Inauguration Day events after Joe Biden sworn in as president
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office Wednesday. Mr. Biden took the reins of power as 46th president of the United States at a perilous time in American history, and he urged a bitterly divided country to unite around defeating the deadliest pandemic in a century.
CBSN's coverage is continuing throughout the day with anchors Anne-Marie Green, Vladimir Duthiers, Tanya Rivero, Elaine Quijano and Lana Zak. CBSN politics reporter Caitlin Huey-Burns is delivering live updates from Washington, D.C., and Quijano is anchoring a special edition of "Red & Blue" at 5 p.m. ET.
How to watch the events of Inauguration Day
What: Joe Biden becomes 46th president of the United States and takes first actions as president
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2021
CBS News coverage begins: 9 a.m.
Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.
On TV: CBS broadcast stations (Full list of CBS stations here)
Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
"Red & Blue" special on CBSN: 5 p.m.
"One Nation: Indivisible" special: 8 p.m. on CBS broadcast channels
"Celebrating America" special: 8:30 p.m. on CBS and CBSN
Follow: Live updates on CBSNews.com
"CBS This Morning" kicked things off at 7 a.m. ET. "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell is leading CBS News' special coverage from Washington on the CBS Television Network throughout the day. She is joined by "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan, CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, CBS News chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes, CBS News senior political analyst and "60 Minutes" contributor John Dickerson and CBS News political correspondent Ed O'Keefe, who has covered Mr. Biden for two years.
There will be a 30-minute special titled "One Nation: Indivisible" airing at 8 p.m. on CBS broadcast stations.
For the swearing-in ceremony, Lady Gaga sang the national anthem before Mr. Biden was sworn by by Chief Justice John Roberts. Mr. Biden then addressed the nation, and on Wednesday afternoon there will be a virtual parade. At 5:30 p.m. ET, the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial will be lit up in honor of the thousands of lives lost to COVID-19.
At 8:30 p.m., "Celebrating America," a 90-minute primetime TV special hosted by Tom Hanks, will air across broadcast and cable news networks. The event will feature performances from Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi and Ant Clemons. Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, John Legend, Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington will also appear.
The Pentagon has authorized 25,000 National Guard troops to protect the inauguration, which has been officially dubbed a "National Security Event." Acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli told "60 Minutes" that National Guard troops are authorized to carry semi-automatic weapons. In the video clip below, Cuccinelli explains the rules of engagement and scenarios when force may be used.
"We expect our officers to defend themselves, first and foremost, as part of accomplishing the security mission," Cuccinelli told Scott Pelley. "And that's one of the challenges of being a law enforcement officer, [is that] you have to make the decision based on not knowing what that challenge is going to be in a split second."
