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LAST UPDATE | 20 Jan
DONALD TRUMP HAS been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.
He was sworn in just after 5pm Irish time (midday local time), following the swearing in of Vice President JD Vance. Due to freezing conditions in Washington DC, the ceremony took place inside.
Following his inauguration ceremony, Trump delivered a speech in which he pushed all the culture war buttons – announcing sweeping policy changes on issues such as gender, climate, migration and military.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said in his first official speech.
He later spoke about the assassination attempt against him last July, saying: “I was saved by God to make America great again.”
Trump told the crowd he would declare a national emergency at the US border with Mexico as part of a crackdown on immigration, end the Green New Deal (which calls for public policy to address climate change), and “tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens”.
Here’s a roundup of today’s inauguration news so far:
Stick with our liveblog for all the latest news.
Updates by Muiris Ó Cearbhaill (now) and Órla Ryan (earlier)
Good afternoon.
Muiris Ó Cearbhaill here, covering the beginning of Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremonies in Washington DC.
Although today’s event will be different – as it will be held indoors – the timetable is the exact same as previous years.
A group of non-partisan politicians put together today’s ceremonies and had to change the arrangements at the last minute due to adverse cold weather.
The speech, the swear-in ceremony and the elusive guest list will be hosted in the Rotunda room in the Capitol Building.
Trump is currently meeting for a short tea service with Biden, and both men are joined with the incoming and outcoming first ladies.
In 2021, Trump left the White House early and did not hold the traditional tea service with Biden. It is the first time that both men have taken part in the service together.
Trump and his family will soon make their way to the Rotunda Room at the Capitol building, where the swearing-in ceremony is due to take place.
The guest list was cut to 600 people today, with roughly 20,000 Trump supporters being hosted in the Capital One Arena in Washington.
Among the guests in the room is the outgoing American Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
It was unknown if Trump and Biden would be attending the swearing-in ceremony together – but it now likely as first ladies Jill Biden and Melania Trump have just entered an armoured car together to the event.
Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and JD Vance have also entered a car to travel together.
It is tradition for the outgoing president to travel to the capitol with the new leader.
Trump did not travel with Biden in 2021.
The drive to the Capitol building is short and the schedule is currently running behind. However, it is likely that the procession will take their time to head to the Rotunda Room, to view the crowds.
Confirmed: Donald Trump and Joe Biden are carpooling together to the Capitol building.
It’s likely to be an awkward car ride, according to many commentators, as Trump called out Biden today for his preemptive pardoning of many political opponents of the Republican.
Later this evening, Trump intends to overwrite a number of Biden’s political achievements with dozens of executive orders.
Biden and Trump are currently travelling to the Capitol in ‘The Beast’ – one of the most-protected vehicles in the World. To be a fly on the window of the car right now…
There are hundreds of people seen in the footage, lining the streets and cheering as the motorway drives by. This is one of the biggest security operations of the day, two Presidents, one car.
In about an hour’s time, Trump is set to make his Presidential oath and officially become the 47th President of the US at 11.47am local time (5.47pm).
The motorcade has just arrived at the Capitol building, as guests and security pile into the Rotunda Building.
Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump are making their way into the Rotunda room in the Capitol building with Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and JD Vance.
Inside the room, billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk is in the room along with UFC founder Dana White.
The newest cabinet members, who last week were vetted and grilled by politicians for hours in Washington, will be in charge of a number of different departments in the US for the next four years (at maximum).
Their work will begin later today, when Trump attends the President’s Room in the same building and signs his Presidency into action. At the same time, the House of Congress – the American parliament – will get their official duties underway.
It is a ceremonial procedure that allows for the work of the elected American politicians to begin their duties in unison.
Former presidents and vice presidents will join the event today, including ex-VP Mike Pence who has just arrived.
Cameras catch billionaire Elon Musk chatting to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos while they stand in front of politician Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is speaking to Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg.
All former Presidents have now arrived at the ceremony in Washington.
