The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States is expected to be a high-profile event, with many global leaders and influential figures confirming their attendance. The ceremony will take place at the US Capitol on January 20, with proceedings starting at 12pm ET (10:30pm IST).
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has received an official invitation and plans to attend the inauguration, pending confirmation of her schedule. Meloni, a populist and staunch conservative leader, has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s policies and has sought to strengthen ties between Italy and the US.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also received an invitation from Donald Trump, with spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt highlighting the invitation as an example of Trump “creating an open dialogue with the leaders of countries that are not only our allies but our adversaries and our competitors. Are”. However, Xi Jinping will send a high-level envoy to represent Beijing.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also received an invitation to attend the inauguration, although he has not yet confirmed his attendance. Orbán, one of Trump’s closest foreign allies, has been a prominent supporter of the president-elect’s far-right policies.
Argentina’s President Javier Miley will break tradition by attending the inauguration himself instead of sending a representative.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also received an invitation to Trump’s inauguration, but is currently seeking the return of his confiscated passport, which was seized during the investigation of a 2023 coup attempt.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his victory and was invited to attend the inauguration. Bukele has been a key ally of Trump in Central America.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will attend the inauguration as part of Japan’s effort to strengthen ties with the new administration. Iwaya has said that Japan aims to build a relationship of trust with the Trump administration and that his presence at the inauguration ceremony is seen as an important gesture of goodwill.
“Our goal is to build a relationship of trust with the Trump administration,” Iwaya said in an interview on Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
Following an invitation from the Trump-Vance inaugural committee, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the inauguration. Jaishankar’s presence is seen as an important sign of support for Trump, who has sought to strengthen ties with India and other major Asian countries.
“At the invitation of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar will represent the Government of India at the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald J. Trump,” the MEA statement said. 47th President of the United States.”
Other notable attendees at the inauguration will include French far-right politician Eric Zemmour and British politician and longtime Trump ally Nigel Farage. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also expected to attend the inauguration along with fellow billionaires – Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.
Apart from Michelle Obama, the inauguration will also include former US Presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton, who will be accompanied by their wives. Joe Biden has confirmed his attendance and dismissed the controversy surrounding his attendance as “childish play.”
