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Who is and isn't attending Trump's 2025 inauguration? Here's who is at his swearing in

Inauguration Day in America | CBS News Special Report
Inauguration Day in America | CBS News Special Report 48:54

Washington — President-elect Donald Trump is being sworn in on Monday as his inauguration ceremony is set to get underway inside the U.S. Capitol in a break from tradition due to the record cold temperatures.

In attendance at Trump's inauguration were notable guests including foreign leaders and tech CEOs. But the large crowd of onlookers who had planned to view the swearing in ceremony from the Capitol grounds is dramatically smaller Monday after the decision to move the swearing in ceremony to the space-limited Capitol Rotunda due to dangerously low temperatures. The last time the inauguration was moved inside due to cold weather was in 1985.

Here's what to know about who's attending Trump's inauguration:

Who is at Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration?

The usual crowd of lawmakers and officials is attending Trump's inauguration, in addition to the four other living presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and President Biden. Vice President Kamala Harris, who faced off against Trump in the 2024 election, is also attending, as are former Vice President Mike Pence and former Vice President Dan Quayle. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is also attending the ceremony. All nine Supreme Court justices are also in attendance, as is former justice Stephen Breyer

Also in attendance are members of Trump's proposed Cabinet, including Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Doug Burgum, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard.

Former Republican House speakers Newt Gingrich, John Boehner and Kevin McCarthy are attending. Sen. Mitch McConnell and his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, are also present in the Rotunda for the ceremony. 

A slate of tech CEOs, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Tesla's Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook, and Google's Sundar Pichai, are also attending Trump's inauguration. The tech titans, many of whom have cozied up to the president-elect in recent months, are seated on the dais where Trump will deliver his remarks.

A handful of foreign leaders are also attending the inauguration, including Argentina's President Javier Milei and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. China's vice president, Han Zheng, is also expected to attend to represent President Xi Jinping, who Trump invited to attend. According to State Department records dating back to 1874, a foreign leader has never attended a transfer-of-power ceremony. 

Performing at Trump's swearing in ceremony are country star Carrie Underwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio, while singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood, choirs from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Marine Band are expected to have musical contributions to the program. 

Who isn't at the inauguration?

Former first lady Michelle Obama won't be at Trump's inauguration, and a reason has not been provided for her absence, which marks the sole absence among the living first ladies. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi likewise won't be in attendance, and a spokesperson also did not provide a reason for her planned absence. Both women attended Trump's 2017 inauguration.

The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington, DC, on January 18, 2025.
The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington, DC, on January 18, 2025. ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Did Trump attend Biden's inauguration?

Trump skipped President Biden's inauguration in 2021, which occurred two weeks after the Jan. 6., 2021, attack on the Capitol and as Trump continued to claim victory in the 2020 election.

In choosing not to attend, Trump became the first president in more than 150 years to skip the ceremony where his successor was sworn in, and only the fifth in U.S. history to do so.

Mr. Biden's inauguration also featured a smaller crowd than usual due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

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