Quote:In pictures: The inauguration of Joe Biden
Updated January 20, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden will take the oath of office on Wednesday, but it will be a scaled-down inauguration unlike any we've ever seen.

The celebrations have been cut back because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Biden's inaugural committee — trying to keep crowds to a minimum — has urged Americans not to travel to Washington, DC. The National Mall will also be closed to the general public because of security concerns related to the January 6 storming of the US Capitol.

Usually, thousands of people gather on the Mall to watch the new president being sworn in. This year, there are thousands of National Guard troops stationed in the nation's capital.

This will also be the first time in 150 years that the outgoing president will boycott his successor's inauguration. President Donald Trump, still bitter about the election, is skipping the ceremony and many of the time-honored traditions that come with the peaceful transfer of power.

Biden will take the oath of office on the West Front of the US Capitol, but there will be no public parade from the Capitol to the White House. The celebrations will be mostly virtual, and the inaugural balls will be replaced by a prime-time television special.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/19/politics/gallery/joe-biden-inauguration-photos/index.html






Participants evacuate from the West Front of the US Capitol during the rehearsal ahead of the inauguration of United States President-elect Joe Biden. and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Wednesday 20 January, 2021.



Inauguration rehearsal participants are led into a room inside the Capitol after being evacuated from the outside.


Re:  Pictures by GodWrites: 9:45am
Members of the US National Guard arrive as the US Capitol goes into lockdown at the at the East Front of the US Capitol during the inauguration dress rehearsal.


Re: Joe Biden's Inauguration In Pictures by GodWrites: 9:46am
Preparations are made prior to the rehearsal at the Capitol in Washington.
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Chairs are set-up for participants in the dress rehearsal for the 59th inaugural ceremony



A US Marine Corps officer stands by a broken window on a door of the US Capitol during a dress rehearsal for the ceremony, a reminder of the events earlier this month.


US Marine Corps stand by a door which still has smashed glass in the windows



The National Mall in Washington, D.C is filled with a display of 200,000 American flags to mark deaths from coronavirus in the US. Almost 400,000 people have died. They take the place of crowds who would normally pack the area.



Stand-ins for President-elect Joe Biden and Jill Biden, walk on to the podium during a rehearsal for the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol.



Troops on street

The National Guard walk to the Capitol as security is reinforced. More than 20,000 National Guard troops were being dispatched across the city to bolster security.

Quote:Inauguration Live Updates: Trump Leaves White House as Biden Prepares to Assume the Presidency

Having issued a raft of pardons overnight, President Trump defied convention by skipping his successor’s swearing-in. After taking the oath of office, President-elect Joe Biden plans to sign executive orders aimed at reversing policies on issues including the environment and immigration.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/20/us/biden-inauguration

Quote:A source close to the White House says President Trump spent his final night in the White House working on pardons and signing the final paperwork just before midnight.

His daughter Ivanka was with him until 10 p.m. ET and left to make phone calls to some of the people pardoned until 2 a.m. ET. Ivanka had been very involved in recent days in the criminal justice pardons for non-violent offenders.



The sources says the feeling is "bittersweet" as the family departs today. Another source says he’s relieved to leave behind the pressure of the presidency.

His daughter and son in law will not be joining him on Air Force One.

Marine One just took off from the White House lawn, carrying President Trump to Joint Base Andrews for his send-off ceremony.

But it is not typical for a president's final flights to be officially called Marine One and Air Force One, since those craft only have those names when the President is on them. (Typically, presidents leave DC after the new president is inaugurated.)

The helicopter flight for the outgoing president typically becomes known as Executive One.