Inauguration Day 2021: What Is Planned so Far
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the next [...]
Lady Gaga will perform the National Anthem
Lady Gaga will perform the National Anthem during the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, the PIC announced. Jennifer Lopez is set to give a performance. Father Leo J. O'Donovan, a longtime friend of the Biden family, will deliver the invocation. Andrea Hall, President of the International Association of Firefighters Local 3920, will read the Pledge of Allegiance. Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate in the United States, will read a poem. Reverend Dr. Silvester Beaman will deliver the benediction.
prevnextThe theme is 'America United'
Following two months of President Donald Trump refusing to accept the 2020 November election results, Biden will try to bring the country back together with his inauguration. The country is at an unprecedented time, not just because of the political divide, but also because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of over 380,000 Americans. "The inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Kamala D. Harris will showcase the American people's resilience, heroism, and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild so that we emerge as the indomitable force that a united America represents," reads a statement from the PIC's website.
prevnextFormer presidents will join Biden to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
After the swearing-in ceremony, Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Harris, and Harris' husband, Douglas Emhoff, will head to Arlington National Ceremony for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, and former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton will also attend the ceremony. There will also be a memorial for COVID-19 victims at the Lincoln Reflecting Pool at 5:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 19.
prevnextTom Hanks will host a primetime program called 'Celebrating America'
After the inauguration, Biden and Harris will speak during a special primetime event called Celebrating America. Tom Hanks will host the 90-minute special, which will include appearances from Ant Clemons, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, and Justin Timberlake. The special will start at 8:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 20 and will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. It will also be streamed on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch.
prevnextVery few tickets will be allocated to members of Congress
While the swearing-in ceremony will be held in person, there will be far fewer attendees at the ceremony than usual. In December, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies announced that members of Congress will only receive two tickets, one for themselves and one for a guest, according to the Washington Post. Usually, members receive up to 200,000 tickets each to hand out to constituents. Other events have been canceled due to the pandemic, including the usual post-inauguration luncheon where the new president usually meets members of Congress.
prevnextSecurity will be heightened after the Capitol riot
Security will be even tighter than usual due to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6. About 6,2000 National Guard members were activated to help D.C. law enforcement for the next month, according to the Associated Press. The National Park Service will announce a decision on Friday about closing the National Mall on inauguration day, reports NBC News.
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