What to Watch on Inauguration Day
The historic ceremony was moved indoors after weather forecasts predicted dangerously cold temperatures for Jan. 20.
Jacob Burg, Epoch Times, Jan. 20, 2025
(https://tinyurl.com/3tatk23u)
President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the country’s 47th president on Jan. 20 in an event that will include welcoming ceremonies from business and global leaders and feature extravagant celebrations from well-known performers.
After weather forecasts predicted temperatures as low as 22 degrees Fahrenheit during the time Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are set to take the oath of office, the swearing-in ceremony was moved inside the Capitol rotunda. This will be the first time a commander-in-chief has been inaugurated indoors since President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term 40 years ago.
The musical performers include country music stars Carrie Underwood and Lee Greenwood, tenor Christopher Macchio, and the Village People. Among the business moguls planning to attend Trump’s inauguration are Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Here is everything you need to know about Trump’s inauguration:
Trump signing energy executive order, Day One
Ceremony Moved to Capitol Rotunda
Trump said on Jan. 17 that the ceremony would move indoors after dangerously cold temperatures were forecast for Inauguration Day.
“I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” Trump posted on Truth Social. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) honored Trump’s request.
Trump said the Capital One Arena in Washington would be open on Jan. 20 for live viewing of his inauguration and the presidential parade.
Trump’s family will accompany him in the Capitol rotunda, including his wife, Melania, his five children, and his grandchildren. Because the space can hold only 600 people, there are limited spots for Supreme Court justices, former presidents and their spouses, Cabinet nominees, military leaders, and visiting global leaders. There are also 535 congressional lawmakers who have historically received prime seating, but some Democrats have said they will skip the ceremony.
While Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were all invited to the dais, it is not yet clear who will get a seat in the rotunda.
Jan. 20 Schedule
Inauguration Day will begin with a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, followed by tea at the White House with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Trump will then head to the rotunda for his swearing-in ceremony before bidding farewell to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The U.S. Capitol departure ceremony will occur next, and then Trump will sign formal nominations for his Cabinet in the White House signing room ceremony before heading to the JCCIC congressional luncheon. Trump will then conduct his review of the troops before embarking on the presidential parade. Lastly, Trump will travel to the Oval Office for the signing ceremony, where he is expected to sign a flurry of executive orders.
The final three events of the day are the Commander-in-Chief, Liberty Inaugural, and Starlight balls, where Trump will deliver remarks as the 47th president.
Inauguration Ceremony
While Trump’s previous inaugural address, which lasted 16 minutes, discussed the shuttering of U.S. factories and the nation’s shrinking middle class, the president-elect told NBC News on Jan. 18 that the theme of his 2025 inaugural address will be “unity and strength, and also the word ‘fairness.’”
“Because you have to be treating people fairly,” Trump said. “You can’t just say, ‘Oh, everything’s going to be wonderful.’ You know, we went through hell for four years with these people. And so, you know, something has to be done about it. … You can’t have that happen, and we shouldn’t have that happen.”
On Jan. 17, the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee announced the Bibles for the swearing-in ceremony. Trump will use the Bible his mother gave him in 1955 to celebrate his Sunday Church Primary School graduation at First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, New York. He will also use the Lincoln Bible, which was used on March 4, 1861, for the swearing-in of President Abraham Lincoln. The Bible has been used for inaugurations only three times since—by President Barack Obama twice and by Trump during his 2017 inauguration.
Vice President-elect JD Vance will use a family Bible that formerly belonged to his maternal great-grandmother. His “Mamaw” Bonnie gave it to him on Sept. 22, 2003, when he left home for Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina.
Musical Performances
Before Chief Justice John Roberts swears Trump in at about 12 p.m. EST on Jan. 20, Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful.” The former “American Idol” contestant, who has also won eight Grammy Awards, was a surprise guest for Trump’s inauguration schedule.
Late-1970s disco group the Village People will perform at Trump’s “Make America Great Again” rally on Jan. 19 and at the Liberty Ball on Jan. 20. Trump used the group’s hit song “Y.M.C.A.” to close out many of his rallies and events on the 2024 campaign trail.
Macchio will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Greenwood will close out the night with a performance of “God Bless the U.S.A.,” another staple of Trump’s campaign rallies.
Country singer Gavin DeGraw, famous for his hit song “I Don’t Want to Be,” will perform at the evening’s final event—the Starlight Ball. Country singers Jason Aldean and Parker McCollum and country music band Rascal Flatts will perform at the Liberty and Commander-in-Chief balls.
Global Leaders Present
No foreign heads of state have previously made an official visit to the United States for an inauguration ceremony. Trump broke that tradition by inviting Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, and Italy’s premier, Giorgia Meloni, who both accepted his offers. The offices of Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa confirmed their invitations and indicated the two leaders’ intentions to attend.
Although Trump also invited Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, Xi will not attend and is instead sending deputy leader Han Zheng in his place.
How to Watch
Trump’s swearing-in ceremony will be closed to the public but will be viewable online. NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, will stream the ceremony live. Several television networks will also broadcast the proceedings, including C-SPAN.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.