New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has ordered flags in the state to fly at full-staff on Monday for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump as the nation remains in a mourning period to honor former President Jimmy Carter.
"Tomorrow, we are all Americans as we observe the centuries-old traditions of Inauguration Day," Hochul said in a statement to the New York Post on Sunday.
"For that reason, I am directing flags to fly at full staff throughout the State of New York on January 20 and return to half staff to honor the late President Carter on January 21," she added. "Regardless of your political views, the American tradition of the peaceful transition of power is something to celebrate."
The governor's directive comes during President Biden's order that flags at all government and public buildings and grounds across the country fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period following Carter's death on Dec. 29, 2024, which happens to include Inauguration Day.
Biden said the U.S. flag "should be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions."
It is a tradition when a former president dies to order a 30-day mourning period and for flags to be displayed at half-staff.
Hochul joins a trio of Democratic governors — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson — in ordering flags to fly at full-staff for Trump's inauguration before the mourning period ends on Jan. 28.
Several Republican governors have also directed flags to be raised on Monday, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Nearly 30 states will raise their flags on Monday for Trump's inauguration, as will flags at the U.S. Capitol following an order from House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Trump had publicly taken issue with the idea that flags could be displayed at half-staff for his inauguration following Carter's death.
"The Democrats are all 'giddy' about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at 'half mast' during my Inauguration," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 3. "They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don't love our Country, they only think about themselves."
"Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It’s a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast," he continued. "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Flags were flown at half-staff when former President Nixon was sworn-in for his second term in 1973 after Nixon ordered the flags to be lowered following the death of former President Truman.
On Friday, Tennessee Republican State Rep. Todd Warner filed House Bill 217, which would rename Nashville International Airport to honor Trump.
The bill would require the metropolitan airport authority to take actions to execute the name change.
Those actions would include setting up new signage, changing registered trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), revising all existing contracts and legal documents to reflect the new name, and updating references with local, state and federal agencies.
During the transition period, the bill states that the airport may operate business using its current name with the designation of "doing business as Trump International Airport" or "d/b/a Trump International Airport."
If passed, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
This is not the first time a lawmaker has pushed to rename an airport after Trump.
Back in April 2024, a group of House Republicans also pushed to rename Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia after Trump.
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., the House GOP's chief deputy whip, introduced the bill, along with six cosponsors.
"In my lifetime, our nation has never been greater than under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump," Reschenthaler previously told Fox News Digital. "As millions of domestic and international travelers fly through the airport, there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity and strength than hearing ‘Welcome to Trump International Airport’ as they land on American soil."
If passed, it would be the second D.C.-area airport named for a Republican commander in chief after Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., previously told Fox News Digital that "it is only fitting that we would do the same for another one of our greatest presidents."
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., also echoed Moore and said "I can see no more fitting recognition than naming both airports in our nation’s capital after America’s two best presidents: DCA after President Reagan and Dulles after President Trump."
Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Millions of people across the country are expected to tune in to President-elect Trump's second inauguration ceremony. Television networks, online publications and social media outlets are preparing for the big event. The way inaugurations have been presented to the public has changed drastically over the years.
"We must think big and dream even bigger," Trump said during his first inaugural address in 2017.
Tens of millions of people watched his first address in real time – both on television and through online streaming. But inaugural addresses and analysis of the speeches were not always available immediately. In 1789, when George Washington was sworn in for the first time, his speech was not available to the public until several days later.
Thomas Jefferson became the first president to have his inauguration speech printed in a newspaper the same day he gave his address in 1801. The National Intelligencer printed the speech on the morning of Jefferson’s inauguration.
James Polk was the first president to have his address reported by telegraph. It was also the first time a speech was shown in a newspaper illustration, by the Illustrated London News.
Drawings were the main visual for inaugurations for another 12 years, until photography became more frequently used. James Buchanan was the first president to have a photograph taken at his swearing-in. Another 40 years later, video was used to record inaugurations for the public.
William McKinley was the first president to appear on a movie camera during his inaugural address in 1901. Only silent films were available then, but that would change over the years as inaugural addresses began to incorporate audio.
In 1921, Warren Harding was the first to use loudspeakers to address the crowd attending his inauguration in person. Four years later, Calvin Coolidge was the first to have his inaugural broadcast nationally by radio. The White House Historical Association estimates his 1925 address reached more than 23 million radio listeners. Herbert Hoover gave the first multimedia inaugural. His 1929 address was the first recorded on a talking newsreel.
"It is a dedication and consecration under God to the highest office in service of our people," Hoover said during his address.
After World War II, an increasing number of Americans bought television sets for their homes. By 1949, almost all major cities had at least one local television station, and 4.2 million American homes had TV sets. Harry Truman became the first president to have his inauguration broadcast live that year. More than a decade later, John F. Kennedy had his address broadcast in color for the estimated 500,000 Americans who had color television sets.
"Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country," Kennedy famously said during his inauguration speech.
Ronald Reagan sought to bring the pageantry of inauguration events to Americans across the country. His inaugural committee hosted around 100 satellite inaugural balls that were broadcast in 32 cities.
"Almost 200 years ago, at the first inaugural, people came by stagecoach. This time, people all over America, millions of people, are attending this one by satellite," Reagan said during a ball at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
More than a decade later, Bill Clinton’s second inauguration in 1997 was available on the internet via livestream. Clinton had signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 just a year before at the Library of Congress.
