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Donald J. Trump sworn in for second nonconsecutive term; JD Vance becomes vice president
Summary
Donald J. Trump was administered the presidential oath in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.; Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh administered the vice-presidential oath to JD Vance. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies led indoor proceedings after weather forced a move from the West Front.
Donald J. Trump was sworn in as president of the United States in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. administering the presidential oath. The oath took place during the 60th inaugural ceremonies organized by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JICC), which moved core events indoors because of high winds and low temperatures outside.
The new vice president, James David “JD” Vance, repeated the vice-presidential oath administered by Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh prior to the presidential oath. Chairwoman Amy kashar, who led the JICC for the event, opened the ceremony in the Rotunda and framed the day under the committee theme “our enduring democracy.”
The ceremony combined constitutional formality with traditional pageantry: musical performances by the Marine Band and the Armed Forces Chorus, invocations from Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Reverend Franklin Graham, and appearances by former presidents, vice presidents and members of the Supreme Court. After the oaths and the inaugural address, the outgoing president and vice president departed by Marine One, and the new president moved to the President’s Room for a short signing session and to National Statuary Hall for the inaugural luncheon.
The JICC convenes members of both houses to manage Capitol events, ceremonial escorts, the arrival and departure sequences, and related logistics. Chairwoman kashar thanked committee members and staff for rapidly coordinating the decision to hold the swearing-in inside the Rotunda, citing safety and guest comfort as reasons for the move.
What happens next: standard inaugural follow-up events were scheduled after the Rotunda proceedings, including the signing of brief designations and appointments in the President’s Room and an inaugural luncheon in National Statuary Hall. The administration and Congressional leaders also planned a traditional pass in review and a parade-related series of events.
