With every presidential-elect comes their inauguration. The current President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated into office on January 20, 2025, along with the Vice President-elect James David Vance. But what is the inauguration?
The presidential inauguration occurs every four years following the election. Both the president and vice president-elects are sworn in and take office. It opens with a swearing-in ceremony. First the vice president, and then the president. They must both repeat the oath of office on the Inaugural platform, traditionally administered by the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice. The newly-sworn president then delivers an inaugural address. While the oath of office is the only part of the inauguration required by the Constitution, every president since George Washington in 1789 has delivered an Inaugural address.
There are a few more events following the ceremony as well. First, the outgoing president departs from the Capitol, then the newly sworn president enters the President’s room to take their first actions, such as executive orders. Additionally, the president attends an Inaugural Luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies in the Statuary Hall.
The final event following the Luncheon is the pass in review, where the president and vice president review the military troops in attendance. They then lead a procession of military and citizen groups down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Finally they are escorted to the presidential viewing stand where they watch an inaugural parade.
This year’s inauguration requires more security than ever before following the assassination attempt on Trump’s life in July of 2024. The previous inauguration ceremony for President Joseph Biden was no different. The secret service launched one of the largest security operations in American history to ensure the safety of Biden’s inauguration, as the January 6th Capitol Riot occurred just days before it. This inauguration will mark the beginning of Trump’s second term in office.
