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DONALD TRUMP HAS been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.
He was sworn in just after 5pm Irish time (midday local time), following the swearing in of Vice President JD Vance. Due to freezing conditions in Washington DC, the ceremony took place inside.
Following his inauguration ceremony, Trump delivered a speech in which he pushed all the culture war buttons – announcing sweeping policy changes on issues such as gender, climate, migration and military.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said in his first official speech.
He later spoke about the assassination attempt against him last July, saying: “I was saved by God to make America great again.”
Trump told the crowd he would declare a national emergency at the US border with Mexico as part of a crackdown on immigration, end the Green New Deal (which calls for public policy to address climate change), and “tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens”.
Here’s a roundup of today’s inauguration news so far:
Trump is currently meeting for a short tea service with Biden, and both men are joined with the incoming and outcoming first ladies.
In 2021, Trump left the White House early and did not hold the traditional tea service with Biden. It is the first time that both men have taken part in the service together.
US President Joe Biden welcomes Trump to the White House this morning. Alamy
Alamy
Trump and his family will soon make their way to the Rotunda Room at the Capitol building, where the swearing-in ceremony is due to take place.
The guest list was cut to 600 people today, with roughly 20,000 Trump supporters being hosted in the Capital One Arena in Washington.
Among the guests in the room is the outgoing American Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
It was unknown if Trump and Biden would be attending the swearing-in ceremony together – but it now likely as first ladies Jill Biden and Melania Trump have just entered an armoured car together to the event.
Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and JD Vance have also entered a car to travel together.
First Ladies Melania Trump and Jill Biden travel together to the Capitol building.
It is tradition for the outgoing president to travel to the capitol with the new leader.
Trump did not travel with Biden in 2021.
20 Jan
3:38PM
The drive to the Capitol building is short and the schedule is currently running behind. However, it is likely that the procession will take their time to head to the Rotunda Room, to view the crowds.
Confirmed: Donald Trump and Joe Biden are carpooling together to the Capitol building.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden travelling together to the Capitol building.
20 Jan
3:41PM
It’s likely to be an awkward car ride, according to many commentators, as Trump called out Biden today for his preemptive pardoning of many political opponents of the Republican.
Later this evening, Trump intends to overwrite a number of Biden’s political achievements with dozens of executive orders.
Biden and Trump are currently travelling to the Capitol in ‘The Beast’ – one of the most-protected vehicles in the World. To be a fly on the window of the car right now…
There are hundreds of people seen in the footage, lining the streets and cheering as the motorway drives by. This is one of the biggest security operations of the day, two Presidents, one car.
20 Jan
3:50PM
In about an hour’s time, Trump is set to make his Presidential oath and officially become the 47th President of the US at 11.47am local time (5.47pm).
The motorcade has just arrived at the Capitol building, as guests and security pile into the Rotunda Building.
Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump make their way into the Rotunda room in the Capitol building.
Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump are making their way into the Rotunda room in the Capitol building with Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and JD Vance.
Inside the room, billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk is in the room along with UFC founder Dana White.
The newest cabinet members, who last week were vetted and grilled by politicians for hours in Washington, will be in charge of a number of different departments in the US for the next four years (at maximum).
Their work will begin later today, when Trump attends the President’s Room in the same building and signs his Presidency into action. At the same time, the House of Congress – the American parliament – will get their official duties underway.
It is a ceremonial procedure that allows for the work of the elected American politicians to begin their duties in unison.
Cameras catch billionaire Elon Musk chatting to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos while they stand in front of politician Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is speaking to Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg.
All former Presidents have now arrived at the ceremony in Washington.
Former leader Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived first, followed by President George W Bush and his wife Laura. Former President Barack Obama arrived alone this afternoon.
This is the same room where former President, the late Jimmy Carter, was lying in state just last week. The US national flag has been held at half mast this week in respect of Carter, but has been temporarily lifted for today.
Former President Bill and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive at the Capitol building
Former President George W and Laura Bush arrive at the inaugural ceremony.
Former President Barack Obama arrives at Donald Trump's second inauguration ceremony.
20 Jan
4:16PM
The processions – happening now – is a symbolic part of this ceremony that aims to reflect the people who have previously held the Office of the US and the people who have contributed to each of those terms.
The crowd is currently honoring each of those office holders with a standing ovation.
Last to appear in front of the procession will be the outgoing President Joe Biden – in a ceremonial way to mark the end of her presidential term.
20 Jan
4:20PM
All former Presidents have entered the room and have taken their seats. They have been followed by the incumbent chief justices of the US, who sit on the Supreme Court.
