What to watch for Trump’s second inauguration

On By Littum

Donald Trump’s inauguration as the country’s 47th president was expected to be an extravagant break from tradition – before it was moved indoors due to cold weather.

There will still be well-known artistsinfluential billionaires as guests and foreign heads of state. Unlike his first inauguration eight years ago, Trump will be welcomed back into office by business titans and global leaders, groups that often shunned him during his first term.

Here are some things to watch out for during Trump’s inauguration.

Trumps inside the Capitol Rotunda, but who else?

Expect to see Melania Trumpthe president-elect’s five children and grandchildren. Don Jr.his eldest son, and Lara Trumpwho is married to Eric Trump, has gained more influence over the past year. The fathers of Trump’s two sons-in-law were also given important advisory positions. While Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have taken a step back, they are expected to attend just as they did on election night.

But the Capitol Rotunda can only hold about 600 people, according to organizers. There will be precious few seats for Supreme Court justices, military leaders, former presidents and their spouses, Cabinet nominees and visiting dignitaries — along with the 535 members of Congress who traditionally get top spots, though some Democratic lawmakers skip the ceremony.

Tesla and X owner Elon Musk was invited to the point along with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Who enters the Rotunda?

Country superstar and YMCA

Country music star Carrie Underwood, winner of eight Grammy Awards, will sing “America the Beautiful” before Trump is sworn in around noon EST by Chief Justice John Roberts. Underwood, who went from “American Idol” contestant in 2005 to the most decorated artist in CMT Music Awards history, was a surprise for the president-elect’s inauguration program.

Another unexpected announcement came from the Village People, the late-’70s American disco group behind the hit “YMCA.” The group was booked for a Trump rally in Washington on Sunday and for one of the inauguration balls. The hit song was played at the end of Trump rallies and became a viral trend on social media after the election with people mimicking the president-elect’s signature dance moves.

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Carrie Underwood arrives at the People’s Choice Awards on Dec. 6, 2022, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

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Jason Aldean speaks at a Turning Point Action campaign rally on October 23, 2024 in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

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Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney, from left, Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox perform at the iHeartCountry Festival in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett)/Invision/AP, File)

Other performers will include two of Trump’s musical favorites: opera singer Christopher Macchio, who will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and country singer Lee Greenwood, known for his patriotic anthem, “God Bless the USA,” also played at Trump rallies.

Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw, best known for his hit song “I Don’t Want To Be,” will perform at one of the three balls Trump will attend. Country singers Jason Aldean, Parker McCollum and country music band Rascal Flatts will perform at the other two balls.

That opening speech

Trump is known for give hour-plus speeches where he makes big promises, attacks political opponents and mocks some foreign leaders.

During his 16-minute inaugural address in 2017, Trump stuck to his campaign script and painted a grim picture of the country blaming other countries for closing factories and shrinking the middle class. He said he would end “American Carnage” and would govern with an “America First” approach.

This time, his main campaign promise has been to launch the largest deportation operation in history and close the US-Mexico border. He has talked of ushering in a “golden age” and promised to impose tariffs on imports, rolling out more details in recent days about how he plans to pursue those goals.

He told NBC News on Saturday that the theme of his inaugural address will be “unity and strength, and also the word ‘justice.’

“Because you have to treat people fairly,” Trump said. “You can’t just say, ‘Oh, everything is going to be wonderful.’ You know, we went through hell for four years with these people. And so, you know, something has to be done about it. … You can’t make that happen, and we don’t have to.”

Foreign leaders in town

Trump may be breaking with Inauguration Day tradition after sending invitations to world leaders. No head of state has previously made an official visit to the United States for the inauguration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was the first foreign leader whose invitation to the inauguration became public last December. Xi will not attend, but will send Vice President Han Zheng as his special representative.

The President of Argentina, Javier Milei, and the Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloniaccepted Trump’s offer. The offices of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña have also said they were invited and planned to attend.