WASHINGTON — Donald Trump took the presidential oath of office for the second time Monday during an inauguration ceremony inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda.
The swearing-in marked the culmination of a four-year journey for Trump, whom many Republicans distanced themselves from following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, but nonetheless supported during his third campaign for the White House. Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance of Ohio, was sworn in as vice president.
“Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback,” Trump said during his inaugural address following the swearing-in. “But as you see today, here I am — the American people he spoken.”
Trump spent much of his speech detailing the executive orders he plans to sign later Monday addressing immigration, energy and more.
“With these actions we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense,” he said.
He pledged to declare a national emergency at the southern border, which drew a standing ovation from the audience in the rotunda. He said all illegal entry into the United States would be “immediately halted” and vowed to begin the process of deporting “millions and millions” of undocumented immigrants.
“As commander in chief, I he no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is exactly what I am going to do,” Trump said.
Trump defeated the Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Kamala Harris, in November’s general election, after receiving 312 Electoral College votes to her 226.
He also won the popular vote with 77.3 million votes, 49.9%, compared to Harris’ 75 million, 48.4%. Harris attended the inaugural ceremony with her husband, Doug Emhoff.
The inauguration was supposed to take place outside the Capitol building on the terrace overlooking the National Mall, but Trump announced Friday he wanted it moved indoors amid polar temperatures.
It was the first time since former President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration the ceremony was held in the rotunda. Looking on along with top government officials was a trio of billionaires — Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Some of the guests and supporters who couldn’t fit inside the rotunda watched on large screens inside the Capitol Visitor Center or at the Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C.
Trump later in the afternoon was expected to return to the arena, where he rallied with supporters on Sunday, for the traditional inaugural parade that was moved inside.
‘The envy of every nation’Trump’s first speech of the day, in the Capitol rotunda, focused extensively on his vision for the country, in which he sharply criticized the current condition of the United States while former President Joe Biden listened.
“The Golden Age of America begins right now,” Trump said, vowing to “put America first” during his next four years in the White House.
“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,” he said, noting that the United States “will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.”
The president, who said he wants to be a “peacemaker” and a “unifier,” pointed to the hostage and ceasefire deal made between Israel and Hamas last week.
Trump said he would declare a “national energy emergency” later Monday and reiterated his “drill, baby, drill” approach when it comes to oil and gas production.
He also called for an “External Revenue Service” that would collect “all tariffs, duties and revenues.”
Trump said he would sign an executive order to “immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America.”
He said he wants to create a “color-blind” and “merit-based” society and said “it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
He also echoed his pledge to take control of the Panama Canal, to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” as well as to revert Alaska’s Mount Denali back to “Mount McKinley.”
Back to campaign rhetoricTrump bid farewell to Biden and former first lady Jill Biden after the rotunda ceremony, before they departed on a helicopter. The Bidens were scheduled to trel to California as they began their life after the White House.
Trump then ge a freewheeling, 35-minute speech in the Capitol Visitor Center’s Emancipation Hall, which event organizers used as an overflow room to accommodate governors, lawmakers’ spouses, the diplomatic corps and others who couldn’t fit inside the rotunda.
“I just want to say you’re a younger, far more beautiful audience than I just spoke to and I want to keep it off the record,” he said, later adding he ge them the “A+ treatment.”
Trump’s second speech was more reminiscent of his campaign rallies than the official speech he ge during the rotunda ceremony. He reiterated false claims he’s made about his 2020 election loss to Biden and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that was spurred on by those false statements.
“I was going to talk about that. They said, ‘Please, don’t bring that up right now. You can bring it up tomorrow.’ I said how about now,” Trump said. “We’re giving you a little more information than we ge upstairs.”
Trump said he didn’t want to make his first speech “complicated,” he wanted to make it “beautiful and “unifying.”
“Then, when they said we he a group of people who are serious Trump fans, I said ‘This is the time to tell those stories,’” he said.
Trump also spoke at length about border security and immigration during his second speech, saying it has become a problem during Biden’s term as president.
“I think it probably was the number one issue for me back in 2015, 2016,” Trump said. “This border is much worse. We fixed the border. It was totally fixed. There was nothing to talk about.”
Flags at full staffTrump signed several documents in the President’s Room by the U.S. Senate chamber Monday afternoon, including a proclamation that the U.S. flag be flown at full staff for this inauguration and all future inauguration days.
Then-President Biden ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half staff until Jan. 28, the customary 30-day period, to commemorate former President Jimmy Carter, who died in December.
Last week, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at full staff on Inauguration Day. Some Republican-led states followed suit.
Senate moves on Trump nomineesThe Senate began confirming Trump’s Cabinet nominees later Monday, taking a 99-0 vote to make former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio the secretary of state.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he plans to confirm other nominees as soon as possible, with a vote expected later this week on John Ratcliffe to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
“Our priority here in the Senate for the next few weeks is getting President Trump’s nominees confirmed, so that he has the team that he needs in place to deliver,” Thune said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, supported Rubio during the floor vote after detailing how he and others in the party will approach their advice and consent responsibility for Trump’s second term.