Two judges, Brett Kavanaugh and John G. Roberts Jr, the chief justice of the US Supreme Court, will have roles to play to swear in JD Vance and Donald Trump, respectively.
20 Jan
4:22PM
A silence has fallen over the Rotunda, as the Trump family make their way into the room.
They have sat in front of billionaires Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Elon Musk of SpaceX and X as well as Apple’s Tim Cook.
Behind the businessmen – who have supported Trump’s campaign – is the incoming cabinet.
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have received a round applause from the crowd.
Biden is applauded by the crowd in the Rotunda.
20 Jan
4:41PM
Vice President-elect JD Vance has recieved a large welcome into the Rotunda as he will make his oath to the office in the next few moments.
Vice Presidents take a different oath to the President and is, essentially, a promise to uphold the American constitution for the duration of their term.
Vance will be making the same oath he made when he first took his seat as a senator for Ohio in January 2023 and will be sworn in by US supreme court judge, and family friend, Brett Kavanaugh.
Donald Trump has arrived into the Rotunda building, to a massive round of applause.
He will shortly assume the role of the 47th President of the US.
20 Jan
4:44PM
A chant of ‘USA’ has broken out inside of the Capitol building.
20 Jan
4:48PM
US Senator Amy Klobuchar has addressed the crowd, telling them that they will witness the “peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democracy”. She thanks the committee who organised the event, which is made up of senators and politicians from both parties.
She welcomes the former and incumbent presidents and vice presidents and the chief justices of the US Supreme Court.
20 Jan
4:54PM
Biden pardons family members
As the inauguration continues, Joe Biden has pardoned other members of his family. In the last few minutes, he issued preemptive pardons for his brothers James and Frank, his sister Valerie, and their spouses.
“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me – the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,” he said in a statement.
“That is why I am exercising my power under the constitution to pardon James B Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T Owens, and Francis W Biden.”
He already pardoned his other son, Hunter, last month ahead of his sentencing on federal felony gun and tax convictions.
He earlier issued pre-emptive pardons for public servants previously threatened by Trump and other Republican officials.
JD Vance is now being sworn in as vice president while being surrounded by his family.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is administering the oath of office to Vance.
Vance has now taken his oath:
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.”
20 Jan
5:13PM
'Golden age'
Trump is now delivering his first official speech:
“Thank you very, very much Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, Senator Thune, Chief Justice Roberts, Justices of the United States Supreme Court, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, President Biden, Vice President Harris and my fellow citizens.
The golden age of America begins right now.
“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer during every single day of the Trump administration.
I will very simply put America first.
“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced the vicious, violent and unfair weaponisation of the Justice Department and our government will end.”
Trump continues: “I return to the presidency, confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success.
“A tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before, but first, we must be honest about the challenges we face. While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing.
“In the United States of America, as we gather today, our government confronts a crisis of trust. For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair.
“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home, while at the same time stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad. It fails to protect our magnificent law-abiding American citizens, but provide sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions that have illegally entered our country from all over the world.
“We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders, but refuses to defend American borders, or, more importantly, its own people.”
20 Jan
5:17PM
Speaking about the devastating fires in Los Angeles, he said:
“[The fires are] raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country, some of whom are sitting here right now.
“They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting. We can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change.
“We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster.
“Yet, more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world, and we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves, in many cases, to hate our country, despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them.
“All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly.”
20 Jan
5:18PM
'I was saved by God to make America great again'
“Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250 year history, and I’ve learned a lot along the way,” Trump told the crowd.
“The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you.
Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom, and indeed, to take my life.
“Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear, but I felt, then and believe, even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”
20 Jan
5:23PM
Trump said he hopes his victory in the presidential election “will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country”.
“As our victory showed, the entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda, with dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society, young and old, men and women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, urban, suburban, rural and very importantly.
“We had a powerful win in all seven swing states and the popular vote, we won by millions of people.”
20 Jan
5:25PM
Immigration
Speaking about immigration, Trump said: “I will declare a national emergency at our southern border.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy.
“I will end the practice of ‘catch and release’, and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.
“Under the orders I signed today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organisations.
“By invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to US soil, including our cities and inner cities.”
President Donald Trump speaks after taking the oath of office Kenny Holston / The New York Times via AP, Pool/PA Images
Kenny Holston / The New York Times via AP, Pool/PA Images / The New York Times via AP, Pool/PA Images
Trump said his government will work to meet every crisis with “dignity, power and strength” and will “bring back prosperity for citizens of every race, religion, colour and creed”.