"Ten years ago, the internet was the mystical province of physicists; today, it is a commonplace encyclopedia for millions of schoolchildren," Clinton said during his inaugural address. "As we look back at this remarkable century, we may ask, ‘Can we hope not just to follow, but even to surpass the achievements of the 20th century in America?'"
With the growth of the internet, social media use also expanded.
"We have always understood that when times change, so must we," Barack Obama said at his second inaugural address in 2013.
Obama was the first president to join Twitter. His 2013 address generated more than 1 million tweets. According to Pew Research, around 51% of Americans owned a smartphone at the time. When Trump was sworn into office in 2017, that percentage rose to 77%. Cellphone carriers installed extracellular antennas ahead of the address for the massive crowd that would be sharing photos and videos from the day’s events on social media.
When Joe Biden gave his address in 2021, his inaugural committee relied on technology for nearly every aspect of the event. The coronavirus pandemic forced much of Biden’s festivities to move online.
"The world is watching all of us today. So, here is my message to those beyond our borders: America has been tested, and we have come out stronger for it," Biden said during his address.
President-elect Donald Trump outlined his plans for the opening days of his administration during his Victory Rally in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, vowing an onslaught of executive orders that will make voters "extremely happy."
"You're going to see something tomorrow. You're going to see executive orders that are going to make you extremely happy. Lots of them, lots of them. We have to set our country on a proper course. By the time the sun sets tomorrow evening, the invasion of our borders will have come to a halt and all the illegal border trespassers will, in some form or another, be on their way back home," Trump said during his rally on Sunday.
Fox News Digital exclusively reported earlier Sunday that Trump will sign more than 200 executive actions on his first day in office.
"Every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office," Trump said. "You're going to have a lot of fun watching television tomorrow."
Trump vowed that he will make "remaining records relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, as well as Doctor Martin Luther King Jr" publicly available. He also vowed to start constructing the "Great Iron Dome missile defense shield," as well as to get North Carolina back on its feet after hurricanes ripped through the state last year. As for January 6 protesters who were charged or convicted, Trump hinted they will be "very, very happy."
"The American people have given us their trust, and in return, we're going to give them the best first day, the biggest first week, and the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history. To implement this historic agenda, I have assembled an all-star cabinet of patriots and visionary reformers for America, and together we will win, win, win for America," he said before giving a shout out to his cabinet picks.
Trump's speech also focused on the immigration crisis that throttled the nation, vowing again that his administration will carry out a massive deportation operation.
"Very soon we'll begin the largest deportation operation in American history. Larger, even larger than President, Dwight Eisenhower, who has the record right now," he said.
"And we're going to end the Biden war and American energy and unleash our energy resources to quickly defeat inflation and achieve the lowest cost of energy and electricity on Earth. And we're going to be using our emergency powers to allow countries and entrepreneurs and people with a lot of money to build big plants," he said.
Trump's speech is his last as president-elect ahead of taking the oath of office for the second time and returning to the Oval Office on Monday. A bevy of longtime high-profile Trump supporters joined Trump at the rally to deliver remarks or perform, including musicians Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood, as well as UFC CEO Dana White, tech billionaire Elon Musk and actor Jon Voight.
"What an honor. What an honor it is for me to be up here in front of you. Great men and women who've all come here to celebrate the greatest win of all time. The greatest of all time. The victory we were all fighting for," Voight said from the Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon ahead of Trump.
"To save our country, our democracy. And I'm so grateful that I'm able to say that Donald J. Trump is the 47th president of the United States of America. And now he will make America thrive again. He will make America great again, safer again. And we the people will honor our flag again," he continued. Trump recently announced Voight will serve as a special ambassador "to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California."
Trump also brushed off President Biden taking victory for securing the hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas last week. Hamas began releasing hostages on Sunday ahead of Trump's rally.
"I'm glad to report that the first hostages have just been released. And who knows what's going to happen. I know that Biden thinks that they made the deal," Trump said while supporters booed Biden's name.
Biden took credit for inking the cease fire deal in his opening remarks of his final address to the nation last week. Credit for reaching the agreement, however, was bolstered by the incoming Trump administration, according to sources who told Fox Digital that a recent meeting between Trump's incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly played a pivotal role in the deal.
Trump thanked Witkoff for his efforts to help secure the deal during the rally, while arguing war would not have broken out in the Middle East if he had been president.
Trump wrapped up his speech vowing to Make America Great Again – noting "it all starts tomorrow" after his inaugration.
"We put America first, and it all starts tomorrow. When I raise my hand or they vote to be sworn as your. We'll be sworn in tomorrow. We're all going to be sworn in together. That's the way I look at it," he said.
Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, on Sunday, doubled down on his vow to oppose President-elect Trump's sweeping reform aimed at removing dangerous illegal immigrants accused of crimes from the U.S. once he returns to the Oval Office on Monday.
In preparation for a change in federal administration, the mayor’s office has assured the city would continue to comply with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
On Sunday, his opposition continued to ring loud and clear.
"Chicago stands strong: regardless of the circumstances, our commitment to protecting and supporting this city remains unwavering," Johnson wrote in a social media post. "We will continue to fight for the justice and safety of all who call this place home."
The mayor also shared comments he made back in November, after Trump won the election.
