President-elect Donald Trump is set to commence his inauguration day with a schedule packed full of traditional ceremonies and multiple inaugural balls. The day begins with a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, continues with a tea at the White House hosted for the Trumps by the Bidens, and culminates with the presidential oath of office, which will be administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts shortly before noon, as NBC New York reported.
Following the oath, Trump will sign various documents in the President’s Room near the Senate Chamber in an observance often attended by members of Congress, then attend a congressional luncheon, and afterwards review military troops. The inauguration parade will occur at the Capitol One Arena instead of outdoors due to cold weather. The president-elect is also scheduled to sign executive orders at the Oval Office later in the day. Three inaugural balls, featuring performers such as Rascal Flatts, Nelly, and Gavin DeGraw, will round out the events of the day.
Moreover, Cardinal Timothy Dolan has been announced to lead the opening prayer for the inauguration, marking his second time applying such an honor for Trump, having also done so at Trump's 2017 inauguration after the 2016 presidential victory. "The president was kind enough to ask me to do the opening prayer," Cardinal Dolan told WPIX in an interview, emphasizing Trump's engagement with matters of faith and a stirring belief that Trump's Christian faith is genuine and potentially strengthening following recent assassination attempts against him during the 2024 presidential campaign, as detailed by Catholic News Agency. "I reminded [Trump] that when Ronald Reagan visited John Paul II," Dolan said, "both of them had been victims of vicious assassination attempts and barely escaped alive."
In addition to Cardinal Dolan's prayer, a prelude and various performances are scheduled, including a rendition of "America the Beautiful" by Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood and an interfaith ceremony with multiple faith leaders. According to both NBC New York and an interview obtained by the Catholic News Agency, these events are part of a long-standing tradition seen in past presidential inaugurations, commemorating the peaceful transfer of power and celebrating the incoming administration with both solemnity and festivity.