“January 20th 2025 is liberation day”, he said, to a loud applause from the crowd.
He also noted that today is Martin Luther King Day, saying: “In his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true.”
20 Jan
5:33PM
'Drill, baby drill'
“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill baby, drill,” Trump tells the crowd to cheers.
“America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have – the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Eearth, and we are going to use it…
“We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it with my actions. Today, we will end the Green New Deal, and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American auto workers.
“In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice, we will build automobiles in America again at a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago.”
20 Jan
5:35PM
Trade and tariffs
On trade, Trump said: “I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.
“For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues that will be massive amounts of money pouring into our treasury coming from foreign sources, the American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before.
“To restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government. My administration will establish the brand new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE – the one being led by Elon Musk).
“After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional federal efforts to restrict free expression, I will also sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America.”
20 Jan
5:37PM
Amid ongoing fears about what the Trump administration will do in terms of rights and healthcare for transgender people, the new president said: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
20 Jan
5:44PM
Gulf of America
Trump said America “will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world”.
“A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
“And we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.”
The mountain, the highest mountain peak in North America, has been known as Denali for decades in Alaska.
In August 2015, the United States Department of the Interior announced that Mount McKinley would be officially named Denali.
The Koyukon people who inhabit the area around the mountain have referred to the peak as Denali for centuries.
Trump also said the US will take steps toward Mars exploration on his watch – something his ally and SpaceX founder Elon Musk wants to do.
“We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” Trump said.
20 Jan
5:49PM
Trump falsely claimed in his inaugural address the US experienced “record inflation” during the Biden administration.
Trump could fairly say that the US inflation rate hit a 40-year high in June 2022, when it was 9.1% – but that was not close to the all-time record of 23.7%, set in 1920, CNN reports.
20 Jan
5:51PM
'Our power will stop all wars'
Closing out his speech, Trump said: “In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly, but we are going to bring it back and make it great again, greater than ever before.
“We will be a nation like no other, full of compassion, courage and exceptionalism. Our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent and totally unpredictable.
“America will be respected again and admired again, including by people of religion, faith and good will. We will be prosperous, we will be proud, we will be strong, and we will win like never before.
“We will not be conquered, we will not be intimidated, we will not be broken, and we will not fail. From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign and independent nation.
“We will stand bravely, we will live proudly, we will dream boldly, and nothing will stand in our way. Because we are Americans, the future is ours, and our Golden Age has just begun. Thank you. God Bless America. Thank you all.”
20 Jan
5:57PM
Well wishes from Ireland
Incoming Taoiseach Micheál Martin has offered his “warmest congratulations” to Trump.
“Ireland’s close ties with the United States are built on generations of shared history and a rich tapestry of connections between our peoples,” Martin said in a statement this evening.
“On this historic day, the American people can be assured that Ireland will always remain a constant and reliable partner and friend.”
Martin described the Ireland-US relationship as “a rich, dynamic and mutually beneficial political and economic partnership”.
“Our task is to further strengthen this partnership, and to create sustainable jobs and prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic,” he said.
Martin added that international cooperation “is the only way we can address and resolve our common challenges, as well as our differences”.
Outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris also offered his congratulations to Trump, saying he hopes Ireland will have the chance to welcome him again.
Harris praised Trump’s “magnificent golf links in Doonbeg” and said the Republican had “invested in this country and its people”.
“This is a very important moment for President Trump personally and for the United States.
“As the torch of democracy passes peacefully from one leader to the next, I send him, and the people of the United States, my very best wishes,” the Fine Gael leader said.
Donald and Melania Trump airkissed during the ceremony, but didn’t actually make contact.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
20 Jan
6:11PM
The swearing-in ceremony has now concluded at the Capitol Rotunda and the crowd has started to disperse.
Just before leaving, Trump saluted as the US national anthem played.
20 Jan
6:24PM
Trump and Vance will speak to a crowd in the overflow room, who were not given a ticket in the Rotunda room.
He will make many stops on his way back to the White House where he will hold a lunch and then show Biden the door.
Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Congress, introduced the pair.
20 Jan
6:31PM
Vance commends Trump’s speech – telling the crowd the President started as he means to go on. He jokes that the weather, though sunny, is very cold – and is glad the decision was taken to move the event inside.
Trump starts his speech agreeing with Vance.
“You’re a younger, more beautiful crowd than what I just spoke to,” he jokes, and thanks Vance for the introduction. He remarks that he is glad for his running mate and the job he did during the election.
