What to know about Joe Biden s presidential inauguration
Emily Davies, Justin Jouvenal, Teddy Amenabar and Matt Viser, The Washington Post
Jan. 8, 2021
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Construction continues on the presidential inaugural platform at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 29, 2020, in Washington, D.C.Washington Post photo by Katherine Frey/The
WASHINGTON - Joe Biden is expected to begin his term as the 46th president Jan. 20, when he is scheduled to be sworn into office amid an inauguration ceremony unlike any other in recent memory.
The coronavirus pandemic will transform the traditions long associated with inaugural celebrations. In fact, Biden s transition team is urging all Americans to stay home, refrain from travel and limit gatherings during the inauguration to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
Originally published on January 9, 2021 8:29 am
Updated at 3:57 p.m. ET
When President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office on Jan. 20, a traditional element that once illustrated a peaceful transfer of power between presidential administrations will be missing: the outgoing president.
In a tweet Friday morning, President Trump said, To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.
After weeks of falsely claiming that he had won the November election, and after inciting his supporters to march on the Capitol Wednesday which turned into an insurrection, Trump had not been expected to attend Biden s swearing-in.
Joe Biden on Wednesday began signing 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations addressing the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and racial inequality, and immediately undoing some policies put in place by his predecessor Donald Trump.
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Police guard the Capitol in the aftermath of rioting on January 6. Photograph by Evy Mages
Despite the damage that was sustained to the U.S. Capitol during Wednesday’s pro-Trump riot, a key congressional committee has pledged that the swearing-in ceremony of President-Elect Joe Biden will take place as scheduled, and at its traditional location.
“The great American tradition of an inaugural ceremony has occurred in times of peace, in times of turmoil, in times of prosperity, and in times of adversity,” Republican Senator Roy Blunt and Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said in a joint statement Thursday evening. “We will be swearing in President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021.”