SCMP will liveblog the inauguration day of US president-elect Donald Trump from 12am Tuesday HKT. The liveblog will be made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app.
Advertisement
When Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, a new chapter of geopolitical uncertainty will be written, potentially ushering in an intensified rivalry between the US and China under his “America First” policy.
Trump will be the second American president in history to serve non-consecutive terms, and the first convicted of felony, after a jury in a New York state found him guilty of 34 charges, in a case related to payments to an adult film actress during the 2016 presidential election.
His inauguration ceremony will be distinctive in several other ways.
For the first time in 40 years, it will be held indoors due to severe weather, foreign leaders will take part and security measures for the swearing-in are some of the most stringent Washington has ever witnessed, with 30 miles (48km) of fencing encircling federal buildings in downtown Washington.
Advertisement
More than 25,000 police officers and military personnel will be deployed, according to law enforcement officials, who said they expected in excess of 200,000 visitors and thousands of protesters in the lead-up to the event.
The swearing-in ceremony for Trump and vice president-elect J.D. Vance will start at noon inside the US Capitol. Trump will take an oath and deliver an inaugural address before signing nominations for his cabinet. A farewell will also be given to President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, who lost the 2024 election to Trump in November.