Biden’s Inauguration Day, Trump’s final hours, new senators: 5 things to know Wednesday
EditorsUSA TODAY
An Inauguration Day like no other
As President-elect Joe Biden’s term begins at noon ET on Wednesday, it will be an Inauguration Day for the history books: Kamala Harris will officially be the first female vice president — and the first Black and South Asian woman to take the role. There’s a pandemic raging across the country, and the outgoing commander-in-chief is being impeached because of a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. And the date is a palindrome that won’t happen for another thousand years. Not in modern times has an inauguration been staged amid such domestic turmoil. But while the 59th inaugural ceremonies will be much smaller because of security concerns and health risks, Biden and Harris will still take the oath of office on the Capitol’s West Front. And the same day Biden is sworn in, he will introduce immigration legislation that will include an eight-year pathway to citizenship for nearly 11 million immigrants living in the United States without legal status, along with expanding refugee admissions and an enforcement plan that includes deploying technology to patrol the border.
Trump plans to end his presidency at Mar-a-Lago as Biden takes oath
If he sticks to the schedule, President Donald Trump will spend his final minutes in office at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump is expected to be at the Palm Beach club, which he dubbed the “Winter White House,” when the clock strikes noon on Wednesday, ending a contentious presidential term that closed with days of seclusion after a riot in the U.S. Capitol and will be capped with a final military send-off at Joint Base Andrews. Barring a schedule change, the White House has invited hundreds of supporters to a ceremony at the airbase, expected to feature a red carpet and military color guard – and perhaps a preview of another Trump presidential run in 2024. Trump will be the first president in more than 150 years to skip the inauguration of his successor.
