On Monday, Donald Trump will complete a stunning comeback as he is sworn in for a second term as president of the United States. Following his loss in the 2020 election, many believed Trump’s political future was over. Critics also questioned whether scandal would overshadow his legacy.
What happens during a US presidential inauguration, who will be attending, and what can it tell us about Trump’s return to power? We answer those questions and more in this brief explainer.
In the United States, a presidential inauguration is when a president-elect takes the oath of office and formally begins their four-year term.
The president-elect would place his hand on a bible that was given to him by his mother, as well as the Lincoln Bible, for his swearing-in Monday.
After reciting the oath of office, the new president offers inaugural remarks to a gathered crowd of supporters, government officials and foreign dignitaries.
What does the oath of office say?
The oath comes from Article II in Section I of the US Constitution.
It reads: “I do solemnly swear 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.”
“The biggest thing we have to bring back to America to make it great again is God,” Trump says in a promotional video on the website.
The inauguration will be held at 12pm Eastern Time (17:00 GMT) on January 20, 2025.
The ceremony was originally supposed to take place outdoors, on the west front of the US Capitol, facing a park called the National Mall, in Washington, DC.
But icy temperatures forced Trump to reconsider. On Friday, citing safety concerns, he announced that the ceremony would be moved indoors to the Capitol’s rotunda, under its 88-metre-high (288-foot) dome.
That enclosed space, however, will limit the number of attendees. Nearly 250,000 guests have tickets to the original outdoor event, but Trump has encouraged his supporters to instead watch a live broadcast at the Capitol One Arena, where he will appear later in the day.
Who will be attending?
While presidential inaugurations have always drawn influential people, this year’s list of attendees has sparked extra attention.
Three former presidents — Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton — will all be in attendance. So will the leaders of the outgoing administration, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump’s guest list also includes a who’s who of far-right leaders from around the world. Argentinian President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French politician Eric Zemmour and British Member of Parliament Nigel Farage are all expected to participate.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to attend, but his country’s Supreme Court deemed him a flight risk, given the legal proceedings he faces at home.
A number of prominent businessmen will also help ring in Trump’s return to power, among them billionaire Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Sponsors of the event
Trump’s inauguration fund had raised a record $170m as of January 8.
By the time the ceremony unfolds, some insiders expect the total to top $200m.
Those funds help cover the expenses of the inauguration itself, as well as related events like private balls and a parade.
Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta have said they would donate $1m, along with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, who donated $1m.
Other big donors include the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, the financial services company Intuit, the stock-trading app Robinhood, and automakers like Ford and General Motors.
Trump’s previous inauguration also racked up a record haul of donations, topping $106.7m. By contrast, Biden only received $61.8m in donations for his 2021 ceremony.
Who will perform at the inauguration?
Trump famously struggled to find performers for his 2017 inauguration — but this year, that’s not the case.
Pop star Carrie Underwood is set to perform the song America the Beautiful, while country singer Lee Greenwood will reprise his hit God Bless the USA, a popular entry in Trump’s soundtrack on the campaign trail.
Meanwhile, opera singer Christopher Macchio will offer his rendition of the national anthem.
The group Village People will also make an appearance to perform a Trump favourite, the disco song YMCA.
What about security?
Security is expected to be high, especially after the attempt on Trump’s life last July, when he was shot in the ear while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Nearly 48 kilometres, or 30 miles, of fencing have been set up around the Capitol, the most ever installed. At two metres (7ft) high, the fence is designed to deter those who might otherwise scale the barrier.
An estimated 25,000 law enforcement agents are also expected to be patrolling the capital, including 7,800 National Guard members.
How large is the crowd size expected to be?
Crowd size is something of an obsession for Donald Trump, and his inauguration day crowd is no exception.
In 2017, Trump spent weeks insisting that he had drawn the largest inauguration crowd ever, although this was not true.
About 220,000 tickets have been released for this year’s inauguration, with space available for about 250,000.
But the venue change might prove to be an obstacle. The original venue, the grassy National Mall, has space for hundreds of thousands of visitors. Capitol One Arena, where a live broadcast will now be held, has space for just over 20,000.
Sources: Various News Agencies
