Biden, Harris Inauguration

Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

The speeches and events of Inauguration Day

Biden, Harris take office

Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks are among those performing. Trump is not attending.

Chelsea Stahl / NBC

Updated Jan. 21, 2021, 8:27 AM NZDT

 

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

-Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president on Wednesday, kicking off a day of fanfare that stands in stark contrast to a Washington devoid of crowds and on edge amid heightened security after the insurrection at the Capitol.

 

A star-studded, largely virtual celebration is set to start following Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' swearing-in at the West Front of the Capitol, which began at 11 a.m. Biden placed his hand on a more-than-100-year-old family Bible held by his wife, Jill Biden, to take the oath of office.

 

Only about 1,000 socially distanced guests, including former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, attended the ceremony. Donald Trump was not present, making him the first president to skip a successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson.

 

Lady Gaga sung the national anthem, which will be followed by a virtual parade involving all the states and territories and a 90-minute prime-time TV special, "Celebrating America," hosted by Tom Hanks.

Read the highlights:

— In his inaugural address, Biden says "democracy has prevailed" and calls for an end to America's "uncivil war"

— Harris' historic moment.

—Twelve National Guard members were removed from inauguration duty, including two for 'inappropriate' comments.

— News analysis: Impeached twice and still no wall, Mr. Trump goes from Washington.

— Viewers' guide to Biden's Inauguration Day: Everything you need to know.

 

Flags are placed on the National Mall, looking towards the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Inauguration : Biden sworn in as 46th president, declaring "democracy has prevailed"

UPDATED ON: JANUARY 20, 2021 / 2:15 PM / CBS NEWS

 

Washington — Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, taking the reins of power at a perilous time in American history and urging a bitterly divided country to unite around defeating the deadliest pandemic in a century.

"This is America's day. This is democracy's day," Mr. Biden said in his inaugural address. "Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people, has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded."

Noting that he was being inaugurated on the Capitol steps just two weeks after it was stormed by a "riotous mob," Mr. Biden said the country has been reminded that "democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed."

• Read the full text of Biden's inaugural address

Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office shortly before noon, when Mr. Biden officially became president. Mr. Biden addressed the nation minutes after Vice President Kamala Harris was first sworn in, making history as the first woman and person of color to become second in line to the presidency.

 

Mr. Biden takes over at a time of tremendous upheaval and division, fueled both by his predecessor and the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 Americans.

 

The inauguration ceremony was unlike any the country has ever seen, with a new president addressing an empty National Mall while thousands of National Guard troops stood watch over downtown Washington. The Mall was filled with thousands of small flags representing Americans who might otherwise have been in attendance, were it not for the pandemic.

 

Members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and outgoing Vice President Mike Pence were on hand to witness Mr. Biden's swearing-in, with seats spaced apart to prevent the spread of the virus. Three former presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — were also among those in attendance.

 

Former President Donald Trump, however, was not there, having left Washington earlier Wednesday morning. Mr. Trump instead addressed supporters before boarding Air Force One for the last time as president to fly to Florida. He is the first outgoing president in more than 150 years to not attend the inauguration of his successor.

 

Mr. Biden plans to quickly begin dismantling some of Mr. Trump's signature initiatives with a slew of executive orders and actions set to be signed on Day 1. He becomes the first president to enter office without a single Cabinet secretary confirmed by the Senate.

 

ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty ImagesThousands of flags creating a ‘field of flags’ are seen on the National Mall ahead of Joe Biden’s swearing-in inauguration ceremony as the 46th US president.

Joe Biden Inauguration: Biden sworn-in as president

By: Debbie Lord, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Updated: January 20, 2021 - 9:19 AM

 

As he placed his hand on a more than century-old family Bible and vowed to move the country toward the future with unity, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in on Wednesday as the 46th president of the United States.

Biden who served in the U.S. Senate for more than 35 years and was vice president for eight years, gave an inaugural speech that celebrated democracy but acknowledged that “the forces that divide us are deep and they are real.”