Former leader Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived first, followed by President George W Bush and his wife Laura. Former President Barack Obama arrived alone this afternoon.
This is the same room where former President, the late Jimmy Carter, was lying in state just last week. The US national flag has been held at half mast this week in respect of Carter, but has been temporarily lifted for today.
The processions – happening now – is a symbolic part of this ceremony that aims to reflect the people who have previously held the Office of the US and the people who have contributed to each of those terms.
The crowd is currently honoring each of those office holders with a standing ovation.
Last to appear in front of the procession will be the outgoing President Joe Biden – in a ceremonial way to mark the end of her presidential term.
All former Presidents have entered the room and have taken their seats. They have been followed by the incumbent chief justices of the US, who sit on the Supreme Court.
Two judges, Brett Kavanaugh and John G. Roberts Jr, the chief justice of the US Supreme Court, will have roles to play to swear in JD Vance and Donald Trump, respectively.
A silence has fallen over the Rotunda, as the Trump family make their way into the room.
They have sat in front of billionaires Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Elon Musk of SpaceX and X as well as Apple’s Tim Cook.
Behind the businessmen – who have supported Trump’s campaign – is the incoming cabinet.
Medleys continue to play in the Rotunda building as the ceremony continues.
Each minute of today’s event has been precisely timed and planned. JD Vance is set to be sworn in as Vice President in the next five minutes.
The incoming First Lady Melania Trump has arrived.
Christopher Macchio, an American opera singer, has taken to the stage to perform a song.
Meanwhile, outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have arrived into the Rotunda.
Incoming Vice President JD Vance has arrived at the Rotunda and is set to be sworn into his new role very shortly.
He is followed out by senior members of the House of Congress.
Trump has arrived into the Rotunda.
He will shortly take his place in the room, where he will sit beside his son Barron and wife Melania.
Melania will hold two Holy Bibles during the ceremony, one given to Trump by his mother and another one that was used by President Abraham Lincon.
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have received a round applause from the crowd.
Vice President-elect JD Vance has recieved a large welcome into the Rotunda as he will make his oath to the office in the next few moments.
Vice Presidents take a different oath to the President and is, essentially, a promise to uphold the American constitution for the duration of their term.
Vance will be making the same oath he made when he first took his seat as a senator for Ohio in January 2023 and will be sworn in by US supreme court judge, and family friend, Brett Kavanaugh.
Donald Trump has arrived into the Rotunda building, to a massive round of applause.
He will shortly assume the role of the 47th President of the US.
US Senator Amy Klobuchar has addressed the crowd, telling them that they will witness the “peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democracy”. She thanks the committee who organised the event, which is made up of senators and politicians from both parties.
She welcomes the former and incumbent presidents and vice presidents and the chief justices of the US Supreme Court.
As the inauguration continues, Joe Biden has pardoned other members of his family. In the last few minutes, he issued preemptive pardons for his brothers James and Frank, his sister Valerie, and their spouses.
“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me – the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,” he said in a statement.
“That is why I am exercising my power under the constitution to pardon James B Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T Owens, and Francis W Biden.”
He already pardoned his other son, Hunter, last month ahead of his sentencing on federal felony gun and tax convictions.
He earlier issued pre-emptive pardons for public servants previously threatened by Trump and other Republican officials.
JD Vance is now being sworn in as vice president while being surrounded by his family.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is administering the oath of office to Vance.
Vance has now taken his oath:
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
Donald Trump has been sworn in as 47th President of the United States.
He was sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Donald Trump is sworn-in as president at the inauguration.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 20, 2025
Latest: https://t.co/vUOmnjrucF
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Here’s the oath Tump just took:
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.”
Trump is now delivering his first official speech:
“Thank you very, very much Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, Senator Thune, Chief Justice Roberts, Justices of the United States Supreme Court, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, President Biden, Vice President Harris and my fellow citizens.
The golden age of America begins right now.
“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer during every single day of the Trump administration.
I will very simply put America first.
