Donald Trump, who is set to take office as the 47th President of the United States, arrived in Washington on Sunday morning ahead of the inauguration ceremony for his return to the White House. The incoming president’s inauguration weekend kicked off with a star-studded 500-member reception at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia that included his Cabinet nominees Pete Hegseth and Lee Zeldin.
The incoming commander-in-chief posted a nearly 15-minute video of the event in which he and first lady Melania stand next to each other on the balcony of his golf club and admire the huge fireworks display. At the end of the video, the soon-to-be President can be seen shaking his leg and doing one of his signature dance moves in front of the crowd.
trump inauguration ceremony details
celebration begins -Mr Trump’s inauguration involves 18 ceremonies, including three official events that the current-elect is expected to attend. The celebrations began on Sunday with a grand ceremony at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. Subsequently, the President-elect reached Washington DC, where he is expected to attend a rally and candlelight dinner with his supporters today.
On Sunday alone, Mr Trump is scheduled to hold a major “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” for his supporters at Capital One Arena. It will be the first such event in the US capital that Mr Trump will address since his speech at the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, which led to the Capitol riots. He is also scheduled to attend a candlelight dinner with his supporters later in the evening.
Inauguration Ceremony- Mr Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday at 12 noon EST (10:30 pm IST) as the US Constitution states that the term of every new president begins at noon on January 20 (or The next day) falls on Sunday). The oath is often administered by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and on Monday John Roberts will serve for Trump for the second time.
First address- The new president is then expected to deliver an inaugural address and present his plans for the next four years. The Republican raised the issue of “American genocide” in his first term in 2017. Incoming Vice President JD Vance will also take the oath of office during the event.
Inaugural Lunch- Following the ceremony, the President, accompanied by his or her spouse, the Vice President, Senate leaders, and distinguished guests, will be escorted to Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol for a celebratory luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC).
Oval Office Signature- In his first act as president after being sworn in, Mr Trump is likely to participate in the traditional signing of executive orders, which will officially begin his second administration. The incoming president has promised to fulfill many of his campaign promises on day one by signing executive orders, but it is unclear what issues will be taken up first. Mr Trump is likely to reinstate some executive orders from his first term that were rescinded by President Biden.
Inaugural Balls- The signing in the Oval Office will be followed by three official inaugural balls on Monday evening. Mr Trump is expected to attend all three ceremonies – the Commander in Chief Ball, the Liberty Ball and the Starlight Ball. More than a dozen other events are also planned.
National Prayer Service- Mr Trump will be hosted at the Washington National Cathedral for an interfaith prayer service at 11am (9:30pm IST) on Tuesday, the day after the inauguration. This service will mark the official conclusion of the inauguration ceremony.
Change in oath taking place
While US presidents traditionally assume their powers in front of the Capitol building, with a large crowd of spectators watching the ceremony, Mr Trump said on Friday he would move the event inside the Capitol Rotunda amid forecasts of extreme cold. .
Crowd size is a concern for Mr Trump, but a last-minute move to an indoor event could hurt his bragging rights. More than 220,000 tickets were being distributed to the public before the incoming president announced the venue would be moved to the Capitol Rotunda, which can seat only 600 people.
Trump said supporters could watch a live feed from Washington’s Capital One Sports Arena, which seats up to 20,000 — and he promised to tune in later. “It will be a very beautiful experience for everyone,” the president-elect said.
presidential parade
The Presidential Inaugural Parade will be held indoors for the first time since 1985. The parade, which followed the presidential procession down Pennsylvania Avenue in 1805, will march inside Capital One Arena on Monday.
The move comes after Mr Trump announced on Friday that he would take the oath and deliver his inaugural address inside the US Capitol Rotunda and that he had essentially converted the Capitol One Arena into a giant watch party venue for his oath of office and inaugural address. Promoted as.
musical affair
Mr Trump’s Inauguration 2.0 will be a star-studded event, with country star Carrie Underwood singing “America the Beautiful” during the swearing-in ceremony.
Country singer Lee Greenwood, whose patriotic anthem “God Bless the USA” is a standard at Trump rallies, will also perform.
A pre-inauguration rally on Sunday will include, in addition to Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus, a performance by the Village People, whose 1970s-era “YMCA” is another staple of the Trump event. Country musicians including Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts and Gavin DeGraw and The Village People will perform at Trump’s three official inaugural balls.
inaugural lunch
The event became an integral part of the day’s events in 1897, when the Senate Committee on Arrangements arranged a meal for President William McKinley, marking the transition of power and the beginning of a new administration.
The menu for Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration luncheon has not yet been revealed, but it is likely to follow the pattern of past occasions and could include great American classic dishes. As Mr. Trump reportedly enjoys simple, delicious meals, he might include a steak with some lobster along with delicious desserts. Gulf shrimp and regional American flavors were part of their opening in 2017.
guest list
Republicans have invited a number of tech luminaries to attend the inauguration, including traditional guests such as their Cabinet nominees. According to US media, billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg and Shaw Chew, head of Chinese social media giant TikTok, will participate.
Mr Trump has forged close ties with tech giants, and his campaign has benefited from misinformation spread on social media platforms like TikTok, Musk’s X and Zuckerberg’s Facebook and Instagram.
Outgoing President Joe Biden will also attend the ceremony — despite Trump’s refusal to attend Biden’s swearing-in after defeating Trump in 2020. All living former presidents – Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama – will attend, as will their wives, except Michelle Obama.
This means that in addition to Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in the 2016 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he defeated in November, will be there.
Traditionally heads of state are not invited, but Trump has extended invitations to a handful of foreign leaders, including some who share his right-wing politics. Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend, her office confirmed on Saturday.
Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Argentina’s President Javier Miley and China’s Xi Jinping have also been invited, but not all will attend.
executive Order
Mr Trump said he was preparing to sign a number of executive orders on his first day in office, aimed at undoing many of the Biden administration’s policies.
Among other promises, he has promised to begin a mass deportation program and increase oil drilling. He has also said he could immediately begin pardoning the January 6 rioters and their followers who stormed the Capitol in 2021. A meeting between US officials and the foreign ministers of Japan, India and Australia, the so-called “Quad”, is planned for shortly after the inauguration. Which the Biden administration saw as a response to aggressive China.