He also thanks Mike Johnson, claiming that he is a “nice guy”. He apologises for poaching members of the Republicans’ slim majority in the House of Congress for poaching his cabinet – claiming they can make up the numbers at the midterm elections.
Trump also commends Steve Scalise, the majority leader, for continuing to do his role despite his recent diagnosis with multiple myeloma. He describes him as a “great friend” and says he represents a “picture of strength”.
20 Jan
6:36PM
Trump is reflecting on the speech he has just given in the Rotunda. He tells the crowd that he wishes he could’ve mentioned those who are accused of crimes on 6 January 2021 – referring to them as ‘J6 hostages’.
He says there will be a “lot of movement” on pardoning those accused of crimes following the riot in Washington DC. He also refers to the committee investigating that that’s event as the “unselect committee of political thugs”.
Trump denounces all of those who Biden pardoned in recent weeks, including those who received clemency today.
20 Jan
6:45PM
President Joe Biden has started speaking to a small crowd at St Andrews’ Military Base as Trump’s speech to VIP guests turns more into a story-telling ramble.
“I only hope you look back on these years in the same pride I have in all you’ve done. You did it upholding the core values – honesty, decency, integrity,” he tells the crowd.
He thanks the public for the “journey” of his term. He claims the Democratic party has “a lot more to do”.
“If you heard the inaugural address today, we’ve a lot more to do,” he said.
Biden then blesses himself – with laughter from the crowd.
“I know these years were up and down. But we have to stay with it,” he said – telling the crowd to keep politically engaged.
“We’re leaving office, we’re not leaving the fight,” he says, telling the crowd to stay politically engaging in any way that they can.
“I have no doubt that you’ll take this experience and continue to do amazing things in decades to come. Take some time to decompress, spend some times with your friends and family,” he adds.
He thanks the crowd once more, telling the public it has been the “honour of my life” to serve as the US President. He calls the crowd of Democratic party voters “incredible”.
He quotes Irish poet Seamus Heaney in saying: “Once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up and hope and history rhyme. You made it rhyme for a the first time in a long time.”
20 Jan
6:49PM
Biden and his wife, Jill, have boarded Air Force One for the final time – as they prepare to leave.
Meanwhile, Trump is making the point that he wants to level inflation rates – speaking about it in macro terms, by using the price of an apple – and quickly changing the topic to migration.
Biden, moments before Trump was officially made President of the United States, pardoned members of his family.
In a statement, the former President said his family has been “subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics”.
Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses.
It comes after he preemptively pardoned Dr Anthony Fauci and Capitol Riot committee members earlier this evening.
Donald Trump is signing in his new cabinet, their new staff and signing documents to take control of the White House.
He has so far signed appointments and designates to allow them to point new staff members, chairpeople of committees and an order that, from now on, flags will be flown on full mast.
20 Jan
7:19PM
Asked by a reporter, after signing his new appointments, what his and Biden’s conversation was like this morning – he described it as pleasant.
He refused to go into detail about the pardon’s issued by the former President before leaving office. “I think it was unfortunate that he did that, but we won’t discuss that now – there’ll be plenty of time to discuss that.”
20 Jan
7:21PM
Trump also said that he “really enjoyed” the inaugural ceremony being indoors – sparking debate among commentators whether the event should be held indoors again.
20 Jan
7:26PM
Some interesting facts about the documents that Trump just signed:
Trump was joined by both Republican and Democratic Members of Congress during this signing
The documents he signed, formally, kick started his term and allowed the Congress to begin its work under the new Presidency
Three times the amount of staff was just approved by Trump, compared to the first time he signed the same documents in 2017
There was much debate in Washington DC circles over whether or not flags – which have been flying at half-mast in respect of the late President Jimmy Carter who died this month – should be flown at full-mast today.
That debate was just put to bed by Trump – who signed an order to make sure that flags are flown at full-mast every single time a new president is inaugurated in the future.
20 Jan
7:31PM
Trump is due to attend a White House luncheon. The event was due to be attended by former Presidents Obama, Clinton and Bush – but the ex-leaders announced this week that they would not be attended.
The new president has just arrived in the room, where billionaire Trump campaign donors and sitting with top politicians and new cabinet members. Barron Trump, the president’s son, has been put on a table beside Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Vance and his wife, Usha, received a round of applause as they entered the banquet hall. They greeted members of the new cabinet and invited guests.
20 Jan
7:34PM
The official schedule is now running approximately an hour behind.
One can imagine that the group are starving.
Nebraska beef is on the menu, followed by Minnesota apples for dessert.
