When does Donald Trump take office? 2025 inauguration explained

Donald Trump will soon return to the White House and Washington is preparing for the inauguration of the new administration. Here, The National explains everything you need to know about next week's inauguration. It will take place on January 20. All presidents are inaugurated on this date. January 20 is also when the US this year marks Martin Luther King Jr Day , a commemorative event that does not have a fixed date but is marked on the third Monday of each January. It will be the second time Inauguration Day has fallen on the same date, the first being Bill Clinton 's second inauguration in 1997. Mr Trump is expected to take the oath of office at noon, as is stipulated in the 20th Amendment of the US Constitution. Security screening gates open at 6am, followed by possible performances at about 9.30am and opening remarks at 11.30am, Washington's official tourism site says. Typically, the inauguration takes place at the “west front” of the Capitol building in Washington. But due to forecasts of freezing temperatures in the Washington area, the ceremony has been moved indoors to the Capitol rotunda. Many places have been the site of previous inaugurations, including George Washington's at Federal Hall in New York City in 1789. Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1981 was the first to take place at the current site, which has been customary since. Thousands of ticket-holding spectators had been expected to attend, but it is unclear how many, if any, will be able to attend now that it has been moved to the rotunda. Thousands are expected to brave the cold on the National Mall and watch the ceremony on large screens. The event is planned by the joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies. According to tradition, the president-elect first arrives at the White House and then proceeds to the Capitol building alongside the sitting President. The day a new president is inaugurated is a time for major celebration, with events held over four days, beginning on Saturday. These will include a fireworks display, several dinners honouring the new president and vice president and a "Maga [Make America Great Again] Victory Rally", according to Mr Trump's transition team. Inauguration Day will begin with a service at St John’s Church, followed by tea at the White House. Mr Trump and vice president-designate JD Vance will then head to the US Capitol, where they are expected to be sworn in at noon. During the ceremonies, country singer Carrie Underwood and disco group The Village People are expected to perform, according to the Associated Press. After the swearing-in ceremony comes the official farewell for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and a departure ceremony, after which Mr Trump will head to the President's Room near the Senate chambers, where he is expected to sign a series of nominations. Then Mr Trump will attend a luncheon at the Capitol, after which he will review troops in the presidential parade on Pennsylvania Avenue. He will then participate in a signing ceremony at the White House. Three inaugural balls are on the schedule: the Commander in Chief Ball, the Liberty Inaugural Ball and the Starlight Ball. As is tradition, the sitting president, in this case Joe Biden , will attend the inauguration to ensure a smooth transfer of power. Other living presidents will also be in attendance. Mr Trump declined to attend Mr Biden's inauguration in 2021. The Trump team has extended invitations to leaders and officials from around the world. In a rare move, China's President Xi Jinping has been invited, as has France's Emmanuel Macron and Argentina's Javier Milei . El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – both supporters of Mr Trump – have also been invited. Supporters including billionaire Elon Musk and former wrestler Hulk Hogan are expected to attend, in addition to other celebrities. Also likely to be there are Mr Trump's Republican allies in Congress. A number of Democratic politicians have said they will boycott the inauguration, as many Republicans did during Mr Biden's. But according to Politico , at least a handful of Democratic members who boycotted Mr Trump's 2017 ceremony plan to attend this year and several more are still undecided. What happens at the swearing-in ceremony ? Who is going to Trump's inauguration ? Typically, the parade proceeds down Pennsylvania Avenue, with the President's motorcade heading to the White House accompanied by a procession of military regiments and school marching bands, floats and citizens' groups. This year, the parade will take place in the Capitol One Arena. The joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies makes a limited number of inauguration tickets available to the public through members of Congress. Tickets are free of charge, but those wishing to attend in person must apply through a local representative or senator's office. Security will be tight, and ticket-holders should expect their persons and their belongings to be thoroughly searched. For those unable to procure tickets, giant video screens and audio systems will stream the proceedings to the thousands of spectators on the National Mall. Major TV networks will broadcast the inauguration live and the event can also be watched on the White House's live-stream.

When does Donald Trump take office? 2025 inauguration explained

The National explains everything you need to know about Trump taking office for the second time