‘1 tier of justice for all’: 5 takeaways from Day 1 of Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney General in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee Pam Bondi vowed she would remove politics from the Department of Justice during the first day of her confirmation hearing, though her refusal to answer key questions about Trump’s 2020 election loss and his outspoken desire for retribution raised concerns about how she would execute her promise.
With a second day of her hearing set to resume on Thursday, Bondi is expected to glide through confirmation and take on the role of the country’s top law enforcement officer, tasked with implementing Trump’s longstanding desire to reshape the Department of Justice that brought two criminal cases against him before his election.
“The partisanship, the weaponization, will be gone. America will have one tier of justice for all,” Bondi said, vowing that, “There will never be an enemy’s list within the Department of Justice.”
While Bondi sought to reassure the Senate Judiciary Committee about her independence from Trump and desire to usher in a “new golden age” of the DOJ, her refusal to say that Trump lost the 2020 election, defense of her past statement that “prosecutors will be prosecuted,” and openness to investigate Special Counsel Jack Smith prompted skepticism from Democratic members of the committee.
If confirmed, Bondi would lead the DOJ with recently expanded power after the Supreme Court last year ruled that interactions between a president and attorney general are immune from prosecution.
“The fear and the concern we have is that the incoming president will use that loaded weapon, that immunity to commit crimes through the Department of Justice,” said Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff.
Here are five key takeaways from the first day of Bondi’s confirmation hearing:
Bondi vowed to keep politics out of prosecutions, but keeps the door open to investigating Jack Smith
Accusing President Joe Biden of coordinating political prosecutions, Bondi said that she would only bring cases based on “facts and law” and said she has not discussed starting investigations of Trump’s enemies with the president-elect.
“No one will be prosecuted, investigated because they are a political opponent. That’s what we’ve seen for the last four years in this administration. People will be prosecuted, based on the facts and the law,” Bondi said.
However, when pressed about Trump’s claim that special counsel Jack Smith should go to jail, Bondi declined to answer whether she would open an investigation into Smith before suggesting his conduct is “horrible.”
“Senator, what I’m hearing on the news is horrible. Do I know if he committed a crime? I have not looked at it,” said Bondi, who added that “it would be irresponsible … to make a commitment regarding anything.”
In his final report issued earlier this week, Smith denied Trump’s accusation that his work was in any way political — describing the accusation as “laughable” — and assuring Attorney General Merrick Garland that his work followed the “rule of law” and DOJ guidelines regarding political interference.
Bondi declined to answer key questions about Trump’s election denialism, vow to pardon Jan. 6 defendants
Bondi — who helped Trump spread distrust in the outcome of the 2020 election — notably declined to say that Trump lost the 2020 election, raising concerns from Democratic senators in light of Trump’s alleged use of the Department of Justice to illegally retain power after his defeat.
“Are you prepared to say today, under oath, without reservation, that Donald Trump lost the presidential contest to Joe Biden in 2020?” Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin asked.
“Joe Biden is the president of the United States. He was duly sworn in, and he is the president of the United States. There was a peaceful transition of power. President Trump left office and was overwhelmingly elected in 2024,” Bondi said, repeatedly refusing to offer a yes or no answer to the question.
Bondi also refused to condemn Trump’s baseless claim that “massive fraud” corrupted the 2020 election. When asked about Trump’s call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he asked him to “find” 11,780 votes, Bondi said she has not listened to the entirety of it, but suggested Trump’s comments were taken out of context.
Bondi also declined to comment about Trump’s vow to pardon the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, during his first day in office, telling the committee she would defer to Trump and declining to weigh in on the proposed pardons because she has not read every defendants’ case file.
“Senator, I have not seen any of those files. Of course, if confirmed and if asked to advise the president, I will look at each and every file. But let me be very clear in speaking to you, I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country,” Bondi answered.
