Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, following his decisive victory on November 5. He will mark an extraordinary resurgence as he is sworn in for a second term as President, seemingly more formidable and unpredictable than before.
The 78-year-old Republican will take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in a ceremony filled with grandeur, before making a victorious return to the White House, which he left under controversial circumstances four years earlier.
The guest list for Trump’s inauguration underscores how the man whose 2016 victory shocked the world has now become the new normal for American politics. Trump broke the precedent and invited several foreign leaders to the ceremony. Historically, they have not attended the inaugural due to security concerns and have sent diplomats instead.
World leaders attending Trump’s presidential inauguration
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Trump as the President of the United States. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Jaishankar will also have meetings with representatives of the incoming Trump administration during his visit to the U.S.
Japan and Australia will be represented by their respective Foreign Ministers Takeshi Iwaya and Penny Wong. Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, a strong supporter of Trump, has said he will attend, according to reports. Another Trump backer, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, has said he is considering coming.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending, despite an invitation, but he would send Vice President Han Zheng to attend the inauguration, vowing to “enhance dialogue” with the new administration.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said she hopes to attend the inauguration.
Hard-right Eurosceptic Nigel Farage, who leads the Reform U.K. party, is due to be at the ceremony, as is French far-right politician Eric Zemmour.
The co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Tino Chrupalla said that he would attend the inauguration, as the party seeks to highlight its ties with the incoming administration.
No political representatives from the current German government are expected to go. Instead, Germany will be officially represented by its ambassador in Washington, Andreas Michaelis.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will not attend the ceremony next week instead British ambassador will represent the UK.
French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen will not attend. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced that he had received an invitation to Trump’s inauguration. But Brazil’s Supreme Court denied a request by Bolsonaro to temporarily restore his passport so that he could attend the inauguration.
Former U.S Presidents attending the swearing-in ceremony
Outgoing President Joe Biden will attend the ceremony – despite Trump’s refusal to appear at Biden’s swearing-in when he beat Trump in 2020.
All living former Presidents will attend the ceremony. Bill Clinton will attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony, a person familiar with the former President’s schedule confirmed for the AP.
Hillary Clinton, whom Trump beat in the 2016 presidential election, in addition to Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he beat in November, will be present.
The Office of George W. Bush said he and former first lady Laura Bush are also attending.
Barack Obama will also join the other former Presidents at the ceremony but Michelle Obama will skip the event.
Tech leaders attending Trump’s presidential inauguration
Several prominent tech leaders are planning to attend Trump’s inauguration, the latest sign that the industry is trying to bolster its relationship with the President-elect ahead of his return to the White House.
Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos, Meta Platforms Inc.’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla Inc. who has quickly become one of Trump’s foremost supporters and financial backers, are all expected to attend.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans to go to the swearing-in ceremony on January 20, said a company spokesperson. In addition to Altman, OpenAI President Greg Brockman and Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil also plan to be at the inauguration, according to a company spokesperson.
Uber Technologies Inc. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will be at some of the surrounding festivities, according to the company. Uber also plans to host an inauguration party in Washington with Elon Musk’s X social media firm and The Free Press, a media company.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend the inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais as the president-elect’s national security adviser signals that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark.”
Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook is also planning to attend the event, the latest in a wave of Silicon Valley leaders traveling to Washington for the ceremony.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is among the Big Tech leaders planning to attend the inauguration, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
(With agency inputs)
Published – January 17, 2025 11:53 am IST
