Trump back in office: What happens on Inauguration Day?

When is Inauguration Day?

The US presidential inauguration always takes place on January 20, a date that has been standard since the 1930s.

The event only moves to the following day if the 20th is a Sunday, which has happened four times. In this case, the president-elect takes the oath on Sunday in private and repeats it publicly the next day.

Each new presidential term has an inauguration to mark the start of another four-year term, even if the same president is continuing in office. Most recently, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had two inaugurations.

Donald Trump, the 45th president, will now have his second inauguration, making him the 47th president as well. He will be the second president to win non-consecutive terms and return to office after a four-year break. The first to do this was Grover Cleveland in the 1890s.

Where does the ceremony take place? 

Since 1801, most presidential inaugurations have been held at the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

In extraordinary circumstances, the ceremony was held with little or no planning. Nine irregular inaugurations have occurred in the middle of a presidential term either because the president died or resigned.

Lyndon Johnson became president on Air Force One after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and Gerald Ford took the oath of office at the White House after Richard Nixon resigned.

Trump's first inauguration took place outside, with spectators lining the National Mall. His second one will be an indoor-event.Image: Lucas Jackson/Getty Images

All inaugurations apart from one have occurred outdoors on the West Front of the Capitol building since Ronald Reagan's first in 1981 — his second inauguration in 1985 was held inside the Capitol building due to inclement weather. This the plan for Trump's inauguration on Monday as well. Wind chills are forecast to be in the single digits, leading Trump to announce on Friday that the inaugural address, prayers and other speeches will be delivered in the Capitol Rotunda as they were during Reagan’s second inauguration. Around midday, when the president will take the oath of office, it will feel like a bone-chilling 8 degrees Fahrenheit (-13 degrees Celsius) in Washington, according to the National Weather Service.

What happens during the ceremony? 

Customarily, the president-elect visits the White House and goes with the outgoing president to the Capitol to publicly show a peaceful power transfer. Trump skipped this step, snubbing Joe Biden in 2021, but Biden will likely uphold the tradition.

Shorting before noon, the ceremony will start, and Vice President-elect JD Vance will take his oath of office.

At noon, John Roberts, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, will administer Trump's oath of office.

Unlike most of the ceremony, the wording of this oath is specified in the Constitution: "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 Marine Band will play the presidential anthem, "Hail to the Chief." After that, there is a 21-gun salute, and the new president gives his inaugural address.

What happens after the ceremony? 

After the ceremony, the new president will escort then-former President Biden to a departure ceremony on the other side of the Capitol building, where a helicopter will take him home.

Inside the Capitol is a lunch with senior Congressional lawmakers followed by a parade that normally makes its way along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, but this time will take place indoors at the Capital One Arena because of the freezing temperatures as well. The concert venue in downtown Washington holds about 20,000 people; the ceremony will be live-streamed here, and Trump has announced he will stop by after he has been sworn in.

At the White House, the president is expected to sign a stack of executive orders setting the tone of his presidency at the earliest possible moment.

In the evening, several official inaugural balls are held around Washington. The first couple is scheduled to make short appearances at three.

Who is expected to attend?

Former presidents, first ladies, and vice presidents usually attend each inauguration. That would mean that Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden are expected to attend with their wives. It's been reported that Michelle Obama will skip the event.

So far, heads of state have not attended any inaugurations. However, it has been reported that Trump has extended invitations to the presidents of China, El Salvador, and Argentina, plus the prime ministers of Italy and Hungary. Argentina's President Javier Milei is said to have confirmed. He would be the first foreign leader to ever attend a US presidential inauguration. China will send Vice President Han Zheng instead of President Xi Jinping.

The inauguration is attended not only be ex-presidents but by members of Congress, military officials and other dignitaries, celebrities and diplomatsImage: Rob Carr/Getty Images

As interesting as who comes is, who doesn't show up is also telling. In 2017, 67 Democrats boycotted Trump's first inauguration. This year, the list of Democrat no-shows is growing.

Another person who will not attend is the "designated survivor." This person, whose identity is kept secret, is chosen by the president and is usually a Cabinet member in the line of succession for the presidency.

He or she stays away from events where nearly everyone in the government is gathered in one place where a disaster could make the government unable to function. If something catastrophic happens, this person becomes acting president.

Who pays for Inauguration Day?

The government organizes and pays for the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.

The government also pays for security, which is the biggest expense for the entire event. For the 2017 inauguration, around 28,000 personnel were on guard, including the Secret Service, FBI and National Guard. The costs were estimated at more than $100 million (€96.2 million) and paid by taxpayers.

An inaugural committee appointed by the president-elect plans and funds most other festivities like parades and balls. This committee is funded by contributions, and there are no limits to what a US citizen or company can give to these committees.

Ford, GM, Uber and Amazon have all agreed to donate at least $1 million in cash or services to the Trump inaugural committee. It has been reported that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have personally sent $1 million.

The New York Times found that the "total haul for the committee financing his [Trump's] inaugural festivities — at least $150 million raised, with more expected — will eclipse the record-setting $107 million raised for his 2017 inauguration."

It will be the most in history and surpass Biden's inaugural committee, which raised around $62 million.

Edited by: Rob Mudge