In a nearly minute and ten second clip, Johnson said he and other city officials were going to defend the people of Chicago, telling those in attendance Trump’s threats are not just toward new arrivals and undocumented families, but also Black families.
He also accused Trump of wanting to destroy public education and "leveling opportunities for families who are descendants of slaves."
"We’re going to stand up, and we’re going to protect undocumented individuals," Johnson said. "We’re going to protect Black folks, brown folks, Asian folks… Listen, the anti-sentiment that exists in this political space is unconscionable and it’s dangerous.
"Whether it’s anti-Black or antisemitic, we’re going to protect people, and we’re going to invest in people," Johnson continued. "The city of Chicago will be better, stronger and safer despite who’s in the White House."
Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.
Earlier this month, Johnson released guidelines for how to handle visits from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), should officials from the agency enter city property.
Johnson’s guidelines advise, "Contact your agency or department’s designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance. Contact the highest ranking official or designated supervisor onsite and do not take any action until that person arrives."
The guidance says to demand copies of warrants, not to consent to ICE entering "any private or ‘sensitive’ locations," but not to interfere with any search, even if refused. There are further recommendations, including taking notes and keeping contemporaneous written records.
Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants are residing in Chicago, despite residents pleading with city officials about how there are not enough resources to provide for them. More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022, according to previous reports from Fox 32 Chicago, and thousands are in shelters.
Sheltering migrants has drawn ire from residents after it has reportedly cost the city $574.5 million since August 2022. At a previous city council meeting on December 3rd, residents objected to an approximately $60 million property tax increase that was proposed to help officials overcome a $1 billion budget shortfall by the end of last year.
Fox News Digital’s Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Trump will sign more than 200 executive actions on his first day in office—a massive, record-setting first wave of policy priorities focused on border security, energy, reducing the cost of living for American families, ending DEI programs across the federal government, and more, Fox News Digital has learned.
A senior administration official who is familiar with the executive actions and authorized to brief Fox News Digital said the president will sign multiple "omnibus" executive orders that each contain dozens of major executive actions.
"The president is issuing a historic series of executive orders and actions that will fundamentally reform the American government, including the complete and total restoration of American sovereignty," the official told Fox News Digital.
On day one, the president will declare a national border emergency; direct the U.S. military to work with the Department of Homeland Security to fully secure the southern border; and establish a national priority to eliminate all criminal cartels operating on U.S. soil.
Trump will close the border to all illegal aliens via proclamation and declare a national emergency at the border, Fox News Digital has learned.
Trump will also create task forces for the protection of homeland security with officers from the FBI, ICE, CEA, and more to "fully eradicate the presence of criminal cartels."
Trump will also direct designations of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which the official said will unlock new authorities to achieve the Trump homeland security mission.
Fox News Digital has learned that Trump will re-institute "Remain in Mexico," "Catch and Release," and direct the military to construct a new phase of the border wall, as well as grant emergency authorities to suspend the entry of illegal aliens across the southwest border, allowing for individuals apprehended to be "swiftly returned to their countries of origin."
As for energy, Trump will "fully unleash" Alaskan energy, which the official said is pivotal and essential to U.S. national security.
The senior official told Fox News Digital that the energy executive order deals with "every single energy policy," and addresses liquid, natural gas, ports, fracking, pipelines, permitting and more, while also terminating President Biden's policies which "have constrained U.S. energy supply."
The official also said Trump will fully reform the federal bureaucracy by reestablishing presidential control over the career, federal workforce and make clear to federal workers that they can be removed from posts for failing to comply with executive directives.
The official said Trump will sign an executive order to strengthen control over senior government officials and implement a new merit-based hiring review. Trump will also take action to return federal workers to in-person work.
The official also said Trump will end the "weaponization of the federal government" and restore freedom of speech and "end federal censorship."
Trump, on his first day, will also suspend the security clearances for the 51 national security officials who "lied" about Hunter BIden's laptop ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Trump is also expected to establish biological sex definitions; rename historical places like the "Gulf of America," and more.
Trump, on day one, will also end all Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs across the federal government.
Trump will also establish a new Department of Government Efficiency hiring freeze; gain control over foreign aid and NGO funding; and more.
"He is reasserting muscular control of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government," the official told Fox News Digital.
As for reducing the cost for American families, Trump will sign a specific presidential memorandum directing all agencies and departments to remove all federal actions that increase costs for families and consumers, which the official told Fox News Digital will be the beginning of Trump’s "historic de-regulatory effort" of his second term.
Trump, on his first day, will also declare a national energy emergency and pause all offshore wind leases.
Meanwhile, Trump will end the electric vehicle mandate; end the Green New Deal; withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord; and roll back more of President Biden's actions and orders.
"This is a massive, record-setting, unmatched first wave," the official told Fox News Digital. "Even after this, there is a whole host in the cue to continue the restoration of America."
The official added: "This is the most extensive list of executive actions in American history all guided by a relentless commitment to deliver on the campaign promise."
The official told Fox News Digital that "everything" voters voted for "is being translated into executive policy."
"There is a massive federal workforce that has been moving its objectives at expense of the American people--and President Trump is taking command, saying you will serve the American people and only American people," the official said. "This is about stopping corrupt, abusive behavior and re-focusing the government on its fundamental duties to the American people."
Incoming Trump administration officials told Fox News Digital that the overarching theme to his day one actions is "promises made, promises kept."