Bondi avoided answering if she would disobey an unlawful order from Trump
When pressed by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons about dropping a criminal case if someone in the White House directed her to, Bondi declined to entertain the hypothetical.
“What I can tell you is my duty, if confirmed as the attorney general, will be to the Constitution and the United States of America, and the most important oath, part of that oath that I will take are the last four words, ‘So help me God.’”
Bondi at one point answered “of course” when asked if she would be willing to resign if asked to do something improper.
“Senator, I wouldn’t work at a law firm, I wouldn’t be a prosecutor, I wouldn’t be attorney general if anyone asked me to do something improper and I felt I had to carry that out,” Bondi said.
Schiff, who had multiple heated exchanges with Bondi, expressed skepticism that she could avoid confrontation with Trump, considering his past attorneys general.
“You may say that you believe that conflict will never come, but every day, week, month and year of the first Trump administration demonstrated that conflict will come. Jeff Sessions may not have believed it would come to him. It came to him. Bill Barr may not have believed it would come to him. It came to him. It came to everyone,” Schiff said. “It will come to you and what you do in that moment will define your attorney generalship.”
Bondi vowed to reform the DOJ but provided few specifics of her plans
Bondi told senators that she aspired to “restore confidence and integrity” in the DOJ after what she called a weaponization of the justice system to target Trump. She vowed that if confirmed, she would answer to the people of the U.S., not the president.
“My oath would be to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. The people of America would be my client,” Bondi said.
While her vow to remove politics from the DOJ were cheered on by Senate Republicans, Bondi offered few details about how she would implement her plan across the department’s 115,000 employees. Bondi attempted to defend her 2023 statement that “prosecutors will be prosecuted,” telling the Committee that she would only bring cases against “bad” prosecutors.
Bondi appears poised to be confirmed by the Senate, as attention turns to Kash Patel
While Senate Democrats raised concerns about Bondi’s refusal to acknowledge Trump’s 2020 loss and lack of commitments, her confirmation appears all but assured.
“I know how to count and I know how to read tea leaves. It seems to me you’re very, very, very, very likely to be confirmed, and certainly look forward to working with you and your office,” said Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla towards the end of the hearing.
After the hearing on Wednesday, a few Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee avoided saying exactly how they’d vote on Bondi’s confirmation, though Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the “odds are in her favor.:
“I would say the odds are in her favor with the majority of the Senate floor. I don’t know if a single Republican is going against her. We’re still going to ask the tough questions today and tomorrow,” Durbin said.
With Bondi unlikely to face a serious challenge to her confirmation, Senate Democrats instead turned their attention to Trump’s pick to run the FBI, Kash Patel. Bondi said she looks forward to working with Patel — calling him the “right person” for the job and defending his qualifications — and denying the idea that either she or Patel would maintain a list of enemies or break the law.
“What I can sit here and tell you is Mister Patel, if he works with running the FBI — if he is confirmed, and if I am confirmed, he will follow the law if I am the attorney general of the United States of America, and I don’t believe he would do anything otherwise,” Bondi said.
(WASHINGTON) — Gen. CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top admiral, are among the list of general officers provided to Congress this week indicating that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could fire or remove from their current jobs, according to two U.S. officials.
Brown serves as the president’s senior military advisoer and has been chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since October 2023, his four year tenure is supposed to end in 2027.
Franchetti has been the Chief of Naval Operations since November 2023.
Both officers had previously been criticized by Hegseth prior to his becoming defense secretary during the Trump administration.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — As Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, appears Thursday for his Senate confirmation hearing, some of the rhetoric he has espoused for years to defend Trump and promote Trump’s reelection is sure to elicit sharp questions about whether he is fit to lead one of the nation’s premiere law enforcement agencies.
