Donald Trump will be sworn in as president of the United States on Monday, ushering in his second term in office and capping one of the most astounding political comebacks in American history. Inauguration Day is, by tradition, largely dedicated to pomp and circumstance. One president leaves the White House, and another moves in. But Trump also has pledged to sign a flurry of executive orders on subjects ranging from border security to oil and gas production on his first day in office.
WHEN IS THE INAUGURATION?
Trump will take the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT). It was originally due to take place in front of the U.S. Capitol but will now take place inside the congressional complex because of bitter cold. Trump will then deliver his inaugural address. In interviews, he has said he intends it to be uplifting and unifying. That would mark a departure from his first Inauguration Day speech in 2017, which detailed a broken country he described as American Carnage.
WHO IS INVITED?
Trump has broken with precedent and invited several foreign leaders to the ceremony. Historically, they have not attended the inauguration due to security concerns and have sent diplomats in their stead. Country music star Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform at the swearing-in ceremony. Trump adviser Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Jeff Bezos, executive chairman of Amazon, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, are also attending.
PARADE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
The temperatures have forced organizers to scrap a planned parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. The parade will now take place at the 20,000-seat Capital One Arena in downtown Washington.
GETTING TO WORK
During a rally on Sunday, Trump said he would sign a number of executive actions on Monday covering a range of issues, from ending government programs aimed at ensuring gender and racial diversity in the workplace to securing the southern border with Mexico. Trump is preparing to sign more than 200 executive actions on Day One, focusing on border security and fossil fuel production.
PARTIES AND A RALLY
There will be at least 18 inaugural galas held throughout Washington over the weekend and Monday. Meta's Zuckerberg will co-host a reception for billionaire Republican donors along with casino magnate Miriam Adelson and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. Oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm, a top Trump donor, will host an inauguration watch party on Monday.
WHO COVERS THE COSTS?
The official events are financed by Trump's inauguration committee, which has raised more than $170 million this time. Bezos, Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Uber, and its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, have all made significant donations to cover the costs of the inauguration.
