What to expect when the new president of the United States is sworn in

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Donald Trump is set to serve a second term as US president amid great pomp and circumstance in what will be a peaceful transition of power following his extraordinary political comeback.

An estimated 250,000 people are expected to brave the snowy weather and descend on downtown Washington to see Trump become the 47th president of the United States. He would become only the second president in the nation’s history to serve two non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s.

How will the day be?

The extravaganza will begin in the morning with a service at St. John’s Church. Trump will then head to the White House for tea with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden before heading to the US Capitol to be sworn in. The day is celebrated with black-tie graduation balls across Washington, with parades along the route.

Major graduation day events

In the Rotunda of the US Capitol
Donald Trump will deliver his inaugural address in the Rotunda of the US Capitol © Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty Images

St. John’s Church service

Tea with Joe Biden and Jill Biden at the White House

11 o’clock

Oath ceremony

While the event is now indoors, Capitol One Arena will host live viewing.

Farewell to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

The President’s signature ceremony

3:30 pm

Presidential parade at Capital One Arena

Trump said he would “join the crowd” after the swearing-in ceremony

Signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House

A satellite image showing four key locations in Washington DC linked to the US Presidential Inauguration.

What happens during the swearing-in ceremony?

With temperatures forecast to be around -5C during the ceremony, the main event will take place inside the US Capitol after the ceremony is moved indoors. It is the first inauguration to be held indoors since 1985 when Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration was hit by severe cold. Traditionally, the ceremony is held on the marble podium on the west side of the Capitol building facing the National Mall.

After some music and invocation, Vice President-President J.D. Vance will take the oath of office by placing his hand on the family Bible, his maternal great-grandfather, administered by US Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the presidential oath of office to Trump as written in the Constitution. The president-elect will rest his hands on two Bibles he used at his inauguration: one given to him by his mother in 1955 and one used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861.

Trump will officially become president at 12pm EST when he takes the oath of office.

Oath of the President

Donald Trump is sworn in as President at the US Capitol in Washington on January 20, 2017.
Donald Trump is sworn in as President at the US Capitol in Washington on January 20, 2017. © Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images

I swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and that I will protect, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States to the best of my ability.

Trump delivers his inaugural address, laying out his vision for the next four years. In the year In 2016, his 1,434-word speech struck a dark note: “The carnage of Americans stops here.”

Former presidents and first ladies, lawmakers, Trump, Vance and their family and friends will fill the Capitol to watch the ceremony, along with tech executives and billionaire allies including X-masher Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. TikTok CEO Xu Zichew is expected to attend the launch as he struggles to get the viral app back up and running in the United States.

Although foreign leaders did not attend the inauguration, Beijing confirmed that Chinese Vice President Han Zheng would attend after Trump extended an invitation to President Xi Jinping.

Will Trump issue a policy that day?

Trump is expected to sign nearly 100 executive actions after taking the oath of office. They range from opening a mass deportation program to imposing high tariffs on imports, pardoning those accused of the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, and rolling back energy and climate regulations.

Sunday also promised to delay the executive order Suspension On Tik Tok

There are two opportunities to fulfill these commitments in the busy graduation day schedule. While in the Capitol, he goes to the President’s Signing Room, located outside the Senate Chamber, for a signing ceremony that may include executive orders or proclamations. Later, he will have a chance during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

Policy can also be outlined during their opening speech.

Members of the United States Military Joint Honor Guard practice during the Presidential Inauguration on the North Lawn in front of the White House.
Members of the U.S. Military Joint Honor Guard practice during the Presidential Inauguration on the North Lawn in front of the White House. © Ben Curtis / AP

How strict is security for the event?

Security is always tight during presidential inaugurations, but will be tighter than in the past because of the “high-risk environment,” the Secret Service said. There were two attempts on Trump’s life during last year’s election campaign, including one that damaged his ear.

About 25,000 law enforcement officers and military personnel from the Secret Service, Metropolitan Police Department, and National Guard are expected to secure the event.

More than 30 miles of anti-scale fencing has been erected, more than the previous National Special Security Incident. Law enforcement agencies also monitor drones from the air.

Officials said there were no specific threats at the inauguration, but the US Capitol Police warned that the biggest danger during the event was a “lone actor.”

Who performs the ceremony?

Country music star Carrie Underwood, who rose to fame after competing on American Idol, is the headliner. Between Vance and Trump’s inauguration, she performs “America the Beautiful.” Country singer Lee Greenwood will also perform, and the swearing-in ceremony will conclude with opera singer Christopher Macchio’s rendition of the US National Anthem.

Carrie Underwood is singing into the microphone.
Carrie Underwood is one of the musical stars performing at the inauguration. © Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Later in the evening, rapper Nelly, country band Rascal Flatts and disco group The Village People will perform at the opening night. Trump performed the latter’s “YMCA” and “Macho Man” anthems on the campaign trail.

The high-profile musical lineup was a stark contrast to Trump’s first inauguration, when his band struggled to attract stars. A symbol of America’s deep political divide, Underwood and The Village People faced backlash. “We know this may not be pleasant for some of you to hear, but we believe that music should only be performed in relation to politics,” the disco group said on their Facebook page.

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