Patel has derided the FBI as the “Federal Bureau of Insanity.” He’s announced “a mission to annihilate the ‘Deep State'” — what he calls a “cabal of unelected tyrants” inside government, undermining Trump. He’s said the conspiracy theory QAnon, claiming a secret global plot to traffic children and take down Trump, is right in many ways and “should get credit for all the things” it has accomplished. And he once promised to “come after” and prosecute “the conspirators not just in government, but in the media” who “helped Joe Biden rig the presidential election.”
On a podcast two years ago, Trump adviser Roger Stone told Patel his critics are right about one thing: “You are a Trump loyalist.”
Patel chuckled and nodded affirmatively.
But that’s just what Democrats — and even some Republicans — on the Senate Judiciary Committee may wonder about most: If confirmed, is Patel so loyal to Trump that he would use the FBI to push Trump’s political agenda and target Trump’s perceived enemies?
‘An existential threat’
According to Patel, the FBI has already become a political weapon — especially with its multiple investigations of Trump, including the unprecedented search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 — and that’s what he wants to change.
“The rot at the core of the FBI isn’t just scandalous, it’s an existential threat to our republican form of government,” Patel wrote in his book, published two years ago, titled “Government Gangsters.”
Trump, on social media, called Patel’s book “the roadmap to end the Deep State’s reign” when it came out.
Many of Trump’s allies in Congress have lauded Patel’s nomination, touting him as the change agent needed at the top of an embattled agency. Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has called Patel’s career “a study in fighting for unpopular but righteous causes, exposing corruption, and putting America First.”
Democrats, however, not only point to what they see as Patel’s concerning rhetoric — but also what they’ve described as his relative lack of experience for such a significant position.
After meeting with Patel last week, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he has “grave concerns” about Patel’s nomination, declaring, “Mr. Patel has neither the experience, the temperament, nor the judgment to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
‘I just got to my breaking point’
Now in his mid-40s, Patel grew up on New York’s Long Island, ultimately deciding to attend law school after caddying for a group of criminal defense attorneys at the Garden City County Club. By his own account, in 2005, he graduated from Pace University Law school in the bottom third of his class — something he was “very proud of,” he once joked.
After law school, he spent nine years as a public defender, and in late 2013 he moved to Washington, D.C., to join the Justice Department’s National Security Division as a terrorism prosecutor, helping U.S. attorneys’ offices around the country prosecute their cases.
He was involved in Justice Department cases all over the world, including ones stemming from the 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi and the 2010 World Cup bombings in Uganda.
But in his book and in media interviews, he said he grew frustrated with his time at the Justice Department, especially after a dust-up with a federal judge that made national headlines.
In early 2016, while Patel was in Tajikistan for work, the judge presiding over one of his cases in Texas called for an in-person hearing back in the United States. Patel didn’t have a suit or tie with him in Tajikistan, and after racing halfway around the world to make the hearing, the judge badgered him to “dress like a lawyer” and “act like a lawyer,” according to a transcript of the exchange.
“You don’t add a bit of value, do you?” the judge added.
As Patel recounted in his book, his bosses at the Justice Department privately expressed support for him, but when the Washington Post wrote a story about it two weeks later, the Justice Department, in Patel’s telling, refused to defend him publicly, so the newspaper “dragged my name through the mud.”
Patel has also described how he grew upset over the Justice Department’s handling of the Benghazi case following the 2012 attack by Islamic militants, believing that “terrorists went free” despite his disputed assertion that the Obama administration had enough evidence to charge even more people for the attack.
“I just got to my breaking point,” Patel once recalled. So in 2017, he left the Justice Department to become a senior investigator on Capitol Hill, where he helped lead the House Republicans’ probe of “Russiagate” — which, as he describes it, exposed FBI wrongdoing in its 2016 investigation of alleged ties between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia.
‘Not a credible witness’
Patel’s work on the Russia probe led to him joining the Trump administration in 2019, and in the final year of Trump’s presidency he was appointed acting deputy director of national intelligence — the second-in-command of the entire U.S. intelligence community — and then chief of staff to the acting U.S. defense secretary, a position that critics claimed he was unqualified to hold even for just the 10 weeks he was there.
