President-elect Donald Trump will take his oath of office as President of the United States for a second time on January 20. Here’s what time the inauguration begins and where to watch the day’s events, including the swearing-in ceremony and inaugural ball speeches.
On Friday, Trump announced that the inauguration will be moved indoors to the Rotunda due to dangerously cold temperatures expected in the nation’s capital on Monday. This marks only the second time the ceremony will occur inside, the first being Ronald Reagan’s second-term swearing-in in 1985.
“I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We will open Capital One Arena on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade. I will join the crowd at Capital One after my Swearing In.”
At what time is Trump’s inaugural speech?
There will also be three official inaugural balls where Trump is scheduled to give remarks: the Commander in Chief Ball, Liberty Inaugural Ball, and Starlight Ball. Musicians, including country stars Carrie Underwood and Lee Greenwood, will perform throughout the day.
The Trump swearing-in ceremony will begin at 12 p.m. ET, but coverage for the inauguration will start earlier on major news channels. Broadcasts will continue into the evening with live coverage from the three inaugural balls.
CNN’s main programming, led by Jake Tapper, will go on air at 7 a.m. ET. Fox News begins coverage at 4 a.m. ET with Fox & Friends First, followed by Fox & Friends at 6 a.m. ET, America’s Newsroom at 9 a.m. ET, and The Faulkner Focus at 11 a.m. ET.
NBC will broadcast a special edition of the TODAY show live from Washington, D.C., starting at 7 a.m. ET, with live coverage anchored by Lester Holt and Savannah Guthrie beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
ABC’s Inauguration Day programming will begin with a special edition of Good Morning America at 7 a.m. ET, followed by day-long coverage anchored by David Muir starting at 9 a.m. ET.
CBS News will provide live coverage of the day’s festivities and ceremony from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, followed by an inauguration primetime special airing at 10 p.m. ET.
How To Watch Trump’s Inauguration On Cable Donald Trump’s inauguration will air on major news networks, including ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, CSPAN, and Fox News. If you don’t have cable, you can access these channels on live TV streaming services, including DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV, all of which are currently offering free trials.
How To Watch Trump’s Inauguration On Streaming The Inauguration Day events will also be streaming on news sites like The New York Times, PBS, USA TODAY, and FoxNews.com. Here are even more free streaming options:
- C-SPAN.org and C-SPAN’s YouTube page
- ABC News Live, NBC News Now, and CBS News 24/7 will simulcast network coverage without a password
- MSNBC’s YouTube channel
Grammy-winning country music star Carrie Underwood, who rose to fame after winning American Idol in 2005, is scheduled to perform “America the Beautiful” at Trump’s inauguration. Her performance will take place just before Trump is sworn in at approximately 12 p.m. ET.
Opera singer Christopher Macchio will conclude the ceremony with a rendition of the national anthem. The program will also feature performances by singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln choirs, and the United States Marine Band.