“We will neither rubber-stamp nominees we feel are grossly unqualified nor will we reflexively oppose nominees that deserve serious consideration,” Schumer said.
The Senate began holding hearings last week on several of Trump’s picks, including hedge fund manager Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to run the Justice Department, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for Interior secretary, former Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth to run the Pentagon, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for Homeland Security secretary, former Texas state legislator Eric Scott Turner for Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary, and former White House budget director Russ Vought to run the Office of Management and Budget once again.
Hearings are scheduled this week for several other nominees.
Last updated 4:56 p.m., Jan. 20, 2025 Trump inauguration moved inside U.S. Capitol amid predictions of Arctic blastJanuary 17, 2025WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday he will move his inauguration inside the U.S. Capitol building, instead of holding it on the terrace overlooking the National Mall, citing weather forecasts for frigid temperatures.
The inauguration was scheduled to begin around 11:30 a.m. Eastern on Monday, but it wasn’t immediately clear if that would change to accommodate an indoor ceremony.
“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!).”
Trump wrote that the ceremony, which will include speeches and his official oath of office, will be held in the Capitol rotunda.
“The various Dignitaries and Guests will be brought into the Capitol,” Trump wrote. “This will be a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience!”
A spokesperson for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies released a statement saying the panel “will honor the request of the President-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to move the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol to the Rotunda.”
Former Republican President Ronald Reagan was the first, and so far the only, president to hold his inauguration in the rotunda.
The Architect of the Capitol notes on a webpage about former inaugurations that for the Reagan inauguration, the Bible “was placed on a marble-topped table that was built for the second inaugural of Abraham Lincoln. The table was constructed with an iron baluster cast for the Capitol dome in the 1860’s.”
Trump wrote in his social media post that supporters who trel to Washington, D.C., could attend a live viewing inside the Capital One Arena, which is downtown. It will also be the site of a Trump rally on Sunday.
“We will open Capital One Arena on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade,” Trump wrote. “I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In.”
The Capital One Arena has 20,000 seats, according to its website. That is far fewer people than could stand on the hundreds of acres that make up the National Mall.
Last updated 10:46 a.m., Jan. 17, 2025 New Orleans attack prompts tighter security in D.C. ahead of inauguration, Carter funeralJanuary 2, 2025WASHINGTON — Law enforcement agencies in the nation’s capital were closely monitoring security Thursday following a terrorist attack in New Orleans and a vehicle explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
The violent incidents took place just ahead of several high-profile events in Washington, D.C., including the swearing-in of the new Congress on Friday, the certification of the Electoral College vote on Monday, former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral next week and the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20.
Matthew Young, assistant special agent in charge at the U.S. Secret Service, said in a statement the agency would “adjust our security plans as needed.”
“While we cannot comment on protective means or methods, what we can say is that we will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in assessing the ever-changing threat landscape and will adjust our security plans as needed,” Young said. “Our mission is to provide a safe and secure environment for our protectees, and all individuals involved in these events.”
Colorado man suspected in Las Vegas explosion From Colorado NewslineFBI officials in Denver said Thursday that federal law enforcement agents were conducting operations “at a residential address in Colorado Springs” in connection with the vehicle explosion in Las Vegas.
The suspect in the attack, Matthew Livelsberger, was an Army Special Forces master sergeant based in Colorado Springs. Officials say that Livelsberger fatally shot himself just before the explosion.
The Secret Service has already designated Congress’ certification of the Electoral College, Carter’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9 and the inauguration as National Special Security Events, which puts the agency in charge of planning and security logistics.
Those special security events are somewhat common for major political events, like the Republican and Democratic national conventions this summer and for presidential inaugurations.
This is, however, the first year the certification of the Electoral College on Monday will hold that designation after a mob attacked the U.S. Capitol during the last certification.
‘An abundance of caution’The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., posted on social media that while “there is no known threat to the District of Columbia, out of an abundance of caution, MPD has heightened its security posture across the city in light of recent events.”
“Whenever an incident occurs in the country, MPD closely monitors the situation, evaluates intelligence and assesses our security posture,” MPD wrote in the statement. “As the nation’s capital, we maintain a heightened level of security at all times to ensure the safety of our residents, businesses and visitors.”
The U.S. Capitol Police said in a written statement that they “he already been ramping up security, as planned, ahead of a busy month at the U.S. Capitol.”
USCP had to close off several streets near the building on Thursday after someone drove on a sidewalk a few blocks away.
“Before 10 a.m., our officers spotted a car that had been driving along the sidewalk, near Peace Circle, and into the grassy area near Third Street, NW, & Constitution Avenue,” USCP wrote on social media. “Officers took the man into custody. Please continue to oid the area while we investigate the car.”
The person was later charged with reckless driving after the USCP bomb squad determined there was no explosive device inside the car.
At least 15 people died and 37 were injured in New Orleans early Wednesday after a man drove a truck onto Bourbon Street in what law enforcement has declared a terrorist attack.
Local and federal law enforcement agencies are also investigating the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, is a close Trump associate.
Officials say they he not found any link between the two attacks, though they are investigating further.