20 Jan
7:55PM
Events during the rest of the evening are beginning to wind down. Following the lunch at the Capitol, Trump will do a ceremonial ‘inspection’ of troops and speak to high-ranking military personnel.
After the inspection, Trump and the First Lady will travel to the White House before a number of glamourous dinners and galas are held in the evening to celebrate the day’s events.
At some point later this evening, Trump will also attend the Oval Office to sign a litany of executive orders and proclamations. Some of these orders will completely overwrite policies that have been implemented over the last four years during the Biden term.
While it is not unusual for an incoming President to overwrite their predecessor’s policies, Trump outlined his plans to completely overturn migration legislation – immediately banning crossings and declaring an ‘emergency’ on the Southern border.
Elon Musk is speaking at the Capital One arena in Washington DC, where a crowd of Trump supporters have been watching the day’s events.
Musk, who has been appointed as the head of a ‘government efficiency’ agency, starts by thanking the crowd for voting for Trump and celebrates the announcements made by Trump during his speech.
The billionaire businessman tells the crowd that his heart goes out to them, and says the “future of our civilisation is assured”. He also grabs his chest and extends his arm upwards three times in the direction of the audience sitting around him.
Elon Musk speaking to a crowd at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC. Sky News
Sky News
Musk says the Trump administration is going to “make the future good”.
“Man, I can’t wait. It’s going to be fantastic,” he said.
20 Jan
8:43PM
There have been questions online on whether the gesture Elon Musk did to the crowd at the Donald Trump celebration event at the Capital One arena in Washington DC was a Nazi salute.
Speaking to the crowd, he said: “Elections, they come and go. Some elections are important and some are not - laughter - but this one really mattered.
“And I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you.”
Musk then grabbed his chest and extended his arm upwards towards the crowd before turning around and doing the same gesture again to a crowd sitting behind the stage.
"Can you imagine how awesome it will be to have American astronauts plant the flag on another planet for the first time?"
Elon Musk says he's "so excited about the future".
First Lady Melania Trump bows her head during the 60th Presidential inauguration ceremony. Alamy
Alamy
There has been much discussion over the hat that the First Lady Melania Trump wore to the ceremony today.
The hat, designed by Eric Javits, shielded the first lady’s eyes as her husband was sworn in Monday for the second time.
The hat made its mark throughout the inauguration ceremony: As Trump went to kiss his wife after entering the Capitol Rotunda, the hat left only room for an air kiss as this live blog reported previously.
Even now-former president Joe Biden had to navigate around the hat while trying to talk to her husband on the other side. Trump, speaking in Emancipation Hall after the swearing-in ceremony, joked about his wife’s hat nearly blowing away.
The first lady had held onto her hat as a military helicopter taking off with Mr Biden generated wind. “She almost blew away,” Trump said with a laugh.
“She was being elevated off the ground.”
Melania Trump holds onto her hat when sending off former President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill. Alamy
Alamy
Javits said dressing the First Lady has been one of the greatest honours of his career.
“My art background gave me an edge in bringing harmony and balance to the face by creating hat shapes that would flatter and enhance every kind of face,” he said in a statement.
The new Trump administration seeing off the Biden administration in Washington DC this afternoon. Alamy
Alamy
“In this specific case that was not difficult to do, in that Mrs Trump is blessed with great bone structure, beauty and a wonderful sense of style.”
“You remind us of everything that is possible in America,” the host of the lunch at the Capitol Building tells the lunch attendees.
The attendees toast the new President.
Attendees toast Donald Trump at the Capitol lunch. Sky News
Sky News
20 Jan
9:07PM
The lunch has wrapped up in Washington DC, where the local time now is 4pm.
Events are an hour behind schedule as groups got fed. We estimate that Trump’s controversial executive orders – which will kick start his major policy announcements today – will be signed in the next two hours.
In the meantime, Trump and his team are due to attend a celebratory rally at the Capital One Arena in the city where thousands of supporters have been gathered to watch the day’s events.
The new president will, no doubt, deliver a lengthy speech to his supporters as it will be the first address he will have given in front of members of the public who were not invited to the ceremony today.
He will then be brought to the White House where he will attend the Oval Office to sign and confirm the executive orders. Following that, a number of dinners, galas and balls are organised around Washington DC.
The Journal will wrap up its live updates of its coverage here. We will bring you all the need-to-know updates in the usual space and manner.
Thanks for sticking with us this evening.
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We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 152 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 104 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 136 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 106 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 78 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 77 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 37 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 33 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 127 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 60 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 75 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 82 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 38 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 43 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 25 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 86 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 96 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 68 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 50 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 84 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 64 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
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