Washington DC Prepares for Donald Trump’s 2025 Inauguration
Washington DC is bracing for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Monday amidst heightened security and a historic attendance of world leaders, marking a significant departure from previous inaugurations. Notably, there will be absences from representatives of Russia and Arab nations.
The city’s security and administrative agencies have implemented unprecedented security measures ahead of the event. Large sections of the city have been closed off days in advance, restricting public access and transportation to most areas. On inauguration day, several metro stations will be closed, and numerous bus routes will be suspended. A high fence has been erected around the Capitol building where the ceremony will take place.
Due to expected sub-zero temperatures in Washington, Trump and his Vice President-elect, J.D. Vance, will take their oaths of office inside the Capitol, in the Rotunda Hall, which can accommodate roughly 600 guests. This arrangement echoes the last indoor inauguration held in January 1985 for President Ronald Reagan’s second term. Additionally, the traditional parade route has been altered, with the parade now set to occur at Capital One Arena instead of along Pennsylvania Avenue.
A Historic Turnout of World Leaders
Typically, high-level ambassadors and diplomats are invited to U.S. presidential inaugurations, but no foreign leader has officially attended since 1874, according to State Department records. Trump, however, is breaking tradition by inviting several heads of state. Among the invitees are:
Argentina’s President Javier Milei
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
China’s President Xi Jinping
Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has never attended a U.S. presidential inauguration, is also on the guest list.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has explicitly been excluded. Trump announced during his first post-election press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that he would not extend an invitation to Zelenskyy.
Acceptances for in-person attendance have been confirmed from Milei, Meloni, Noboa, and Peña. China will be represented by Vice President Han Zheng, India by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Japan by Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba.
Arab and Russian officials are expected to be absent from the ceremony. However, representatives from right-wing European political parties like Belgium’s Vlaams Belang, France’s Reconquête, Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD), and Britain’s Reform UK have been invited.
Corporate Leaders and Past Presidents
Tech moguls Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos will attend, along with leaders from companies like TikTok, OpenAI, Google, Apple, and Uber.
Former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran against Trump in the election, will be present at the inauguration, unlike Trump who did not attend Biden’s 2021 swearing-in. Biden will uphold democratic tradition by welcoming Trump to the White House and accompanying him to the Capitol before the oath is administered.
Also expected are former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton with their spouses, while former President Barack Obama will attend, but without his wife, Michelle, in a break from tradition for former presidents and their spouses.
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