OATH OF OFFICE
President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president Wednesday. This year’s ceremony will be unlike any other due to COVID-19 and the angry mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.
This will be the 59th presidential inauguration. The theme for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration is “America United.” A familiar phrase in the U.S., but the inauguration will not look or feel familiar.
Biden will start the day by taking the train from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, to Washington, D.C., the same route he took for many years while serving in the Senate.
Officials are actively discouraging people from traveling to the ceremony. Instead of attending the parade, there will be a televised virtual event featuring performances from communities across the U.S.
The violent insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, which led to five deaths and the opening of at least 25 domestic terrorism cases, has cast a shadow over the inauguration plans. There remains fear that additional mobs could try to interfere.
An estimated 20,000 National Guard troops will be in the capital, with about 5,000 more available if requested. Four years ago for President Trump’s inauguration, about 8,000 National Guard troops were deployed.
There are not many Constitutional guidelines for inaugurations, only the date and the words of the oath. All else is driven by tradition.
President Trump announced he will not attend the inauguration, the first to do so in 152 years. Three other presidents – John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson – chose to sit out their successor’s inaugurations.
Trump did tweet days after the insurrection that there will be a peaceful transition of power. “In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be no violence, no lawbreaking and no vandalism of any kind,” Trump said in a statement Wednesday.
Biden said, “I am not concerned about my safety, security or the inauguration. The American people are going to stand up, stand up now. Enough is enough is enough.”
This year, there still will be a pass in review ceremony which is a traditional part of the peaceful transfer of power, where the new commander in chief inspects the troops.
Plans to attend
Vice President Mike Pence, and former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also will accompany Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery shortly after Biden and Harris take the oath of office.
Jimmy Carter, 96, will not attend, marking the first time that he has missed the inauguration since his own in 1977.
The night of inauguration
In lieu of traditional inaugural balls, a virtual event will celebrate “American heroes” who have served on the front lines during the pandemic. The 90-minute program, hosted by Tom Hanks and beginning at 8:30 p.m., will include performances by Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons and Jon Bon Jovi.
Inaugural address
George Washington’s second inaugural address was the shortest at 135 words. Every president since Washington has given an inaugural address before taking the oath of office. The longest address was given by President William Henry Harrison which was 8,445 words. His speech was given during a cold, wet day and his death a month later is believed to have been brought on by prolonged exposure to the elements during his inauguration.
Sources: U.S. Senate, President James Buchanan.org, National Museum of American History