Live coverage of Trump inauguration
Donald Trump took the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States on January 20. Surrounded by his family and by Congress, he was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts on the western front of the U.S. Capitol. Mr. Trump used two Bibles to take the oath: one is the Bible used by President Lincoln at his first inauguration, and the other is the Bible presented to Mr. Trump by his mother upon his graduation from primary Sunday school in 1955.
The living former presidents attended, except George H.W. Bush, and Mr. Trump’s former rival, Hillary Clinton, will be attending with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
- Inauguration Schedule
- Inauguration 2017: All the musical guests scheduled to perform
- Transcript of Trump inauguration speech: Full text
- President Trump’s inauguration day in pictures
Scroll back through updates as they happened.
Saturday, Jan. 21
3:30 p.m. After feuding with intelligence agencies earlier this month, President Trump gathered with CIA officials Saturday and professed his love and respect for the agency’s employees.
“We’ve really appreciated what you’ve done,” Mr. Trump told a small crowd of intelligence officials Saturday afternoon on a visit to the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia. “I am so behind you, and I know maybe sometimes you haven’t gotten the backing that you’ve wanted.”
He went on to promise that “you’re gonna get so much backing.”
3:00 p.m. Donald Trump has arrived at the CIA headquarters in Virginia and is getting briefed by CIA senior leadership.
1:50 p.m. President Trump is expected to make remarks at CIA headquarters at 3 p.m. Saturday.
1:00 p.m. The Department of Justice has some good news for President Trump: its Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has concluded that Mr. Trump’s decision to hire his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior White House adviser does not violate federal anti-nepotism laws.
The OLC issued a 14-page memo on Friday saying that the president is not barred from appointing Kushner because federal law grants the president special hiring authority that exempts him and his hires from anti-nepotism laws.
12:04 p.m. Donald Trump tweets about how he is “honered (sic)” to serve “the great American people” as president.
He deleted the original tweet, which included a spelling error, minutes later and posted a corrected message.
10:39 a.m. Sean Spicer, the newly minted White House press secretary, confirmed over Twitter that President Trump is expected to visit the CIA’s headquarters Saturday afternoon.
“Event is over capacity at 300+. Excited to thank the men and women of the intelligence community,” Spicer wrote on the social media platform.
Mr. Trump’s first official visit to an agency as president will be to the heart of the intelligence community he has questioned. During his transition, Mr. Trump accused the Obama administration’s CIA Director John Brennan of leaking information while Brennan criticized Trump for not taking a harder line against the Russians.
10:20 a.m. Mr. Trump arrives at Washington’s National Cathedral for an interfaith prayer service.
The service Saturday morning features priests, Christian pastors, a rabbi, a Hindu priest, a Mormon pastor and an Imam.
9:30 a.m. Demonstrators for the Women’s March on Washington are facing some long lines and delays trying to get into the heart of the nation’s capital.
Several female celebrities will also be in attendance for the day-long protests, including musicians Katy Perry and Janelle Monae.
9:00 a.m. Women from around the country descend on the nation’s capital for the “Women’s March on Washington.”
You can read up on the women that make up the movement here.
Friday, Jan. 20
11:14 p.m. At the third and final inaugural ball Mr. Trump attended, the Armed Services Ball, Mr. Trump spoke via satellite with U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. One by one, they congratulated him on his inauguration.
“Honestly not only the support you’ve given me, the courage that you show is incredible and it’s going to be appreciated,” he said. “It’s appreciated now but it’s going to be appreciated now more than ever before.”
Mr. Trump added that he likes the service members better than he likes the media.
“I like them much better than i like the media, right?” he said. “These are much finer people, nicer people … you are the nicest people.”
10:15 p.m. At the second ball of the night, the Freedom Ball, Mr. Trump echoed similar themes to his speech at the first ball he attended.
“There is so much spirit in our country, this is such a great country and we are gonna do things we will not be taken advantage of anymore, we will not,” he said.
Mr. Trump also made reference to his Twitter account, asking the crowd whether he should keep it.
“Let me ask you, should I keep the Twitter going or not?” Trump asked, to cheers from the crowd. “You know, the enemies keep saying, ‘Oh that’s terrible,’ but it’s a way of bypassing dishonest media.”
He mentioned that he had “just left, actually, the Oval Office,” telling the crowd he officially signed off on the Cabinet posts for Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.
