WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday in an unprecedented ceremony in the presence of a small number of dignitaries and guests inside the Capitol. traditional inauguration ceremony.
With freezing temperatures expected in Washington, the ceremony was held in the Capitol Rotunda, making Trump one of the few presidents to take the oath of office indoors.
“I don’t want to see people hurt or injured in any way,” President Trump said in a speech Friday. real social posts. “Therefore, I ordered that, in addition to prayers and other speeches, the inaugural address be delivered in the Capitol Rotunda, as used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because it was very cold. .”
Trump’s second inauguration is historic in several ways. He becomes the second president to win non-consecutive terms. Another, Grover Cleveland, won elections in 1884 and 1992. He is also the only president to be twice impeached and a convicted felon.
The Rotunda was one of the areas of the Capitol that was ransacked four years ago by Trump supporters seeking to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.
President Trump’s inauguration took place at a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, the site of a famous Bible-holding photo op after Black Lives Matter protesters were removed from a nearby park in 2020. It starts with After church, President Trump, along with his wife Melania Trump, will have tea with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House.
A more intimate swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol is expected to include top Trump aides and allies. made a large donation to his campaign.
Most of those who had gathered in the nation’s capital to watch the ceremony in person were relegated to nearby sports venue Capital One Arena to watch a livestream of the official ceremony. President Trump said in a post on his Truth Social that he plans to join the arena crowd for the presidential parade. He hosted a campaign-style rally there Sunday afternoon for a small audience. President Trump is expected to finish the day with a whirlwind schedule that includes three inaugural balls.
President Trump took office with the Republican Party in top shape, having won a majority in the House and Senate in the November elections. Congressional leaders have already begun implementing President Trump’s policy priorities. Immediately after taking office, the Senate will consider the Laken-Reilly Act, the first of many border security bills expected to pass in the Republican-led Congress.
The Senate was busy last week with confirmation hearings on President Trump’s cabinet appointments. The widely televised hearing gave Democrats a chance to ask pointed questions of his nominee and foreshadowed a competitive four years.
Like his first campaign, Trump’s 2024 presidential bid hinges on promises to crack down on illegal immigration at the border and corruption in Washington. President Trump is expected to begin his first hours in office by signing a number of executive orders aimed at tightening immigration controls and possibly starting mass deportations.
California leaders are already preparing to counter President Trump’s policy goals. Gov. Gavin Newsom called a special legislative session for state leaders in preparation for Trump’s inauguration, and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said his office is preparing a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s policy actions it deems illegal or unconstitutional.