"As soon as President Trump places his hand on the Bible and swears the Oath to the United States Constitution, the Golden Age of America will begin," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. "The American people will have a leader who will deliver on the promises he made to restore our country’s greatness."
The president, on Sunday, previewed one of his day one executive orders related to the popular video-sharing app TikTok, which was forced to go dark in the United States following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump said he will sign an order on Monday that will "extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security." Trump also said the order would confirm that there "will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order."
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is expected to announce a run for governor in his home state of Ohio by the last week of January, a source close to the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur told Fox News Digital.
The development on his timetable comes two days after multiple sources confirmed to Fox News that Ramaswamy, who along with Elon Musk is co-leader of President-elect Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, was likely to launch a gubernatorial campaign "shortly."
"Vivek’s base plan remains [the] same: to get accomplishments at DOGE and then announce a run for governor shortly," an Ohio operative familiar with Ramaswamy’s thinking told Fox News on Friday.
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026.
DeWine on Friday announced that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted would fill the U.S. Senate seat that was held by former Sen. JD Vance until earlier this month, when the vice president-elect stepped down ahead of Monday's inauguration.
Before the Senate announcement, Husted had planned to run for governor in 2026 to succeed DeWine. Ramaswamy, for his part, had expressed interest in serving in the Senate.
DeWine's decision to choose Husted to fill the vacant Senate seat appeared to accelerate Ramaswamy's move toward launching a run for governor.
Ramaswamy, 39, who launched his presidential campaign in February 2023, saw his stock rise as he went from a long shot to a contender for the Republican nomination.
Ramaswamy campaigned on what he called an "America First 2.0" agenda and was one of Trump's biggest supporters in the field of rivals, calling Trump the "most successful president in our century."
He dropped his White House bid a year ago after a distant fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming a top surrogate on the campaign trail.
Ramaswamy was named along with Musk, the world's richest person, to lead DOGE, in an announcement in November by Trump.
Ohio, which was once a top general election battleground, has shifted red over the past decade as Republicans have dominated statewide elections.
Top members of the three branches of government will come together in a rare display of national unity and tradition when the presidential and vice-presidential oaths of office are delivered at Monday's inauguration. A swear-in rookie, and perhaps funny hats, will be indispensable parts of the ceremonies.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh will continue a nearly 240-year-old tradition of administering the oaths to President-elect Trump and his No. 2, JD Vance. The other seven members of the high court are expected to attend the event in the Capitol Rotunda, all in their judicial robes.
Whatever political differences exist, they surely will not be on display at this most cordial and dignified of ceremonies. After all, the first person the president thanks will likely be the chief justice. But an undercurrent of tension remains.
During his first run for high office in 2016, candidate Trump took the unusual step of attacking a member of the federal judiciary, labeling Roberts "an absolute disaster" among other personal insults. This will be the "Chief's" fifth presidential swearing-in, his second with Trump.
The choice of Kavanaugh is no surprise: incoming second lady Usha Vance clerked for Kavanaugh when he was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington.
She then went on to a prestigious law clerkship at the Supreme Court with Roberts. Sources say Kavanaugh gave an especially strong job recommendation for Usha Vance to his now bench colleague.
In an August interview with "Fox and Friends," Usha Vance said Kavanaugh was "such a good boss" and "decent person" who "hired people from all over the political spectrum."
"My experience working for him was overwhelmingly positive," she added.
Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Clarence Thomas are among recent justices who have performed similar vice-presidential swear-in honors.
While chief justices have normally sworn in the president, a broader mix of officials have handled the vice-presidential duties. Then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert swore in Vice President Dick Cheney in 2005.
Thomas did the honors when Mike Pence was sworn in 2017 as vice president for Trump's first term.
Article VI of the Constitution requires executive officers, including the president, as well as members of Congress and federal judges, to "be bound by oath or affirmation," but nothing mandates that a Supreme Court justice administer it. When it comes to the presidential inauguration, they just have, most of the time.
There was no Supreme Court yet formed when George Washington took the first oath of office in 1789, so New York's highest ranking judge did the honors at Federal Hall on Wall Street. Four years later, Associate Justice William Cushing swore in Washington for a second term, beginning the Supreme Court tradition.
Early swear-ins were usually conducted in the House or Senate chamber. The 1817 inaugural was held outdoors for the first time when James Monroe took the oath in front of the Old Brick Capitol, where the legislature met temporarily after the original Capitol was burned by invading British troops in the War of 1812. The Monroe swear-in site is now occupied by the Supreme Court, which opened its building in 1935.
The man who handled the duties more than 200 years ago was John Marshall, widely acknowledged as the most influential chief justice in U.S. history. He participated in a record nine swear-ins, from Thomas Jefferson to Andrew Jackson. For Roberts, this will be his fifth.
The Constitution lays out the exact language to be used in the 34-word oath of office: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Many judges have tacked on four little words, "so help me God." It is not legally or constitutionally required, unlike other federal oaths that invoke the words as standard procedure. Historians have been at odds over whether President Washington established precedent by adding the phrase on his own during his first acceptance, but contemporary accounts mention no such ad-libbing.
Abraham Lincoln was reported to have said it spontaneously in 1861, and other presidents over the years have followed suit. A Bible is traditionally used, with the president placing one hand on it while raising the other during the oath of office.