After Trump’s first administration ended, Patel regularly appeared on conservative media outlets, frequently praising Trump and criticizing the Justice Department for investigating and then prosecuting Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office and his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Patel has claimed — despite the Justice Department’s inspector general finding otherwise — that the FBI played a part in pushing pro-Trump protesters to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. And he has claimed in media interviews and court testimony that Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deserve blame for the attack — not Trump — because, Patel insists, Trump days earlier had authorized up to 20,000 National Guard to secure the Capitol.
The judge who listened to his court testimony in a case about Trump’s eligibility to be on Colorado’s ballot in the November election ruled that Patel “was not a credible witness,” saying his testimony was “not only illogical” but “completely devoid of any evidence in the record.”
After Trump left office, Patel launched a tax-exempt charity, now known as the Kash Foundation, which made national headlines in 2023 with revelations that it provided thousands of dollars to at least two so-called “FBI whistleblowers” who helped House Republicans push disputed claims of corruption inside the Justice Department.
Patel has said his charity helps fund defamation lawsuits, supports whistleblowers, buys meals for families in need over Christmas, supports Jan. 6 families, and more recently funds “rescue operations” out of Israel.
But he has refused to offer specifics about who is benefiting from his charity, and, as ABC News previously reported, experts have questioned whether it was following the law. At the time, Patel declined to speak with ABC News about its reporting.
After Trump announced his latest presidential campaign, Patel traveled the country to promote Trump’s reelection, saying that Trump would fire “thousands and thousands and thousands” of government employees to root out the “Deep State.”
Three weeks after Trump was reelected president, he named Patel as his pick to lead the FBI.
(WASHINGTON) — At noon today, Donald Trump took the presidential oath for a second time, capping a historic political comeback to the White House.
As he did on the campaign trail, Trump painted a dark picture of America and took aim at President Joe Biden’s leadership as his predecessor sat just steps away.
“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and indeed their freedom,” Trump said, promising a “golden age of America.”
Trump again airs grievances against Nancy Pelosi, Liz Cheney after pledging ‘unity’
After promising ‘unity’ in his inaugural address, Trump is reverting back to bulldozing political opponents like Nancy Pelosi and Liz Cheney.
“She’s guilty as hell,” he said of Pelosi over her response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol — where he was speaking — buy a pro-Trump mob.
He called Liz Cheney, a Republican who endorsed Kamala Harris over Trump because of his actions after the 2020 election, a “disaster.”
“She’s a crying lunatic and crying, crying Adam Kinzinger, he’s a super crier,” Trump said.
Trump talks about Jan. 6 ‘hostages’
In more off-the-cuff remarks inside the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall after his address, Trump spoke about people who have been convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as “hostages.”
“I was going to talk about the J6 hostages,” Trump said. “But you’ll be happy because, you know, it’s action not words that count.”
Trump previously promised to pardon some Jan. 6 rioters on Day 1.
He also went after former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, two Republican members of the House Jan. 6 Committee who are outspoken critics of Trump because of his actions after the 2020 election.
“And I was going to talk about the things that Joe did today with the pardons of people that were, very, very guilty of very bad crimes, like the Unselect Committee of political thugs,” Trump said.
Biden’s legacy: How will he be remembered?
Surveys show Americans have mixed views on Biden’s four years at the pinnacle of power.
Historians told ABC News it will take years to fully assess his stamp on American politics, but that likely to be included are his legislative achievements while leading the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic and his foreign policy footprint.
But many said his 2024 campaign decisions — first to run for reelection and later to drop out — may overshadow his record while in office.
Biden departs the Capitol
Joe Biden, now the former president, left the Capitol on a Marine helicopter that will bring him to Joint Base Andrews for a final farewell to Washington.
The Bidens and Trumps walked together to the helicopter. Both couples were holding hands.