Minutes earlier, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first female vice president, the first Black vice president and the first vice president of Asian descent.

 

 

The Biden Bible

When Joe Biden takes the oath of office he places his hand on a Bible that has been in his family since 1893.

 

 

10:28 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: President-elect Biden and vice president-elect Harris have arrived at the U.S. Capitol.

 

Trump lands in Florida

10:55 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: As officials are being seated for the inauguration, the plane carrying the Trump family has landed in Florida.

 

11:35 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: The U.S. flag is being brought on the platform.
Lady Gaga is coming to the platform to sing the national anthem.

Star Spangled Banner 

Lady Gaga Performs The National Anthem At Biden’s Inauguration

 

*Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (/ˈstɛfəni ˌdʒɜːrməˈnɒtə/ STEF-ən-ee JUR-mə-NOT-ə; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman.

She is known for her consistent image reinventions and versatility in both music and entertainment.

Gaga began performing as a teenager, singing at open mic nights and acting in school plays.

 

11:41 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: Harris, taking the oath of office from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, becomes vice president of the United States.

 

11:48 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: The oath of office is being administered by Chief Justice John Roberts.

 

11:49 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: Following the call of the country’s democratic tradition and the design of the Constitution, Joseph R. Biden is now the 46th president of the United States.

Joe Biden is president

11:52 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: "This is America's day, .. a day of history and hope," Biden says.

"The will of the people has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded."

“We’ve learned again that democracy is precious,” the president said. “And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”

He references the attack on the Capitol. He thanks the former presidents who have come to support him.

"This is a great nation. We are good people. ... We've come so far, but we have much to do."

He talks about COVID-19 and the loss of lives and jobs.

"A cry for racial justice 400 years in the making moves us," he said.

 

11:57 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: "My whole soul is in this," Biden says, paraphrasing President Abraham Lincoln and talking about unity.

He says that while the things that keep ups apart seem great, they are not insurmountable.

"History, faith and reason show the way of unity. ... We can stop the shouting and lower the temperature."

"We must meet this moment as the United States of America."

"Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path."

"Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart. If you still disagree, sobeit. ... I will be a president for all Americans. I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did."

"There is truth and there are lies," Biden says.

"We must end this uncivil war. ... We can do this if we open our hearts ..."

"There is no accounting what fate will deal you," he said. "Some days you need a hand, other days you are called to lend a hand."

"We must face this pandemic as one nation. We will get through this together."

"America has been tested and we have come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances. ... We will be a strong partner," he tells foreign nations.

He calls for a silent prayer for those who have died from COVID-19 and their families.

He quotes from the song "American Anthem."

What shall be our legacy?
What will our children say?
Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you

"I give you my word, I will always level with you," he says as he closes. "Together we will write an American story of hope."

 

12:32 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: The ceremony has ended.

 

12:47 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: Vice President Harris and her husband walk former Vice President Pence and his wife down the steps of the Capitol to a waiting car.

 

1:42 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: Biden and Harris are being giving gifts from Congressional leaders.

 

2 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: Biden and Harris and their spouses are inspecting the troops marching by the front of the Capitol.

 

2:25 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2021: A 21-gun salute is being fired at Arlington National Cemetery as the new president and the former presidents come to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

 

 

A large American flag is placed on the National Mall, with the U.S. Capitol behind, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Monday. Alex Brandon/AP

 

Biden Inauguration: National Mall in Washington DC in United States of America

 

 

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (/ˈbaɪdən/ BY-dən; born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, Biden previously served as the 47th Vice President  of the United States from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017, and as a United States Senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009.

 

In April 2019, Biden announced his candidacy in the 2020 presidential election, and he reached the delegate threshold needed to secure the Democratic nomination in June 2020.  In August, he announced his choice of Senator Kamala Harris of California as his running mate. Biden and Harris won the general election with 306 electoral votes to Donald Trump's 232. 

 

On January 20, 2021, Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States.  

He became the oldest sitting president, the first president from Delaware, and the second Catholic president.