The 16th president and Chief Justice Roger Taney shared a mutual animosity. When the oath was administered just days before the Civil War erupted, many attending the ceremony noticed the frosty demeanor both men showed each other, befitting the late winter chill. Several historians have said Lincoln later that year secretly issued an arrest warrant for Taney, who tried to block the president's suspension of habeas corpus during the conflict. The warrant was never served.
Roberts, administering his first presidential oath in 2009, strayed slightly from the text, which prompted its re-administration for protective purposes the following day, in a private White House ceremony.
Those Jan. 20 ceremonies at the Capitol also ran long, so that the presidential oath was not completed until five minutes past noon. Nonetheless, Obama under the 20th Amendment had officially assumed the presidency at noon.
At the time, a California atheist, Michael Newdow, objected and went to federal court to prevent Roberts from prompting Obama to repeat the "so help me God" phrase. Newdow, along with several non-religious groups, argued the words violated the constitutional ban on government "endorsement" of religion.
The high court ultimately rejected the lawsuit, and no such legal challenges are expected this time.
Four years later, Justice Sonia Sotomayor swore in Biden for a second term as vice president in 2013. She was asked by Vice President Harris to do the honors again, with the first female vice president citing the fact both women once served as government prosecutors.
Pence used the family Bible of the late President Ronald Reagan, telling Fox News at the time, "It's just very humbling for me. We are approaching it with prayer, but with deep, deep gratitude to the president-elect for his confidence and deep gratitude to the American people."
Trump also broke tradition by not attending the swear-in of his successor four years ago.
Lyndon Johnson's swear-in from 1965 marked a change from tradition. His wife Claudia – known as Lady Bird – held the Bible, a job previously managed by the high court's clerk. Spouses have since had the honor, and Melania Trump and Usha Vance are expected to continue that role.
Hopefully, nerves won't result in a repeat of the 1941 goof, when then-clerk Elmore Cropley dropped the Bible just after Franklin Roosevelt took the oath to begin his third presidential term.
It usually is not hard at the inauguration to spot the justices, who are normally shielded from broad public view in the camera-barred court. They are announced as a group, arrive wearing their black robes – usually covering bulky winter coats – and are given prominent seats on the specially built platform on the West Front of the Capitol.
Before Marshall took over the court in 1801, the justices wore red robes with fur trim and white wigs in all public settings. His practice of a simple black silk robe without wig remains the American judicial standard.
And if there is any doubt about their identities, look for some unusual-looking headgear several justices may be sporting. The large black "skullcaps" have no brims and can be made of wool, silk or even nylon. Perhaps to keep them from looking like a Jewish yarmulke, the hats are usually pleated upward, which one federal judge privately told Fox News made him look like he was wearing a dirty napkin.
Given the inauguration ceremony is indoors this year because of expected frigid weather, the skullcaps may be an afterthought.
They have been around in British courts since the 16th century, and at least a century in the United States. Only judges wear them, and only at formal ceremonies, not in court.
Official records are hazy on the hats, but Chief Justice Edward White proudly wore one in 1913 when Woodrow Wilson became president. The "age of the skullcap" peaked in 1961 when seven of the nine justices wore them at the bitterly cold inauguration of President John F. Kennedy.
The last time around, only now-retired Justice Stephen Breyer was brave enough to sport one, though Thomas, Anthony Kennedy, and the late Antonin Scalia had worn them previously. None of the six current or former women justices ever used them.
Scalia told an audience a few years ago why he favored skullcaps. "If you've ever seen an inauguration, you will see me wearing the old hats judges used to wear. It's a ridiculous-looking hat, but it's a tradition. Yes, it's silly looking."
Scalia's headgear was a replica of one worn by St. Thomas More, a gift from the St. Thomas More Society of Richmond, Virginia
The late Chief Justice William Rehnquist also sported them, not surprising, given his role as an unofficial historian of court procedure and tradition.
He made one of the most dramatic appearances in inaugural history while suffering from thyroid cancer in 2005. There was speculation he would be too ill to attend, but he assured officials he would be there, and he kept his word.
After three months away from the public eye while he received chemotherapy, the ailing 81-year-old chief was introduced to the audience just before President George W. Bush was to take the oath. Using a cane, Rehnquist walked slowly to the podium without assistance – wearing a dark baseball cap – and did the honors. His voice was clear but raspy, because of a trachea tube in his throat, which was hidden by a scarf.
Afterward, Rehnquist wished Bush good luck, then was quickly escorted out of the cold.
Rehnquist also swore in President Bill Clinton eight years earlier. Unbeknownst to Clinton or the public, the justices days earlier had taken a private vote in Clinton v. Jones. Their ruling said the president could not refuse to testify in an ongoing civil lawsuit against him by Paula Jones, who alleged sexual harassment. That triggered a series of events leading to Clinton's 1999 impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, presided over by Rehnquist himself, without the skullcap.
President Biden vowed to stick around in public life following his departure from the White House, telling a South Carolina church congregation on Sunday, "I'm not going anywhere."
On his last full day in office, Biden traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, where he spoke at the Royal Missionary Baptist Church to celebrate Martin Luther King Day early.
On the topic of clemency, Biden commended himself for issuing more commutations and individual pardons than "any other president in American history," adding that he also aspired to "end the federal death penalty" by commuting most sentences to life in prison without parole. The president also said he commuted the sentences of individuals "serving disproportionately hard, long, and harsh sentences for nonviolent drug offenses" and showed "mercy" for individuals who did their time or served a significant amount of time and "have shown significant remorse and rehabilitation."
