The Republican is the second-ever US leader to be elected for non-consecutive terms
President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania after a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church across from the White House, January 20, 2025. © AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Donald Trump is scheduled to take his oath of office as the 47th president of the United States at the US Capitol on Monday.
The event has been moved indoors on account of sub-zero temperatures in Washington, DC. There have also been security concerns, given that Trump barely survived an assassination attempt last July on the campaign trail.
Just a week later, President Joe Biden bowed out of the reelection race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump proceeded to win the electoral college, the popular vote, and all seven swing states in the November 5 election.
Trump is only the second-ever US president to be sworn in for non-consecutive mandates. Grover Cleveland was the 22nd (1885-1889) and the 24th president (1893-1897).
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20 January 2025
15:42 GMT
Around 800 people will be expected in the Capitol Rotunda for the inauguration ceremony, with another 1,300 in Emancipation Hall and 500 more inside the Capitol Visitor’s Center, for a total of 2,600, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies told CNN.
At least 20,000 people are expected at the Capital One Arena, a hockey and basketball venue several blocks away, to watch the ceremony on big screens indoors.
Controversy over the size of the inauguration crowd dogged the first Trump administration, while no general public was allowed at Biden’s swearing-in, which was held under heavy armed guard two weeks after the Capitol riot.
- 15:16 GMT
President Joe Biden and his wife Jill have posted “one more selfie for the road” from the official POTUS account on X with the caption, “We love you, America.”
One more selfie for the road. We love you, America. pic.twitter.com/71k46uGADV
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 20, 2025
- 15:10 GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent congratulations to Trump ahead of the inauguration and said that Moscow “welcomes” his statements about wanting to restore relations with Russia and prevent the current proxy conflict over Ukraine from developing into World War Three.
- 15:03 GMT
Trump and his wife Melania have arrived at the White House for a final meeting with the Bidens. Joe and Jill Biden are scheduled to attend the inauguration and then take a helicopter to Joint Base Andrews outside the US capital, from where they will take an airplane to California.
🚨 #BREAKING: President Biden and Jill Biden welcome President Trump and Melania Trump to the White House for tea pic.twitter.com/jfiLp15JdW
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 20, 2025
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