Trump to Be Inaugurated 45th President Today

Scott Shindledecker

Scott Shindledecker

Published January 20, 2017 5:29 am
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ready or not, here he comes.

Donald Trump will be inaugurated a little after noon today in the nation’s capital.

Trump will become the 45th President of the United States amid fervor of the hope he brings to some Americans, while at the same time the fear his presidency brings to others.

Hillary and Bill Clinton will attend the inauguration. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter have also said they will attend the event.

Here is a schedule of inauguration events as well as protest events:

Friday, January 20

9:30 a.m. ­— Musical guests begin performing

The inauguration ceremony begins at the west front of the Capitol Building with musical performances.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony

Opening remarks begin at 11:30 a.m. and religious leaders will offer prayers and readings.

Then, Mike Pence will be sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Trump will by sworn in as president by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Inaugural Parade

After the ceremony, Congress will host a luncheon in the Capitol. Then, Trump will participate in the presidential procession and inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue.

7:00 p.m. — Inaugural balls

Trump, Pence, and their wives will attend three official inaugural balls on Friday evening.

Two balls will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and the third, the Salute to Our Armed Services Ball, will take place at the National Building Museum.

Saturday, January 21

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. — National Prayer Service

Trump and Pence will participate in an interfaith prayer service  at Washington’s National Cathedral.

Protest Events

Friday, January 20

Hours prior to Trump being sworn in as the 45th president, the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition is holding a protest — starting at 7:00 a.m. at the Navy Memorial — that hopes to attract tens of thousands of protesters to push back against Trump’s presidency.

ANSWER’s website describes the rally as a “massive demonstration” along Pennsylvania Avenue with “progressives” coming to D.C. from around the country. ANSWER has called Trump a “racist, sexist bigot.”

ANSWER has been vocal in its criticism of Trump over the past few months. In October, it helped organize a protest against Trump’s “bigotry” outside his D.C. hotel.

#Trump420: Marijuana advocates are also planning to come out in force on Inauguration Day.

DCMJ, a local group that led D.C.’s marijuana legalization effort in 2014, says it will dole out 4,200 joints on the morning of inauguration at 8:00 a.m. in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.

While it’s legal for D.C. residents to smoke marijuana in private, it is still illegal to consume in public.

Four minutes and 20 seconds into the Trump presidency, organizers will tell participants to light up their joints.

Trump has previously said it should be a state’s right to decide whether to legalize marijuana, but he has not said whether he supports legalization. Trump has, however, said he backs medical marijuana.

But local organizers said that Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Trump’s nominee for attorney general, is the main target of the protest. Sessions is a staunch opponent of legalizing marijuana.

DisruptJ20: A group of D.C. organizers have planned a week of events aimed to shut down the inauguration and “paralyze the city itself” through blockades and marches, according to its website.

The group has already held an LGBT dance party outside of Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s home in the Chevy Chase neighborhood.

An organizer said that the protests would have happened regardless of the 2016 election outcome, but “it took on a whole new meaning” in light of Trump’s victory.

On Friday, the group will hold its “Festival of Resistance” from Columbus Circle to McPherson Square from noon to 5:00 p.m. They will hold a coordinated march and rally with “Occupy Inauguration.”

January 21 

The Women’s March on Washington will cap off a busy week of protests and rallies.

The march, which is expected to draw up to 200,000 participants, will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Independence Avenue and 3rd Street SW. There will also be hundreds of other sister marches nationwide held in solidarity.

Celebrities are also expected to be a large presence at the march. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem was named an honorary co-chair, along with singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte.

Other notable attendees are singers Cher and Katy Perry, comedian Amy Schumer and actresses Scarlett Johansson, Uzo Aduba, and America Ferrera.

Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.), who is boycotting Trump’s inauguration, said he will attend the march with his wife and daughter.

Four Women for All Women, a 252-mile run from Harlem in New York City to D.C. that began on Wednesday, will join the Women’s March on Saturday in the nation’s capital. The run is raising money for Planned Parenthood, which Republican leaders plan to defund as a part of an ObamaCare repeal.

The Women’s March comes one week before the annual March for Life on January 27. Trump’s incoming White House counselor, Kellyanne Conway, plans to attend the anti-abortion march.

January 19–21

A three-day festival starting the day before the inauguration is hoping to provide some comic relief amid a partisan time.

“What a Joke” is a nationwide comedy festival that will have stand-up comedy performances in five D.C. locations and in cities nationwide. The proceeds will go to the American Civil Liberties Union.

According to DCist, they will sell Trump’s signature red hats, but with “Make America Great Again” replaced with “What a Joke.”

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