“Now the fun begins,” he said. “We’re going to do a really good job, and I will be fighting every single day for you.”
9:35 p.m. President Trump has arrived at his first inaugural ball of the night, the Liberty Ball. In brief remarks before the couple had their first dance, Mr. Trump said it was “a great day” and that the evening was “so special.”
“People that weren’t so nice to me were saying that we did a really good job today,” he said. “They hated to do it, but they did it and I respect that, I respect that.”
Nodding to the work ahead, Mr. Trump said supporters will be “so happy” with what they see from the administration over the coming weeks.
“You’re going to see things happening over the next few weeks, oh, you’re going to be so happy,” he said. “We want to see great things happen for our country we want to make America great again and we will, and we will.”
“Now the work begins, there’s no games right? There’s no games,” he continued. “We’re not playing games, the work begins.”
7:57 p.m. Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office to Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, making them the first two official members of Mr. Trump’s Cabinet.
7:50 pm. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed executive orders instructing federal agencies to minimize the burden of his predecessor’s signature accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act, pending congressional repeal, and another suspending FHA mortgage premium cuts “indefinitely.”
He also signed paperwork commissioning James Mattis as Secretary of Defense and John Kelly as Secretary of Homeland Security.
White House chief of staff Reince Priebus sent a memo to federal agencies instructing the bureaucracy to cease issuing new regulations.
6:15 p.m. The Senate confirms Gen. John Kelly to be Mr. Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security.
Lawmakers voted 88-11 in favor of Kelly, who testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee at his confirmation hearing last week, and who succeeds Secretary Jeh Johnson.
6:08 p.m. President Trump reviews the inaugural parade from outside the White House.
5:16 p.m. Donald Trump, his family, and Vice President Pence and his family arrive at the White House.
5:09 p.m. In an overwhelming 98-1 vote, the Senate confirms retired Gen. James Mattis as Secretary of Defense, becoming Mr. Trump’s first Cabinet member.
After Mr. Trump took the oath of office Friday afternoon, one of the measures that he signed was a waiver approved by Congress that allows Mattis to serve as the Pentagon’s chief, exempting him from a current law that limits the appointment of a defense secretary within seven years of relief from duty.
4:50 p.m. The full Senate is about to take roll call votes on the confirmation of James Mattis to lead the Defense department and John Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
4:15 p.m. Mr. Trump gets out of the vehicle to walk during the inaugural parade.
The vehicle stopped just outside the Trump hotel in D.C.
In other areas of Washington, protests have turned violent, and CBS News’ Jeff Pegues reported that at least one car was set on fire.
3:35 p.m. Mr. Trump kicks off the inaugural parade with a drive from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.
3:02 p.m. Mr. Trump addresses Congress just before his inaugural parade begins.
“Our Cabinet’s lined up and ready,” the president said after his private luncheon with lawmakers. “I know eventually Chuck’s going to approve them, I’m sure,” he added, referencing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who heads up the Democratic caucus in the upper chamber.
To the rest of Congress, the president assured that “whether you’re a Republican or Democrat...we’re going to get along,”
Mr. Trump also acknowledged his general election opponent Hillary Clinton, who earned a standing ovation from legislators.
“I have a lot of respect for those people,” he said.
2:50 p.m. Mr. Trump attends a post-luncheon ceremony to toast the president.
Congress presents gifts to the newly-minted president.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan also made public remarks honoring Vice President Mike Pence.
2:25 p.m. Protesters and police continue to clash after President Trump’s inauguration ceremony, with officers throwing rocks back at protesters and lobbing explosive devices towards the crowd.
Protesters lit a fire by the Washington Post’s offices:
The violent incidents are just blocks away from the inauguration parade route.
A spokesman for D.C.’s metropolitan police department told CBS News’ Pat Milton that approximately 95 people have been arrested so far. The charges include rioting and vandalism stemming from a variety of incidents including setting a car on fire, smashing store front windows, and destroying multiple business. Many have been armed with crow bars, hammers and one with an ax.
Two officers were brought to the hospital with minor injuries.
2:11 p.m. Donald Trump fires off his first tweet under the new presidential Twitter account:
1:59 p.m. Where was former president George H.W. Bush during the Trump inauguration? The 41st president was recovering at the intensive care unit of Houston Methodist Hospital, after fighting off an acute respiratory problem.