"These decisions are difficult. Some have never been done before, but, in my experience, with my conscience, I believe taking together justice and mercy requires as a nation to bear witness, to see people's pain, not to look away and do the work, to move pain to purpose, to show we can get a person, a nation, to a day of redemption," Biden said. "We know the struggle to redeem the soul of this nation is difficult and ongoing."
"This is the shore between peril and possibility. But faith, faith teaches us the America of our dreams is always closer than we think. That's the faith we must hold on to for the Saturdays to come. We must hold on a hope. We must stay engaged. Must always keep the faith in a better day to come," Biden said, adding: "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not kidding… The people in South Carolina, thank you for keeping the faith. It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president."
"As I close out this journey with you, I'm just as passionate about our work as I was as a 29-year-old kid when I got elected," Biden added. "I'm in no ways tired."
Biden, who turned 82 in November, must be back in Washington, D.C., on Monday for the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Trump.
After a disastrous debate performance against Trump over the summer, Biden suspended his re-election campaign amid serious concerns within the Democratic Party over his age and mental fitness.
Vice President Kamala Harris headed the Democratic ticket in Biden's place and suffered a decisive defeat by Trump in November.
Biden was the oldest U.S. president sworn into office four years ago. Trump, 78, will eclipse that record by a few months on Monday.
Earlier Sunday, Biden granted clemency to an additional five people, including pardoning political activist and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey.
President-elect Donald Trump Vice President-elect JD Vance participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Sunday, the eve of his return to the White House.
The president-elect's wife, Melania Trump, was also there, as were his children: Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump. Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, was also in attendance.
Some of Trump’s Cabinet picks were in the crowd, including Pete Hegseth, his pick for defense secretary; Marco Rubio, his pick for secretary of state; Tulsi Gabbard, his pick for director of national intelligence; and Elise Stefanik, his pick for United Nations ambassador.
Trump appeared solemn as he placed a wreath on an easel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in drizzly rain and in front of a silent crowd. Moments later, Vance did the same.
Trump held a salute while Vance held a hand over his heart during the ceremony.
A newly built segment of border wall in southern Arizona will keep out more than just illegal immigrants, a nonprofit conservation organization says.
The border wall segment and a "paved road across Arizona's California Gulch is blocking streamflow critical to the survival of one of only two U.S. populations of Sonora chub," a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity reads.
The "rare desert fish" is a "small, moderately chubby fish that feasts on a variety of native food sources and has a unique and distinctly red coloration on the underside when in breeding condition," the organization says.
"The new wall and road will push these imperiled fish to the brink of extinction," Krista Kemppinen, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
"The Sonora chub’s survival depends on being able to access scarce desert water on both sides of the border, exchange genetic material with nearby populations in Mexico, and bolster its populations with upstream migrations of fish from Sonora after droughts. The new construction makes all that impossible," she continued.
The organization drew attention to the matter just days before President-elect Donald Trump is set to retake office and ramp up his border security efforts.
"Designating California Gulch as critical habitat is more urgent than ever to minimize other threats, such as by keeping cows out of the Sonora chub’s pools," Kemppinen said in the statement. "It’s also imperative that carefully designed culverts be added to the new border infrastructure to allow at least some semblance of a natural streamflow and migration. If federal officials are serious about saving this fish, they need to act now."
Earlier this month, Trump set off a fiery debate over whether Democrats should be to blame for California's wildfires after he accused Gov. Gavin Newsom of caring more about protecting endangered fish species known as smelt than protecting the state's residents from wildfires.
Trump set off a firestorm on Wednesday when he called out Newsom on his Truth Social platform for wanting "to protect an essentially worthless fish" over protecting the water needs of Californians. The comments are not new, however. In the run-up to the November election, Trump made the claim during an October interview with podcaster Joe Rogan.
Neither the Center for Biological Diversity nor the Trump transition team responded to a request for comment regarding this story.
Fox News' Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Sunday denied that President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan could cost trillions of dollars, though said that there is no better investment than restoring the safety and security of the country.
Johnson made the remarks during an appearance on NBC’s "Meet the Press" when he was asked about the border crisis and grocery prices, the two issues that Trump says helped him win the election.
"I cannot think of a better dollar for dollar investment than to restore the security and the safety of the country," Johnson said. "We've had a wide-open border for four years and millions upon millions of illegal persons. We have dangerous illegals in the country, criminals who have already committed crimes here, violent crimes against American citizens."
The speaker cited crime and "the untold humanitarian cost in terms of trafficking and fentanyl deaths" in the U.S. as important reasons to tackle border security, saying, "getting rid of that criminal element … is something the American people want us to do."
"The number one job of the federal government is protecting the citizenry," he said. "And when you have a wide-open border, you don't have safety, security or even sovereignty, for that matter. President Trump is going to follow through on his campaign promises and the promises that we all made on the campaign trail. It costs money to do that. But there is a small investment in terms of what it costs us."
When asked whether the plan would come with a price tag in the trillions of dollars, Johnson rejected the notion.
"It won't cost trillions of dollars. I think we don't yet know the dollar figure," he said. "But I will tell you that the American people are going to support that effort. And we're going to begin with the most dangerous elements. And you're going to see a dramatic change in the country because of it."
Johnson did not provide an estimated cost for the deportation plan.
