President-elect Joe Biden is all set to take the stage and swear in as the next President of the United States on January 20, 2021. However, due to unprecedented challenges in the form of COVID pandemic and Capitol riots, the inaugural ceremony will differ from the previous ones. According to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, this year’s theme centres on “America United”.
The famous gathering around the National Mall where President-elect’s supporters stand and watch their candidate take an oath will be closed along with several other regulations and strict security due to the impending complications.
Furthermore, the inaugural committee has planned a COVID memorial day in order to pay respect to the 3,85,000 deceased people in the USA due to the pandemic. The planners would urge people to light up their buildings and ring Church bells on January 19.
“We have witnessed countless heroes this past year step up to the front lines and serve their fellow Americans, so we are telling their stories, spreading their collective light and celebrating the best of our country and its people with this prime-time program,” Tony Allen, committee CEO, said in a statement on Thursday, of the planned inaugural events.
Here's how swearing-in ceremony will unfold:
What is Inauguration day?
Inauguration day marks the day when any newly elected President takes their office and starts their Presidential term officially. Even though Joe Biden had won the Presidential election back in November, he was not given the White House immediately. Instead, a time period of 2 months was given to incumbent President Donald Trump and his team for a smooth transition in the office.
Earlier, 4 March was the official day when a newly elected President would take the oath and begin their operations from the White House but in 1933, the span between elections and the inaugural was shortened to 2 months.
What to expect?
Due to the COVID pandemic and increased threat to the security of the officials, there would be no general public in attendance and all the ceremonies will be available on certain TV channels or online websites.
Washington DC’s Mayor Muriel Bowser has issued a public emergency declaration that allows security officials to restrict people and business. Meanwhile, The National Mall, where cheering crowds normally stretch from the Capitol towards the Lincoln Memorial to watch the inauguration the ceremony, as well as dozens of streets, monuments and federal facilities, will remain closed to the public until well after the event.
As many as 15,000 national guard troops have descended on the capital for added reinforcements.
What about the star-studded line-up?
American celebrities are not shy of coming out in open and sharing their political views. Stars from Hollywood to the American music industry has been performing at the inauguration ceremony for years now. Of all the rituals that had to be altered, celebrity performances were pardoned and thankfully so.
American Pop-star Lady Gaga will perform the National Anthem during the oath ceremony. A poetry reading, then a musical performance by Grammy award-winner Jennifer Lopez should move events along before attendees will effectively be taken to church with a final benediction from the Rev Dr Silvester Beaman of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Delaware, a family friend of the Bidens for 30 years.
Biden and Harris will then make their way to the East Front steps of the Capitol to review a parade of ceremonial military regiments, citizens’ groups, marching bands, and floats that will make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.
The actor Tom Hanks and the musician Jon Bon Jovi join the pop stars Demi Lovato and Justin Timberlake to ring Biden’s presidency in during a “virtual ball” streamed online later that night.
Will any former political figure attend?
Breaking the long driven tradition, incumbent President Donald Trump will not attend Joe Biden inaugural. This would make him the fourth President overall and the first one in in the last 150 years, to do so.
But he won’t be the only former President who would miss out the ceremony this time. Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter, aged 96 and 93 respectively, announced that they won’t make the trip to Washington this time. This would mark the first time absence since 1977 when Carter himself was sworn in as the 37th President of the US.
However, In keeping with tradition, the former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush will be in attendance accompanied by the former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush. Current Vice President Mike Pence will also attend the inaugural despite Trump’s defiance.
