When does Trump take office? What we know about the inauguration
Trump has complained the transition to the White House is being hampered by Biden's outgoing administration, with less than two weeks until he takes office.
President-elect Donald Trump has complained that his transition to the White House is being made difficult by the outgoing administration, with less than two weeks to go until he takes office.
Ahead of his inauguration, Trump said at a press conference on 7 January that the transition was already "not smooth" — although his comments on the impending change of the guard were lost in a melee of foreign policy pledges including plans to annex Greenland.
So when will Trump take office, and what happens at the inauguration? Yahoo News explains...
When is the inauguration?
Trump's inauguration takes place on Monday, 20 January at the US Capitol building in Washington DC. He is expected to be sworn in at midday local time (5pm GMT), taking the stage after his vice-president JD Vance is sworn in.
How to watch the inauguration
All of the major networks in the US will feature live coverage of the inauguration, while in the UK, viewers will be able to watch it on BBC One and ITV.
UK viewers can also watch the inauguration via a livestream from the White House.
What happens at the inauguration?
The day's events are expected to begin with a procession to the Capitol, where the outgoing president accompanies the incoming president to the swearing-in ceremony.
The vice president-elect will be sworn in first, followed by the president-elect, who will place his hand on a bible (usually held by his spouse) while he takes the oath of office. The swearing-in is presided over by the chief justice of the Supreme Court (in this case, John Roberts).
After he is sworn in, Trump will make his inaugural address (which usually lasts around 20 minutes), after which he and his wife Melania Trump will depart the ceremony via helicopter (the mode of departure that has been used at swearing-in ceremonies since 1977).
Following the ceremony, Trump will perform his first presidential actions, signing executive orders or nominations in the president’s room of the Senate chamber before an inaugural luncheon that will feature speeches and toasts.
He will then review the troops and take part in a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, later attending one or several of the planned inauguration balls.
Will Biden be at Trump's inauguration?
Incumbent president Joe Biden will be in attendance for Trump's inauguration - despite Trump breaking with 150 years of tradition and failing to attend Biden's swearing-in ceremony in 2020 - and has pledged to make the transition as smooth as possible.
However, Trump has accused the outgoing administration of failing to do just that, taking to social media to complain about the transition.
"They told me that we’re gonna do everything possible to make this transition to the new administration very smooth. It’s not smooth," he said at a Mar a Lago press conference on 7 January.
The White Hose confirmed that Dr Jill Biden would also be at the ceremony with her husband.
What are the inauguration balls?
There are a number of balls planned in DC following the inauguration, including the official balls that will likely be attended by the Trumps.
In 2017, the president and first lady attended the Liberty and Freedom Balls at the Washington Convention Center, before making an appearance at the A Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum.
The Trumps danced to Frank Sinatra’s My Way at the Liberty Ball.
Will there be any protests?
Trump's last inauguration saw the Women's March descend on Washington DC, with almost 600,000 people in attendance.
The march also saw sister demonstrations across the US (an estimated 3 million-plus people joined anti-Trump demonstrations in the US) and internationally, as people gathered to demonstrate against the new president.
This year, there are a number of anti and pro-Trump rallies planned in Washington, with law enforcement agencies warning the city's residents to get used to the sight of surveillance drones amid heightened security in the run-up to the inauguration.
On 18 January, a People's March organised by civil rights activists is expected to draw tens of thousands to DC, while a Trump supporters rally will take place a day later on 19 January.
On inauguration day itself, an anti-Trump rally organised by pro-Palestine demonstrators and socialist groups is set to take place, while 24 January will see an annual anti-abortion rally held in the capital.
Given the huge number of protests, as well as inauguration attendees, security in the capital has been stepped up - with police on high alert and additional officers from around the country deployed to DC.
