“Inauguration Day” – This is the very uncreative headline of the popular newspaper in the USA, USA Today, on Wednesday. The headline probably reflects the fact that almost every single American knows that this is a historic day, and that there is no need to expand, especially after a particularly difficult year of elections in the shadow of the Corona.
Today at 12 noon Washington time, President Trump’s term has expired. In light of the election of over 270 electors to Joe Biden as president, he will become president at that moment. A few minutes before 12, he will take an oath of allegiance to the American Constitution, according to the wording set forth in the Constitution itself, and in which he will promise to protect it from any guard “and so God help me.”
President Donald Trump held a farewell ceremony for Washington, and in fact for the American people, at around 8 a.m. at the Andrews base near Washington and counted his administration’s accomplishments over the past four years, which he described as “wonderful.” He thanked voters who trusted him and said he had “the greatest honor and privilege to be your president.” He promised that he and Melania would “come back in some way.” In contrast to other poignant speeches, he took a calm tone towards his replacement Biden, and parted with these words: “Have a good life, see you soon.”
Trump then took off for his Florida estate, while Biden left the Blair House in front of the White House, where Len spent his last night as a private citizen, and went to Mass at the church along with a host of Republican leaders.
It was also learned that Trump had placed on the table of the Oval Office a letter addressed only to Biden, in which he apparently advised him how to be successful in his job. In doing so, Trump actually continued the tradition that has existed for decades between one president and another.
Biden’s inauguration ceremony will be extremely limited this year and without the presence of the general public – which is effectively barred from any access to the city center by tens of thousands of soldiers. This situation arose amid fears that rioters would try to disrupt the new president’s oath, as they tried to disrupt the announcement of his victory about two weeks ago by storming Congress. In addition, the severe restrictions of the Corona plague, meant that only about 1,000 guests would be at Capitol Hill at the time of the inauguration. After the inauguration Biden will attend a special ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National Cemetery, and from there will enter for the first time as President of the White House, along with his Deputy Kamala Harris.