Performers, Parade, Protests, How To Watch: Everything You Need To Know About Donald Trump’s Inauguration
Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, celebrated by numerous performers and an inauguration parade, but it will also face significant groups of protesters.
Although the inauguration ceremony takes place on January 20, the inauguration festivities extend from January 19 to January 21. Thursday’s Wreath Laying Ceremony is the first inaugural event to kick off the three days of power transition. The Wreath Laying Ceremony takes place at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia followed by the “Make America Great Again!” welcome celebration hosted by the Trump campaign.
The “Make America Great Again!” welcome celebration is a concert for incoming president Trump and will be hosted on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. According to USA Today, the ceremony will feature remarks from Trump, a military band, and musical performers Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down, the Piano Guys, and Larry Stewart. The event will be featured on major television networks as well as www.58pic2017.org.
Trump’s inauguration committee has faced an uphill battle in the months leading up to the event. Numerous performers have refused to attend Trump’s inauguration, while other previously scheduled acts have canceled their appearances at the last minute. In December, Trump lashed out at “A-list celebrities” on Twitter for refusing to play the inauguration.
The so-called "A" list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016
Trump’s swearing-in ceremony will also feature musical performers Jackie Evancho, an America’s Got Talent runner-up, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. In December, a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir resigned to protest the organization’s performance at Trump’s inauguration. Huffington Post reported that former choir member, Jan Chamberlain, said Trump promoted “tyranny and fascism” and that she could “never throw roses to Hitler.”
All of the surviving former presidents will attend Trump’s inauguration. The former presidents include Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter. Former president George H.W. Bush will not attend due to concerns over his health. The 92-year-old was recently hospitalized for shortness of breath and remains in stable condition.
The swearing-in ceremony will be followed by the inaugural parade, which is scheduled to feature high school marching bands and other nationally known groups such as the Girl Scouts of America. The inaugural parade was another point of contention for the Trump committee because numerous marching bands did not apply to perform in the parade.
Although four former presidents will be in attendance, more than 50 House Democrats are boycotting Trump’s inauguration. As BBC News reports, more House Democrats vowed to miss Trump’s inauguration after the president-elect lashed out at civil rights leader and Georgia representative John Lewis on Twitter.
January 20 will also feature inaugural balls celebrating Trump’s newly-minted presidency.
The inaugural balls happen in numerous states and, as Barack Obama told ABC News, “The balls are kind of a confusing quagmire because the states themselves have their own celebratory events.”
Each ball has its own lineup of performers and events, however, the Arkansas ball was canceled this year due to lack of interest, as the Washington Post reported. Trump is reportedly hosting fewer balls than his predecessors, and his festivity attendance is the lowest in recent inaugural history.
Trump’s inauguration will also be bombarded with protests. #DisruptJ20 will stage a protest on inauguration day and operates under the “no peaceful transition of power” idea. The #DisruptJ20 protest may face opposition from pro-Trump activists who have vowed to file a civil suit against the group.
On Saturday, the Women’s March on Washington, the biggest inaugural weekend protest march, will gather over 150,000 people in opposition to Trump. According to the Women’s March on Washington’s website, there are 616 sister marches happening across the country on January 21 in opposition to Trump’s inauguration.
Trump will take the oath of office around noon on January 20 in front of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
[Featured Image by J. David Ake/AP Images]
