Donald J. Trump will be sworn in on Monday, Jan. 20, as the 47th President of the United States. Having also served in the Oval Office from 2017 to 2021, Trump will be the second president in U.S. history after Grover Cleveland to have served two non-consecutive terms.
Victories in the popular vote and electoral college last November marked Trump’s historic comeback in 2024. Although he did not win the historically blue Empire State, many New Yorkers will tune in on Monday to see the U.S. presidency change hands from Joe Biden to Trump in front of a worldwide audience.
Here is what New Yorkers need to know about Trump’s inauguration
When is the inauguration ceremony?
Ceremonies at Capitol Hill will begin at about 11 a.m., with Chief Justice John Roberts administering the presidential oath of office to President Trump at around noon Monday. Incoming First Lady Melania Trump and the new president’s children will likely be there, too.
Just as he did eight years ago, Trump will take an oath to “faithfully execute the office of President of the United States” and, to the best of his ability, “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will also be sworn in at 11:30 a.m.
Where is the ceremony?
The ceremony will take place indoors at the Capitol Rotunda due to the extreme cold weather forecast for the DC area on Monday. The move has also limited the number of ticketed guests who can attend.
The move indoors came from Trump himself, per a statement from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
“The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will honor the request of the President-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to move the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol to the Rotunda,” the statement read.
What does the inauguration entail?
After he is sworn in, Trump will deliver his inaugural address. According to Reuters, the president-elect has said his speech will be “uplifting and unifying.”
The news outlet also reported that outgoing President Joe Biden plans to attend the ceremony, as Barack Obama did for Trump’s first inauguration in 2017. Trump did not attend Biden’s inauguration four years ago in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection on Capitol Hill.
Are any local groups, officials or other stakeholders or entertainers from New York attending the event?
Former U.S. presidents, world leaders and entertainers, including country music singers Carrie Underwood and Lee Greenwood will perform.
USA Today reports that opera singer Christopher Macchio will sing the national anthem.
Reports say TikTok CEO Shou Chew will attend. Trump is expected to lift the ban on the controversial social media platform after he takes office Monday; he has said he wants an American company to own a 50% interest in the US operation.
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will also attend, as will New York’s Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. It is unclear if House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will be there.
U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, representing Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, will attend. Like all Congress members, she received an allotment of tickets to hand out to her constituents.
Several Staten Island residents reported being in D.C. this weekend for the inauguration but lost their tickets after organizers announced they were moving the event indoors.
“My husband and daughter are at the pre-party with Nicole Malliotakis down in DC this morning,” Alison Madill of Staten Island said on Sunday. We had tickets, but when they moved it indoors, we lost them. However, we got two tickets to the party this morning.”
The historic parade along Pennsylvania Avenue starring military regiments, community groups and marching bands was also nixed due to the cold weather. Instead, a march will be inside the nearby Capital One Arena in D.C., according to a CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C.
Where will the inauguration be broadcast or streamed?
Many radio, TV, and digital news outlets will broadcast or stream the event live. It will likely also be available on Facebook, X, and other social media platforms.
NewsNation will air the full event as part of its live TV coverage, and USA Today will also stream it.
More information about Inauguration Day is online at washington.org.
