Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, and Kamala Harris will take the oath of office for vice president, at an inauguration ceremony on January 20.
The inauguration of US President-elect Biden will be held on the same risers in the same spot at the US Capitol where a violent, pro-Donald Trump mob descended earlier in January.
In the aftermath of the riots, Washington DC is preparing for the scaled-down inauguration of the 46th US President with extreme security measures - closing roads, erecting barbed-wire fences, and deploying more than 25,000 National Guards along with thousands of local police personnel and those from other security agencies.
Here is all you need to know about the inauguration ceremony
When is the inauguration date and time?
The inaugural ceremonies will begin with the national anthem and invocation on January 20 around 11.30 am ET (10 pm IST).
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor shortly before noon ET.
President-elect Biden is expected to be sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts at noon ET on the West Front of the US Capitol.
Where to watch the inauguration?
The 59th Presidential Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be aired at all the major US networks, including ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and PBS.
It can also be streamed live on bideninaugural.org/watch/ and any of its social media channels of Biden Inaugural Committee - YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.
You can also watch the livestream of the event via:
- Amazon Prime Video
- Microsoft Bing
- NewsNOW from Fox
- AT&T U-verse (Channel 212/1212 in SD/HD)
- AT&T DIRECTV (Channel 201)
Yes. The outgoing president traditionally attends the inauguration to symbolise the peaceful transfer of power. But Donald Trump, who has repeatedly claimed that the election was riddled with fraud, has refused to be there. Vice President Mike Pence plans to attend.
Also, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies would normally offer 200,000 tickets for the ceremonies at the Capitol. However, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, no tickets are being offered to the public this time.
What are the events on the inauguration day?
Jennifer Lopez will perform and Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem. Biden, according to the inauguration website, will give a speech to the nation, laying out his vision to defeat the pandemic, build back better, and unify and heal the nation.
What will happen after the swearing-in ceremony?
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Biden will participate in a socially distanced Pass in Review with members of the military on the Capitol’s East Front - , a ritual that symbolises the peaceful transfer of power to a new Commander in Chief.
Biden, Harris and their spouses, along with former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton and their wives, will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
Biden will then receive a traditional presidential escort from 15th Street in Washington to the White House. Instead of the inaugural parade past a reviewing stand in front of the White House, organisers plan to hold a televised virtual parade across America.
(With inputs from agencies)
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