Biden inauguration

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McConnell Tried to Bar Trump From Inauguration, Book Says

Former president responds by calling senator 'old crow'

(Newser) - Sen. Mitch McConnell wanted to shut Donald Trump out of President Biden’s inauguration, a new book claims. ABC News Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl says in Betrayal that the Kentucky Republican was more concerned with the danger of giving the outgoing president an opportunity to disrupt the peaceful transfer of...

Biden Inauguration Beats Trump's in the Ratings

Preliminary Nielsen figures show an approximately 4% increase

(Newser) - President Biden's inauguration Wednesday may have had a limited in-person audience thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but when it came to those watching at home, its audience was larger than that for former President Trump's inauguration in 2017. Variety reports the early numbers from Nielsen show about 39....

Bernie Sanders' Mittens Were a Massive Hit

'There was Bernie, wearing my mittens,' says Vermont schoolteacher

(Newser) - Lady Gaga wore a stunning outfit at President Biden's inauguration Wednesday, but the most talked-about item of clothing by far was Sen. Bernie Sanders' comfy mittens. Sanders wore the mittens—made by Vermont second-grade teacher Jen Ellis from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from recycled plastic—...

At State Capitols, Protest Numbers Were Tiny

Only one demonstrator appeared in Albany

(Newser) - State capitals around the country were braced for trouble during President Biden's inauguration Wednesday—but crowds of violent pro-Donald Trump demonstrators did not appear. Small numbers of protesters demonstrated in some cities, but they were outnumbered by police and journalists. In Albany, where New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo skipped...

World Leaders Hail 'New Dawn in America'

'Welcome back to the Paris Agreement!'

(Newser) - Leaders across the globe welcomed the arrival of President Biden and the end of the often confrontational presidency of Donald Trump, noting the world’s most pressing problems, including the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, require multilateral cooperation, an approach Trump ridiculed. Many expressed hope Wednesday that Biden would right...

Inaugural Poet Finished Work After Capitol Riot

Amanda Gorman is youngest-ever inaugural poet

(Newser) - President Biden is the fourth president to have had a poem read at their inauguration—and at 22, Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet ever. Gorman, who became America's first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, read new work "The Hill We Climb," which she completed...

Photos From the Biden Inauguration
The 59th Inauguration in Photos
Jan 20, 2021 12:21 PM CST

The 59th Inauguration in Photos

Biden, Harris make history on a day like no other

(Newser) - With fist bumps replacing handshakes and flags replacing spectators on the National Mall, this was an inauguration like no other in American history. Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States, taking the oath of office on a family Bible minutes after Kamala Harris became the first female...

Joe Biden Is Now Our President
Joe Biden Becomes
the 46th President
Jan 20, 2021 10:52 AM CST

Joe Biden Becomes the 46th President

It's official

(Newser) - Joe Biden swore the oath of office Wednesday to become the 46th president of the United States, during an inauguration ceremony with few parallels in history. He was administered the oath by Chief Justice John Roberts as three former presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama—looked on....

What to Expect in 'Most Important Inaugural Speech Since Lincoln'

Themes will be unity, recovery at noon, aides say

(Newser) - Joe Biden becomes president on Wednesday, and Sen. Chris Coons, one of his close allies, says the speech he gives on the occasion will be "the most important inaugural speech since Lincoln." Biden has the daunting task of attempting to unite the country after a divisive election and...

12 National Guard Members Removed From Inauguration

It's not clear how many of them, if any, have potential links to extremist groups

(Newser) - Amid concerns of a possible "insider attack" at President-elect Biden's inauguration, a dozen National Guard members have been removed from inaugural duties in Washington, DC, and sent home, Defense Department officials said Tuesday. All of them were found to either have links to right-wing militia groups or to...

Teen Helped by Biden Is Writing a Book
Teen With
Stutter to
Tell His
Story
Jan 19, 2021 6:11 PM CST

Teen With Stutter to Tell His Story

Brayden Harrington bonded with Joe Biden during the campaign

(Newser) - Brayden Harrington, the teenager whom President-elect Joe Biden befriended as a fellow stutterer—and who will be part of a primetime inaugural special—has a book coming out this summer, the AP reports. Brayden Harrington's picture story Brayden Speaks Up will be released Aug. 10, HarperCollins Children’s Books...

Report: Feds Worried About 'Insider Attack' on Inauguration

Army is 'taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation'

(Newser) - Some 25,000 National Guard troops are flooding into Washington, DC, to provide extra security for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration Wednesday—and the federal government is working to ensure none of the troops represent a potential threat. Officials speaking on condition of anonymity tell the Washington Post that the...

Proud Boys Leader: 'We're Going to Take a Chill Pill'

Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio says group will stay away from DC on Inauguration Day

(Newser) - The leader of the Proud Boys has been banned from the nation's capital , and now he says the rest of the group is likely to stay away from Washington, DC, as well on Jan. 20. "We’re going to take a chill pill," Henry "Enrique" Tarrio,...

These Are Your Inauguration Performers

Lady Gaga to sing national anthem at Jan. 20 ceremony

(Newser) - The inauguration performers have been revealed. Lady Gaga, who campaigned for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania, will sing the national anthem at the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony, to kick off around 11:30am ET, Variety confirms. Jennifer Lopez is also slated to perform at the ceremony, where Georgia...

Joe Biden's Amtrak Ride to DC Is Out

Plans change amid security concerns for inauguration

(Newser) - President-elect Joe Biden will no longer be taking an Amtrak train to Washington for his inauguration because of security concerns, a person briefed on the decision told the AP on Wednesday. The president-elect’s decision reflects growing worries over potential threats in the Capitol and across the US in the...

Pentagon, Secret Service Prep for Threats to Inauguration Day

National Guard troops who are deployed to Washington, DC, will be armed

(Newser) - Officials in Washington, DC, are preparing for a range of possible threats on Inauguration Day. As many as 15,000 National Guard troops will be deployed to the nation's capital in advance of President-elect Joe Biden taking the oath of office on January 20, and the Pentagon has decided...

'Credible Threats' to Disrupt Inauguration

Washington Monument tours have been halted

(Newser) - The National Park Service says it is suspending tours of the Washington Monument from Monday until Jan. 24 because of "credible threats to visitors and park resources." In an alert , the NPS said the groups involved in last week's Capitol rioting were threatening to disrupt Joe Biden'...

Biden to Skip Traditional Inaugural Parade

He'll instead receive a presidential escort to White House

(Newser) - As expected , President-elect Biden will be skipping the traditional inaugural parade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But he will still get a presidential escort to the White House after he's sworn in on Jan. 20, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Sunday. Some key Inauguration Day differences, per USA ...

Report: Biden's Arrival in DC May Be Unusual

Sources say he's considering riding in on Amtrak

(Newser) - Sources tell Axios that Joe Biden may not be arriving in Washington, DC, for the inauguration in the typical way. The president-elect is considering a method more appropriate for him—coming to town on the same Amtrak train the Delaware native used to take during his days as a senator....

Biden: It's 'Important' for Trump to Attend Inauguration

He says country should witness peaceful transfer of power

(Newser) - When President-elect Joe Biden was asked during a CNN interview Thursday whether President Trump should attend his inauguration, he laughed and said it was of "no personal consequence to me"—but added that it was important for the country. It's "important in the sense that we...

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