On Friday, as prescribed by the United States Constitution, the next president of the United States will be sworn in.
Donald Trump will take the oath of office at noon, becoming the country's 45th president.
According to inauguration organizers, nearly 1 million people are expected to be in or around the Capitol for the swearing in of Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence.
If you are among the 60 or so congressional Democrats who will not be attending, or the millions who can’t make it to Washington for the ceremonies, here’s a guide to what will happen over the next few days.
How to watch
What time does it start?
For those planning to watch the ceremonies from home or work, most coverage begins around 9 a.m. ET. The ceremony starts at 11:30 a.m. ET (see schedule below).
What channel is it on?
It will be on all the major network channels along with cable channels CNN, Fox, MSNBC, C-Span and other news channels.
What about live streaming?
The major networks will stream it on their sites – you may need to log in to the TV provider to access the coverage. Also, sites like Politico and C-Span will live stream the events, as will TV stations in local markets. The White House will be streaming it on its website.
You Tube has partnered with news outlets to stream the coverage, also.
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Here’s the schedule of events for the next few days (all times are ET)
Thursday
- At 10:35 a.m., a concert will begin near the Lincoln Memorial. Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down, Lee Greenwood and others will perform at the event which goes on all day. President-elect Trump and vice-president-elect Pence will address the crowd around 4 p.m. There will be a fireworks show after the concert.
- There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 3 p.m. at Arlington National Cemetery. Trump and Pence will be there.
- Trump is expected to spend the night at Blair House, the presidential guest residence that is located across the street from the White House.
Friday
- At 8:30 a.m., Trump and Pence will attend a service at St. John's Episcopal Church. The church is near the White House.
- At 9:30 a.m., The Trumps and the Obamas will meet at the White House. Trump and Obama will ride together from the White House to the Capitol.
- At 9:30 a.m., the inauguration ceremony begins with musical performances.
- At 11:30 a.m., opening remarks for the ceremony will begin. After the opening remarks, the invocation and some readings, Pence will be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. At noon, Trump will become the 45th president of the United States when he takes the oath of office. The oath will be administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts. Trump will use president Lincoln's Bible and the Bible he was given by his mother at Sunday school graduation in 1955. He will then deliver his inaugural address. It takes place on the West Front of the Capitol building.
- At 12:30 p.m., Trump and Pence will go to a Congressional luncheon that is held in the Capitol.
- After lunch, Trump and Pence will review the troops from the East Front of the Capitol.
- At 3 p.m. the inaugural parade will begin. The new president and vice president will lead the parade that follows a route from the Capitol to the White House down Pennsylvania Avenue. The parade is set to last for two hours.
- From 7 to 11 p.m. the inaugural balls will be held. The Trumps and the Pences will attend three of the balls.
Saturday
- From 10-11 a.m., Trump and Pence will attend an interfaith service at the Washington National Cathedral.
What about the weather?
The National Weather Service says it will be 48 degrees and cloudy on Friday in Washington DC. Look for rain showers to begin around noon, but storms are not expected.
>>Follow the AJC’s coverage of Inauguration Day
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