Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president on January 20, 2017, with First Lady Melania Trump at his side.

Olivier Douliery/Abaca/Sipa via AP Images (Trumps); Shutterstock.com (background)

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Four More Years

Former President Donald Trump is set to return to his old job on January 20. 

January 20, 2025
By the editors of Scholastic News

As You Read, Think About: Why is the presidential inauguration important?

JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

J.D. Vance (above right) with his wife, Usha

Donald Trump will soon return to his former address at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. In November, Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States. He received more than 77 million votes to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

On January 20, Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, will be inaugurated, or sworn in, and officially take office. After an election that left Americans deeply divided, Trump says he wants to bring the country together. 

“It’s time to unite,” he said in his victory speech.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time Trump got to celebrate after Election Day. He was elected the 45th president in 2016 and served for four years. Then he lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden. 

Now Trump is set to become only the second president to serve nonconsecutive terms. The first was Grover Cleveland, who was elected in 1884 and again in 1892. At age 78, Trump will also be the oldest person ever sworn in as president.

Next Steps

Trump has been busy since his victory. For example, he’s been choosing people he wants to serve in his Cabinet. Each of these advisers will oversee one of 15 government departments, such as defense, energy, and education. 

But Trump won’t move back into the White House until Inauguration Day. The inauguration is a hallmark of our democracy. It signals the peaceful transfer of power from one U.S. president to another. In a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Trump will take the oath of office (see “Presidential Oath of Office”). It’s the same pledge made by every president, beginning with George Washington in 1789.

Presidential Oath of Office

I , [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) 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.

Getting to Work

After taking the oath, Trump will give his inaugural address. During this speech, he will lay out his goals for the country for the next four years. 

Once the ceremony ends, the celebrations will begin. The president and his family will watch the inaugural parade, which will include marching bands and members of each branch of the U.S. military. That night, Trump will celebrate at parties called inaugural balls. Then it will be time for the president to get to work.

“I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe, and prosperous America that our children deserve,” Trump said on November 6. “This will truly be the golden age of America.” 

Famous First Days on the Job

Here are some key moments from past presidential inaugurations.

Sarin Images/The Granger Collection

1789: At the first inauguration, George Washington is sworn in at Federal Hall in New York City, the nation’s capital at the time. While taking the oath of office, he places his hand on a Bible—beginning a tradition that nearly every president has continued.

Science History Images/Alamy Stock Photo

1841: William Henry Harrison, the ninth president, gives the longest inaugural address. It lasts nearly two hours. A month later, he gets sick and dies, ending the shortest presidency in U.S. history.

Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

1933: The 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, is sworn in during the height of the Great Depression. At the time, one in every four Americans are out of work. In his inaugural speech, FDR helps calm the panicked nation by declaring, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

AP Images (Kennedy); iStockPhoto/Getty Images (TV)

1961: John F. Kennedy is sworn in as the 35th president. In his inaugural address, JFK urges Americans to get involved in working for the good of the nation. He famously says, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

1. What do you think the word nonconsecutive means? Which clues in the article help you know?

2. What are three things that happen on Inauguration Day?

3. Based on the article, what is the president’s Cabinet?

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