“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced the vicious, violent and unfair weaponisation of the Justice Department and our government will end.”
Trump continues: “I return to the presidency, confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success.
“A tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before, but first, we must be honest about the challenges we face. While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing.
“In the United States of America, as we gather today, our government confronts a crisis of trust. For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair.
“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home, while at the same time stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad. It fails to protect our magnificent law-abiding American citizens, but provide sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions that have illegally entered our country from all over the world.
“We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders, but refuses to defend American borders, or, more importantly, its own people.”
Speaking about the devastating fires in Los Angeles, he said:
“[The fires are] raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country, some of whom are sitting here right now.
“They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting. We can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change.
“We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster.
“Yet, more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world, and we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves, in many cases, to hate our country, despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them.
“All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly.”
“Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250 year history, and I’ve learned a lot along the way,” Trump told the crowd.
“The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you.
Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom, and indeed, to take my life.
“Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear, but I felt, then and believe, even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”
Trump said he hopes his victory in the presidential election “will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country”.
“As our victory showed, the entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda, with dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society, young and old, men and women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, urban, suburban, rural and very importantly.
“We had a powerful win in all seven swing states and the popular vote, we won by millions of people.”
Speaking about immigration, Trump said: “I will declare a national emergency at our southern border.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy.
“I will end the practice of ‘catch and release’, and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.
“Under the orders I signed today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organisations.
“By invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to US soil, including our cities and inner cities.”
Trump said his government will work to meet every crisis with “dignity, power and strength” and will “bring back prosperity for citizens of every race, religion, colour and creed”.
“January 20th 2025 is liberation day”, he said, to a loud applause from the crowd.
He also noted that today is Martin Luther King Day, saying: “In his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true.”
“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill baby, drill,” Trump tells the crowd to cheers.
“America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have – the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Eearth, and we are going to use it…
“We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it with my actions. Today, we will end the Green New Deal, and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American auto workers.
“In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice, we will build automobiles in America again at a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago.”
On trade, Trump said: “I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.
“For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues that will be massive amounts of money pouring into our treasury coming from foreign sources, the American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before.
“To restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government. My administration will establish the brand new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE – the one being led by Elon Musk).
“After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional federal efforts to restrict free expression, I will also sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America.”
Amid ongoing fears about what the Trump administration will do in terms of rights and healthcare for transgender people, the new president said: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
Trump said America “will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world”.
“A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
“And we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.”
The mountain, the highest mountain peak in North America, has been known as Denali for decades in Alaska.
In August 2015, the United States Department of the Interior announced that Mount McKinley would be officially named Denali.
The Koyukon people who inhabit the area around the mountain have referred to the peak as Denali for centuries.
Trump also said the US will take steps toward Mars exploration on his watch – something his ally and SpaceX founder Elon Musk wants to do.
“We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” Trump said.
Trump falsely claimed in his inaugural address the US experienced “record inflation” during the Biden administration.
CNN has a fact-check here.
Trump could fairly say that the US inflation rate hit a 40-year high in June 2022, when it was 9.1% – but that was not close to the all-time record of 23.7%, set in 1920, CNN reports.
Closing out his speech, Trump said: “In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly, but we are going to bring it back and make it great again, greater than ever before.
“We will be a nation like no other, full of compassion, courage and exceptionalism. Our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent and totally unpredictable.
“America will be respected again and admired again, including by people of religion, faith and good will. We will be prosperous, we will be proud, we will be strong, and we will win like never before.
“We will not be conquered, we will not be intimidated, we will not be broken, and we will not fail. From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign and independent nation.
“We will stand bravely, we will live proudly, we will dream boldly, and nothing will stand in our way. Because we are Americans, the future is ours, and our Golden Age has just begun. Thank you. God Bless America. Thank you all.”
Incoming Taoiseach Micheál Martin has offered his “warmest congratulations” to Trump.
