Trump inauguration: Three ways Democrats are breaking with tradition
2025-01-17
Category: news

The very first US presidential inauguration, of George Washington in 1789, birthed traditions that are still observed nearly to this day - such as an oath of office and an inaugural address. Four years ago, conventions that had been observed for generations were shattered. Republican Donald Trump became the first former president for more then 150 years to skip the swearing-in of his successor, as he raged about the result of an election that he falsely claimed he had won.Fast forward to 2025, and Trump will ceremonially return to the White House on 20 January - a date enshrined in the US Constitution.Democrats have contrasted the orderly transfer of power this time around with the violence and dysfunction of four years ago when the Capitol riot occurred. But in smaller ways they, too, are breaking with tradition.
Michelle Obama ducks inauguration
It was announced this week that former First Lady Michelle Obama would not join her husband, Barack, at the 47th president's inauguration on Monday. On Thursday, former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would skip it, too. Other Democrats are also expected to avoid the ceremony, though they have not so far organised a formal boycott as they did for Trump's first inauguration in 2017.No reason was given in the brief statement from the Obamas' office. The announcement came just days after Mrs Obama did not attend the funeral of another former US President, Jimmy Carter, where her husband was seen chatting with Trump. Other living former first ladies attended Carter's funeral - and Mrs Obama has been present for the two other inaugurations since her husband left office, including Trump's first swearing-in in 2017. She later said she had not enjoyed that occasion, citing a lack of diversity on stage.Trump, too, broke a 150-year-old tradition last time - as he refused to attend the inauguration of Joe Biden after the Republican baselessly claimed he lost because of mass voter fraud. 
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Harris not hosting Vance at VP residence
Outgoing Vice-President Kamala Harris has not extended the traditional invitation to her successor, JD Vance, to meet at the VP's residence in Washington DC, according to sources who spoke to the BBC's US partner, CBS News. Harris was said to have been consumed with other matters, including the response to devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. There has been no official comment from either side.This is another tradition that also appears to have been passed over four years ago, when Harris took over from Mike Pence. In the bad blood that followed the 2020 election, there was no formal sit-down between the pair, according to CBS. The Harris team claimed no invitation was ever sent - something that's disputed by the Pence camp, which said a discreet offer was made.
No farewell press conference for Biden
With just days left in the White House, Biden looks unlikely to maintain the modern convention of taking reporters' questions in an exit press conference.That was performed by George W Bush and Obama, but not by Trump in the acrimony after the 2020 election.Biden's team has long insisted he interacts regularly with the media - and could point to the fact he gave a major address on Wednesday night, or that he is due to appear on Thursday in a final sit-down interview with MSNBC.But during his term, the outgoing president has done fewer news conferences than any other for decades - delivering a yearly average of just 9.4, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of Santa Barbara.
North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher makes sense of US politics in his US Election Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here.