Regarding grocery prices, Johnson said those costs would unquestionably come down under Trump with the return to "fiscal sanity" and "common sense."
Johnson said that Congress and the Trump administration will "turn the economic engines back on" like during the first Trump term when lawmakers "reduced the tax burden on the American people, but even more importantly, the regulatory burden."
"That's going to be a major theme of the upcoming administration in this Congress, because if you release the red tape, you unleash the free market again. And that's good for everybody," he said.
On Jan. 20 2025, the nation and the world will be watching as President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will officially begin their four-year tenure in the White House.
Thousands will flock to the U.S. Capitol to see the historic moment in-person. For those watching from home, Fox News Media has a lineup of live broadcasts straight from Washington, D.C., as well as around-the-clock commentary for viewers.
On Jan. 20, Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com will broadcast a live stream of the inauguration ceremony, where Trump and Vance will each officially be sworn into office.
The swearing-in ceremony is slated to begin at noon.
Additionally, throughout the ceremony, and at other events occurring on the day, there will be several live performances by A-list stars, including Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, Lee Greenwood, Village People, Rascal Flatts, Parker McCollum and others.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Trump will make his second inaugural address following his first presidency, with an inaugural parade following soon after along Pennsylvania Avenue.
Later in the day, there will be three different official inaugural balls where Trump is expected to give remarks; the Commander in Chief Ball, Liberty Inaugural Ball and Starlight Ball.
Surrounding live broadcasts of the events unfolding throughout the day on FOX News Channel and FoxNews.com will be Washington-based programming with commentary from Fox hosts.
Fox News Channel's Jan. 20 Inauguration Day coverage begins at 4 a.m., with "Fox & Friends First" with Carley Shimkus and Todd Piro and "Fox & Friends" with Brian Kilmeade, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones airing after.
At 9 a.m., Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer will take over coverage on "America’s Newsroom," followed by "The Faulkner Focus" with Harris Faulkner.
At 11 a.m., just shortly before the swearing-in ceremony is set to begin, Fox News Channel will air special coverage, "Inauguration of Donald Trump" until 5 p.m,, with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum at the helm. Perino, Brit Hume, Harold Ford Jr., Faulkner and many others will contribute to this coverage throughout the afternoon into the evening.
Fox coverage goes late into the night, with "The Five," "Special Report with Bret Baier," "The Ingraham Angle," "Jesse Watters Primetime," "Hannity," "Gutfeld!" and "Fox News @ Night" with Trace Gallagher.
FOX Business Network will also be providing live coverage on Inauguration Day, with Larry Kudlow live from Washington, D.C., beginning at 4 p.m.
For those who wish to stream Inauguration Day events from their phone, tablet or computer, FoxNews.com will have a live broadcast available.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had a tense interaction on Sunday during a live interview with Margaret Brennan on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Graham told Brennan he was "ready" to vote to confirm Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for FBI director, and believes Patel's confirmation hearing "will expose him to be a very qualified man of the law."
The remarks came after Brennan quoted former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr's memoir about Patel.
"Patel had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world's preeminent law enforcement agency," Barr wrote in his 2022 memoir.
Graham said Barr was wrong when he wrote it, and wrong now about Patel. He said he takes his advice on the nominee from former Rep. Trey Gowdy, who worked with Patel.
"Kash was a public defender, he was a prosecutor, he worked with Trey Gowdy about the Russia hoax," Graham said. "So I do think he has the experience. He has the trust of the president."
"I'm ready to vote for him because I know him too. See [you] never asked about the Russia hoax that he exposed," Graham continued. "People on the right believe that he was part of the solution, not the problem."
Graham then began to talk about this situation in the Middle East and its relation to the "world stage."
"You took me all the way to Israel from Kash Patel," Brennan said.
"You shouldn't worry about Kash Patel," Graham responded when Brennan asked about Patel "going after journalists."
"You should worry about reporting the news fairly, which you don't do when it comes to everything Trump," Graham concluded.
The CBS host then reminded Graham he is a guest on the show because "we wanted to hear you out," before cutting to a commercial break.
FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of hawkish immigration groups, ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, are urging Republicans in Congress and officials in the incoming Trump administration to follow through on their promises to launch a mass deportation operation – urging them not to back down or compromise on key issues, and to use the upcoming reconciliation process to put those promises into action.
"The undersigned organizations and individuals write to express and pledge our support in fulfilling the promises you made to the American people," the coalition says.
The 10 groups include Heritage Action for America, NumbersUSA, the National Immigration Center for Enforcement and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). In their letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, they warn that work needs to start immediately.
"Due to limitations in Congressional calendars, the threat of litigation from open-borders zealots, the slow pace of regulatory action, as well as the complexity of promised law enforcement operations, work needs to begin immediately, in earnest," they say.
"Mass deportations and secure borders are not only cornerstones of public safety and national security, but they are also a critical means to protect American workers and stop employers from engaging in unscrupulous activities," they say. "Most importantly, they are not bargaining chips for other policies or political priorities."
Trump has promised to launch a "historic" deportation operation and to provide additional border security. Many Republicans in Congress ran on those issues, and polls showed many Americans saw illegal immigration as a top issue.
The groups note that the 2023 House-passed GOP border bill, which they repeatedly pushed lawmakers to pass, included a number of sweeping measures to secure the border and limit the ability of migrants to claim asylum. But they say now that the bill is a "floor, not a ceiling" and urge the incoming administration and Congress to go further, first with a funding package via the budget reconciliation process.