“Ireland’s close ties with the United States are built on generations of shared history and a rich tapestry of connections between our peoples,” Martin said in a statement this evening.
“On this historic day, the American people can be assured that Ireland will always remain a constant and reliable partner and friend.”
Martin described the Ireland-US relationship as “a rich, dynamic and mutually beneficial political and economic partnership”.
“Our task is to further strengthen this partnership, and to create sustainable jobs and prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic,” he said.
Martin added that international cooperation “is the only way we can address and resolve our common challenges, as well as our differences”.
Outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris also offered his congratulations to Trump, saying he hopes Ireland will have the chance to welcome him again.
Harris praised Trump’s “magnificent golf links in Doonbeg” and said the Republican had “invested in this country and its people”.
“This is a very important moment for President Trump personally and for the United States.
“As the torch of democracy passes peacefully from one leader to the next, I send him, and the people of the United States, my very best wishes,” the Fine Gael leader said.
Donald and Melania Trump airkissed during the ceremony, but didn’t actually make contact.
The swearing-in ceremony has now concluded at the Capitol Rotunda and the crowd has started to disperse.
Just before leaving, Trump saluted as the US national anthem played.
Trump and Vance will speak to a crowd in the overflow room, who were not given a ticket in the Rotunda room.
He will make many stops on his way back to the White House where he will hold a lunch and then show Biden the door.
Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Congress, introduced the pair.
Vance commends Trump’s speech – telling the crowd the President started as he means to go on. He jokes that the weather, though sunny, is very cold – and is glad the decision was taken to move the event inside.
Trump starts his speech agreeing with Vance.
“You’re a younger, more beautiful crowd than what I just spoke to,” he jokes, and thanks Vance for the introduction. He remarks that he is glad for his running mate and the job he did during the election.
He also thanks Mike Johnson, claiming that he is a “nice guy”. He apologises for poaching members of the Republicans’ slim majority in the House of Congress for poaching his cabinet – claiming they can make up the numbers at the midterm elections.
Trump also commends Steve Scalise, the majority leader, for continuing to do his role despite his recent diagnosis with multiple myeloma. He describes him as a “great friend” and says he represents a “picture of strength”.
Trump is reflecting on the speech he has just given in the Rotunda. He tells the crowd that he wishes he could’ve mentioned those who are accused of crimes on 6 January 2021 – referring to them as ‘J6 hostages’.
He says there will be a “lot of movement” on pardoning those accused of crimes following the riot in Washington DC. He also refers to the committee investigating that that’s event as the “unselect committee of political thugs”.
Trump denounces all of those who Biden pardoned in recent weeks, including those who received clemency today.
President Joe Biden has started speaking to a small crowd at St Andrews’ Military Base as Trump’s speech to VIP guests turns more into a story-telling ramble.
“I only hope you look back on these years in the same pride I have in all you’ve done. You did it upholding the core values – honesty, decency, integrity,” he tells the crowd.
He thanks the public for the “journey” of his term. He claims the Democratic party has “a lot more to do”.
“If you heard the inaugural address today, we’ve a lot more to do,” he said.
Biden then blesses himself – with laughter from the crowd.
“I know these years were up and down. But we have to stay with it,” he said – telling the crowd to keep politically engaged.
“We’re leaving office, we’re not leaving the fight,” he says, telling the crowd to stay politically engaging in any way that they can.
“I have no doubt that you’ll take this experience and continue to do amazing things in decades to come. Take some time to decompress, spend some times with your friends and family,” he adds.
He thanks the crowd once more, telling the public it has been the “honour of my life” to serve as the US President. He calls the crowd of Democratic party voters “incredible”.
He quotes Irish poet Seamus Heaney in saying: “Once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up and hope and history rhyme. You made it rhyme for a the first time in a long time.”
Biden and his wife, Jill, have boarded Air Force One for the final time – as they prepare to leave.
Meanwhile, Trump is making the point that he wants to level inflation rates – speaking about it in macro terms, by using the price of an apple – and quickly changing the topic to migration.
