roberts since 2005) and repeated through the president-elect. Pursuant to Article II, Section I of the United States Constitution, it reads: “I (name) solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will do it to the best of my ability. Array preserve, protect and protect the Constitution of the United States Then I, God.
The Presidential Inaugural Platform will host approximately 1,400 inaugural guests, including members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, Supreme Court justices, former presidents, as well as Trump and his vice president. President, J. D. Vance, and their families.
Elon Musk, Trump’s best friend and Tesla CEO, will be in attendance, MSNBC reported, along with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
Foreign guests and dignitaries are not part of the process, but according to The Times of India, Trump’s second inauguration could feature several right-wing world leaders, including Italy’s Georgia Meloni. On Thursday, Meloni said at a news conference in Rome that he would “gladly participate” if his schedule allowed, The Guardian reported.
A spokesperson for Argentinian President Javier Milei confirmed to CBS News that the leader was planning to attend.
Trump has also invited Xi Jinping to the event, reports The Associated Press. But the Chinese leader is unlikely to attend. However, Vice-President Han Zheng will be in attendance, which will be a first for a senior member of the Chinese government, BBC reported.
Who will perform at Trump’s inauguration?
According to The Associated Press, country music star Carrie Underwood will perform America the Beautiful at the inauguration, and other performers will include two of the president-elect’s musical favourites, country singer Lee Greenwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio.
Trump’s last inauguration featured the less-than-famous Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down and The Piano Guys, while several very famous people (Elton John, The Beach Boys, Charlotte Church, Céline Dion etc.) have said they were asked and declined.
According to the JCCIC website, the theme of the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies is “Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise,” recognizing “the Founders’ commitment to future generations of Americans to preserve the continuity and stability of our democratic system of government.”
Yes. There will be a grassroots march on January 18, organized through a coalition of feminist organizations including Abortion Action Now, SisterSong, Planned Parenthood, National Women’s Law Center and Women’s March. The National Action Network, the leadership of its president and fo, the Rev. Al Sharpton, will hold a rally on MLK Jr. Day/Inauguration Day. And some Washingtonians reportedly pulled their Airbnb listings over the weekend in protest against Trump.
He did so, marking the first time an incumbent skipped the nomination of his successor since Andrew Johnson refused to attend Ulysses S. Grant’s first inauguration in 1869. Or as the JCCIC puts it somewhat delicately: ” This culture has endured, with few exceptions, since 1837, when Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson rode together in a chariot made of wood from the United States Constitution.
Immediately. Trump has said he plans to sign a barrage of executive orders on “day one” of the new administration, and that’s Monday. While there’s no sign of him going through with the idea of having a “tiny desk” installed at the Capitol on Inauguration Day, as he mused during his presidential campaign, he will on his return to the White House immediately put his name to more than 100 items of paperwork, on topics that include border security, immigration (and deportation) and the economy. And, yes, that could include his threatened 25 per cent tariff on Canadian imports.
Yes. A presidential reception and fireworks will be held on Saturday, January 18 at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. There will also be a cabinet reception and vice presidents’ dinner.
Sunday’s occasions will come with a wreath-laying rite at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and, in another atmosphere, Trump’s “MAGA Victory Rally” at the Capital One Arena in Washington. There will also be a candlelight dinner.
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