The ceremony will be held inside the United States Capitol Rotunda, the circular central space below the dome of the Capitol, which was overrun four years ago by rioters seeking to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. The inauguration of the 47th President will mark a remarkable moment in American history, and one of the most extraordinary comebacks in modern politics anywhere.
Trump is also only the second President in the 230-plus years of American democracy to have come to power, lost the re-election, and then returned to the White House. The other leader to have served non-consecutive presidential terms was Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President in the 1880s and 1890s.
In 2021, Trump skipped the inauguration ceremony of his successor – and now would-be predecessor – President Biden, insisting that the 2020 election had been “stolen” from him. This was the first time in 150 years that any former US President had boycotted the ceremony making the transfer of power.
Presidential inauguration ceremonies have historically followed a set of rules that have evolved through tradition. Following an amendment to the US Constitution in 1933, the ceremony has been held every four years on January 20 – or January 21 if the 20th is a Sunday.
The oath of office is administered to the President and Vice President at noon, with a series of official engagements scheduled before and after.
That the inauguration takes place more than two months after Election Day allows for the peculiar, long drawn-out process of officially declaring the election result followed in the US. It also gives the outgoing administration time to wind down, and the incoming one to put in place personnel and agenda to ensure a seamless transition.
Why is there a gap between elections and inauguration?
The presidential election is held in November and the outcome is “called” by prominent media organisations soon afterward. Within a few days, the President invites the President-elect to the White House to congratulate him and to discuss the transition process.
US President Joe Biden (right) greets President-elect Donald Trump on November 13, 2024, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)
The formal process of election continues alongside. Technically, it is not the American voters but the members of a body known as the Electoral College who elect the President. Electors from each state officially convey the choice of the voters in their state in December. In January, Congress meets in joint session to officially count the votes and certify the election of the President and Vice President.
This schedule of events evolved over time. The first President, George Washington, took the oath of office on April 30, 1789. Subsequent presidents, until 1933, were sworn in on March 4. Thereafter, following the Twentieth Amendment to the US Constitution, January 20 was fixed as the date of the presidential inauguration.
The transition period is marked by a flurry of activity as the President-elect begins the process of making appointments to his administration. As of January 16, Trump had announced his nominees for 102 key positions, according to counts published in American media reports.
The most important positions must be confirmed by the US Senate – that process is underway. Meanwhile, some of Trump’s nominees, such as Middle East envoy-designate Steve Witkoff, are already playing significant roles.
The President-elect also receives intelligence briefings throughout the transition period.
What happens on the day of the US President’s inauguration?
A Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), consisting of members from the House and Senate, formed every four years, plans and hosts the event. The United States Secret Service is designated as the primary federal entity responsible for security.
The ceremony, which is traditionally held at the West Front of the US Capitol – the ceremonial first nail for the construction of the 2025 inaugural platform was driven on September 18, 2024 – was moved indoors to the Rotunda by Trump in view of the extreme cold in Washington DC. The maximum temperature for Monday is predicted to be minus 4 degrees Celsius, the minimum minus 12, and it is expected to be minus 6 at noon. The last time the ceremony was moved indoors was during Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985 – also because of the weather.
Senior leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties and former US Presidents are expected to attend the inauguration, apart from businessmen Elon Musk (who will be part of the Trump administration), Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos.
Foreign dignitaries including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng will attend. Invitations have been extended to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, the leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party Nigel Farage, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
However, the “vast majority” of the more than 200,000 ticketed guests “will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person”, the Joint Inaugural Committee has said. The Rotunda can accommodate at best 600 attendees, and only “those with tickets for the Presidential Platform and members of Congress will be able to attend in person”.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that DC’s indoor 20,000-seat Capital One Arena would be opened for live viewing of the swearing-in, and for the Presidential Parade. “I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In,” he said.
The parade is normally held from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, and features ceremonial military regiments, citizens’ groups, and marching bands.
At the beginning of the day, Trump will attend the traditional service at St John’s Episcopal Church, located across Lafayette Park from the White House. Thereafter, President Biden and the First Lady will host the incoming President and First Lady for tea. At the Capitol, there will be some musical performances and religious ceremonies. After the President and Vice President J D Vance are sworn in, Trump will give his Inaugural Address.
There will be a formal farewell for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, followed by the Signing Ceremony at the President’s Room off the Senate chamber, where Trump will gather with aides and Members of Congress to sign nominations and maybe some memorandums, proclamations, or executive orders.
The President and Vice President will attend the Inaugural Luncheon organised by the JCCIC.
What does the oath say?
The most important part of the inauguration ceremony is the President’s oath-taking; it is the only event of the day that is mentioned in the US Constitution. All other events have evolved through tradition.
The text of the oath has remained the same since 1884: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Trump and Vance will place their hands on the Bible, a ritual that has become an integral part of the oath. The White House Historical Association notes, “George Washington took the oath with his hand on a Bible, and almost all other presidents have followed suit. Most use a special family Bible, leaving it open to a passage that has particular meaning for them. Traditionally, the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court administers the oath.”
According to a report by the BBC, Trump will use a Bible given to him by his mother in 1955, and the Lincoln Bible, a velvet-bound volume used at Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861.
The presidential oath will be administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, and the vice-presidential oath by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, according to a report by the AP.
The inauguration ceremony has been moved from the steps of the US Capitol to the Rotunda – a large, domed, circular room in the centre of the building – in view of the cold temperature forecast for the day going as low as -11C. (Reuters) 
US President Joe Biden (right) greets President-elect Donald Trump on November 13, 2024, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)
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