Biden smiled and appeared to laugh as he spoke to Trump. Jill Biden and Melania Trump hugged as they said goodbye.
This is an exit for Biden after five decades in politics.
Just before he left, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff entered their own motorcade. She is traveling home to Los Angeles, her office confirmed to ABC News.
Inaugural ceremony comes to an end
After Trump’s speech, there were remarks from Rabbi Ari Berman, Pastor Lorenzo Sewell and Reverend Frank Mann. Christopher Macchio performed the national anthem.
Trump and Melania Trump left the Capitol Rotunda together.
Next, the Trumps will see off President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Room joins in as Carrie Underwood sings ‘America the Beautiful’
In a unifying moment, Carrie Underwood sang “America the Beautiful” after Trump’s defiant inauguration speech.
The country star, who was standing in front of Biden, performed a capella after technical difficulties, and the crowd joined in. Biden, Hillary Clinton and Doug Emhoff were among those singing with her.
Trump celebrates his comeback: ‘Here I am’
“Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback. But as you see today, here I am,” he said. “The American people have spoken.”
Trump’s long road back to the White House included four indictments, one conviction, two assassination attempts and a campaign of ups and downs.
Trump references legal troubles: ‘Never again’
Trump, who has been convicted by a jury of his peers and was indicted four times after his first term, again contended he was politically prosecuted.
“Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents,” he said. “Something I know something about. We will not allow that to happen. It will not happen again. Under my leadership, we will restore fair, equal and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law.”
The two cases against him were dropped after he won reelection, with prosecutors citing longstanding Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime.
Trump lays out Day 1 executive actions
Trump is now highlighting some of the executive actions he will take.
They include declaring a national emergency at the southern border and a national energy emergency.
He said he would send troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, reinstate “Remain in Mexico” policy and other immigration policies.
Trump takes aim at Biden in address: ‘A horrible betrayal’
Trump is taking aim at Biden’s leadership these past four years, specifically on immigration and on recent natural disasters, though he didn’t mention his predecessor by name.
“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and indeed their freedom,” Trump said.
Like he did on the 2024 campaign trail, Trump’s painting a dark picture of America.
“From this moment on, America’s decline is over,” he said. “Our liberties and our nation’s glorious destiny will no longer be denied, and we will immediately restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s government.”
Trump: ‘The golden age of America begins right now’
Trump began his inaugural remarks with a line he’s said repeatedly since his election.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” he said.
“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed, our safety will be restored, the scales of justice will be rebalanced.”
Cheers erupted in the freezing cold in the line outside the Capital One Arena as Trump supporters huddled together, glued to their phones watching Trump take the oath of office.
Trump is sworn into office for a 2nd term, capping historic comeback
Trump just took the oath for a second time. Melania Trump and their children surrounded him as he did so.
Trump and Biden shook hands after he took the oath. Kamala Harris, who was standing next to Biden, clapped quietly.
JD Vance takes oath of office
JD Vance just took the oath of office with his wife, Usha, and their three children by his side.
Theme for inauguration is ‘our enduring democracy’ Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, who sit on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, are speaking on the importance of democracy.
“Our theme this year is our enduring democracy, the presence of so many presidents and vice presidents here today is truly a testament to that endurance,” Klobuchar said in her opening remarks.
Fischer noted the past several years have been a “trying” time for the nation but today’s events marks its 60th inauguration ceremony.
“Endurance through the years is the ultimate test,” she said. “To persevere through time is the truest measure of an idea.”
Biden announces preemptive pardons of family members minutes before Trump takes oath
President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons to his siblings and their spouses in the final minutes of his presidency.
“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,” Biden said in a statement.
He pardoned his siblings, Valerie Biden Owens, Francis Biden and James Biden, as well as Owens’ husband, John Owens, and James Biden’s wife, Sara Jones Biden.
“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said.
Trump enters Capitol Rotunda for transfer of power Trump walked into the Capitol Rotunda solo as he prepares to be sworn in for another four years.
