Inauguration Day: Donald Trump to be sworn in as 47th US president

Donald J. Trump, a billionaire businessman whose meteoric rise in politics has repeatedly defied odds and reshaped the Republican Party, will be sworn in as the nation’s 47th president Monday during an indoor ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

“We won,” Trump told supporters at a victory rally Sunday night at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. “I’m thrilled to be back with so many friends, supporters and true American patriots on the eve of taking back our country. That’s what we’re going to do: Take back our country.”

Trump is replacing a weakened, outgoing President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection bid in July after top Democrats called for him to step aside and make way for a new generation of leadership in Vice President Kamala Harris.

Though Harris started her campaign with a lot of support and raised $1 billion in three months, she could not overcome the declining popularity and increasing unfavorability that plagued the Biden administration since a disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021.

Questions mounted about the administration’s leadership at the time of the botched withdrawal and continued as Americans grappled with the weight of inflation, frequently sharing expensive grocery receipts online and asking for help with high housing costs.

As those voters grew frustrated with a Democratic Party that seemingly prioritized cultural issues over economic ones and relied on data to show its accomplishments, Trump was able to win a messaging war by focusing on the border, economy and overhauling the federal government. He again tapped into anger in the country and often told voters: “I am your voice” and “I am your retribution.”

The top of his campaign website still says, “They’re not after me, they’re after you … I’m just standing in the way!” It’s a reference to the multiple lawsuits and indictments he faced — all of which essentially ended once he won the Electoral College and popular vote on Nov. 5.

“Tomorrow at noon, the curtain closes on four, long years of American decline, and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride — bringing it all back once and for all,” Trump said Sunday night.

According to his top advisers, Trump will sign dozens, possibly between 50 and 100, executive orders on Monday to strengthen the border, boost energy policies, pardon those charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, strip policies focused on diversity, equality, and inclusion, reverse Biden executive orders, and more.

What time is the inauguration?

The 78-year-old Trump will be sworn in during a noon ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, a move indoors that hasn’t happened since Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office.

Presidential inaugurations typically take place on the West Front of the Capitol, which overlooks the National Mall. President-elect Trump said on Truth Social that he was moving the ceremony indoors due to “dangerous conditions,” referring to the arctic blast forecast to move into the region. Though a high of 24 degrees is predicted in Washington, D.C., on Monday, the wind chill, with gusts up to 24 mph, is expected to make it feel much colder.

Trump will be the oldest president sworn in at 78 years and 7 months old. Biden was 78 years and 2 months old at his inauguration in 2021.

Because the inauguration will be held inside, the crowd will be much smaller and include family, former presidents, and lawmakers.

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, a former Ohio senator, will be sworn in first as vice president, as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh administers the oath. Vance relinquished his Senate seat on Jan. 9. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, on Friday appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Vance’s seat.

After Trump’s inauguration at the U.S. Capitol, he will head to Capital One Arena for an indoor parade, followed by an Oval Office signing ceremony at the White House and multiple balls where he will deliver remarks.

Trump started leading before inauguration

Trump has not waited for this Inauguration Day to start leading.

Shortly after his election, he named Republican political operative Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff — the first woman to hold the job. Then he made a series of Cabinet picks, some more controversial than others, and launched a nongovernmental Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by tech mogul Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. However, recent reports suggest Ramaswamy will resign from DOGE to focus on a run for governor in Ohio.

Trump’s power on Capitol Hill has also been evident in the last two months, as most Republicans have fallen in line and backed his nominees, despite some early resistance. He and Musk were also able to upend a bipartisan resolution shortly before the holidays last month, though lawmakers ultimately got it back on track before Christmas and Hanukkah.

The president-elect also had a hand in the recently struck peace deal between Israel and Hamas, and on Friday, he said he had a “very good” call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately,” Trump said on Truth Social. The president-elect said they discussed trade, fentanyl, TikTok “and many other subjects.”

Trump said he and Xi “will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!”

As Trump moved the inauguration ceremony this week with a Truth Social post and announced he would issue an executive order Monday to restore TikTok, it was a reminder that the incoming president frequently governs by texting. He will become the first president to have his own social media company, and a top adviser, Musk, owns another. In short and long posts alike, which often include run-on sentences in all caps, Trump frequently steers politics, policies and the press.

His views of the press, as outlined in his 1987 book “Art of the Deal,” helped him deliver an upset win in 2016 and lead an unprecedented comeback in 2024.

“The point is that if you are a little different, or a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you,” Trump said in the book.

He also implied there was no such thing as bad press, which seemed especially prescient given his involvement in multiple lawsuits during the recent election cycle.

“The benefits of being written about have far outweighed the drawbacks,” Trump wrote in 1987. “It’s really quite simple … The funny thing is that even a critical story, which may be hurtful personally, can be very valuable to your business.”

This time, for Trump, it was the business of winning the White House.

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