Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
Chief Justice John Roberts of the US Supreme Court administered the oath of office to Donald Trump at Capitol Hill. Trump positioned his hand on a Bible within the US Capitol shortly before noon ET (1700 GMT) and recited the oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend” the US Constitution.
The ceremony attracted 500,000 attendees. Chief Justice Roberts has given the oath of office to Barack Obama in 2009 and 2013, Donald Trump in 2017, and Joe Biden in 2021.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered the vice presidential oath of office to JD Vance.
Oath of inauguration for JD Vance
A crowd of hundreds, comprising members of Congress, leaders of the US high-tech sector, and other dignitaries, erupted in cheers and ovation as Donald Trump entered a crowded Capitol Rotunda to the US Marine Band’s “Hail, America” march.
Biden and outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, who was defeated by Trump in November, were present in the Capitol’s Rotunda, accompanied by former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was defeated by Trump in 2016, arrived with her husband Bill, while Michelle Obama opted not to attend. Respectful applause erupted in the overflow chamber as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris made their entrance into the rotunda. Enthusiastic applause erupted for JD Vance.
Trump’s fans inside the Capital One Arena vociferously booed upon viewing footage of Bill and Hillary Clinton arriving for Trump’s swearing-in event on a large screen. Trump’s followers expressed their discontent with boos upon the arrival of former Democratic President Barack Obama. United States Senator Bernie Sanders was also present.
Thunderous applause ensued with the arrival of Trump’s children at the inauguration ceremony. The most resounding applause was directed towards Barron Trump, his youngest offspring, who is 18 years old.
A multitude of technology executives, including the world’s three wealthiest individuals—Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX; Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon; and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta—sought to gain favor with the incoming administration and occupied prominent positions on stage alongside cabinet nominees and members of Trump’s family.
Priscilla Chan, spouse of Zuckerberg, and Lauren Sanchez, partner of Jeff Bezos, were also present at the ceremony. Boxing icon Mike Tyson was present as well. Sam Altman was conspicuously absent from the Rotunda gathering of technology CEOs, seated quietly in an aisle seat in Emancipation Hall, observing the proceedings on the screen.
Sam Altman was conspicuously absent from the Rotunda gathering of technology CEOs and was seated quietly in an aisle seat in Emancipation Hall, observing the proceedings on the screen.
Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Chinese Vice President Han Zhengwei, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Ecuadorian President Daniel Anouk, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki were present at Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony by special invitation.
A significant assembly of individuals from across the globe, including Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, participated in Donald Trump’s inauguration event.
Biden, in one of his final official actions, pardoned numerous individuals whom Trump had sought to retaliate against, including former White House senior medical adviser Anthony Fauci, former Republican US Representative Liz Cheney, and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.
Trump would reinstate the federal death sentence, which Biden had halted, and mandate that official U.S. documents, including passports, indicate residents’ gender as designated at birth, incoming administration officials informed reporters.
What constitutes the oath of office?
The US Constitution stipulates that “Before assuming the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: 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.”
Which Bible is utilized for the swearing-in ceremony?
The president-elect generally places their left hand on the Bible while reciting the oath of office, but this practice is not mandated by the US Constitution.
At times, presidents have selected a particular portion to commence their reading of the Bible, while others have approached it either randomly or with it remaining closed.
In 2017, Trump took his oath on the Abraham Lincoln Bible. He will utilize it again on Monday, alongside his own Bible, which was bestowed upon him by his mother in 1955 to commemorate his Sunday Church Primary School graduation. Biden utilized a family Bible that he had employed for his swearing-in to every political position throughout his career.
Barack Obama selected the Bible of Martin Luther King, Jr.
In 2001, George W. Bush aspired to utilize the Masonic Bible employed by George Washington in 1789 and by his father, George H.W. Bush, in 1989.
It was conveyed under security from New York to Washington for the event; however, inclement weather necessitated its replacement with a family Bible.
Franklin D. Roosevelt utilized the identical Bible for each of his four inaugurations. It is the earliest document utilized at an inauguration, printed in 1686, and the sole one composed in a contemporary foreign language—Dutch.
However, not all individuals utilized a Bible.
John Quincy Adams swore his oath on a volume of law, however Theodore Roosevelt did not utilize any book during his swearing-in after the assassination of William McKinley.
Trump was proclaimed victorious in the US general election on November 5, garnering 312 electoral votes, whereas his opponent Kamala Harris obtained 226 electoral votes.
Additionally, Naqvi is in the United States to participate in Donald Trump’s inaugural ceremony.
Donald Trump assured his constituents during the electoral campaign that he would enact executive orders on his inaugural day in office that would astonish the public.
Trump’s electoral campaign commitments: Deportation initiative
Donald Trump pledged to initiate the most extensive deportation program in American history on his inaugural day in office. Fox News reports that he is expected to announce a border emergency and authorize the military to assume control of the management of the nation’s southern border.
Wall construction
Upon assuming the presidency in 2016, Trump mandated the construction of a wall along the Mexican border. Certain sections of this wall have been constructed; however, the majority remains unfinished, and Trump may attempt to finalize this incomplete project.
Release of hostages from the January 6 rioting
In 2021, numerous individuals were convicted for their participation in the US Capitol riots, many of whom Trump plans to pardon. Trump stated in a CNN interview: “I support pardoning many of them.” I cannot speak for all, but some individuals became exceedingly unruly. It is noteworthy that 1,500 individuals were apprehended following these riots, with 600 receiving sentences.
TikTok
Recently, Donald Trump pledged to enact an order to suspend the legislation prohibiting the Chinese social media platform TikTok. Initially, Trump endorsed the prohibition of TikTok, but subsequently altered his stance, claiming that his videos garnered billions of views on the platform during his presidential campaign.
Revocation of birthright citizenship
Trump has deemed the 150-year-old constitutional right to citizenship by birth on American soil as “ridiculous” and has declared his intention to abolish it on his first day in office. However, implementing this by an executive order will be exceedingly challenging due to the constitutional guarantee of this liberty.
Trump has stated his intention to terminate the regulation prohibiting federal immigration authorities from conducting raids on churches or schools.
Customs duties
Trump has declared his intention to implement tariffs on imported items to prioritize American products.
Trump slapped taxes on Chinese goods during his initial term, which Joe Biden upheld. He is advocating for a 10 percent duty on all imports, a 25 percent levy on items from Canada and Mexico, and tariffs of up to 60 percent on Chinese products.
