Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will take the oath, to make them officially US president and vice-president at the Inauguration tomorrow. But this year will be much different, due to Covid-19 and the recent riots.
What is the Inauguration?
The inauguration is a formal ceremony that takes place in Washington DC and marks the beginning of a new presidency .
The only required feature is that the president-elect recite the presidential oath of office.
“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.”
Joe Biden will not only be the oldest person to take the presidential oath but the most experienced with 36-plus years on Capitol Hill.
What time is the Inauguration?
Opening speeches are scheduled for around 11:30 EST (16:30 GMT) and President-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in at midday tomorrow.
What’s the security like?
Ahead of Biden’s inauguration, security preparations have mounted in Washington.
There is a high security risk in Washington DC, with many important politicians attending the inauguration, including Biden and Harris, three former presidents, nine members of the US Supreme Court, and most members of Congress.
Washington DC is already under a state of emergency, following the pro-Trump mob which stormed the US Capitol, and will remain that way throughout inauguration.
There is a large National Guard presence of 15,000 across Washington; there were 8,000 at Mr Trump’s inauguration in 2017.
Has Covid-19 affected the Inauguration?
Only about 1,000 instead of 200,000 tickets were made available to attend the inauguration ceremony. The attendees will have to wear face masks and maintain a social distance within the ticketed parameters.
When President Obama was sworn in for his first term in 2009, an estimated 2 million people attended.
Organisers say they will host a “virtual parade” across the US, similar to Biden’s campaign in the 2020 US election, instead of the usual parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.
Who will be at the Inauguration?
This year the current President will not be in attendance.
Mr Trump tweeted on 8th January: “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”
Only three presidents in the history of the US did not attend the inauguration of their successor; John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson.
Vice-President Mike Pence, however, has said that he will attend.
At the 2017 inauguration when Mr Trump was sworn in, Hillary Clinton joined her husband, former President Bill Clinton -it was just two months after her election defeat and a bitter campaign against Mr. Trump.
Who is performing?
In recent years, incoming presidents have added some of the country’s most popular performers to the inauguration programme. This year will not be any different, despite the pandemic.
The national anthem will be sung by Lady Gaga, and Jennifer Lopez will sing during the musical performance at the ceremony.
Actor Tom Hanks will host a 90-minutes programme, a Covid-friendly replacement for celebrations typically held in-person, after Mr Biden is sworn in.
It will feature Garth Brooks, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato and Justin Timberlake and will be broadcast across major US networks and streaming platforms.
Aretha Franklin sang at Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009, performing My Country ‘Tis of Thee. Beyoncé was also present, singing At Last, at Mr Obama’s inaugural ball.
