By the Associated Press
A gift exchange isn’t part of the official program on Inauguration Day but Mrs. Trump showed up in 2017 carrying a familiar blue box from Tiffany and handed it to then-first lady Michelle Obama.
It was a little awkward because Mrs. Obama had no one to give the gift box to. Eventually, President Barack Obama took the box from his wife and walked back inside with it.
Mrs. Obama later said the gift was a lovely picture frame.
By the Associated Press
By the Associated Press
They left the White House after spending about 35 minutes in a private meeting.
They got into a limo for the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. It’s now less than two hours away.
By the Associated Press
First lady Jill Biden and incoming first lady Melania Trump have left the White House.
They were followed by Vice President Kamala Harris and Vice President-elect JD Vance, who left in a limo for the swearing-in at the Capitol.
“Very well, thank you,” Harris replied to a shouted question as she left the White House and headed to a waiting limo.
By the Associated Press
Flags that had been lowered for the passing of former President Jimmy Carter are back up at the US Capitol.
House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the flags raised for Trump’s inauguration.\
By the Associated Press
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff has exited the White House with Usha Vance, wife of vice president-elect JD Vance, to go to the Capitol.
By the Associated Press
“It has been the honor of our lifetimes to serve you, the American people,” the vice president and president wrote in identical posts Monday morning on the social platform X.
The posts both featured a portrait of Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
By the Associated Press
Donald Trump will start implementing a far-reaching agenda when he takes office for the second time on Monday, but a new AP-NORC poll finds that some of his priorities are a lot more popular than others.
Just over half of Americans favor eliminating taxes on earnings from tips, for example, while about one-quarter are neutral and only about 2 in 10 are opposed.
On the other hand, about 6 in 10 US adults oppose pardoning many of the people who participated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
By the Associated Press
It’s the fifth inauguration for Roberts, who swore in Barack Obama twice, Joe Biden once and now will stand opposite Trump for a second time.
In the first inaugural ceremony for both men, in 2009, Roberts and Obama combined to flub the constitutionally prescribed oath, then met at the White House for a rare do-over — just to be safe.
By the Associated Press
Among the first people high-ranking officials to arrive at the Capitol Rotunda on Monday was Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is sitting on the platform where Trump will take his oath.
Current and former House and Senate leaders also arrived, including former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife former Trump Cabinet member Elaine Chao.
Former House speakers Kevin McCarthy, John Boehner and Newt Gingrich also took their seats.
By the Associated Press
Kavanaugh has known Vance and his wife, Usha, since their days at Yale Law School.
Vance was among Kavanaugh’s students in a law school seminar in 2011. He later employed Usha Vance as a law clerk when Kavanaugh was a judge on the federal appeals court in Washington.
She went on to serve as a clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts.
By the Associated Press
Newt Gingrich, John Boehner and Kevin McCarthy are in the Capitol Rotunda for the inauguration.
The last Democratic Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has said she is not attending the ceremony.
By the Associated Press
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.
By the Associated Press
“This is a day when every American does well to celebrate our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States,” the former vice president wrote in a post on the social platform X.
“We encourage all our fellow Americans to join us praying for President Trump and Vice President Vance as they assume the awesome responsibility of leading this great Nation,” he added.
Trump and Pence once had a close relationship, but had a falling out when Pence refused to go along with Trump’s unconstitutional scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Pence ran against Trump in the GOP primary but dropped his bid before any votes were cast.
He has been critical of several of Trump’s proposals for a second term, with a group he runs urging Republican senators not to confirm Robert F. Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
By the Associated Press
Speaking during a video call with members of Russia’s Security Council just before Trump’s inauguration, Putin said that “we hear the statements from Trump and members of his team about their desire to restore direct contacts with Russia, which were halted through no fault of ours by the outgoing administration.”
“We also hear his statements about the need to do everything to prevent World War III,” Putin said in televised comments. “We certainly welcome such an approach and congratulate the US president-elect on taking office.”
Putin said Moscow is open to discussing a prospective peace settlement in Ukraine, adding it should lead not to a short truce but a lasting peace and take into account Russia’s interests.
By the Associated Press
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.
By the Associated Press
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.
By the Associated Press
Chesapeake Crab Cake, Greater Omaha Angus Ribeye Steak and wine from Monticello are on the menu for the inaugural luncheon.
That’s according to the joint congressional committee on inauguration ceremonies headed by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
It says the luncheon after the swearing-in ceremony is the 11th to be held at the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, and will include more than 200 guests including the president, vice president, family, US Supreme Court justices, Cabinet Member-designees and members of Congressional leadership.
For dessert, there’s Minnesota Apple Ice Box Terrine with sour cream ice cream and salted caramel.
By the Associated Press
Before dawn, ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, several dozen people waited in freezing temperatures at a bridge connecting Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican border city, with El Paso, Texas.
They held appointments for CBP One, a program that allows asylum seekers to schedule initial appointments before reaching the border. CBP One has brought nearly 1 million people to the U.S. on two-year permits with eligibility to work and is one of the programs that Trump has said he will end.
Nerves and uncertainty were running high in the line.
Julio González, 35, who came from the violent Mexican state of Michoacan, cried as he considered his circumstances.
“We hope that with Donald Trump’s arrival the application (CBP One) continues,” he said.
By the Associated Press
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.
By the Associated Press
Trump plans on Monday to sign actions to increase domestic oil production including a measure with a focus on Alaska.
That’s according to an incoming administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity under terms set by the transition team in a phone call with reporters.
Trump also plans to sign a memorandum that seeks an all-of-government approach to bringing down inflation.
The incoming official declined to provide specifics, but it’s unclear just how Trump can reduce energy and household costs without sacrificing growth or corporate profits.
By the Associated Press
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.
By the Associated Press
“One more selfie for the road. We love you, America,” the post on the social platform X read.
By the Associated Press
The lineup will include Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as Trump’s press secretary, along with former aide Kellyanne Conway and Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who was Trump’s White House physician.
Former White House adviser Peter Navarro, who served prison time related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and is returning to Trump’s administration as a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, is also expected to give remarks.
Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, and Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan will also attend.
Monday, Jan. 20
By the Associated Press
Trump will sign an executive order declaring that the federal government would recognize only two genders: male and female, an incoming White House official said Monday.
The order undoes parts of one President Joe Biden signed on his first day in office four years ago. Trump’s order could restrict access to gender-affirming medical care and sports competitions for some transgender people.
The official said only two sexes will be recognized on passports and visas.
The move is not a surprise. Trump criticized transgender and nonbinary rights in his campaign, airing one ad more than 15,000 times that proclaimed, “Kamala is for them/them. President Trump is for you.”
Civil rights groups were preparing to challenge Trump’s restrictions in court before he took office.
“We are going to persevere, we’re going to continue in our work and we’re going to continue to protect trans rights throughout the country,” said Ash Orr, a spokesperson for Advocates for Trans Equality last week, anticipating such an order.
