Donald Trump will become US president for the second time on Monday in a day of pomp and circumstance marking the peaceful transfer of power following his extraordinary political comeback.
Approximately 250,000 people are expected to brave freezing weather and descend on central Washington to see Trump become the 47th US president. He will be only the second president in the country’s history to serve two non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s.
How will the day unfold?
The extravaganza will kick off in the morning with a service at St John’s church. Trump will then head to the White House for tea with outgoing President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden before heading to the US Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. With a parade along the way, the day will be capped by lavish, black-tie inaugural balls throughout Washington.
What happens during the swearing-in ceremony?
The main event will take place in the rotunda of the US Capitol after the ceremony was moved inside owing to bitterly cold temperatures, forecast to be around -5C during the ceremony. It is the first inauguration to be held indoors since 1985, when a severe cold snap hit Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration. Typically, the ceremony is held on a marble terrace on the western side of the Capitol building, facing the National Mall.
After some music and an invocation, vice-president-elect JD Vance will take his oath of office, placing his hand on a family bible that belonged to his maternal great grandmother, administered by US Supreme Court associate justice Brett Kavanaugh.
US Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts will then administer the presidential oath of office, written in the constitution, to Trump. The president-elect will rest his hand on the same two bibles he used during his first inauguration: one given to him by his mother in 1955, and one used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861.
Trump will officially become president when he completes the oath, at about 12pm EST.
Trump will then deliver his inaugural address, laying out his vision for the next four years. In 2016, his 1,434-word speech struck a dark tone as he declared that “American carnage stops right here”.
Former presidents and first ladies, lawmakers, Trump, Vance and their families and friends will fill the Capitol to witness the ceremony, along with tech executives and billionaire allies including X owner Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend the inauguration as he fights to get his viral app back up and running in the US.
Though foreign leaders do not typically attend inaugurations, Beijing has confirmed that Chinese vice-president Han Zheng will attend after Trump extended an invitation to President Xi Jinping.
Will Trump enact any policies on the day?
Trump is expected to sign about 100 executive actions after he is sworn in. He has vowed to be a “dictator on day one” and on the campaign trail, Trump made a host of promises to be carried out on his first day in office. They range from launching a mass deportation programme to imposing sweeping tariffs on imports, pardoning defendants of the January 6 2021 Capitol riots, and rolling back regulations related to energy and climate.
On Sunday, he also promised an executive order to delay the ban against TikTok.
There are two opportunities during his busy inauguration day schedule for him to make good on these pledges. While at the Capitol, he will go to the president’s signing room, off the Senate chamber, for a signing ceremony that could involve executive orders or proclamations. Later, he will have a chance during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office.
It is also possible for him to outline policy during his inaugural address.
How tight is security for the event?
Security is always tight for presidential inaugurations, but it will be more robust than in the past owing to “a higher 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.
Roughly 25,000 law enforcement officers and military personnel will secure the event, including from the Secret Service, the Metropolitan Police Department and the National Guard.
More than 30 miles of anti-scale fencing has gone up, more than for any previous national special security event. Law enforcement agencies will also patrol from the air with drones.
Officials said there have been no specific threats to the inauguration but the US Capitol Police cautioned that “a lone actor” was the biggest potential danger during the event.
Who will perform at the ceremony?
Country music star Carrie Underwood, who became famous after competing on American Idol, is the inauguration headliner. She will perform “America the Beautiful” between Vance’s and Trump’s oaths of office. Country singer Lee Greenwood will also perform, and the swearing-in ceremony will end with a rendition of the US 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 performers at the inaugural balls. Trump made the latter’s “YMCA” and “Macho Man” anthems on the campaign trail.
The high-profile musical line-up is 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 has been a backlash against Underwood and The Village People. The disco group said in a Facebook post that “we know this won’t make some of you happy to hear, however, we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics”.
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