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Trump's second go-around
Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, looking to turn his promises into action.
Trump’s second term will begin under a Republican trifecta, with his party’s control of both chambers of Congress as he retakes the Oval Office. The 47th president will look to quickly roll back his predecessor’s policies and roll out his much-touted campaign promises. At the top of Trump’s Day 1 plans is a mass deportation program, sweeping tariffs and possible pardons for Jan. 6 defendants.
The inauguration ceremony, including the swearing-in, will take place indoors, a last-minute change to the pomp and circumstance due to extreme cold forecasted for the nation’s capital.
Here’s a short guide to the ceremony and how PBS News will be covering Trump’s Inauguration Day.
This newsletter was compiled by Joshua Barajas.
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HOW TO WATCH TRUMP’S INAUGURATION DAY
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Watch Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration ceremony in the player above.
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Trump’s Inauguration Day will kick off Monday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C. The date, set by the 20th Amendment, falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year.
Trump will re-enter office as the first former president sentenced for a crime.
A full schedule of events, including musical guests and a breakdown of the inauguration ceremony, can be found here.
PBS News will begin streaming coverage at 8 a.m. EST, with on-air special coverage, beginning at 10:30 a.m. EST. Watch live here.
The regular PBS News Hour broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. EST.
Anchors Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett will host on-air special coverage and analysis with a group of panelists and special guests, including:
Correspondents Laura Barrón-López, Lisa Desjardins, John Yang and Ali Rogin will report from the day’s proceedings.
Check your local listings to find the PBS station near you, or watch online here.
You can also follow the PBS News’ coverage on YouTube, X and Facebook and see highlights on our Instagram. We’re also on Bluesky now.
What to expect
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Photo by Matthew Hatcher/AFP via Getty Images
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The bitter cold predicted for Monday in Washington, D.C., means Donald Trump’s inauguration is expected to be the coldest on record in 40 years.
Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985 was forced indoors when temperatures dropped to 7 degrees. The swearing-in will now happen inside the Capitol Rotunda, where Reagan also took the oath.
There may be some adjustments to the festivities to accommodate guests who are visiting D.C. — the Rotunda can hold only about 600 people — but the general schedule remains largely the same, so far.
PBS News’ daylong feed will start at 8 a.m. EST. |
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Inauguration prep inside the Capitol Rotunda. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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Inauguration Day will start with a church service across from the White House. Trump, accompanied by incoming first lady Melania Trump, will then have tea with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
The swearing-in ceremony inside the Rotunda will have several musical performances, including Carrie Underwood singing “America the Beautiful.”
The new president’s term begins at noon local time, as laid out by the 20th Amendment. Shortly after JD Vance is sworn in as vice president, Trump will follow, putting his hand over the same two Bibles he used in his first inauguration in 2017.
Another echo of Trump’s first inauguration: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the presidential oath of office.
Trump will deliver an inaugural address. He’s expected to stress “unity” and “light,” Axios reported. This would be a tonal shift from his first inaugural address, which talked of “American carnage.”
A farewell to the former president. A brief departure ceremony for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will take place as they leave the Capitol.
Later in the day, the inaugural parade — now inside the Capitol One Arena — will occur. Trump is planning to appear and make remarks after taking the oath. At time of publishing, three inaugural balls were also scheduled for Monday night.
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More on Trump’s second presidency from our coverage:
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