Joe Biden swears the oath of office at noon today to become the 46th president of the United States. At age 78, he will be the oldest president inaugurated. Kamala Harris becomes the first woman, the first Black person and first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency. She will become the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government. Trump will be the first president in more than a century to skip the inauguration of his successor.
On Day One, Biden will send an immigration proposal to Capitol Hill that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally. He also planned a 10-day blitz of executive orders which include: rescinding travel restrictions on people from several predominantly Muslim countries; rejoining the Paris climate accord; issuing a mask mandate for those on federal property; and ordering agencies to figure out how to reunite children separated from their families after crossing the border.
11AM – Joe Biden arrives at US Capitol
11:15AM – Inauguration program begins – National anthem Lady Gaga / Musical performance J-Lo
12PM – President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will be sworn in during the inaugural ceremony outside the U.S. Capitol building.
1:40PM – Pass In Review – long-standing military tradition that reflects the peaceful transfer of power to a new commander-in-chief.
2:25PM – Wreath Laying at Arlington Cemetery (former Presidents in attendance)
3:15PM – Virtual Parade Across America
8:30PM – “Celebrating America,” a prime time special hosted by Tom Hanks, will cap off the day’s festivities.
The special will feature Biden and Harris, along with remarks and performances by Demi Lovato, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons and more. The show will air live on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC.
Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington will introduce segments throughout the night, including highlighting stories of young people making a difference in their communities and musical performances. The Foo Fighters, John Legend, and Bruce Springsteen are also expected to perform from iconic locations across the country. Tyler Hubbard and Tim McGraw will sing a duet and the Black Pumas will perform.