WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States at 9 a.m. PST on Monday amid a small gathering of dignitaries and guests at the Capitol, marking an unusual twist traditional inauguration.
The ceremony was moved to the Capitol Rotunda as freezing temperatures were forecast for Washington, making Trump one of the few presidents to take the oath of office indoors.
“I don’t want to see people hurt or harmed in any way,” Trump said in one on Friday Truth Social post. “Therefore, I directed that the inaugural address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, be delivered in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol, as used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of the very cold weather.”
Trump's second inauguration is historic in several ways. He will become only the second president to win non-consecutive terms: the other, Grover Cleveland, won the 1884 and 1992 elections. He will also be the only president to be impeached twice and to be a convicted felon.
The Rotunda was among areas of the Capitol complex ransacked by Trump supporters four years ago in an attempt to prevent the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
Trump's inauguration day begins with a service at St. John's Episcopal Church, which hosted a famous photo opportunity in 2020 in which Trump held up a Bible after driving Black Lives Matter protesters away from a nearby park. After church, Trump will join his wife Melania Trump for tea at the White House with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
For the more intimate swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, Trump is expected to be joined by a cadre of his closest advisers and allies, including several technology executives generously donated to his election campaign.
Most of the people who flocked to the nation's capital to attend the event in person were relegated to the nearby Capital One Arena to watch a livestream of the official ceremony. Trump said in his Truth Social post that he planned to join the crowd at the arena for the presidential parade. He also held a campaign rally there on Sunday afternoon in front of a smaller audience. Trump is expected to end the day with a dizzying program of three inaugural balls.
Trump takes office amid a high point for the Republican Party, which won control of the House and Senate in November elections. Congressional leaders have already begun implementing Trump's policy priorities. Immediately after the inauguration, the Senate is scheduled to begin considering the Laken Riley Act, the first of many border security bills expected to be introduced in the Republican-led Congress.
The Senate has been busy with confirmation hearings for Trump's Cabinet picks over the past week. The widely televised hearings have given Democrats a chance to sharply challenge his nominees, foreshadowing a combative four years ahead.
As in his first campaign, Trump's run for office in 2024 hinged on his promise to crack down on illegal immigration at the border and corruption in Washington. Trump is expected to begin his first hours in office by signing a series of executive orders, including many aimed at tightening immigration regulations and potentially triggering mass deportations.
California leaders have already begun preparing a counteroffensive to Trump's political goals. Gov. Gavin Newsom called a special legislative session for state leaders to prepare for Trump's presidency, and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said his office was preparing lawsuits to challenge any Trump policies they deemed illegal or unconstitutional.