Donald Trump inauguration: President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are set to take the oath of office, marking the start of a new administration. The day will be filled with celebrations, featuring musical performances and a parade.
In a momentous ceremony, Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday (January 20). Vice President-elect JD Vance will also take the oath of office, signalling the beginning of a new administration. With the theme “Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise”, the event will mark a commitment to the peaceful transfer of power.
For the first time ever, foreign leaders have been invited to witness the swearing-in. President-elect Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and conservative world leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni to the inauguration. Xi is sending his vice president as his representative. No heads of state have previously made an official visit to the US for the inauguration.
When will Trump’s inauguration start?
The meticulously planned inaugural events will be overseen by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and led by Senator Amy Klobuchar. The ceremony is set to begin at 11:30 am EST (22:30 IST), culminating with Trump’s swearing-in at noon (local time). Due to freezing temperatures in Washington, the proceedings have been moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda.
Here’s the schedule for the inauguration ceremony
The day will kick off with a musical prelude by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Combined Choirs and “The President’s Own” US Marine Band. Senator Klobuchar will call the event to order, followed by an invocation by Timothy Cardinal Dolan and Reverend Franklin Graham. Opera singer Christopher Macchio, known as “America’s Tenor,” will perform a stirring rendition of “Oh, America!”, as per a report by CBS News.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will then administer the vice presidential oath to JD Vance, while Chief Justice John Roberts will deliver the presidential oath to Trump. These pivotal moments will be accompanied by captivating performances, including Carrie Underwood’s “America the Beautiful” with the Armed Forces Chorus and the US Naval Academy Glee Club. The Glee Club will also deliver a moving rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
How long will inauguration ceremony last?
The exact duration of the inauguration ceremony is not fixed. However, based on past inaugurations, such as Trump’s in 2017 and Biden’s in 2021, the proceedings are expected to last approximately an hour.
US flags to be flown full mast on Trump’s inauguration
It should be mentioned here that flags at the US Capitol will be flown at full-staff when US President-Elect Donald Trump is sworn in for the second time. Trump had previously expressed his annoyance with the idea that flags would be flown at half-staff in commemoration of former President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29, The Hill reported. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, said that his second inauguration would be marked by visuals of flags flying in mourning.
