Here’s what to know about Joe Biden’s inauguration
It's going to look very different.
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It’s been a long road for Joe Biden to become president: Three presidential campaigns, one vice presidency, 36 years as a senator, a rocky Democratic primary, an election day that stretched into election week, a ninth-inning recapture of the Senate, and months of a lame duck president refusing to concede, falsely alleging election fraud, and provoking an attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. And there’s also a pandemic.
But come Wednesday at noon, Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, and Kamala Harris will become the nation’s first female vice president, as well as the first Black, and South Asian American to hold the office. Here’s what to know about the inauguration, including how Boston will be affected by the ceremony.
Where can I watch the inauguration?
You should be able to tune into the inauguration on pretty much any major news network, but it’ll also be streamed live on YouTube and other official channels from the Biden team.
When does Biden get sworn in?
The inaugural ceremonies start at 10:30 a.m. President Donald Trump is still president until noon Wednesday, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as president and vice president shortly after on the West front of the U.S. Capitol.
Biden will be sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, and Harris will be sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Afterward, Biden will deliver his first address as president.
What’s different about this inauguration?
Don’t expect huge crowds and big public ceremonies. Between the coronavirus pandemic and the lingering threat of violence two weeks after fervent supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, it’s going to be a more muted affair than usual. The mayor of Washington D.C. and the governors of Virginia and Maryland have explicitly asked Americans to not come to the capital for the event, and over 20,000 National Guard troops will occupy the central part of D.C. to deter further violence.
Still, most of Congress and the Supreme Court will be there, along with former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Biden, Harris, first lady Jill Biden, and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff will later lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Ceremony. There are also a variety of virtual events throughout the day, including a televised special at 8:30 p.m. hosted by Tom Hanks called “Celebrating America.”
What is Trump doing during the inauguration?
Trump, who spent months falsely claiming that election fraud caused him to lose reelection, is bucking tradition by refusing to attend the inauguration. He’ll be leaving the capital before Biden takes the oath of office, instead opting for his own send-off ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Wednesday. He’ll take his final flight on Air Force One to Florida, and settle into his planned post-presidency at Mar-a-Lago.
Vice President Mike Pence and other top Republicans won’t be attending Trump’s ceremony.
What’s happening in Boston for the inauguration?
The Presidential Inaugural Committee is inviting communities across the country to participate in a nationwide memorial for the people who died of COVID-19, which includes 400,000 Americans as of Tuesday. It begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evening, the night before the inauguration, and several Boston sites will light up in an amber hue in support, according to NBC Boston. They include the Zakim Bridge, the Longfellow Bridge, TD Garden, the Government Center MBTA stop, the Eversource Dorchester gas tanks, and several hospitals and colleges in the Longwood Medical Area. The Old South Church bell will also ring at that time, according to Universal Hub.
Meanwhile, security in Boston has been bolstered this week, with National Guard soldiers patrolling the area around the Massachusetts State House after the FBI warned of plans for armed protests in state capitals following the attempted Capitol insurgency on Jan. 6.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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