The inauguration ceremony of Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, will be significantly different from all previous inaugurations;

Due to health precautions due to the spread of the Corona virus, and increased security concerns after extremists loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol Building.

Initially, the large crowds of citizens who were keen to participate in the inauguration ceremony will be absent every 4 years, and President Trump is expected to be absent from the ceremony, who reports indicate that he left Washington early on the morning of the inauguration.

Al Jazeera Net displays what the ceremony will look like this year

What is the expected schedule for the inauguration day?

The opening ceremonies will begin with the national anthem and prayer at 11:30 am Washington time, then Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is expected to be sworn in before Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Then President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in before the Chief Justice, Judge John Roberts, at 12 noon on the west side of the Capitol Building, and then delivers an Inauguration Day speech, in which he outlines his future policy.

It is expected that only about a thousand guests will attend the ceremony, the majority of whom are members of Congress and their guests. These steps were not taken solely for security reasons.

Rather, the decision was taken weeks ago due to precautions for the spread of the Corona virus.

Then Biden then moves to the east side of the Capitol building to carry out an old tradition of greeting representatives of the main branches of the military.

Then, the new president and his vice president, accompanied by former presidents along with their wives, will go to Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.


Biden will then walk from Street No. 15, accompanied by representatives of all branches of the armed forces, into the White House, located between 15th and 17th Streets, to begin his presidential duties.

What can we expect in Biden's first speech?

The inaugural speech of the new president is an opportunity to present his agenda and vision to the people and the world, and as long as previous speeches of American presidents contain famous phrases, including what President John F. Kennedy said in January 1961: "Do not ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do." For the sake of your country. "

It is likely that the speech will lay out his vision "to defeat the Corona virus, rebuild America again better, and unite the divided nation."

Will Trump participate in the inauguration ceremony?

No.

Trump goes against 150 years of entrenched American political tradition, and it is usual for the outgoing president to sit next to former presidents behind the new president.

Which symbolizes the smooth peaceful transfer of power.

Trump will leave the White House on Wednesday morning with an official and symbolic ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC, in the neighboring state of Maryland.

Vice President Mike Pence is expected to participate in the inauguration, as are former Presidents Bush, Clinton and Obama.

Trump's failure to attend does not affect the inauguration ceremony;

He will become a former president of the United States, and the presence of the former president at the ceremony is a non-binding political norm.

What about security preparations for the inauguration ceremony?

January 20 comes two weeks after Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol, and as such there are security arrangements that were not seen in the inauguration ceremony of any former president in the history of the United States.

More than 25,000 National Guard troops have been hired for several states.

Responding to security concerns.

The Downtown District, which includes the National Mall, was closed to the public, blocking the area around the White House and the Congress buildings and the streets around them.

The Mayor of Washington City, Muriel Bowser, extended the state of public emergency in the city, which it declared during the events of January 6, until the 21 of the same month;

Due to concerns about possible additional riots, states have also taken precautionary security measures.

How will Biden's inauguration differ from the previous inauguration?

  •  In terms of the size and numbers of attendees;

    Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of thousands will not be allowed to participate in the inauguration ceremony, and tickets for members of Congress were limited to one guest ticket per member.

  •  The pomp and the festive nature will be absent, to accommodate public health and security concerns, and the ceremonies will be simple as a whole.

  • There will be no traditional ceremonial processions from the Capitol Building to the White House as usual. Instead, there will be a virtual parade titled "Parade Across America."

  • The parade will feature diverse and dynamic performances from across the country, and will pay tribute to America's heroes who are working on the front lines to confront the Corona epidemic.

  • There will be no evening parties as usual, and the new president and his wife, and top American singers and artists will participate.

    Instead, there will be a special televised event Wednesday night by famous movie star Tom Hanks, entitled "Celebrating America", which will last for 90 minutes, and will feature music and short lyrics from Biden and Harris.

  • Pop star Lady Gaga is also expected to sing the national anthem, while singer and artist Jennifer Lopez sings and dances.