Joe Biden’s inauguration explained
After a turbulent four years and a chaotic election, Joe Biden will be sworn in tomorrow as the next US president. Here’s how you can watch.
Inauguration Day crowds and their size were a hot topic when Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States four years ago.
But in 2021, Americans are being told to stay away from Washington DC’s National Mall and mark the historic moment from home instead.
Joe Biden (Joseph R. Biden Jr) and Kamala Harris will take their oaths of office and be sworn in as President and Vice President tomorrow, on an inauguration day unlike any other.
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The theme of the day is “America United”. Due to COVID-19, which has killed 379,000 Americans since the pandemic began, attendance numbers have been drastically slashed.
Instead of the usual 200,000 tickets distributed to members of Congress and their constituents, organisers have allowed just over 1000 – one for each of the 535 members plus one guest.
One person who won’t be there is Donald Trump, making him the first outgoing president to skip the event since 1869.
“It’s a good thing him not showing up,” Mr Biden said. “He’s been an embarrassment to the country.”
He said outgoing Vice President Mike Pence, who will be attending, is “welcome”.
“I think it’s important that as much as we can stick to what have been the historical precedents of how an administration changes should be maintained,” Mr Biden said.
RELATED: Trump announces he will not attend inauguration
WHEN IS INAUGURATION DAY?
Inauguration Day is on January 20, 2021 in the US, which January 21 here in Australia.
Pre-inauguration festivities will begin at 9.30am (1.30am, January 21 AEDT) before opening remarks around 11.30am (3.30am AEDT) and the official swearing-in at midday (4am AEDT).
Noon in Washington DC is 4am for Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart, 3.30am for Adelaide, 3am for Brisbane and 1am for Perth.
WHERE IS IT HELD?
The inauguration ceremony will be held on the West Front of the US Capitol, despite the damage sustained when pro-Trump supporters violently stormed the building on January 6.
“I’m not afraid of taking the oath outside,” Mr Biden said on January 11.
Members of the public are “strongly encouraged to refrain” from travelling to the capital.
This is due to the “ongoing and deadly COVID-19 pandemic” and the “violent insurrection”, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.
The Presidential Inauguration Committee states: “The ceremony will feature vigorous health and safety protocols to protect public health, including face coverings, social distancing and more. The footprint for inaugural events will be limited and activities like the parade will be reimagined.”
Thousands of National Guard troops will be in place for the designated “national special security event”.
“This inauguration is going to look differently than previous inaugurations. I think we all know that,” Secret Service special agent Michael Plati, leading security planning for the inauguration, told The New York Times.
WHAT HAPPENS?
Today, Mr Biden led a memorial service for those who have died due to COVID-19 and lights shone around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Cities and towns across the country rang church bells and illuminate buildings “in a national moment of unity and remembrance”.
After the ceremony and inaugural address, Mr Biden, Ms Harris and their spouses – First Lady Dr Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff – will participate in a Pass in Review.
The longstanding tradition on the East Front of the Capitol is a review of military readiness.
The new leaders will be joined by former US presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
According to the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC), the new Commander-in-Chief will then be escorted from 15th Street to the White House by representatives from every branch of the military, “providing the American people and world with historic images of the president-elect proceeding to the White House without attracting large crowds,” the committee said.
The short walk replaces the traditional parade down Pennsylvania Ave however a televised “Virtual Parade Across America” will feature “diverse, dynamic performances” in communities nationwide.
This includes musical acts, local bands, poets and dance troupes, the committee said.
“The parade will celebrate America’s heroes, highlight Americans from all walks of life in different states and regions, and reflect on the diversity, heritage, and resilience of the country as we begin a new American era,” it said.
The 46th President of the United States and his wife will move into the White House that night, after what former chief usher Gary Walters has described as a day of “organised chaos”.
HOW CAN I WATCH?
The swearing-in ceremony will be livestreamed and broadcast across the globe including all major American news networks including CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS News and Fox News.
It will also be broadcast here on Sky News.
We will run a livestream here on news.com.au and have comprehensive, rolling coverage of inauguration day.
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