Bush was “extubated” Friday morning and is “breathing well on his own with minimal supplemental oxygen, spokesperson Jim McGrath said in a statement.
1:30 p.m. Mr. Trump attends a private luncheon with Congress.
1:10 p.m. President Donald Trump’s new Twitter account, @POTUS, is now live.
1:08 p.m. Former president Obama gives departing remarks at Joint Base Andrews to thank his staff.
“Michelle and I have really been milking this goodbye thing,” he joked.
“When we started on this journey, we did so with an abiding faith in the American people and their ability - our ability - to join together and change the country in ways that would make lives better for our kids and our grand kids,” Obama said. “It was met sometimes with skepticism and doubt.”
“And yet all of you came together...and people took notice,” he said. “You proved the power of hope.”
“We could not be prouder of you,” Obama said. “We look forward to continuing this journey with all of you, and I can’t wait to see what you do next.”
While the former president spoke at Andrews, President Trump, surrounded by family, sits down to sign his first orders at the U.S. Capitol.
“General matters is our first signing,” the president said as sat and began signing several sheets of paper.
Mr. Trump signed one proclamation declaring a national day of patriotism, according to CBS News’ Scott Pelley.
1:05 p.m. President Trump tweets for the first time as president:
12:53 p.m. A spokesman for Metropolitan Police Department in DC said there have been multiple arrests on charges including rioting and vandalism in DC during the inaugural activities.
No exact number is available at this time, CBS News’ Pat Milton reports..
12:26 p.m. Jackie Evancho sings the national anthem to conclude the inauguration ceremony.
12:20 p.m. Religious leaders say prayers following Mr. Trump’s inaugural address.
12:01 p.m. President Donald Trump begins his inaugural address.
“Together we will determine the course of america and the world for many, many years to come,” Mr. Trump said. “We will face challenges, we will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.”
“This moment is your moment,” the president said to the American people while slamming the Washington establishment. “It belongs to you...This is your day, this is your celebration, and this, the United States of America, is your country.”
Mr. Trump painted a dismal picture of the state of the nation Friday, blasting what he called the “American carnage” of the past.
He ticked off a list of problems in the U.S.: “Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.”
“From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first,” he said. He promised “winning like never before” and victory in the fight against “radical Islamic terrorism.”
As protesters clash with police officers in the streets of Washington, D.C. Mr. Trump also attempted a call for unity in his address, declaring “when you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice” in the nation.
“Whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots,” he said.
The president, reviving his campaign trail slogan, closed his brief inauguration address with the vow that “we will make America great again.”
12:00 p.m. The Supreme Court’s Chief Justice John Roberts swears in Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States.
Mr. Trump takes the oath of office with this pledge: “I Donald John Trump 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.”
11:55 a.m. Despite the ceremony running several minutes behind schedule, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir takes the stage to perform.
The constitution says that the president must be sworn in by noon on Jan. 20. If that doesn’t happen, then the Senate’s president pro tempore assumes the office until the oath is taken.
11:53 a.m. Mike Pence gets sworn in as vice president.
11:47 a.m. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York takes the stage, saying he is “confident” in the U.S. because of the American people.
“Whatever our race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity; whether we are immigrant or native-born; whether we live with disabilities or do not; in wealth or in poverty; we are all exceptional in our commonly held yet fierce devotion to our country, and in our willingness to sacrifice our time, energy, and even our lives to making it a more perfect union,” Schumer said, just minutes before Mr. Trump would take the presidential oath of office.
11:40 a.m. Prayers start at the inauguration ceremony.
11:30 a.m. The inauguration ceremony, several minutes behind schedule, begins with the introduction of Vice President-elect Mike Pence and President-elect Donald Trump.
On the inaugural platform, some House Democrats are wearing blue Affordable Care Act buttons. Members wanted to wear a sign of solidarity with the Affordable Care Act at the inauguration. The buttons feature the #ProtectOurCare hashtag, which is the most widely used hashtag in support of the ACA. Attached is an image of the button.
11:04 a.m. President Obama, President-elect Trump and his family arrive at the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.
10:50 a.m. The Obamas, Bidens, and Trumps leave the White House and head to the U.S. Capitol for the inauguration ceremony.
