Donald Trump is only days away from his historic return to the White House. January 20 is Inauguration Day when he will take the oath of office on the steps of the US Capitol in Washington DC. It will be a day steeped in tradition, which starts with a visit to the ‘Church of Presidents’
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A band performs during a rehearsal in front of the US Capitol ahead of the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, in Washington. Reuters
It’s one of the biggest events of 2025. On January 20, Donald J Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. It’s on this day that he will take over from Joe Biden, marking a historic return to the White House.
Trump’s
Vice President JD Vance will also be sworn in. The ceremony will take place at the US Capitol in Washington DC and is expected to be the costliest in history.
So what can we expect on
Inauguration Day? There will be the oath-taking ceremonies, a speech, inaugural balls and more. Here’s a guide to how the day will unfold.
A church service and tea at the White House
Inauguration Day will start with Trump attending a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, also known as “the Church of Presidents”. The church held its first service on October 27, 1816, and was consecrated on December 27, 1816. Since James Madison, every president has attended services here.
There will be tea at the White House after which Trump and Vance will head to US Capitol Hill, the venue of the inauguration ceremony.
The oaths and inaugural speech
President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will take oaths on the steps of the US Capitol building.
Vance will go first. The oath repeated by the vice president has been used since 1884. And until 1937, most veeps took the oath in the Senate chamber before the president’s swearing-in.
Vance’s oath will be administered by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. This will be followed by a performance by country music star
Carrie Underwood, who will sing “America is Beautiful”. The singer-songwriter will perform alongside the Armed Forces Chorus and Naval Academy Glee.
The spotlight will then shift to Trump. He will take oath around noon local time (10.30 pm IST). Tradition dictates that the Chief Justice of the Supreme administers the oath of office to the president-elect. Sticking to that John Roberts will administer the oath to Trump.
The incoming president will hold up his right hand and place his left on the Bible, usually held by the spouse. He will then recite the following, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
After Trump and Vance are sworn in, Biden and Kamala Harris get an official farewell.
Trump will also deliver a presidential address, his first in the second term. His last inaugural speech lasted about 17 minutes in 2017, where he pledged to keep “America first”. It remains to be seen how long he will speak this time.
This ceremony will conclude with a performance of the US national anthem by opera singer Christopher Macchio, a classical vocalist.
Trump will sign nominations in the President’s Room near the Senate chamber. After this, he will be escorted to an inaugural luncheon, a tradition that started in 1897 but has evolved over the years. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) will host the lunch party for the president, the vice president and their spouses in the Saturday Hall in the US Capitol. They will be joined by Senate leaders, JCCIC members and other guests.
The cuisine at this gathering often boasts specialities from the home states of the new president and vice president. The programme will also include speeches, gift presentations and toasts to the new administration.
The inaugural procession
The procession for inaugural ceremonies has been a reason to celebrate since the first inauguration of George Washington in 1789. His supporters followed him on his journey to New York City. The parade has, of course, changed over the decades and became an official fixture only in 1809 when
President James Madison took oath, according to a US media report.
Today, the procession follows an established protocol, which has evolved from the past inaugurations of 46 US presidents.
After the luncheon, Trump will lead the inaugural procession from the US Capitol to the White House. This will begin at 3 pm local time (1.30 am IST on January 21).
Every branch of the US armed forces – the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and Coast Guard – will be part of the parade, as is tradition. It will also feature 7,500 participants from 23 states, which include marching bands from schools and universities, veterans, and first responders.
The first group to march will be people who responded to the
assassination attempt on Trump at Butler Farm Grounds in Pennsylvania on July 13.
The
MAGA garbage truck that Trump rode during the 2024 presidential campaign during a rally in Wisconsin will also feature in the parade. The president-elect addressed the media from the truck last October after Biden called Trump supporters “garbage”.
Thousands of Trump supporters will line up as the inaugural procession heads down Pennsylvania Avenue to get a glimpse of the newly sworn-in president and vice president.
A limited number of inauguration tickets are available to the public for free through members of the US Congress. They allow the people to watch the ceremony from the grounds of the US Capitol.
The inaugural balls
The inaugural ball is also an age-old tradition, which has been part of festivities celebrating the new president. The first ball was hel