Colorado Springs man suspected in Las Vegas vehicle explosionJanuary 2, 2025Federal law enforcement agents on Thursday conducted operations at a home in Colorado Springs believed to belong to the man responsible for a New Year’s Day vehicle explosion outside Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Colorado Springs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were on the scene at a condo complex in northeast Colorado Springs beginning early Thursday morning.
“This activity is related to the explosion in Las Vegas on Wednesday,” the FBI’s Denver field office said in a social media post. “Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further information will be provided out of Denver.”
In a press conference in Las Vegas on Thursday, Kevin McMahill, the sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, identified the suspect in the explosion as 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, an Army master sergeant assigned to Special Forces Command.
A body recovered from the exploded Tesla Cybertruck was “burnt beyond recognition,” McMahill said, and investigators are seeking confirmation through DNA evidence or medical records that the remains belong to Livelsberger. But a “tremendous amount” of evidence, including recovered photo identification and rental records for the truck, point to Livelsberger as the suspect, the sheriff said.
“We tracked his movement from Colorado to Las Vegas, and in a number of the photographs, we were able to determine he was the individual that was driving the vehicle,” said McMahill. “We still he only ever seen him in this vehicle, and we’re not aware of any other subjects involved in this particular case.”
Forensic evidence suggests the driver of the vehicle, which was rented in Denver on Dec. 28, suffered what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head prior to the detonation. No one else was killed in the explosion, though at least seven people were injured.
McMahill said Livelsberger spent “most of his time” at Fort Carson, the U.S. Army base just south of Colorado Springs, and overseas in Germany. Authorities he traced the route he took from Denver south to Trinidad and through New Mexico and Arizona over the course of several days before arriving in Las Vegas around 7 a.m. on Jan. 1.
McMahill and other senior law enforcement officials said Thursday they don’t believe the Las Vegas explosion is connected to a terrorist attack in New Orleans in the early-morning hours of Jan. 1. In that incident, 15 people were killed and another 35 were injured after a suspect drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street.
“Obviously we’re always concerned in these sorts of events to ascertain what the motive is,” said Spencer Evans, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Las Vegas field office. “We understand that’s at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts. Looking into exactly what the motive is remains our number-one priority.”
Sheriff: ‘Very strange similarities’ yield no connection yet in LV bombing, NOLA rampageThis story originally appeared in the Nevada Current.January 2, 2025Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted a number of similarities between Matthew Livelsberger, the Army special forces officer believed to he blown up a Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day, and Shamsud-Din Jabbar, identified by authorities as the man who mowed down revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans the same day, killing at least 15 and injuring dozens more.
But so far, law enforcement has found no evidence of a link between the two events.
Police found Livelsberger’s military identification, phone, and credit cards in the truck, but his identity has not been clinically confirmed.
“I know what’s going on in the social media world, and there are a number of things in this case that are similar to the attack in New Orleans,” McMahill said during a news conference Thursday.
Both subjects served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, he said.
“What we do know about that is it’s a very large military base, and we he no record that they served in the same unit, or even at the same years at Fort Bragg, something that continues to remain under investigation.”
Both served in Afghanistan in 2009, McMahill said, adding whether they were in the same location or unit is under investigation.
The two men also rented the vehicles used in the events from the same on-line source.
The “very strange similarities” could be coincidental, McMahill said, but added “we’re not prepared to rule in or rule out anything,” noting the investigation is in an early stage. “We hen’t even gotten into the phones or the computers, which are usually very, very instructive and informative to us as we investigate,”
In recorded videos, the perpetrator of the New Orleans event professed allegiance to ISIS, according to law enforcement, and the terrorist group’s flag was secured to the truck used in the attack.
Police found two badly burned semi-automatic weapons in the Tesla, along with a cache of explosives. They say Livelsberger shot himself in the head before the explosion.
“The level of sophistication is not what we would expect from an individual with this type of military experience,” Kenny Cooper of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said when asked about the connective components of the explosives, which damaged the Tesla and caused minor injuries to seven individuals in the area.
With the help of vehicle charging station records, police traced the route of the Tesla, which was rented in Colorado on Dec. 28, to Las Vegas. It was last charged in Kingman, AZ at 5:33 a.m. on Wednesday and spotted in Las Vegas at 7:29 a.m. Video shows the Cybertruck drive through the Trump valet parking area.
“We were able to track him leing there, and we know that he went to several different places along Las Vegas Boulevard, and he spent some time in a parking lot of a business near Flamingo and Las Vegas Boulevard.”
The Tesla returned to the Trump property at about 8:40 and exploded 17 seconds later.
Tesla founder Elon Musk is sending specialists to Las Vegas Thursday to attempt to retrieve video captured by the truck, McMahill said.
Law enforcement is “running down investigative leads around the world” to determine a motive,” Spencer Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the Las Vegas FBI, told reporters. He asked that anyone with information contact law enforcement. “Obviously, we’re always concerned in these sorts of events to ascertain what the motive is.”
Relatives and associates of Livelberger’s contacted by the Current did not respond to requests for comments.
Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.