President-elect Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated Monday, amid a day of traditions marking the transfer of power that’s expected to be attended by three former presidents and several billionaires.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump.
Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, arrived at the White House for tea with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, who greeted them and posed for a series of photos before the private gathering.
Vice President-elect JD Vance and his wife Usha arrived at the White House and are greeted by outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
The world’s richest person Elon 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—attended a morning church service with Trump at St. John’s to kick off the Inauguration Day activities.
Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, arrive at St. John’s Church, after departing Blair House—a guest house near the White House where incoming presidents traditionally stay—alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance.
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.
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.
Trump is expected to call for a "revolution of common sense," according to speech excerpts provided to several media outlets. “My message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor, and the vitality of history’s greatest civilization,” he will say.
Trump’s swearing-in will take place at noon. It will be carried live by most TV networks and streamed by the White House. More details on the schedule are available here.
Outgoing President Joe Biden will attend the ceremony, along with former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
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 are also expected to attend, including billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman, along with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. Country singer Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform “America the Beautiful,” one of several artists who’s slated to participate (here’s a full list).
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the presidential oath to Trump, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh will administer the oath to Vice President-elect JD Vance.
Neither are expected to attend. 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.
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. Monday’s events begins with a morning church service at St. Johns, followed by tea at the White House with the Bidens. Trump will be sworn in shortly after Biden’s term ends at 12 p.m. EST in a 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 Vice President Kamala 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.
Further Reading
All The Big Performers At Trump’s Inauguration Events: Carrie Underwood, Village People And More (Forbes)
Microsoft Donates Another $1 Million To Trump’s Record-High Inaugural Fund (Forbes)