On January 20, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States in Washington.
Points of attention
- The inauguration of US President Donald Trump will take place on January 20 at 5:30 p.m. Kyiv time, featuring the symbolic use of the Bibles given by his mother and the Lincoln Bible.
- Expected guests include former presidents, billionaires, and political leaders such as George W. Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.
- The live broadcast of the inauguration ceremony, including the swearing-in of the new president and the transfer of power, will be available on various platforms like websites, YouTube, Facebook, and more.
- The Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies distributed 220,000 inauguration tickets to members of Congress, with the program also featuring a presidential tea party, a parade, and formal balls in Trump's honor.
- Following the swearing-in ceremony, President Trump will deliver his first speech, hold meetings with advisors, sign executive orders, and participate in a parade and formal balls in Washington.
Where and when to watch Trump's inauguration
Voice of America Ukrainian will broadcast the inauguration ceremony live with Ukrainian translation. Tune in at 5:30 p.m. Kyiv time on the website , YouTube , Facebook , and X .
During 3.5 hours of broadcast, you will see the entire process of transferring power in the United States and the swearing-in of the new president.
Joe Biden will hand over power to Donald Trump at the White House. The traditional presidential tea party will also take place.
What events are planned for Trump's inauguration?
Despite the fact that weather forecasters predict frost in Washington on Inauguration Day, a large number of people are gathering in the capital that day.
The Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies distributed 220,000 inauguration tickets to members of Congress on January 13, allowing them to enter the grounds adjacent to the Capitol. The tickets are color-coded and feature multiple security features to prevent counterfeiting.
Lawmakers in turn distribute tickets to citizens from their states. Everyone, including children, must have a ticket to enter the grounds surrounding the Capitol, which opened at 5 a.m. on January 20.
Those who were unable to get a ticket will be able to watch the procession from certain parts of the National Mall.
In 2017, about half a million people attended Donald Trump's first inauguration.
The president-elect's motorcade is expected to arrive at the Capitol for the ceremony at 10:30 a.m. (5:30 p.m. Kyiv time), at which time the live broadcast will begin.
After that, the arrival of US President and Vice President Donald Trump and J.D. Vance will be officially announced at the Capitol building.
On January 17, Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social network that he had "ordered that the inaugural address, prayers, and other speeches be delivered in the rotunda of the United States Capitol," due to the forecast of very cold weather and winds.
Traditionally, inauguration ceremonies are held on the street in front of the Capitol building. According to the AP, the rotunda is usually prepared for each presidential inauguration as an alternative in case of weather. The last time a US president was sworn in inside the Capitol building was in 1985, when Ronald Reagan began his second term.
Therefore, at approximately 6 p.m. Kyiv time, Donald Trump will take the oath of office inside the central rotunda of the Capitol.
The Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee announced on January 17 that during the swearing-in, "President-elect Trump will use his Bible, which was given to him by his mother, and the Lincoln Bible. He received the Bible in 1955 at the graduation of Sunday school at the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, New York."
The Lincoln Bible, according to the Committee, was first used in 1861 during the swearing-in of the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. Since then, it has been used only three times: twice by President Obama and by President Trump during his first inauguration.
After being sworn in, Donald Trump will deliver his first speech as the 47th President of the United States of America.
Next, the presidential motorcade will head to the White House, where President Trump will hold his first meeting with his advisors and sign his first executive orders.
After that, the president will greet the participants in the parade that will take place through the streets of the capital in honor of his inauguration.
On the evening of January 20, several formal balls will be held in Washington in honor of the new president, and Donald Trump will attend each of them. These are the Military Ball, the Freedom Ball (which is expected to attract up to 12,000 people), and the Benefactors' Ball of the new head of state, for donors, members of the new team and government, and friends.
Who will attend Trump's inauguration?
Billionaires and political leaders are set to be among the guest list for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration and other events, with several former presidents also expected to attend.
Former US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush will attend Trump's inauguration, Bush's office said. In addition, sources told CNN that former first lady Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton will also be at the inauguration. Former President Barack Obama will also be at the ceremony.
TikTok CEO Shou Ji Chu is also expected to attend the inauguration, sitting alongside other celebrity guests, according to two sources.
Tesla CEO and close Trump ally Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will also attend the inauguration.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not officially invited to the inauguration: in a podcast with American journalist Lex Friedman, he expressed his desire to attend, but added that "he cannot visit without an invitation." At the same time, according to Zelensky, his meeting with Trump is scheduled to take place shortly after the inauguration.
