WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The inauguration of US President Donald Trump was covered by 17 Reuters photographers in Washington. From a bird’s-eye view of the US capital to the president’s lunch table setting to trash left strewn outside security checkpoints, Reuters was there to capture the pomp and ceremony, the hope and celebration of supporters, and the fears and protests of opponents.
The news organizations’ original, carefully laid plans were disrupted on Friday, when a forecast of snow and freezing temperatures led to last-minute changes. The swearing-in ceremony itself was moved from a stage outside the Capitol, where it would have taken place in front of a large crowd, to a small, packed Capitol Rotunda indoors.
Some Trump supporters still gravitated to the now mostly empty and frosty National Mall lawn, watching the event on their phones. Others jostled in hotel bars, while some won coveted tickets for 20,000 seats. Capital one (NYSE:) Arena. Instead, the arena held a parade that was originally intended to go down Pennsylvania Avenue, while Trump and some of his top allies also gave speeches there to an emotional crowd.
Photographers were there to cover it all for Reuters – but also elsewhere, including on the steps of the White House, the top of the Washington Monument and at anti-Trump protests.
Below is a selection of some Reuters photos taken during the day’s events and in the run-up to the event, along with comments from the photographers who took them.
Fabrizio Bensch
“Back in September 2024, I started planning the implementation of robotic and remote cameras for the inauguration of the US president. When I arrived here in early January, we started preparing everything for the inauguration outside on the Capitol Hill platform. And then the unexpected news came that due to the cold weather, everything take place in the rotunda.
“Now there were only three days to re-plan everything. We were assigned to a location where we could mount two remote cameras on a light pole directly opposite the president’s inauguration platform. These cameras were connected to the network and could send all the photos from the rotunda to the editors in the Washington Reuters office.”
Brendan McDermid
“This was my fourth inauguration in 25 years. Each one has been unique, and this one is no exception. I took the lucky chance to be on top of the Washington Monument. Unfortunately, when they announced that everything was moving within my position, it became less relevant. That didn’t stop me from taking a moment to realize where I was this morning, as the sky turned orange just before dawn, looking down on the National Mall and the Capitol Building.”
Daniel Cole
“The mood in the mall was eerie as it was mostly empty, but the crowd of fans who came out were absolutely ecstatic and many expressed a general sense of relief that their man was back in power. This one couple brought camping chairs and sat in an empty mall and watched the ceremony together on their phones.”
Jeenah Moon
“As winter set in on Washington, the air was chilly, one of the coldest days of the season. I made sure to bundle up in warm clothes—thick thermals, a cozy wool sweater, arm warmers, and a heavy coat—to protect myself from the In addition, I was careful prepared my camera gear, making sure the batteries were fully charged, as the cold can drain them faster than usual to capture every moment, no matter how long the day ahead of me.”
Kevin Lamarque
“As a Reuters photographer for more than 37 years, the last 25 of which have been in Washington, I’ve covered campaigns, elections and inaugurations galore. This inauguration, however, was out of the box. The other six inaugurations I’ve covered have all been outdoors, because It’s a tradition. No doubt hundreds of media and thousands of Trump supporters were very disappointed with frostbite or hypothermia.”
Marko Đurica
“This is my first time working in the US and, of course, that means it’s my first inauguration. Maybe I could compare it to the coronation of King Charles I did in London, but this is bigger. In terms of security, it’s incredibly secure and the police are everywhere, the streets are closed, and the biggest challenge was going from one anti-Trump protest to the inauguration inside a secured perimeter.”
Shannon Stapleton
“For the last three or four Inauguration Day contests, I’ve been assigned to cover the Mall area, where people congregate. This year was different, because it was held inside the Capital One Arena, so you just had to move around and adjust — which made the job easier, because it was more like street photography.”
Brian Snyder
“I’ve followed inaugurations since 2004 and the president-elect dancing to the Village People is like nothing I’ve seen before. During the campaign, Trump would end most of his rallies by dancing to the ‘YMCA.’ This was the first time he was joined by the band themselves. Of course, the crowd of fans in attendance loved every minute.”
Mike Segar
“These are important moments in history… and we are fortunate to witness these moments and bring them closer to a global audience.”
Amanda Perobelli
“I’ve only been to one presidential inauguration – in Brazil – and it’s interesting to see the differences in cultures. There are also some similarities – emotions, people waiting, cheering and that feeling of being part of history. The challenge for me is the cold, for sure, because there is no this kind of cold in Brazil.”
Evelyn Hockstein
“I thought Melania Trump’s hat was interesting. I could never see her eyes so I’m not surprised it got a lot of attention. It was so visual and within moments I had a clear picture of Melania I spent probably everyone taking pictures of her and the hat on this clean background with President Trump sitting next to her during lunch.”
Nathan Howard
“My main role today was to film Trump’s morning arrival for tea with (outgoing President Joe) Biden, and then Trump’s arrival back at the White House after his swearing-in. The mood this morning among Biden’s staff was a bit like the last day of school before graduation — many employees say goodbye to each other and pack up, others crane their necks to catch a glimpse of Trump’s arrival.
“It’s a rare and fascinating thing to witness two icons of American political life in the same room. Each of them is usually the most important person in any room they’re in. Now they share the stage as administrations change.”
Elizabeth Frantz
“The biggest challenge for me was not knowing in advance whether I was going to be outside in a fixed position for six hours straight or just one to two hours. The last thing I wanted was to be inside sweating in just all my warm layers and then come back outside. Survived I beat the cold, then quickly changed into the semi-formal attire I had stored in the photo office on Capitol Hill before heading to the Liberty Ball (NYSE:).
Jim Urquhart
“I’ve specialized in reporting on armed extremist groups for more than a decade in America. That includes several years of reporting on the Proud Boys in their homes and communities. This was a smaller gathering than most I’ve covered. But it shows that the Proud Boys still here—or rather, they never left.”
Leah Millis
“This time I was covering a small group of protesters. They started from the park and marched near downtown, but stayed about a mile away. The energy is different because (these are) people who are not happy about the new administration. There is anger, chanting, but also music so there are people dancing and people supporting each other in the form of water, snacks and hand warmers.”
Kevin Mohatt
“It was Martin Luther King Day, I went to the MLK memorial where I saw a few people who were in town for the inauguration. Since they couldn’t see him, they went to the memorial. Moving the event indoors It was hard to plan around that where people might be and where is the best place to take pictures that tell the story of the day beyond what’s going on under the dome.”
Carlos Barria
“For Inauguration Day, I have a very dynamic and fast-paced task. We follow the new president wherever he goes until he makes his last move for the day, and then we return home. The challenges are many: from dealing with the cold, to black tie weather, to long hours , with very few meal breaks (But) I always say that this job is the first place in history and I will have the privilege to witness it.”