The Trump Administration has taken over the White House website and the official ‘@POTUS’ account on X, formerly Twitter.
It’s website has been changed to don ‘America is back’ across the page, with a image of Trump in the background.
Every post made during Biden’s term on X has been wiped clean from the Presidential account.
Biden, moments before Trump was officially made President of the United States, pardoned members of his family.
In a statement, the former President said his family has been “subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics”.
Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses.
It comes after he preemptively pardoned Dr Anthony Fauci and Capitol Riot committee members earlier this evening.
Donald Trump is signing in his new cabinet, their new staff and signing documents to take control of the White House.
He has so far signed appointments and designates to allow them to point new staff members, chairpeople of committees and an order that, from now on, flags will be flown on full mast.
Asked by a reporter, after signing his new appointments, what his and Biden’s conversation was like this morning – he described it as pleasant.
He refused to go into detail about the pardon’s issued by the former President before leaving office. “I think it was unfortunate that he did that, but we won’t discuss that now – there’ll be plenty of time to discuss that.”
Trump also said that he “really enjoyed” the inaugural ceremony being indoors – sparking debate among commentators whether the event should be held indoors again.
Some interesting facts about the documents that Trump just signed:
There was much debate in Washington DC circles over whether or not flags – which have been flying at half-mast in respect of the late President Jimmy Carter who died this month – should be flown at full-mast today.
That debate was just put to bed by Trump – who signed an order to make sure that flags are flown at full-mast every single time a new president is inaugurated in the future.
Trump is due to attend a White House luncheon. The event was due to be attended by former Presidents Obama, Clinton and Bush – but the ex-leaders announced this week that they would not be attended.
The new president has just arrived in the room, where billionaire Trump campaign donors and sitting with top politicians and new cabinet members. Barron Trump, the president’s son, has been put on a table beside Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Vance and his wife, Usha, received a round of applause as they entered the banquet hall. They greeted members of the new cabinet and invited guests.
The official schedule is now running approximately an hour behind.
One can imagine that the group are starving.
Nebraska beef is on the menu, followed by Minnesota apples for dessert.
Events during the rest of the evening are beginning to wind down. Following the lunch at the Capitol, Trump will do a ceremonial ‘inspection’ of troops and speak to high-ranking military personnel.
After the inspection, Trump and the First Lady will travel to the White House before a number of glamourous dinners and galas are held in the evening to celebrate the day’s events.
At some point later this evening, Trump will also attend the Oval Office to sign a litany of executive orders and proclamations. Some of these orders will completely overwrite policies that have been implemented over the last four years during the Biden term.
While it is not unusual for an incoming President to overwrite their predecessor’s policies, Trump outlined his plans to completely overturn migration legislation – immediately banning crossings and declaring an ‘emergency’ on the Southern border.
Elon Musk is speaking at the Capital One arena in Washington DC, where a crowd of Trump supporters have been watching the day’s events.
Musk, who has been appointed as the head of a ‘government efficiency’ agency, starts by thanking the crowd for voting for Trump and celebrates the announcements made by Trump during his speech.
The billionaire businessman tells the crowd that his heart goes out to them, and says the “future of our civilisation is assured”. He also grabs his chest and extends his arm upwards three times in the direction of the audience sitting around him.
Musk says the Trump administration is going to “make the future good”.
“Man, I can’t wait. It’s going to be fantastic,” he said.
There have been questions online on whether the gesture Elon Musk did to the crowd at the Donald Trump celebration event at the Capital One arena in Washington DC was a Nazi salute.
Speaking to the crowd, he said: “Elections, they come and go. Some elections are important and some are not - laughter - but this one really mattered.
“And I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you.”
Musk then grabbed his chest and extended his arm upwards towards the crowd before turning around and doing the same gesture again to a crowd sitting behind the stage.
"Can you imagine how awesome it will be to have American astronauts plant the flag on another planet for the first time?"
