Plus, who will (and won’t) be coming.
On Monday, America will usher in a new chapter as Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in for his second term as president following a contentious election.
Despite ongoing friction between Republicans and Democrats, Trump has vowed to promote hope and unity. While it remains to be seen whether he will follow through on that promise, historians suggest his inauguration could carry momentous weight — especially his speech, in which he’ll outline his vision for the nation over the next four years.
“Given the fact that Trump lost an election and then staged a comeback, his second speech could be quite significant,” says Thomas Schwartz, a professor of history and political science at Vanderbilt University. “He won the popular vote, albeit by a narrow margin, and Republicans also have majorities in the Senate and House, so there’s a sense he’s going to accomplish a lot fast.”
Political tensions aren’t the only thing in need of a thaw — this year’s swearing-in ceremony will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda due to freezing temperatures, with forecasts predicting highs of 22 degrees and wind chills in the 10s in Washington, D.C. The last time a commander-in-chief was sworn in indoors was President Ronald Reagan in 1985.
Historically, such precautions weren’t always taken. In 1841, President William Henry Harrison delivered his inauguration speech outdoors without a coat or hat. According to the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, this led to a cold that developed into pneumonia and likely contributed to his death a month later—though some theories dispute the true cause.
The decision to move indoors has already sparked comparisons to President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, which remained outdoors despite similarly frigid weather. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures were 28 degrees, with wind chills dropping to the mid-teens during that historic event.
As anticipation builds for Trump’s big day, here’s what we know so far — and what historians, including Schwartz, will be watching closely during the event.
What happens during Inauguration Day?
Donald Trump is scheduled to take the oath of office on Monday, January 20, at 12 p.m. ET. Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in just before the president-elect.
As is tradition, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office. After the swearing-in, there will be a farewell ceremony for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, followed by Trump’s inaugural address.
After delivering his speech, Trump will meet with aides and lawmakers in the President’s Signing Room near the Senate building for the traditional Signing Ceremony, where he is expected to take a short break from the day’s customary pomp and ceremony to issue executive orders and memorandums. The incoming president has vowed to take immediate action to address issues such as border security and oil and gas production.
Later that evening, Trump will attend three inaugural balls. These celebrations follow other festivities leading up to his inauguration, including a MAGA rally that will be held on Sunday.
What do we know about Trump’s upcoming inaugural address?
With millions expected to tune in, Trump has a unique opportunity to address the nation, including Americans who didn’t vote for him — a chance he appears keenly aware of. In a Meet the Press interview last month, Trump previewed his inaugural speech, describing it as unifying — or, in his words, “basically” unifying.
His team has echoed this sentiment in the lead-up to the inauguration. “President Trump is dedicated to uniting the country through the strength, security, and opportunity of his America First agenda,” his committee co-chairs, Steve Witkoff and Kelly Loeffler, said in a press release.
Trump’s vows for revenge could complicate this narrative. While most of his legal battles have subsided due to the inability to prosecute a sitting president, Trump has publicly criticized judges and courts over their rulings as his supporters called for jurists to be killed or beaten. The president-elect has also indicated an intention to use presidential power against those he views as adversaries, including former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney.
Still, some Republicans believe Trump genuinely wants to bridge the political divide — and that he’s in a unique position to do so. “It’s an opportunity for Trump to start fresh,” GOP strategist Jennifer Nassour tells Katie Couric Media. “During his campaign, he tapped into real fears Americans have about immigration and the border, but he doesn’t need to rely on that rhetoric anymore.”
Trump’s first inaugural address in 2017 might also offer clues about his upcoming remarks. That speech is best remembered for the term “American carnage” (and for what former President George W. Bush reportedly commented afterward: “That was some weird sh*t”).
Presidential historian Lindsay M. Chervinsky says that address marked a startling break from past presidents’ traditional message of unity. “Usually, inaugural addresses paint a positive message to offer hope and optimism about the future, even if it is in a particularly dark moment,” Chervinsky tells us. “Lincoln’s second inaugural is a great example, where obviously the country was still in the midst of the Civil War, but he was trying to bring the North and the South together.”
According to Chervinsky, Trump’s upcoming speech might emphasize foreign affairs, as second-term presidents typically have less sway on domestic issues due to reduced congressional leverage and declining public support. But she also acknowledges that Trump has defied “many conventions, so it’s hard to know if those same political trends will apply.”
Who’s invited?
Officials initially estimated that around 200,000 people would attend Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. However, with the event now moved indoors, that number is expected to be much lower. While some supporters will be able to watch the ceremony at Washington’s Capital One Arena, the majority of ticketed guests will reportedly miss the chance to witness the event in person.
This might test the president-elect’s seeming obsession with the number of attendees at his events. Following his first swearing-in ceremony, the president-elect railed against images published afterward suggesting fewer people appeared than in Obama’s inauguration in 2009. Experts estimate that between 800,000 and 1 million people attended that day, roughly three times the crowd size of Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Despite this, Trump directed National Park officials to release different images captured on the day of his inauguration.
In addition to Trump, Vance, and their families, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will attend (even though Trump did not attend Biden’s swearing-in when he lost in 2020). Following her surprise upset, Vice President Kamala Harris will also be in the audience, alongside her husband, Doug Emhoff.
Former President Obama will attend the ceremony, but his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, will not, with her office offering no explanation for her absence. Other former presidents in attendance will include George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, along with Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Members of Congress will also attend, with the notable exception of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Although her office has not provided further details, it’s known that she has had ongoing conflicts with Trump and recently underwent hip replacement surgery following a fall last month (though the injury didn’t keep her from returning to the Capitol earlier this month as a new Congress was sworn in).
For the first time in U.S. history, foreign leaders have been invited to an inauguration. The guest list includes several far-right populists, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Argentinian President Javier Milei. Chinese President Xi Jinping declined to attend but will send a top envoy in his place.
Additionally, tech magnates Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos will be among the notable attendees, seated near Trump’s cabinet nominees, according to NBC News.
If you didn’t get an invite, don’t worry: There are plenty of ways to watch it from the comfort of your own home. Major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, and PBS, will air the event live, and it will also be streamed on the White House’s official website.