10:48 a.m. Protesters clashed with police in downtown Washington, after some smashed windows of businesses. Reporters tweeted about the violence -- and the police response -- early Friday morning.
10:22 a.m. The White House has confirmed that President Obama has left a letter for Mr. Trump in the Oval Office. President George W. Bush wrote a letter to Mr. Obama in 2009 and President Bill Clinton wrote one to Bush in 2001.
In the letters, Bush congratulated Mr. Obama but warned, “There will be trying moments. The critics will rage. Your ‘friends’ will disappoint you,” and Clinton told Bush, “The burdens you now shoulder are great, but often exaggerated. The sheer joy of doing what you believe is right is inexpressable.”
10:19 a.m. Hillary Clinton arrives at the U.S. Capitol to witness Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.
10:00 a.m. Inaugural trivia
Eight years ago, as the country prepared to inaugurate its first African-American president, CBS News’ “60 Minutes” commentator Andy Rooney looked at some other inaugural trivia-- the first president to ride in a car, the first inauguration to be broadcast on radio, the longest inauguration, the coldest...and the warmest (hint on that last one--same president).
9:44 a.m. Barack and Michelle Obama greet President-elect Trump and his wife Melania at the White House’s North Portico. After Melania Trump hands Mrs. Obama a gift, the two couples pose for photos on the steps of the executive mansion.
The Obamas and Trumps head inside the White House for coffee and tea before the inauguration ceremony kicks off.
9:00 a.m.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York confirmed Friday on “CBS This Morning” that the Senate would vote later in the day on Trump’s nominees for the Defense Department and Homeland Security Department , Gen. James Mattis and Gen. John Kelly, respectively. He added that the Senate would likely vote Monday to confirm Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, as the director of the CIA.
8:43 a.m.
The Trumps and the Pences arrive at St. John’s Episcopal Church for a prayer service. Every American president has attended at least one service there since the church opened in 1816, earning its nickname “The Church of the Presidents.”
7:33 a.m. ET President-elect tweets on inauguration
7:15 a.m. ET Kellyanne Conway, a top aide to Donald Trump, gave an inside look at the president-elect’s inaugural address early Friday, promising a “beautiful, elegant speech” personally written by the celebrity businessman.
“You’re going to hear a man of action, a man of resolve in what we all know to be a divided country,” Conway told “CBS This Morning.” She predicted he would “lay down an important marker to try to unify the country” and promised that he would reach out to those who didn’t support him.
Conway said the president-elect will “take a couple of executive actions” Friday, and then by Monday she predicted “you’ll see him rolling back some of the job killing regulations” that he considers to be “unconstitutional measures.”
When asked whether that would include environmental regulations, Conway said “possibly, yes.”
Just as the president-elect readies for the inauguration ceremony, U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies are looking at interceptions of both communications and financial transactions as part of “a broad investigation into possible links between Russian officials and associates of President-elect Donald J. Trump,” according to a new report by the New York Times. Citing former and current senior American officials, the Times said that Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort is one of the associates included in the investigation.
6:12 a.m. ET Protests near inaugural balls began Thursday night
On the eve of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, protesters flooded Pennsylvania Avenue near the locations of inaugural balls and events, reports CBS Washington affiliate WUSA-TV.
The station says police used pepper spray on the protesters several times.
Demonstrators clogged the area outside the National Press Club, where the “Deploraball” was being held, with prominent members of the group Alt-Right attending.
In New York, actors Robert De Niro, Sally Field and Mark Ruffalo joined hundreds of other people outside a Donald Trump building on Thursday for a pre-inauguration demonstration organizers said was meant to energize those concerned about the Republican president-elect’s policies.
The anti-Trump rally was held outside of the Trump International Hotel in Columbus Circle on Thursday evening, CBS New York reported.
6:00 a.m.
CBS News’ John Dickerson weighs in on what Mr. Trump’s inaugural address might tell us about his presidency.
CBS News’ Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett debuts his new podcast, “The Takeout.” This week, Mr. Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, says that the president-elect won’t hold the inaugural boycott against House Democrats.
As the inaugural ceremony of Donald Trump gets underway, here’s a guide from CBS News on the top Trump-related issues to keep an eye on once he’s sworn in. --CBS News’ Steve Chaggaris.
CBS News’ Reena Flores, Rebecca Shabad and other staffers contributed to this report.
