Biden inauguration: New president to be sworn in amid Trump snub

By Nancy Carrillo On Jan 20, 2021

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Joe Biden prepares to be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, ending one of the most dramatic political transitions in American history.

He is expected to take the oath of office around 12:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. GMT).

The outgoing President Donald Trump, who has not officially conceded Mr Biden, declines the ceremony.

The new president has announced a series of rulings aimed at addressing the coronavirus crisis and reversing key Trump policies.

Mr Trump left the White House for the last time as President shortly after 8:00 a.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT). He got on a helicopter, flew to nearby Andrews Base, and has now arrived in Florida.

He is the first president who has not attended his successor’s inauguration since 1869.

Media signatureTrump is leaving the White House for the last time as US President

Mr Biden, a Democrat, is about to take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol. Security is particularly tight after the building was stormed by violent pro-Trump protesters in a deadly riot on Jan. 6.

Around 25,000 soldiers guard the inauguration ceremony, which is attended by the traditional hundreds of thousands of spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alongside Mr. Biden, Kamala Harris will make history when she is sworn in as the nation’s first female vice president.

The hopes and fears of the Americans for Biden’s presidency

How is the inauguration day going?

Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Biden attended mass in a Washington cathedral with four Roman Catholic congressional leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, before heading to the Capitol.

At 78, Mr. Biden is the oldest US president ever to be sworn in. He will take the oath of office of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts.

Among those in attendance are three of his predecessors: Barack Obama – under whom Mr Biden served as Vice President for eight years – Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence also attends the ceremony. He skipped Mr. Trump’s farewell greeting at Andrews Base.

Aides say Mr Biden will use his inaugural speech of about half an hour to make an optimistic appeal for national unity after the turbulent tenure of his Republican predecessor.

Image rightsAFPImage descriptionJoe Biden arrived on Capitol Hill with his run mate Kamala Harris (L) and wife Jill (C).

Minutes before that, Vice President-elect Harris will be sworn in and will be the first black and Asian-American person to receive a heartbeat from the presidency.

There will be musical performances by Lady Gaga – who will sing the national anthem – as well as Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks.

An evening concert at the Lincoln Memorial in town is hosted by Tom Hanks, which includes Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, and Demi Lovato.

What is Trump doing?

In his address at Andrews Air Force Base, the outgoing President highlighted what he saw as the success of his presidency. “What we did was amazing in every way,” said Trump.

The 74-year-old flew off to start life after the president at his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Palm Beach.

In his final hours, Mr Trump granted pardon to more than 140 people, including his former adviser Steve Bannon, who had been charged with fraud.

The political drama surrounding Mr Trump is far from over. The US Senate is expected to try him soon after the House of Representatives recorded his second impeachment for alleged incitement to the Capitol uprising.

On Tuesday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the mob was provoked by Mr Trump and fed lies.

What will Biden do on his first day?

Mr. Biden has published a number of executive orders. In a statement on Wednesday, he said he would sign 15 orders after he was sworn in. You will be:

Withdrawal of Mr. Trump’s US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement
Revoke the President’s permission for the Keystone XL pipeline, which is refused by environmentalists and Native American groups
Revoke Trump’s Immigration Enforcement Guidelines and Emergency Declaration that helped fund the construction of a Mexican border wall
Bring a mask and distancing mandate for federal employees and in federal buildings, plus a new office in the White House for coronavirus
End a travel ban on visitors from some, mostly Muslim, nations

Other orders will cover race and gender equality and climate issues.

Mr Biden’s vice-president will swear in three new Democratic senators on Wednesday and split the upper chamber of Congress evenly between the two main parties. This allows the Vice President to act as a tie on important votes.

Mr Biden’s legislative ambitions could be tempered by the small majorities he holds in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

On Tuesday, Mr Biden gave a speech in his home state of Delaware telling reporters, “These are dark times … but there is always light” before going to Washington.

Media signature“When I die, Delaware will be written on my heart”

In the evening, he and Mrs. Harris paid homage to the 400,000 Americans who lost to Covid-19 by the reflective pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

You were almost alone in the National Mall, where around 200,000 flags have been planted to represent the crowds that will be absent at Wednesday’s inauguration.

How is the mood in Washington?

Around 25,000 National Guard troops guard the Capitol, the White House and the National Mall, which are also protected by a steel ring of barricades and high fences.

Prior to Mr Biden’s arrival in town, 12 members of the National Guard were removed from the presidential inauguration security mission after they were found to have links with right-wing militia groups or posted extremist views online.

There was no threat to Mr. Biden, officials said.

How can I see the initiation?

We bring you the latest with analysis from Washington reporting teams at the Capitol and the National Mall.

• Online: Follow the latest updates and live video on the BBC News website and @BBCNorthAmerica. You can also stay up to date on our BBC News Facebook account and Instagram

• Television: Katty Kay from the BBC in Washington DC reports live on the main events surrounding the inauguration on BBC One from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (GMT) as well as on the BBC News Channel (UK only) and BBC World (only outside the UK) 3:30 pm-7:00pm GMT

• Radio: The BBC World Service has a special radio broadcast on Outside Source 16: 00-18: 00 GMT