Donald Trump, who overcame impeachment, criminal charges, and two assassination attempts, took the oath of office on Monday, becoming the 47th President of the United States.
The inauguration ceremony was held for the first time in 40 years in the Rotunda, the central hall of Congress, which accommodates around a thousand people. The Republican took the oath to uphold the Constitution and the country.
In accordance with tradition, the elected and outgoing Presidents of the United States arrived at the Capitol in the same car. They were joined by the chair of the bipartisan Congressional committee, Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, for the inauguration of the 47th head of state.
"I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God," he recited the traditional oath, placing his left hand on the Bible held in front of him by his wife, Melania.
"Congratulations, Mr. President," said John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the United States, who was administering the oath. Trump swore on two Bibles, just as he did during his first inauguration in 2017. One of them was the same Bible on which the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, took his oath in 1861. The second was a gift from his mother during his childhood.
Trump became the second president in U.S. history to hold the highest office with a break in between terms, a feat previously accomplished only by Grover Cleveland (the 22nd and 24th president from 1885-1889 and 1893-1897). Now, Trump is both the 45th and 47th President of the United States.
This inauguration marked the first time foreign leaders attended the ceremony: Argentina's President Javier Milei, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa. From China, Vice Chairman Han Zheng participated in the ceremony, while India was represented by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Japan by Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. No Russian officials were present at Trump's inauguration.
Immediately following the Republican's oath, 21 cannon shots rang out over Capitol Hill. Moments earlier, in keeping with tradition, the 40-year-old Vice President of the United States, James David Vance, had taken his oath. Thus, at noon (8:00 PM Moscow time), the countdown for Trump's four-year administration officially began.
Unprecedented security measures were implemented in the capital, primarily due to assassination attempts on Trump that occurred in July and September 2024. Additionally, terrorist attacks took place during the winter holidays in Las Vegas, Nevada, and New Orleans, Louisiana.