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 20, 2025
Elon Musk says he's "so excited about the future".
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“Thank you,” he said. “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilisation is assured. Thanks to you.”
“We’re going to have safe cities, secure borders, sensible spending, basic stuff. And we’re going to take ‘DOGE’ to Mars.”
There has been much discussion over the hat that the First Lady Melania Trump wore to the ceremony today.
The hat, designed by Eric Javits, shielded the first lady’s eyes as her husband was sworn in Monday for the second time.
The hat made its mark throughout the inauguration ceremony: As Trump went to kiss his wife after entering the Capitol Rotunda, the hat left only room for an air kiss as this live blog reported previously.
Even now-former president Joe Biden had to navigate around the hat while trying to talk to her husband on the other side. Trump, speaking in Emancipation Hall after the swearing-in ceremony, joked about his wife’s hat nearly blowing away.
The first lady had held onto her hat as a military helicopter taking off with Mr Biden generated wind. “She almost blew away,” Trump said with a laugh.
“She was being elevated off the ground.”
Javits said dressing the First Lady has been one of the greatest honours of his career.
“My art background gave me an edge in bringing harmony and balance to the face by creating hat shapes that would flatter and enhance every kind of face,” he said in a statement.
“In this specific case that was not difficult to do, in that Mrs Trump is blessed with great bone structure, beauty and a wonderful sense of style.”
“You remind us of everything that is possible in America,” the host of the lunch at the Capitol Building tells the lunch attendees.
The attendees toast the new President.
The lunch has wrapped up in Washington DC, where the local time now is 4pm.
Events are an hour behind schedule as groups got fed. We estimate that Trump’s controversial executive orders – which will kick start his major policy announcements today – will be signed in the next two hours.
In the meantime, Trump and his team are due to attend a celebratory rally at the Capital One Arena in the city where thousands of supporters have been gathered to watch the day’s events.
The new president will, no doubt, deliver a lengthy speech to his supporters as it will be the first address he will have given in front of members of the public who were not invited to the ceremony today.
He will then be brought to the White House where he will attend the Oval Office to sign and confirm the executive orders. Following that, a number of dinners, galas and balls are organised around Washington DC.
The Journal will wrap up its live updates of its coverage here. We will bring you all the need-to-know updates in the usual space and manner.
Thanks for sticking with us this evening.
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I will watch the washing machine instead at least the result will be clean and won’t deceive me
Be nice to watch a potential leader of Fine Geal do some actual debating after all these years of not having a leader who will go on live TV. Can’t stand either one but would like them to put their case forward even if it’s just so we can point them to it when they deviate from what they say. As they surely will.
If it ended with a duel with pistols then I’d tune in for the last few minutes!
I could go for that!
@Setrakian: What about a UFC match, or a head to head and would Leo prefer that?
@Setrakian: Swords?
I’d watch it if i had a vote but no i don’t.
Why would FG agree to doing it? They’ve enough problems without airing their dirty laundry like that. Anything could come out if it got contentious.
no, lifes is too short.
Think I’ll just comment on The Journal about them instead….
I will follow the journals live updates
A resounding no.
Ask him you’re. Simon.coveney@oir.ie
I’ll be far too busy watching my toe nails growing…more productive too
@Colm Moran: Like the echo from a toilet bowl…
How is it relevant when we don’t have a say? Get on with choosing a leader, and whomever it is can state your case at the next General election
If your a member of Fine Gael you get a vote.
Get lost Leo -Get lost Simon-Get lost Fine Gael.
One of these guys is going to be our next taoiseach. It’s very relevant to our lives. I’m interested in what they have to say. I’ll definitely watch a debate if it happens.
@Bennythekid: Bilderberg will slap you on the wrists for that lol.
@Bennythekid: What the fcuk would they debating about? at the end of the day blueshirt policy will still be the same. Save all the trouble and just toss for it. Ye 2 tossers tossing.