It is a historic moment, as he is the first president in more than a century to win non-consecutive terms. He will also be the first convicted felon to serve as president.
Trump’s children at his side but won’t join his administration
Trump’s five children were seen entering the Capitol, moments before he is set to be sworn in for a second term.
Unlike his first term, none will serve in his administration.
Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, were advisers in the West Wing during his first presidency. But neither are returning this time around. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are currently leading the Trump Organization.
Omar rips Dems for attending Trump’s inauguration after calling him a ‘threat to democracy’
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. sent out a blistering X post criticizing fellow Democrats who called Trump a threat to democracy and are now “willing to be there and clap for him.”
“People are more upset at performers/artists attending Trump’s inaugural events but not upset at all the politicians who told them he was a ‘threat to democracy’ going to these events are not serious,” she wrote.
“Performers at least know they are there to perform and get paid, but these politicians who ran their mouth for 4 yrs and are now willing to be there and clap for him, that’s who they should be mad at,” she added. “They lied to you and your criticism/anger should be rightfully directed at them.
— ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel
Clintons, Bushes, Obama arrive at Capitol
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 election to President-elect Donald Trump, have arrived at Trump’s second inauguration. Trump supporters gathered at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., booed as the Clintons walked in.
Former Vice President Mike Pence was also not accompanied by his wife, Karen Pence.
Trump’s Cabinet picks are in the Capitol. One could be confirmed tonight
Hundreds of people are gathered inside the Capitol Rotunda, including several of Trump’s Cabinet picks: Tulsi Gabbard, tapped for director of national intelligence; Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chosen to lead Health and Human Services; and Pete Hegseth, his pick to lead the Pentagon.
His pick for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, could be confirmed as soon as Monday night. Rubio is considered one of Trump’s least controversial picks.
A number of Senate committees that will vote on different nominees have scheduled meetings for later this week.
Chants, music, and a watch party inside Capital One Arena
With a sea of red hats and the campaign soundtrack blasting, Capital One Arena emulates the environment of a campaign rally.
Notably, a desk sits at the end of the stage across the podium. Trump is expected to sign executive orders from here.
There is a feed of Trump’s movements being streamed live on the Jumbotrons as well. As the president-elect departed St. John’s church, the crowd here burst into applause and chanted “USA.”
There were also chants of “JD-48” as they watched the vice president-elect and his wife arrived at the White House.
ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott spoke to one couple from Alabama who arrived at 2:30 a.m. and said there were still “thousands” of people ahead of them.
EMS first responders from Butler, Pennsylvania — the site of that first assassination attempt — are expected to be present as well.
— ABC News’ Rachel Scott and Benjamin Siegel
What happens when Trump and Biden get to Capitol
According to the presidential inauguration committee, here is what will happen when Trump gets to the Capitol:
First, he will be sworn in around noon.
After, Trump will bid farewell to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden is leaving the Capitol via helicopter to go to Joint Base Andrews, where he will hold a farewell event with his staff.
Trump will then visit the overflow crowd gathered at Emancipation Hall to watch the swearing in and later participate in a ceremony in the presidents signing room. He will eventually return to Emancipation Hall for a review of the troops.
Biden and Trump depart White House together for Capitol
President Joe Biden and President-elect Trump are riding together to the U.S. Capitol for Trump’s swearing-in.
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who chairs the congressional inaugural committee, walked them out of the White House.
First lady Jill Biden and Melania Trump rode to the ceremony separately, as did Vice President Kamala Harris and Vice President-elect JD Vance.
Biden sees to peaceful transition of power Trump denied him four years ago
The peaceful transition of power is a hallmark of American democracy.
It’s currently on display as Biden hosts Trump at the White House before they attend the inauguration together.
But four years ago, Trump denied Biden such a welcome. Instead, he bitterly left Washington hours before the inauguration while still refusing to concede he lost the 2020 election.
