Everything You Need to Know About Trump’s Inauguration: When and Where to Watch

President Donald Trump waves as he walks with first lady Melania Trump during the inauguration parade on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, on Jan. 20, 2016. The Canadian Press/AP-Evan Vucci

With President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, the Constitution goes into detail about when Inauguration Day should be held, down to the precise time, and other details.

How to Watch

The Epoch Times and its sister media NTD Television will host live coverage of Trump’s inauguration on The Epoch Times website and NTD’s website starting at 9 a.m. ET.

When Is It Being Held?

The swearing-in ceremony is slated to begin just before 12 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 20, which is Martin Luther King Day, according to the National Park Service.

The 20th Amendment of the Constitution stipulates the exact timing of the transition of power down to the minute, which is “noon on the 20th day of January,” according to the National Archives.

“The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin,” it reads in full.

Elsewhere in the Constitution, in Article II, Section 1, the president will take the oath of office, or Oath of Affirmation.

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) 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,” the oath reads.

When Is Vance’s Swearing-in Ceremony?

Vice President-elect JD Vance, too, will take an oath of office, according to the Senate’s website. Right before Trump is slated to take the oath, Vance will have to step forward on the inaugural platform and repeat the oath of office.

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God,” it reads.

The same oath is stated also by senators and U.S. House lawmakers.

Other Ways to Watch

ABC’s schedule starts at 4:30 a.m. with “Good Morning America” and will carry out special live coverage of Trump’s second inauguration at 9 a.m. ET.

NBC will start coverage with its “Today” show at 7 a.m. and will dedicate special coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET.

CBS’s schedule begins at 5 a.m., and it will dedicate its special coverage starting at 9 a.m.

CNN’s broadcast schedule shows that much of the day will be dedicated to the inauguration, including the ceremony, starting 12 a.m. Monday and going until 4 a.m. Tuesday.

MSNBC will be starting off its coverage at 4 a.m. Monday, and it will start its coverage of the inauguration at 10 a.m.

Fox News’s coverage starts at 4 a.m. ET with a range of shows, with the coverage of the inauguration starting at 11:30 a.m.

What Also Happens?

President Joe Biden will also attend the event. By U.S. tradition, the outgoing president accompanies the president-elect to the swearing-in ceremony.

Inaugural items can vary each year but the following events always take place, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC).

That includes the procession to the Capitol, the swearing-in ceremonies, an address from the president after taking office, an honorary departure, a signing ceremony, an inaugural luncheon, Inaugural Balls, and a pass in review, where the new president reviews the military troops before leading a procession of ceremonial regiments and other groups.

Held in the Capitol, the signing ceremony occurs when a new president signs the Oath of Office and other documents with his first official acts as president. Trump is also expected to hold a separate signing ceremony at the White House. The president-elect has said he is prepared to issue a number of executive orders related to illegal immigration, energy, and more on Day 1.

Before the ceremony, Trump is scheduled to have a morning church service at St. John’s Church in Washington, and then he and first lady Melania Trump will have tea at the White House with the President and first lady Jill Biden. In 2021, the Trumps did not attend the tea ceremony, while the Trumps did meet then-President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama in 2017 before his first inauguration.

Then-President Barack Obama shakes hands with then-President-elect Donald Trump following their first meeting since the election at the Oval Office in the White House on Jan. 20, 2017. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Then-President Donald Trump and then first-lady Melania Trump wave to the crowd as former president Barack Obama greets Tiffany Trump on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Jan. 20, 2017. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Before 2017’s inauguration, then-President Obama was seen leading Trump on the steps of the Capitol in Washington during the ceremony.

Winter Weather Alert

Due to winter storm conditions on Sunday and plunging temperatures on Monday, the Trump team announced the inauguration will be held indoors, not outside in Washington at the U.S. Capitol as it usually does.

Trump will be sworn into office inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social social media website. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.”

The National Weather Service is predicting the temperature to be around 22 degrees F at noon during the swearing-in ceremony. On Sunday, it said that “moderate to heavy snow” will fall on Sunday evening at a rate of about an inch per hour or more as temperatures fall to the 20s.

The decision to move the event indoors is not unprecedented. The swearing-in was last moved indoors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Monday’s forecast calls for the lowest Inauguration Day temperatures since that day.

What About Other Events?

Trump said that Washington’s Capital One Arena would “host the Presidential Parade“ and that he would ”join the crowd” after he takes the oath of office.

Under more standard circumstances, thousands of people usually line the route from the Capitol to the White House, which the president typically traverses following the swearing-in ceremony. Marching bands and other participants from around the country come to Washington to participate, so presumably they will also be part of the newly arranged indoor festivities.

Trump also said on Jan. 17 that other events, such as Sunday’s rally and three inaugural balls on Monday night, would go ahead as planned.

Earlier this month, U.S. Capitol Police, FBI, and Secret Service officials said at a news conference that more than 250,000 ticket-holders were going to attend the inauguration. That came before Trump announced it would be held indoors.

What Trump Did on Sunday

On Sunday, the day before the inauguration, Trump placed a wreath on an easel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia. Moments later, Vice-President-elect Vance did the same.

Some of Trump’s family members and his picks for several Cabinet positions joined him at Arlington National Cemetery.

Among those who were in attendance were his wife, Melania Trump, and his children: Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Ivanka Trump.

Also present were Pete Hegseth, his pick for defense secretary; Marco Rubio, his pick for secretary of state; Tulsi Gabbard, his pick for director of national intelligence; and Elise Stefanik, his pick for United Nations ambassador. The vice president-elect’s spouse, Usha Vance, was also in attendance.

Earlier that day, Kash Patel, Trump’s choice as FBI director, shared on social media a photo of the Cabinet picks lined up in three rows and facing the camera.

Trump also is to hold a “victory rally” at Capital One Arena in Washington, where he is due to deliver remarks. He will hold a candlelight dinner and give remarks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.