Today, Monday, January 19, the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump will take place, who will be sworn in to officially begin his second term in the White House. The Ukrainian News agency will tell you the details and schedule of the ceremony.
The inauguration marks the official transfer of presidential power, when the executive branch of government passes from the administration of incumbent President Joe Biden to the administration of President-elect Donald Trump. The 20th Amendment states that the four-year term of the president ends at noon on January 20, and it is after this that the swearing-in ceremony of the new leader of the country takes place.
Ceremony program
The inauguration ceremonies of the president-elect and vice president-elect are planned by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. On Inauguration Day, the following will take place:
- Procession to the Capitol;
- Vice presidential swearing-in ceremony;
- Presidential swearing-in ceremony;
- inaugural address;
- ceremonial departure of the president and vice president;
- signing ceremony, in which the new president signs nominations, memoranda, proclamations, or executive orders;
- inaugural dinner;
- parade, in which the president and vice president inspect the military before leading a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.
The theme of this year's ceremony is "Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise."
Photo: facebook/DonaldTrump
What is an inauguration
In the United States, a presidential inauguration is when a president-elect takes the oath of office and formally begins his or her four-year term. The president-elect usually places his or her hand on the Bible to take the oath, although some choose another book of spiritual or political significance. After the oath, the new president delivers his inaugural address to a crowd of supporters, government officials, and foreign delegates.
Contents and text of the oath
The oath comes from Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution.
It states: "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."
Donald Trump. Photo: facebook/DonaldTrump
What book will Trump take the oath on
During his first inauguration in 2017, Trump took the oath on the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln used in 1861. He also used a second Bible, a gift from his late mother, Mary Anne McLeod Trump. Media reports suggest that Trump will likely use the same books to take the oath this time.
Trump also used the occasion to promote a special edition of the Inauguration Day Bible, currently priced at USD 69.99.
"The biggest thing we have to give back to America to make it great again is God," Trump's promotional video on his website says.
When and where the inauguration will take place
The inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (5:00 p.m. GMT), which is 6:00 p.m. Kyiv time.
The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place outdoors, on the west side of the U.S. Capitol, across from the National Mall in Washington, D.C. But due to severe frost and safety concerns, Trump announced that the ceremony would be held indoors in the Capitol rotunda, under the 295-foot-high dome. Before him, only Ronald Reagan in 1985 was sworn in at the same place, when the air temperature dropped to -14 degrees Celsius.
Donald Trump. Photo: facebook/DonaldTrump
Nearly 250,000 guests have tickets for the outdoor ceremony, but Trump urged his supporters to watch the live broadcast at Capitol One Arena, where he will appear later.
Who will attend the ceremony
Trump's inauguration will be attended by three former presidents - Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as current President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The guest list also includes Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French politician Eric Zemmour and British MP Nigel Farage.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Photo: facebook/DonaldTrump
Big business is expected to attend, including billionaire Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Financial Matters
Trump's inaugural fund has raised a record USD 170 million as of January 8. Some insiders expect the total to top USD 200 million by the time the ceremony begins. The funds help cover the costs of the inauguration itself, as well as related events such as private balls and a parade. Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta have said they will donate USD 1 million, along with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who has already donated USD 1 million.
Other major donors include pharmaceutical company Pfizer, financial services company Intuit, stock trading app Robinhood and automakers Ford and General Motors.
Donald Trump. Photo: facebook/DonaldTrump
Trump's previous inauguration also raised record donations, exceeding USD 106.7 million. Biden, on the other hand, received only USD 61.8 million for his 2021 ceremony.
Who will perform at the inauguration
Pop star Carrie Underwood is set to perform the song America the Beautiful, and country singer Lee Greenwood will reprise his hit God Bless the USA, popular on Trump's campaign soundtrack. Opera singer Christopher Macchio will perform the U.S. national anthem. The Village People will also perform Trump's favorite disco song, YMCA.
Problems with the American flag
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter died on December 29 at the age of 100, and according to tradition, flags on U.S. federal buildings should be lowered for 30 days. But this period coincides with Trump's inauguration, which has opposed flying flags at half-mast on his day of celebration.
"The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration. Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it,” Trump wrote on social media this month.
Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, backed Trump and demanded that the flags be flown for a day, January 20, then returned to mourning the following day.
Photo: facebook/DonaldTrump
Security measures
Trump's security is expected to be a major concern, especially after the assassination attempt on his life last July. Nearly 30 miles of fencing has already been erected around the Capitol, the largest in history. The six-foot-high fence is designed to deter people from trying to break through the barrier.
About 25,000 law enforcement officers are expected to patrol the Capital, including 7,800 National Guard troops. The city of Washington said roads near the inauguration site would be closed and ticket holders would be required to undergo background checks before entering any event. About 220,000 tickets were issued for this year's inauguration, with space available for about 250,000.
Photo: facebook/DonaldTrump
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on January 17, an aide to the russian dictator, Yuriy Ushakov, said that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump allegedly did not invite representatives of the aggressor country, russia, to his inauguration ceremony on January 20.
Recall that in mid-December 2024, it became known that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would not attend Trump's inauguration.
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