In little under two weeks, President-elect Donald Trump will reassume power on Inauguration Day.
Here’s everything you need to know about Trump’s return to power, including how to attend and watch.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, Jan. 20, and outgoing President Joe Biden has promised a peaceful transfer of power.
January 20 is also Martin Luther King Day. However, all inauguration and swearing-in ceremonies will occur as scheduled.
Trump will take the presidential oath of office during Inauguration Day ceremonies, which traditionally includes a procession to the capital by the outgoing and incoming administrations, the vice presidential swearing-in ceremony, inauguration address by the incoming president and finally, the official honor departure of the outgoing administration.
Inauguration Day 2025 ceremonies will begin at roughly 9:30 a.m.
Inauguration ceremonies will take place at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington.
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is responsible for planning and carrying out the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies.
“The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies makes a limited number of inauguration tickets available to the public through members of Congress,” read the official Inauguration Day planning website. “Tickets are free and allow you to watch in person on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol as the president and vice president are sworn in on January 20, 2025.
“Tickets will be available from your members of Congress in the weeks leading up to the inauguration.”
ABC, CNN, NBC and PBS will provide wall-to-wall Inauguration Day coverage. Additional networks will finalize Inauguration Day coverage plans in the coming days.
Coincidentally, federal and state flags are being flown at half-staff as a sign of respect for late former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Monday, Dec. 29, 2024. Carter served as the the 39th President of the United States.
President Joe Biden issued the flag proclamation shortly after Carter’s death became public, and confirmed that flags will remain at half-staff at least through January 28.
President-elect Donald Trump has lashed out over flags being flown at half-staff during his upcoming inauguration but the White House said it isn’t reconsidering the order.
Trump’s swearing-in as the 47th president falls within the 30-day window.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, incorrectly using the term that refers to flags being flown halfway up the mast on a ship, not a flag pole. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves.”
His stance on the flag-lowering honor aside, Trump did say that he would attend funeral services for Carter.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
