Taking place tomorrow, the inauguration is a long upheld in tradition in the United States marking the commencement of a new term for the new President. The ceremony has been in effect George Washington was sworn in as the first president back in 1789, and has been held for every president since. The inauguration currently occurs annually on January 20th, a tradition that began in 1937 following a ratification to the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. Both new and re-elected Presidents must be inaugurated, a process during which they take an oath administered by the Chief Justice. This oath must be taken before a president can enter office, and is mandated by the United States Constitution.
Apart from the inauguration ceremony itself, there are also other events to include the inaugural parade and inaugural balls and galas. The parade takes place after the inaugural ceremony, with the new President, Vice President, and their wives leading the procession down Pennsylvania Avenue. Next, inaugural balls are held throughout Washington D.C. in honor of the Inauguration Ceremony, which include invite-only balls as well as those open to the public. The President and First Lady usually make an appearance at the official balls, however there are countless others that individuals can attend. The President-elect is expected to attend 3 of the official Inaugural Balls, to include the Armed Services Ball as well as two at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
This time around, Trump will be the oldest President in U.S. history to be inaugurated at the age of 70. Prior to this, the oldest President was Ronald Reagan who was sworn in at age 69, just 17 days shy of his 70th birthday. Donald Trump’s inauguration is expected to be the most expensive in history, with spending reaching an upwards of $200 million. For reference, Barack Obama’s inauguration cost about $150 million, still a notable amount. While the ceremony itself may be costly, the inaugural ball often features famous performers who don’t come cheaply. This year, Toby Keith will be performing, among other artists such as the band 3 Doors Down. If you are interested in watching the inauguration and
its surrounding events, you can tune in at 9:30am EST when the performances start.
The opening remarks for the inauguration ceremony itself will begin at 11:30am
EST and the parade at 3:00pm EST.