“The only president ever to avoid an inauguration is the guy that’s about to be inaugurated,” Biden had said when he confirmed he would be in attendance for Monday’s events.
Biden leaves letter for Trump
As President Joe Biden prepared to pass the baton to President-elect Donald Trump, he’s followed the tradition of leaving his successor a note.
While Biden confirmed that he wrote Trump a letter, he did not say what his message was.
President Ronald Reagan started the ritual of leaving his successor a letter in 1989. Every president since has taken part in the tradition. But since Reagan’s letter to Bush, each handover has been from a Democrat to a Republican or vice versa.
Mike Pence to attend inauguration
Former Vice President Mike Pence announced his plans to attend the inauguration.
“Today, I will attend the Inauguration of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance at the U. S. Capitol,” Pence wrote on X. “This is a day when every American does well to celebrate our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States.”
Pence was seen arriving at the U.S. Capitol at around 9:30 a.m.
Trump and Vance have had a contentious relationship and did not interact publicly for four years after Pence broke with Trump by refusing to reject the 2020 election results.
Biden tells Trump: ‘Welcome home’
As Trump exited his limousine, Biden said to him: “Welcome home.”
Trump walked up the steps with Melania Trump and they shook hands with the Bidens.
Trump is now at the White House
Trump has arrived at the White House, where he will have tea with President Biden.
The two men will later ride together to the U.S. Capitol for Trump’s swearing in.
Trump’s return caps what has been a remarkable political comeback unlike anything in American history.
This isn’t Trump’s first time back at the White House. Biden invited him for an Oval Office meeting days after his victory in November.
Hundreds available to attend inauguration from inside the Capitol Rotunda
Guests will attend the inauguration from the Capitol Rotunda and overflow areas, with 800 able to attend from inside the Rotunda.
About 1,300 can attend in the Emancipation Hall, and 500 can watch from the theater in the Capitol Visitor Center.
— ABC News’ Justin Gomez and Allison Pecorin
Trump will rename Gulf of Mexico the ‘Gulf of America’ among 1st actions
Among the first executive orders set to be signed by President-elect Donald Trump will be an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
During his January press conference at Mar-A-Lago, Trump declared he would change the name, saying it’s currently run by cartels and that “it’s ours.”
“We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers a lot of territory, the Gulf of America,” Trump said. “What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate. It’s appropriate. And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.”
Presidents have the authority to rename geographic regions and features via executive order.
-ABC News’ John Santucci and Kelsey Walsh
Biden takes selfie with first lady at White House
President Joe Biden snapped a selfie with first lady Jill Biden outside the White House, documenting their final morning in office.
The Bidens will soon host the Trumps for tea and coffee at the White House.
Bidens greet Harris at the White House Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff have arrived at the White House.
They exchanged handshakes with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
The Trumps will soon join Biden at the White House for tea. They have just exited St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Supporters line up outside Capital One Arena before dawn, despite sub-freezing temps
Temperatures in the high teens and low 20s did little to stop Trump supporters from lining up early to attend inauguration events at Capital One Arena.
Those at the front of the line arrived at 3 a.m., despite the fact that Trump was eight hours away from taking the oath, and doors were four hours away from opening.
Thousands were lined up by the time doors opened at 7 a.m.
ABC News spoke with supporters from all over the nation including southern California, Florida, and New York. Many arrived with family members that spanned generations.
ABC News’ Meghan Mistry
Trumps arrive for church service
Donald Trump and Melania Trump have arrived for a church service at St. John’s in Washington, a tradition for presidential inaugurations.
Trump said he’s feeling “great.”
After church, President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will welcome the Trumps to the White House — an invitation that Trump did not offer the Bidens four years ago when he skipped the inaugural events entirely.
First to ABC: Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Tom Homan and Kellyanne Conway to speak at Capital One Arena, per sources
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, “border czar” Tom Homan and Kellyanne Conway will speak at Capital One Arena, per sources familiar with the planning.
