President Donald Trump was inaugurated Monday as the 47th president—the oldest to ever be elected and only second in history to serve two non-consecutive terms—amid a day of traditions marking the transfer of power that was attended by three former presidents and several billionaires.
Key Takeaways
- 2:00 p.m. EST: Trump is expected to issue clemency for scores of people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks, including commuting prison sentences for hundreds convicted of violent attacks against law enforcement and pardons for nonviolent defendants, CNN and ABC reported, citing unnamed sources.
- 1:40 p.m. EST: In a speech to supporters, Trump addressed several divisive topics he left out of his formal inaugural address, saying he “was going to talk about the J6 hostages” and teasing “a lot of action on the J6 hostages,” referring to Jan. 6 defendants, who he has said repeatedly he is considering pardoning. Trump also reiterated baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election and blasted former President Joe Biden for pardoning members of the Jan. 6 committee, which he called “the unselect committee of political thugs,” including former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who he called a “crying lunatic,” and Gen. Mark Milley. Trump said Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance urged him to keep the controversial topics out of his formal inaugural address.
- 1:15 p.m. EST: Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden left the Capitol on a Marine helicopter en route to Joint Base Andrews, where Biden is expected to deliver brief farewell remarks before the Bidens depart for California.
- 12:45 p.m. EST: Country singer Carrie Underwood sang “America the Beautiful.”
- 12:31 p.m. EST: Trump, speaking after taking the oath of office, reiterated his push to take back the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Trump also promised his administration would launch “American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,” as billionaire SpaceX founder Elon Musk, standing behind him, gave a thumbs up.
- 12:25 p.m. EST: Trump said he will declare a national emergency on immigration that will immediately halt “all illegal entry,” reinstate a policy from his first term that requires migrants to remain in Mexico while their immigration cases play out, send troops to the southern border, and designate cartels as foreign terrorists. Trump also said he would declare a national energy emergency and “drill baby drill” and “export American energy all over the world,” vowing to end Biden-era climate policies.
- 12:11 p.m. EST: Trump spoke for the first time after being sworn in as president, vowing, “our sovereignty will be reclaimed, our safety will be restored, the scales of justice will be rebalanced, the vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of our Justice Department and our government will end.” Touching on the assassination attempts against him, Trump said, “I was saved by God to make America great again,” and also mentioned the wildfires in California and hurricane damage in North Carolina, telling the audience, “our country can no longer deliver basic services . . . my recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal.” Acknowledging that it’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Trump thanked Black and Hispanic voters who voted for him and said, “in his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true.”
- 12:01 p.m. EST: Trump is sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts.
- 12:00 p.m. EST: Vance is sworn in as vice president.
- 11:55 a.m. EST: President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned three of his siblings and two in-laws, in one of his final acts as president.
- 11:45 a.m. EST: Trump walked into the Capitol Rotunda for the swearing-in ceremony, kissing Melania Trump and shaking hands with Biden and Trump’s father-in-law, Viktor Knavs.
- 11:42 a.m. EST: Vance enters the Capitol Rotunda.
- 11:41 a.m. EST: Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris enter the Capitol Rotunda for the swearing-in ceremony.
- 11:39 a.m. EST: Melania Trump enters the Capitol Rotunda and is seated next to her son, Barron Trump.
- 11:12 a.m. EST: Trump and Biden have arrived at the Capitol for the swearing-in.
- 11:10 a.m. EST: Musk, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos—tech leaders who have courted alliances with Trump—were given prime seats near Trump’s family and cabinet members at the ceremony.
- 10:50 a.m. EST: Trump administration appointees and cabinet nominees, including Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, Department of Government Efficiency heads Vivek Ramaswamy and Musk, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, entered the Capitol Rotunda ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
- 10:50 a.m. EST: Former Vice President Mike Pence—whose relationship with Trump soured after he refused to toss out Joe Biden’s 2020 election win—arrived for the ceremony, where a number of celebrities and high-profile guests were spotted in the crowd, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, YouTubers Jake and Logan Paul, and UFC fighter Conor McGregor.
- 10:40 a.m. EST: Trump and President Joe Biden departed the White House in the same limousine en route to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.
- 10:15 a.m. EST: Former Republican House Speakers Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), John Boehner (Ohio), and Newt Gingrich (Ga.) arrive at the Capitol Rotunda for the swearing-in ceremony—along with Musk, Bezos, and other tech industry billionaires.
- 10:13 a.m. EST: Trump blasted the preemptive pardons Biden issued Monday for Jan. 6 committee members and witnesses, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley, as “disgraceful” in a text to NBC News.
- 9:56 a.m. EST: The Trumps arrived at the White House for tea with Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, with Biden telling the Trumps “welcome home” as they exited their vehicle and were greeted by the Bidens.
- 9:43 a.m. EST: Vance and his wife Usha arrived at the White House and were greeted by outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
- 9:34 a.m. EST: Musk, Zuckerberg, Pichai, Cook, and Bezos attended a morning church service with Trump at St. John’s to kick off the Inauguration Day activities.
- 8:43 a.m. EST: The Trumps arrive at St. John’s Church, after departing Blair House—a guest house near the White House where incoming presidents traditionally stay—alongside Vance and his wife.
- 8:27 a.m. EST: New York City Mayor Eric Adams will attend the inauguration after a last-minute, same-day invitation from the Trump administration, Deputy Mayor of Communication Fabien Levy said. Adams, a Democrat, attended a dinner with the Trumps last week amid rumors Trump may pardon the mayor on charges including bribery and wire fraud.
- 8:00 a.m. EST: Members of Trump’s family and entourage were photographed arriving at the church, including his daughter Ivanka Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Are Joe Biden And Ex-Presidents Attending The Trump Inauguration?
Biden attended the ceremony, along with former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Who Else Is Attending The Inauguration, And Who Is Performing?
Beyond members of Trump’s family and administration, a litany of political heavyweights usually attend the swearing-in. This year, a handful of tech industry titans attended, including billionaires Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos and Sam Altman, along with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. Country singer Carrie Underwood performed “America the Beautiful,” one of several artists (here’s a full list).
Who Will Administer The Oaths Of Office?
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the presidential oath to Trump, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh administered the oath to Vance.
Where’s Michelle Obama—and Where’s Nancy Pelosi?
Neither attended. Michelle Obama’s office cited a scheduling conflict, and Pelosi’s office did not give an official reason. The former speaker, who has a long-running feud with Trump, broke her hip last month.
Key Background
The three-day event officially began Sunday with a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by a “victory rally” at Capitol One Arena in Washington. The swearing-in ceremony that was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda due to weather predictions that Monday will be the coldest inauguration day in decades.
The swearing-in ceremony will be followed by a farewell to Biden and Harris, a signing room ceremony and a presidential parade, which will be held inside for the first time since 1985 at Capitol One Arena. Trump will attend three inaugural balls, and is expected to speak at each, Monday night. A National Prayer Service will conclude the official inaugural events Tuesday.
Look back on the week that was with hand-picked articles from Australia and around the world. Sign up to the Forbes Australia newsletter here or become a member here.