@Rónán O’Suilleabháin: Leader fight off last about 6 weeks and nothing will be done, both of those wannabe curates will be getting their lies prepared for them by now. And the “winner” will be left in charge. Kenny is such a lame duck and these two are hopeless.
@Jack Bowden: Health is our priority, we are going to make reforms to give Ireland a world class health service.
Housing is our priority, we are going to bring in new legislation to alleviate the housing situation in Ireland.
Old people are our priority, we will work hard to ensure that those who have worked hard all of their lives can grow old in comfort.
Young people are our priority, we will invent in our youth because an educated workforce is best for Ireland in the long term.
The sqeezed middle are our priority, we will put measures in place to ensure that the tax take is fair and that all citizens get a decent living wage.
etc, etc, etc, etc,
And once they get in they’ll suddenly forget all of the above. Now you don’t have to watch.
I never thought I’d ever say I would rather watch The Ray D’Arcy Show.
That’s a tough one…
@Beachmaster: Take that back
@Beachmaster: If it clashes with the late late then I guess it will be tg4 that night and even though I dont speak Irish it will make more sense than the other 2.
Its like trying to decide between two equally priced brands of bottled water.
Simon Varadkar, Leo coveney can’t see the difference myself.
Id rather wash my hair and get an early nite thanks.
” Would you watch Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar going toe-to-toe in a live debate?” No seriously watching 2 privileged politicians telling us how their going to make things better for the citizens of Ireland. No chance my priority would be cutting my toe nails….
Not really interested on who is the best performer, it’s about who can get something done…….
37% said yes? Can we get a fact check on that please?
Fake news
@alan: Lol,
Frape news!!
Why no option for: I’d rather stick nails in my eyes?
I would rather watch paint dry.
It’s finally happened. The first to take a poll. Can you tell me why I picked NO yet 100% of 1 vote are for yes?? Something fishy here!
TV3 can’t be serious? Who gives a damn!
Can we just have Fianna Fail back in power already? Like the prodigal son, they will return to the top of Irish politics.
No.
Coveney,Varadkar and Bruton appear to be the three front runners.
Well, what have they got in common?
All were privately educated.
None of them ever did a real days work in their life.
They don’t mix with the ordinary man in the street.
They are so far removed from the realities of life. None of them could empathise with the those who have to lie on a hospital trolley, those who are waiting to be housed or anyone who has has fallen on hard times. They are all silver spoon merchants who have never experienced any hardships.
What the country needs is a man or woman of the people.
Who do you suggest? Boysd Barrett? Paul Murphy?
I suggest you should familiarise yourself wit the topic?
This idea is intuitively appealing but then what exactly do you want? These people do have jobs: their job is to represent us.
There is indeed a debate these days that politicians are not representative of the society they are supposed to represent, but you’d have to admit there is a conundrum here.
We offload the difficult decisions to them. This is their job. We expect them to be trained to know the dossiers, because they’re meant to act as our delegates. A carpenter may know the hardships of carpentry, and plausibly the accompanying hardships of holding on to the job and the mortgage or rent, but you would not honestly expect them to be able to make complex calculated decisions on the economy, right?
So the problem is to find those politicians who have an intuitive feel for the man in the street, and yet also possess the intellect so that we can trust them on the complex stuff.
Let them fight it out on this very issue. They need to be close to ordinary people on the one hand, but on the other hand they have to be capable of understanding a shitload of issues that most of us would either be incapable of grasping or simply not want to be bothered with.
No.
I’d rather drive a bus blindfolded up the Karnali highway while tripping on magic mushrooms.
@Emmet O’Keeffe: Well, you have the trip sorted already.
Sorry but I have a pair of socks I’d rather wash, than waste time watching two neutered, toothless sheep circle each other aimlessly, while the rest of their flock follow their current gormless leadership over the cliff, clearly marked Irish Water Danger Stay Away!
