President Donald Trump's inauguration time:How, when and what to watch
President Donald Trump’s inauguration time will be sworn into office within the U.S. Capitol Rotunda at 12 p.m. EST on Monday. Trump is the second president to relocate his inauguration from the West Front of the Capitol to the Rotunda, under an expected bout of cold weather.
“I have directed the Inauguration Address, along with prayers and other speeches, to be given in the United States Capitol Rotunda, which was employed by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also due to extremely cold weather,” Trump tweeted Friday.
Temperatures will be a peak of around 24 degrees Monday with gusting winds of up to 31 mph, National Weather Service reports.
Crews — who worked for four months constructing the inaugural and presidential parade platforms outside — have fitted out the Rotunda and Capital One Arena to accommodate Trump’s inauguration events. Almost a quarter million individuals had tickets for Trump’s outdoor inauguration, many of whom will be unable to go to the limited capacity indoor events.
“This will be a very beautiful experience for everyone, and particularly for the big TV audience!” Trump tweeted Friday.
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How to watch the inauguration
NPR News offers live special coverage of Trump’s inauguration at 11 a.m. EST on NPR.org and YouTube.
Additional streams are available on the official inaugural committee livestream and C-SPAN.org.
All of the major network and cable news television channels will carry coverage of the inauguration. The programs will also be on subscription streaming platforms, including YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. A number of news channels — including CBS News, NBC News and ABC News — will place their coverage online.
MSNBC’s coverage of the inauguration will be on its YouTube channel.
The Cable News Network, popularly referred to as CNN, and the Fox News shall give a live report but, again, for payment.
Who’s going to the inauguration
With the ceremony to take place in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda — rather than the West Front — space is cramped and the guest list loose.
The first platform on the West Front measures more than 10,000 square feet and can accommodate a maximum of approximately 1,600 people, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies explains. The Capitol Rotunda measures slightly less than 7,000 square feet and accommodates a maximum of approximately 750 people, a planning source well-versed with the arrangements and not authorized to speak on the issue.
The JCCIC reports the first platform is generally reserved for the president and vice president and their families; the president-elect and vice president-elect and their families; the chief justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court; former presidents; the diplomatic corps; cabinet members and nominees; members of Congress; governors; the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and other dignitaries.
Despite the limited space, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will all attend the rotunda opening, a person close to the planning who was not authorized to release the information.
Interestingly, the People’s Republic of China’s vice president, Han Zheng, will also be present at the rotunda ceremony, according to the Trump transition team.
Prayer, Parade and Inaugural balls –President Donald Trump’s inauguration time
Although Trump’s inauguration is constitutionally required to take place at 12 p.m. EST on Monday, the whole day is packed with inaugural events, ceremonies and traditions.
The day begins at St. John’s Episcopal Church with a morning prayer service — 92 years old. Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and a handful of others will pray with Rev. Robert Fisher at the tiny, yellow church right across the street from Lafayette Square.
Trump then will have tea with President Biden at the White House before heading to the U.S. Capitol.
After being sworn into office, Trump will deliver his inaugural address within the Rotunda.
Trump will thereafter exit the U.S. Capitol and proceed to Capital One Arena for his indoor “Presidential Parade” at 3 p.m. EST.
The night concludes with three inaugural balls: Commander in Chief Ball, Liberty Inaugural Ball and Starlight Ball. Trump will visit and address all of them.
Which artists are performing
During the day’s activities, various great artists will be performing.President Donald Trump’s inauguration time
Carrie Underwood, a country singer, will sing “America the Beautiful” while conducting the Inauguration oath process.
“I am thrilled to be in our country and grateful to have been invited to sing at the Inauguration and to be a part of this moment,” Underwood stated in a release given to NPR.
Veteran tenor Christopher Macchio — who sang at the Republican National Convention and Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden — will sing the national anthem during the swearing-in ceremony.
READ MORE:Inside Trump’s inauguration: How and when to watch
FAQ:
When was Donald Trump’s inauguration?
Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, January 20, 2017, at 12:00 PM EST, following the constitutional timeline for presidential transitions.
Where did the inauguration take place?
The ceremony was held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with the oath of office administered on the West Front of the Capitol building.
How could I watch the inauguration?
The event was broadcast live across major networks, including:
Television: CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS.
Online Streams: Official YouTube channels (e.g., The White House, news networks), social media platforms, and network websites.
In Person: Tickets were available to the public through congressional representatives.
What were the key events of the day?
Swearing-In Ceremony – Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath.
Inaugural Address – President Trump delivered his speech outlining his vision.
Parade – A procession from the Capitol to the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue.
Inaugural Balls – Evening celebrations held in honor of the new administration.
Were there controversies or notable moments?
Yes, the inauguration drew attention for:
Crowd Size Debates – Comparisons to previous inaugurations sparked discussions.
Protests – The Women’s March occurred globally the following day (January 21).President Donald Trump’s inauguration time
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