Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president today. His swearing-in ceremony, moved indoors due to intense cold, will begin at noon ET. But festivities will start earlier when the incoming president arrives for service at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
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Biden Says He Wrote a Letter to Trump
It’s become tradition for the outgoing president to write a letter to his successor and leave it in the drawer of the Oval Office desk for the new president to find.
Biden declined to say what he said in the note. Trump wrote Biden a note four years ago.
Trump to End Birthright Citizenship: Officials
Ending birthright citizenship will be one of President-elect Donald Trump’s first moves upon his return to the Oval Office, according to incoming White House officials.
The executive order Trump plans to sign will clarify that the federal government does not recognize birthright citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants, members of Trump’s staff told reporters on a press call.
Other executive actions will include declaring a national emergency at the southern border, deploying the military to help secure the border, reinstating Trump’s previous Remain in Mexico policy, and ordering the resumption of border wall construction.
Trump will also rescind the Biden administration’s “open border” policies. He will curb asylum, suspend refugee resettlement for at least four months, enhance the vetting process for illegal immigrants, restore the death penalty for capital crimes committed by illegal immigrants, and designate the Mexican drug cartels as global terrorist organizations.
In total, Trump will sign 10 executive orders related to securing the border, according to incoming officials.
New York’s Governor Orders Flags to Be Raised to Full Height
The move came after a Hochul spokesperson said last week that flags would remain at half-staff following the death of former President Jimmy Carter.
Flags will be returned to half staff on Tuesday, Hochul said in a statement.
“Regardless of your political views, the American tradition of the peaceful transition of power is something to celebrate,” said Hochul, a Democrat.
The Trumps Have Arrived at White House
They met the Bidens on a gold-trimmed red carpet, exchanging greetings and posing for photos ahead of a private meeting over tea and coffee.
“Welcome home,” Biden said to Trump after the president-elect stepped out of the car.
Biden wrapped his hand around Trump’s upper arm to escort him inside the mansion.
Inauguration Ceremony Begins in Capitol Rotunda
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Combined Choirs kicked off the inaugural ceremonies Monday with a musical prelude. The students wore all black with a red scarf embossed with their university logo.
Their voices echoed into the Capitol dome where in just a few hours Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President.
JD Vance Arrives at White House
Outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris greeted the vice president-elect when he arrived.
Usually, only the president-elect comes to the White House on Inauguration Day before the swearing-in.
Harris and Vance have not yet had a formal one-on-one meeting after the outgoing vice president did not invite him to visit the official residence on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory.
Harris and Vance were accompanied by their spouses and all shook hands and posed for a picture.
Trump Leaves Church for White House
Trump has left St. John’s Episcopal Church after a prayer service ahead of the inauguration.
He and his wife, Melania, are next expected to be welcomed by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, where they will share tea and coffee at the White House.
The private meeting is another presidential transition tradition.
Trump Enters Church for Service
President-elect Donald Trump has entered St. John’s Episcopal Church with his wife, Melania, for a service ahead of the inauguration, taking part in a long presidential tradition.
The Trumps spent the night at Blair House and will head to the White House for a coffee and tea with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden following the service.
Guests Arrive at St. John’s Episcopal Church
Elon Musk and several of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks are already in the pews awaiting his arrival and the start of the service at the historic church on Lafayette Square.
Among the other guests are Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio, Argentina President Javier Milei and the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump.
Biden Issues Preemptive Pardons for Fauci, Milley, and Jan. 6 Committee Members
President Joe Biden has pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 breach on the Capitol.
“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”
Fauci was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 40 years and was Biden’s chief medical adviser until his retirement in 2022.
Mark Milley is the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Biden is also extending pardons to members and staff of the Jan. 6 committee, including former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, as well as the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the committee.
Biden has set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued; he announced on Friday he would commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. He previously announced he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office.
Trump’s Return to White House Promises Rapid Change
President-elect Donald J. Trump returns to the White House as a seasoned executive intent on ending a decades-long approach to governance in ways that could reshape the presidency and the country well into the future.
Trump plans an about-face from the expansion of domestic programs and regulations and globalist foreign policy of the post-Cold War era. Instead, he’ll govern by an “America First” doctrine focused on border security, deregulation, energy production, and strategic engagement with other nations.
To achieve that, he proposes a further expansion of presidential power and a reduction of the size and authority of the federal bureaucracy.
Trump’s sweep of all six battleground states and 86-vote margin in the Electoral College provides support for significant change, and initial signs indicate that he has governing momentum.
Yet there will be obstacles. Republicans hold a slim majority in both houses of Congress, which complicates Trump’s legislative agenda. And the ratio of Trump’s favorable-to-unfavorable ratings is an almost even split in an average of recent polls.
Even so, Trump’s dramatic and improbable comeback sets the stage for reshaping the executive branch of the federal government.
And it began with a campaign marked by a series of unprecedented events.
Read full article here.
What to Watch on Inauguration Day
Inauguration Day will begin with a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, followed by tea at the White House with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Trump will then head to the rotunda for his swearing-in ceremony before bidding farewell to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The U.S. Capitol departure ceremony will occur next, and then Trump will sign formal nominations for his Cabinet in the White House signing room ceremony before heading to the JCCIC congressional luncheon. Trump will then conduct his review of the troops before embarking on the presidential parade. Lastly, Trump will travel to the Oval Office for the signing ceremony, where he is expected to sign a flurry of executive orders.
The final three events of the day are the Commander-in-Chief, Liberty Inaugural, and Starlight balls, where Trump will deliver remarks as the 47th president.
Read full article here.
TikTok Says It’s Restoring US Service After Trump Push to Pause Ban
President-elect Donald Trump said on Jan. 19 that he is asking tech companies to keep social media platform TikTok online and would sign an executive order postponing the federal ban of the social media website in the United States.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
Trump’s announcement was made as millions of U.S. users found they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform.
After the president-elect’s post, TikTok announced it had restored access in the United States. The platform is available again to U.S.-based users.
Read full article here.
Epoch times reporters Jacob Burg, Ivan Pentchoukov and Lawrence Wilson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
