In just a few days, President-elect Donald Trump will return to the White House with Vice President-elect JD Vance by his side after they take an oath to uphold the Constitution and are sworn in to their respective offices on Inauguration Day.
In a historic twist, Trump announced on Friday that his inauguration will be held indoors because of the dangerously cold temperatures forecast for Washington, D.C. — and much of the country — next week. It will mark the first time in 40 years a president was sworn-in inside, rather than on the Capitol's western front that overlooks the National Mall.
🗓️ When is Inauguration Day?
Inauguration Day happens every four years on Jan. 20 — which falls on a Monday this year. (If it is on a Sunday, the ceremony moves to Jan. 21.)
The inauguration also coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is always celebrated on the third Monday in January. This will be the third time that a president has taken the oath of office on that federal holiday.
🕕 What will take place, and where?
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) — led by Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota — is responsible for planning and carrying out the inaugural ceremonies.
By tradition on Inauguration Day, the president-elect and outgoing president, along with their spouses, leave the White House and head to the U.S. Capitol for the swearing-in ceremonies. They are followed by the vice president and vice-president elect, family members, Cabinet members and members of the JCCIC.
Due to the frigid temperatures expected on Monday, the swearing-in ceremony will take place inside the U.S. Capitol in the Rotunda. This will be the second time the ceremony has had to move indoors, as Ronald Reagan's second inauguration in 1985 had to be moved inside also due to cold weather.
Vance will be sworn in first as he takes an oath to uphold the Constitution.
Then around 12 p.m. ET, as mandated by the Constitution, Trump will be sworn in as President Biden's term officially ends. "The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January," according to the 20th Amendment.
Trump will then give an inaugural address as the 47th president of the United States.
Following the swearing-in ceremonies, Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, will leave the Capitol in an honorary departure.
Traditionally, the newly-sworn in president will then go to the president’s room off of the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building to gather with aides and members of Congress, where his first official actions as president will take place: signing nominations, possibly memorandums, proclamations or executive orders.
Other traditional inaugural events include a luncheon, followed by a procession of ceremonial military regiments, marching bands and parade floats down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. However, due to the cold temperatures, it remains unclear if the parade will be held indoors at the Capital One arena in D.C., as Trump indicated in a Truth Social post.
The theme for this year's inaugural ceremonies is "Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise." The JCCIC explained last month: "When we gather for the 60th Presidential Inauguration, we will honor the Constitution's promise to preserve liberty through a stable, enduring democracy for generations to come."
👨👩👧👦 Who is attending?
Biden said in December that "of course" he would attend Trump's inauguration. The White House confirmed that the first lady would also attend.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates said that Biden “views that as an important demonstration of commitment to our democratic values and to honoring the will of the people, as we continue to provide an orderly and effective transition.”
In 2021, Trump refused to concede his defeat to Biden in the 2020 presidential election and did not attend his inauguration. Trump became the first president in 150 years not to attend an incoming president’s swearing-in, breaking a tradition that is considered to be an act affirming a peaceful transfer of power.
In addition to the president, vice president and their families, there are about 1,400 guests, including members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and former presidents, according to the JCCIC.
According to the Associated Press, former President Barack Obama will attend the swearing-in ceremony, but former first lady Michelle Obama will not be attending, according to a spokesperson. Former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush will also attend the swearing-in ceremony. None of them will be attending the inaugural luncheon, NBC News reported.
Seated among these notable guests in a prominent spot on the platform will be, according to the New York Times: TikTok CEO Shou Chew; Elon Musk, Trump's new co-lead of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency; Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta; and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon which has contributed $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund.
Trump has invited foreign leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, but Chinese state media reported that Xi will instead send Vice President Han Zheng, marking the first time a senior Chinese leader will have attended a U.S. president's inauguration. German far-right leader Tino Chrupalla, who was endorsed by Musk, will also attend the inauguration, which is about a month before the federal election in Germany.
The Associated Press notes that "no head of state has previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration."
❌ Democrats not attending the inauguration
It's not mandatory for members of Congress to attend a presidential inauguration, which is why several congressional Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have said they won't be attending Trump's inauguration. Some didn't provide a reason, or have indicated they don't feel safe being surrounded by Trump's supporters after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, or because they are attending events honoring Martin Luther King Jr. instead, Newsweek and Axios reported.
These are the high-profile Democrats not attending Trump's inauguration:
Rep. Donald Beyer, Virginia
Rep. Sean Casten, Illinois
Rep. Judy Chu, California
Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Texas
Rep. Veronica Escobar, Texas
Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Maryland
Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts
Rep. Delia Ramirez, Illinois
Rep. Deborah Ross, North Carolina
Rep. Lateefah Simon, California
Rep. Adam Smith, Washington
🎤 Who is performing at the inauguration?
Country music star Carrie Underwood is set to perform "America the Beautiful" and will be accompanied by the Armed Forces Chorus and the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club.
"I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event," Underwood said in a statement to Yahoo. "I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future."
Lee Greenwood, known for his song "God Bless the U.S.A.," said he is "humbled and honored" to perform at the swearing-in.
Performing the national anthem will be classical singer Christopher Macchio.
Trump will also hold a "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" on Jan. 19 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., where Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, the Village People and the Liberty University's Praise Choir will perform.
🕺 Who is performing at the inaugural balls?
After the inauguration, there will be three official inaugural balls where Trump is expected to make appearances: the Commander in Chief ball, the Liberty Inaugural Ball and the Starlight Ball.
Village People, the disco group with 1970s hits "Y.M.C.A." and "Macho Man," confirmed in a Facebook post that they will perform at "various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump." This includes the Liberty Inaugural Ball.
"We know this wont make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics," the post read. "Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost."
Also performing at the Liberty Inaugural Ball is country singer Jason Aldean and a "surprise musical guest," according to the Trump-Vance inaugural committee.
Musical group Rascal Flatts and country singer Parker McCollum will perform at the Commander in Chief Ball, while Gavin DeGraw will perform at the Starlight Ball.
🇺🇸 Flags will be flown at full-staff for Trump’s inauguration
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has joined Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and some GOP governors who have directed that flags fly at full-staff temporarily for Trump's inauguration. Johnson announced that flags at the U.S. Capitol will fly at full-staff "to celebrate our country coming together behind the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald Trump."
The flags will be returned to half-staff the following day to continue to honor the late former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29. Biden had ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff at federal and state government agencies nationwide for 30 days. Trump's inauguration falls within the window of those 30 days.
Trump previously took issue with the lowered flags, saying on social media: “Nobody wants to see this.”
"Because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let's see how it plays out."
🎟️ Can you get tickets to the inauguration?
The JCCIC announced on Monday that it released 220,000 tickets to members of Congress to share with their constituents to watch the inauguration on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Because the inauguration ceremony is moving inside, it remains unclear if these ticket holders will now move to a live viewing event inside the Capital One Arena for a live viewing event announced by Trump.