@Jarlath so funny but true
No. Politicians should run the country correctly not just stand on live TV and share insults
@kevin murphy:if it got personal I think we d all watch
If there was an interactive fact check and an option for questions from the public
I’m right wing. I’m more right wing than you.
I’m a true blue FG. I’m a new FG and more FG than you.
I believe in neo-liberal free market economics. I believe in neo-liberal free market economics even more than you.
At least we both believe in Boston more than Berlin.
Find it hard to see photo here of them 2…
Bring back repeats of The Paul Hogan Show from ’80s co-starring Leo W@nker.
Waste of time. The 25000+ ordinary members of the party are only getting 25% of the vote, whereas around 70 FG politicians are neing given 65% of the say. The contest will be decided long before any telivised debate.
There isn’t a vacancy yet. For either one of them to agree to a leadership debate before Kenny fires the starting gun would be political suicide.
“Varadkar told the Irish Examiner that he would be ‘happy’ to take part in a live debate with his rivals for the leadership.” (http://www.thejournal.ie/tv3-fine-gael-debate-3263637-Feb2017/)
I might be mistaken but this seems pretty close to creating a vacancy.
What would be the point !
Both are as FG as the other. A debate of personalities is pointless if they both follow the same party policies.
This is a joke by TV3. Only person worth watching in such a scenario would be Vinny Browne as the compare.
Who cares about two dopes.
Vera and Ava: Both of you should be the leading story today. I wish you and your daughter the very best of luck. Andi
Where’s the “I would rather gouge out my own eyeballs” option?
To use that famous Irish phrase: I will, yeah!
Or as Mrs Brown says.. “That’s nice”
Not interested in what either has to say because past experience shows that it would all be a pack of lies. Instead I can watch many other shows that have to decency to state upfront that they are fiction.
No. They don’t represent the majority of this Country.
And who does? There is no majority
Why would I bother whoever gets in it’ll still be same old, same old. Nothing ever changes in Irish politics it just lurches from one scandal to another scandal and on and on. Feels like we’re on 0if Magic Roundabout
Vatman versus Dr. Strange, what a movie that would be lol.
I’ve always wanted to see 2 almost identically sized snakes simultaneously begin to consume the other, from the tail end at the same speed to see the confusing outcome. I can’t picture it, that would be the only fascination in watching those morons who stood by Enda for years.
I have no interest in who leads FG
They are pathetic in my view
But I would like to point out that the media seem to show a bias toward L.V.
In the photos and images put forward on all articles of this type
Have a closer look
Leo called to my parents door a few years back while canvassing. I answered the door and he was very charming and he quickly realised he had gone to uni with my sister. He was so nice!! Oh!!! “Tell her I said hi” bla bla bla. .. a few months later I met him on grafton st. I said hi and said well done on appointment .. he looked a little confused. I went to remind him who I was and he said he knew who I was. And quickly barked he had no time. You wouldn’t talk to a dog like he talked to me and he does a good job of hiding who he really is in front of the cameras..
I’d rather watch paint dry than fg rubbish
Its not a general election. Public don’t have vote. Too much time spent on this. Just change leader & get on with it & do job elected to do.
Toe to toe in a boxing ring
Dumb and dumber and not an ounce of real life experience with any of them. They are only virgin blotting paper for neoliberal globalisation.
Well if it replaces any of the soaps dished out each night yes I’d find it more entertaining. If
I’d rather watch ryan turbridy.
Liar liar the best liar wins and the public get fooled again
Yawn zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
@FlopFlipU:Well said!
ONLY if they fight in the style of Kirk v Spock in the original Star Trek. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rl46Dpy-P4
I’ll wager 400 quatloos on ……….
That MS Paint job on the photo.
Toe to toe, it is not celebrity dancing again yikes.
Cianan , have you been drinking ?
No. There is only so much level of crap I can take assaulting my ears!
Vote Kang… no.. wait…..vote Kodos!
No thanks. I would rather be shot with balls of my own $hyte.
maybe
No thanks. I’d rather be shot with balls of my own $hyte.
have your say