Elon Musk will join the speakers list as well.
The president will also swing by the Capital One Arena for the 60th Presidential Inaugural Ceremony Viewing & Parade.
The evening will include the Oval Office Signing Ceremony, followed by the Commander and Chief Ball, Liberty Ball, and Starlight Ball.
— ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh
Members of Trump’s family arrive at St. John’s
Trump is about to leave Blair House for the first event of the day: a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Members of his family, including his children Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump, were seen arriving for the service.
Senior Trump adviser dismisses significance of Biden pardons
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, dismissed the significance of President Joe Biden’s preemptive pardons for prominent political figures in an interview with “Good Morning America” on Monday.
“Today is about President Trump and starting to undo some of the disasters from the past four years,” Miller said shortly after the news of Biden’s inauguration day pardons broke.
“I really don’t care about Joe Biden anymore,” Miller added. “This is about the plan of action President Trump is going to start implementing, starting today.”
A preview of Trump’s inaugural address
Excerpts of Trump’s inaugural address, obtained by ABC News, show Trump will call for a “revolution of common sense.”
“I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country,” he will say.
Trump will also hint at the sweeping executive action he will take, with as many as 200 orders prepared for Day 1.
“Today, I will sign a series of historic executive orders,” he’ll say. “With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense.”
“My message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor, and the vitality of history’s greatest civilization.”
What Trump has said he’ll do on Day 1
Mass deportations, Jan. 6 pardons and tariffs on trade partners. That’s just some of what Trump repeatedly vowed to do immediately after he is sworn into office.
Sources told ABC News Trump is likely to sign executive orders at the U.S. Capitol after his swearing-in and then additional ones later at Capital One Arena.
Separately, top Trump officials told ABC News he is preparing to take more than 200 executive actions on his first day in office.
While plans are still being finalized, sources said they could include declaring a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border, rescinding any DEI directives from the Biden administration and offsetting limits for offshore drilling on federal land.
Biden’s attendance restores hallmark of American democracy
After a bitter 2024 campaign, Biden will put politics aside and stand near his successor as he takes the presidential oath spelled out in the Constitution.
The gesture is a tradition of American democracy, but especially notable given that Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration four years ago after refusing to concede.
Still, Biden made sure to issue a final warning to Americans before he left office to be vigilant against potential abuses of power ahead.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” he said in his farewell address. “We see the consequences all across America.”
How to watch Trump’s inauguration
ABC News will have comprehensive coverage of the inauguration throughout the day.
Trump is expected to begin his day with a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church and a private tea at the White House before his swearing-in ceremony at noon in the Capitol Rotunda.
The network’s coverage will begin with a special edition of “Good Morning America” at 7 a.m. EST, followed by a day-long special report beginning at 9 a.m. EST and led by “World News Tonight” anchor and managing editor David Muir from Washington.
Inauguration coincides with MLK Day
Trump’s second swearing in is occurring on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The last time that happened was former President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. Obama, the nation’s first Black president, took the oath of office that year using two Bibles, one that belonged to King and one that belonged to Abraham Lincoln.
The overlap isn’t expected to happen again until 2053.
Fauci, Milley react to preemptive pardons from Biden
Following Biden’s announcement of preemptive pardons to potential targets of the incoming Trump administration, the recipients express their gratitude to the outgoing president.
“I really truly appreciate the action President Biden has taken today on my behalf,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. “Let me be perfectly clear, Jon, I have committed no crime, you know that, and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me.”
Retired Gen. Mark Milley also expressed that he was “deeply grateful for the President’s action.”
“After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights. I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety.”
“I wish this pardon weren’t necessary, but unfortunately, the political climate we are in now has made the need for one somewhat of a reality,” said Harry Dunn, former Capitol Police officer. “I, like all of the other public servants, was just doing my job and upholding my oath, and I will always honor that.”
