on Monday, Donald Trump he will complete a stunning comeback when he is sworn in for a second term as President of the United States.
After his loss in the 2020 election, many believed that Trump’s political future was over. Critics also wondered whether the scandal would overshadow his legacy.
After all, his bogus claims of election fraud incited crowds to storm the US Capitol January 6, 2021. At the time, he faced four criminal indictments: one for allegedly hiding secret documents, one for falsifying business books, and two for election meddling.
But in November, Trump scored his biggest electoral victory yet, carrying both the Electoral College vote and the token popular vote.
His latest inauguration is set to bring together several former critics-turned-allies, among them powerful members of the country technological elite.
What happens during the US presidential inauguration, who will attend and what can this tell us about Trump’s return to power? We answer these and other questions in this short explanation.
What is an inauguration?
In the United States, a presidential inauguration is when the president-elect is sworn in and officially begins his four-year term.
To be sworn in, the president-elect usually places his hand on the Bible, although some have opted for another book of spiritual or political significance.
After reciting the oath, the new president gives his inaugural address to the assembled crowd of supporters, government officials and foreign dignitaries.
What does the official oath say?
The oath derives from Article II. of Section I of the US Constitution.
It reads: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and that I will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Which book will Trump take the oath of office on?
During his first inauguration in 2017, Trump was sworn in on the same Bible used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861. He also used a different Bible, given to him by his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump.
Media reports indicate that Trump will likely use a similar combination of books this year: Lincoln’s Bible, plus one from his mother.
Trump also used the occasion to promote sales of a special “Inauguration Day” edition of the Bible, currently priced at $69.99.
“The biggest thing we have to bring back to America to make it great again is God,” Trump says in a promotional video on the website.
When and where will the inauguration take place?
The inauguration will take place at 12 noon ET (17:00 GMT) on January 20, 2025.
The ceremony was originally supposed to take place outdoors, on the west front of the US Capitol, opposite the park called the National Mall, in Washington, DC.
But the freezing temperatures made Trump change his mind. On Friday, citing security reasons, he announced that the ceremony would take place moved indoors to the capitol rotunda, under its 88-meter-high (288-foot) dome.
This indoor space will, however, limit the number of participants. Nearly 250,000 guests have tickets to the original outdoor event, but Trump encouraged his supporters to instead watch the live broadcast at Capitol One Arena, where he will appear later in the day.
How cold will it be?
Initial estimates have shown that Trump’s second inauguration could be one of the coldest in recent decades, while the polar vortex is ravaging the US.
As of Friday, the National Weather Service projected temperatures to hover around -6 degrees Celsius, or 22 degrees Fahrenheit, at noon Monday.
Has any other president held his inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda?
Only one. In 1985, Ronald Reagan also took office for the second time – and he too faced icy weather. The temperature reached -14 degrees Celsius, or just 7 degrees Fahrenheit, even lower than the forecast for Monday.
So, like Trump, Reagan made the decision to move his inauguration indoors, to the Capitol Rotunda.
However, other presidents have held their ceremonies in other parts of the Capitol, such as inside the Senate chamber, although outdoor ceremonies have increasingly become standard.
Who will attend?
While presidential inaugurations have always attracted influential people, this year’s list of attendees has drawn extra attention.
Three former presidents – Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – will all be in attendance. As are the outgoing leaders of the administration, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Both Biden and Harris confronted Trump on the campaign trail. While Biden won his 2020 matchup with Trump, he dropped out of the 2024 race and Harris, who took his place, ended up losing.
Trump’s guest list also includes a who’s who of far-right leaders from around the world. Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French politician Eric Zemmour and British Member of Parliament Nigel Farage are expected to attend.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to attend, but was ruled out by his country’s Supreme Court flight riskgiven the legal action he faces at home.
A number of prominent business people will also help the effort to return Trump to power, including billionaire Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Critics took the presence of the tech billionaires as a sign that the industry had embraced Trump, despite caution and outspoken criticism in the past.
Although he previously called the January 6 riot a “shameful day,” Apple’s Tim Cook reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration ceremony.
Cook is not alone. In a bid by the business world to curry favor with the new administration, Trump’s inaugural fund has raised a record $170 million since Jan. 8.
By the time the ceremony takes place, some insiders expect the total to exceed $200 million.
These funds help cover the costs of the inauguration itself, as well as associated events such as private balls and the parade.
Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta said they would donate $1 million, along with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who donated $1 million.
Other major donors include pharmaceutical company Pfizer, financial services firm Intuit, stock trading app Robinhood, and automakers such as Ford and General Motors.
Trump’s previous inauguration also raised a record amount of donations, surpassing $106.7 million. By contrast, Biden received only $61.8 million in donations for his 2021 ceremony.
Who will perform at the inauguration?
Trump famously struggled to find performers for his 2017 inauguration — but that’s not the case this year.
Pop star Carrie Underwood is set to perform America the Beautiful, while country singer Lee Greenwood will reprise his hit God Bless the USA, a popular entry on Trump’s campaign soundtrack.
Meanwhile, opera singer Christopher Macchio will offer his rendition of the national anthem.
The group Village People will also appear and perform Trump’s favorite disco song YMCA.
What was the US flag controversy?
On December 29, former President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100, and according to tradition, American flags were flown at half-mast on federal buildings during 30 days of mourning.
But that 30-day period overlapped with the inauguration, and Trump objected to flags flying at half-staff at his ceremony.
“Democrats are all ‘giddy’ that our glorious American flag could be ‘half-mast’ during my inauguration,” Trump wrote on social media this month. “Nobody wants to see this and no American can be happy about it.”
Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, ultimately sided with Trump, looking for flags will be raised to full height on Monday. He, however, specified that the next day they will be lowered again.
This marks a break in presidential tradition. In the past, flags have remained at half-mast throughout the mourning period, as was the case in 1973, when President Richard Nixon took his second oath of office while the country honored one of his predecessors, Harry Truman.
Will there be protests?
When Trump took office in 2017, he faced widespread protests across the country, as protesters took to the streets to oppose his far-right policies.
More than 200 protesters were arrested on the day of Trump’s first inauguration — though nearly all saw the charges against them dismissed.
Then, the day after, almost 500,000 people joined Women’s march in Washington, marking one of the largest one-day protests the city has ever seen. Across the country, nearly four million people participated in local versions of the Women’s March.
This time, however, the reaction seems more muted. Although protests are expected, few anticipate protests on the same scale as in 2017.
What about safety?
Security is expected to be high, especially after the attempted assassination of Trump last July, when he was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Nearly 48 kilometers, or 30 miles, of fencing has been erected around the Capitol, the longest ever erected. Two meters (7 feet) high, the fence is designed to deter those who might otherwise jump the barrier.
About 25,000 police officers are expected to patrol the capital, including 7,800 members of the National Guard.
City officials in Washington, DC, they said that there will be road closures near the inauguration, and ticket holders will be required to pass security checks before entering any related events.
What is the expected crowd size?
Crowd size is something of an obsession for Donald Trump, and his inauguration day crowd was no exception.
In 2017, Trump spent weeks insisting that he drew the largest inauguration crowd ever, even though that wasn’t true.
About 220,000 tickets have gone on sale for this year’s inauguration, and there is room for about 250,000.
But the change of location could prove to be a hindrance. The original venue, the grassy National Mall, has room for hundreds of thousands of visitors. Capitol One Arena, where the live broadcast will now take place, has a capacity of just over 20,000.
