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On Monday, 20 January, Donald Trump will officially take office as President of the United States. The inauguration ceremony promises to be not only a political but also a symbolic event that will reflect the ideological preferences of the new White House administrator. Leaders who share Trump’s views have been invited to attend, while some prominent figures among his critics will remain on the sidelines, according to US and international media reports.
Confirmed guests include Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Northern League leader Matteo Salvini (who will decide closer to the event) and MP Andrea Di Giuseppe. The inauguration will also be attended by 10 heads of state, including Argentine President Javier Milei, the first foreign leader to meet with Trump since his November victory.
Despite the political divide, the ceremony will be attended by current US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill and Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband. Former US President Barack Obama (without Michelle), George W. Bush and his wife Laura, and Bill Clinton and Hillary are also expected to attend.
Among the business and technology representatives, the guest list included Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chu, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. According to The New York Times, these companies made large donations to the event.
There were also some cancellations. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will not attend the ceremony, but former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will. Doubts about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s attendance remain.
How the event will take place
Due to the low temperatures, the inauguration will take place indoors starting at 12:00 local time. Vice President J.D. Vance will be the first to take the oath of office, followed by Donald Trump. The president will then deliver a speech. Entertainment will be provided by the Village People with their hits “YMCA” and “Macho Man”, as well as country singer Carrie Underwood with her song “America the Beautiful”.
