The Trump Inauguration: All You Need To Know

The day is finally here: the long and turbulent 2016 election reaches its dramatic conclusion today when Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. In a ceremony likely to draw 900,000 people, including protesters, Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, will take the oath of office at noon outside the domed U.S. Capitol, with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.

The inauguration by the numbers:

  • The crowd is expected to be between 700,000 and 900,000. This compares to roughly 1.8 million present during Barack Obama’s first inauguration.
  • 28,000 security officials, including secret service and national guard are expected to be present
  • Trump’s inaugural address is expected to last about 20 minutes
  • The parade will include 8,000 participants representing 40 organizations, including marching bands and veteran groups
  • There will be 3 official balls, compared to 10 for Obama
  • 99 protest groups have signed up to demonstrate the inauguration

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The Inauguration

The inauguration of the controversial real estate mogul and former reality television star will largely follow tradition, but there will be several unique changes scattered throughout.

In what will likely be the most personal touch, Trump has chosen his childhood Bible for the swearing-in ceremony. He will also use the Lincoln Bible, which has been used at three previous inaugural ceremonies: that of Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and for Barack Obama both in 2009 and 2013.

Unlike previous inaugurations, the lineup of performers has been largely kept quiet as a number of individuals who were either asked to participate or who were announced as part of the lineup ended up dropping out following backlash. One performer who has been confirmed is Jackie Evancho, a 16-year-old “America’s Got Talent” alum. She will be singing the national anthem.

Another abnormal aspect of the day will be the number of congressional Democrats who have announced that they are skipping the inauguration. The latest count has one-third of all House Democrats skipping the inauguration. There is no modern precedent for a planned political boycott of this scale. The boycott does not appear to have shaken Trump, who used his most common form of communication to make his first statement of the day. Trump sent out a tweet from his personal account, writing “it all begins today!”

The day’s schedule of events follows the familiar pattern of inaugurations of the past, however, as Trump will have stayed overnight at Blair House across the street from the White House and will go from there to a church service. Then, he and his wife, Melania Trump, will go to the White House for tea with the Obamas before proceeding to the Capitol.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place shortly after they arrive, and Trump will take the oath of office promptly at noon, which marks the official transfer of power.

The inaugural address comes toward the end of the outdoor ceremony, and shortly after that, Obama will leave and Trump will attend a luncheon before the rest of the scheduled events — including the parade and various balls — fill out the landmark day.

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Full Schedule of Events

  • 8:30 a.m. President-elect Trump will attend a church service with his family. Vice President-elect Mike Pence and his family will also join the soon-to-be first family along with Cabinet designees, other family members and friends.
  • 9:30 a.m. Trump will attend a White House tea reception hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Pence and his family will also be in attendance.
  • 10:30 a.m. The President-elect’s motorcade departs to the US Capitol for the swearing in ceremony.
  • 11:00 a.m Swearing-in ceremony begins
  • Noon: President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Pence will be sworn in. Their families, the Obamas, members of Congress and the US Supreme Court justices will be among the attendees. Trump will recite the oath of office, administered by US Supreme Court
    Chief Justice John Roberts using president Abraham Lincoln’s
    inauguration Bible, as well as the Bible that Trump’s mother gave to him
    at his Sunday school graduation in 1955. Afterward, Trump will deliver
    his inaugural address. The ceremony concludes and President Trump and Vice-President Pence will bid farewell to the Obamas and the Bidens. The Obamas will then board “Executive One.”
  • 12:45 p.m. The Obamas depart the Capital for Andrews AFB
  • 1:00 p.m. President Trump, Vice-President Pence, Melania Trump and Karen Pence will attend a joint congressional inaugural committee luncheon.
  • 1:10 p.m. Obama gives remarks at a farewell event at Andrews
  • 1:40 p.m. Obamas take on last trip on Air Froce one to California where they will vacation in Palm Springs
  • 2:30 p.m. The President and Vice-President will attend a military review.
  • 3 pm to 5 pm – Inaugural parade. The newly minted president and vice-president make their way 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House, trailed by some 8,000 parade participants. They will include members of all US military branches, as well as high school and university marching bands, equestrian corps, first responders, veteran groups and even a tractor brigade.
  • 7 pm to 11 pm – Trump, Pence and their wives will make appearances at three official inaugural balls, two of which will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the other at the National Building Museum. A number of semi-official and unofficial balls also will take place throughout the city.

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Inauguration Speakers

  • Cardinal Timothy Dolan: Archbishop of New York
  • Pastor Paula White-Cain: New Destiny Christian Center
  • Reverend Franklin Graham: Samaritan’s Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
  • Reverend Dr. Samuel Rodriguez: National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
  • Rabbi Marvin Hier: Simon Wiesenthal Center
  • Bishop Wayne T. Jackson: Great Faith Ministries International

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Protests

Security will be tight around the White House and Capitol. Streets near the president’s home were blocked to traffic by empty buses and dump trucks or temporary pedestrian security checkpoints where law enforcement officers and National Guard troops checked people’s bags.

Some 28,000 officers were in place to secure the roughly 3-square-mile (8-square-kilometer) area of downtown Washington. The National Mall in front of the Capitol opened early to begin admitting guests, who were barred from bringing selfie sticks, coolers for beverages, and long umbrellas despite the rainy weather.

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The Parade

The parade dates back to the first inauguration. When George Washington took the oath of office April 30, 1789, in New York City, members of the Continental Army, government officials, members of Congress and prominent citizens escorted him to Federal Hall for his swearing-in ceremony, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. The largest parade, which included 73 bands, 59 floats, horses, elephants and civilian and military vehicles, and lasted 4 hours and 32 minutes, was in 1953 at Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first inauguration.

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Balls

Donald Trump will attend three inaugural balls.

  • THE OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL BALLS: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Walter E. Washington Convention Center

The two balls are dubbed Liberty and Freedom. Tickets are priced at $50—designed to be affordable so that more people can attend. Entertainment includes singer Sam Moore, Tim Rushlow and his Big Band, the New York-based dance company the Rockettes, classical music crossover group the Piano Guys and Erin Boheme.

  • THE SALUTE TO OUR ARMED SERVICES BALL: National Building Museum

A traditional inaugural event for members of the military, invitation-only.

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The Map

Source: WSJ, ABC, Reuters

via http://ift.tt/2jH3Z6q Tyler Durden

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