"Now, with unified control of government and a critical window opening, we also stand ready to help you assemble a bold reconciliation package that reflects President Trump’s commitment to the American people and the very laws that govern and protect our nation," they say.
Their recommendations for the reconciliation package include additional resources to make "millions of deportations" happen, end loopholes in immigration law, cut funding to nonprofits and "prioritize the American worker over foreign labor."
They also warn lawmakers: "NO amnesty of any kind. (If you have to say it isn’t one, it is.)"
"It is time to bring order to our immigration system and restore fidelity to the rule of law. The American people are waiting," they say.
Rosemary Jenks, police director at the Immigration and Accountability Project, said Congress must "act immediately to deliver the resources, including ICE ERO officers and detention beds, that are required for President Trump to carry out the mass deportations necessary to reverse the damage done by the Biden Administration."
Fox reported on Friday that the incoming administration is planning to start mass immigration arrests as soon as day one.
"What we’re telling ICE, you’re going to enforce the immigration law without apology," border czar Tom Homan told "Jesse Watters Tonight." "You’re going to concentrate on the worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they got a problem."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday recounted a meeting with President Biden from early last year when the president appeared to forget he signed an executive order pausing the export of liquified natural gas (LNG).
Johnson publicly recalled the story for the first time to Bari Weiss during an episode of her podcast "Honestly" for The Free Press after saying that through his "personal observation" in dealing with Biden, the president "has not been in charge for some time." Johnson’s story was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in June, though the newspaper’s reporting relied on anonymous sources at the time.
When Weiss asked Johnson to elaborate on his observations, the speaker began his tale of how Biden’s staff kept brushing off his attempts to schedule a meeting with the president in January 2024 amid "big national concerns" that Johnson said he "was losing sleep over."
Johnson said that Biden’s staff finally relented after some pressure from the media and invited him to the Oval Office to meet with the president. Johnson, however, said the meeting did not start as expected.
"I show up and I realize it's actually an ambush 'cause it's not just me and the president," Johnson said. "It's also Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem, you know, The CIA Director."
Johnson said the group began to "hot box" him on Ukraine funding when Biden asked if he could have the room with him, a request that Johnson said left the president’s staff visibly concerned.
Once Biden and Johnson were alone in the Oval Office, the speaker asked the president about his pause on LNG exports.
"I cannot answer this from my constituents in Louisiana," Johnson recalled telling Biden. "Sir, why did you pause LNG exports to Europe? Liquefied natural gas is in great demand by our allies. Why would you do that? Cause you understand we just talked about Ukraine, you understand you are fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine, because they gotta get their gas from him."
Johnson recounted how a stunned Biden replied: "I didn’t do that."
Biden initiated a pause on new LNG export permits in January 2024, a move which has been widely criticized by the oil community and bipartisan lawmakers in the House.
Johnson said that when he reminded the president of the executive order he had signed just weeks ago, Biden denied that what he had signed was a pause on LNG.
Johnson said he argued that the pause would do "massive damage to our economy, national security," and he even suggested that the president’s secretary print out a copy of the order so that the two of them could read it together.
"He genuinely did not know what he had signed," Johnson said. "And I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble—who is running the country?’ Like, I don't know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know."
Biden’s LNG pause threatens nearly 1 million jobs over the next two decades if the restriction remains in place, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers, which Fox News Digital previously reported on.
The export ban would stifle the U.S. GDP by between $122.5 billion and $215.7 billion in 2044, while between $26.9 billion and $47.7 billion in tax and royalty revenues to federal, state and local governments would be at risk in 2044 if the permit pause persists, the study found.
President-elect Trump, however, reportedly "plans to go strong on the issue" of LNG exports when he assumes office, sources told Reuters in November.
Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
President Biden issued five more pardons on Sunday on his last full day in office, including for political activist and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey.
"America is a country built on the promise of second chances," Biden said in a statement. "As President, I have used my clemency power to make that promise a reality by issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other President in U.S. history. Today, I am exercising my clemency power to pardon 5 individuals and commute the sentences of 2 individuals who have demonstrated remorse, rehabilitation, and redemption. These clemency recipients have each made significant contributions to improving their communities."
In addition to Garvey, the clemency recipients are Darryl Chambers, Ravidath "Ravi" Ragbir,Don Leonard Scott, Jr., and Kemba Smith Pradia. Garvey was granted the pardon posthumously.
The Biden White House described Garvey, who influenced Malcolm X, as "a renowned civil rights and human rights leader who was convicted of mail fraud in 1923, and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment."
Former President Calvin Coolidge commuted his sentence in 1927. "Notably, Mr. Garvey created the Black Star Line, the first Black-owned shipping line and method of international travel, and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which celebrated African history and culture. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described Mr. Garvey as ‘the first man of color in the history of the United States to lead and develop a mass movement’," the White House said. "Advocates and lawmakers praise his global advocacy and impact, and highlight the injustice underlying his criminal conviction."
Congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey. Supporters long argued that Garvey's conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the increasingly popular leader who spoke of racial pride.
Biden also pardoned Ragbir, an immigrant rights activist, and Smith Pradia, an advocate for criminal justice reform. Ragbir was convicted of a nonviolent offense in 2001 and was sentenced to two years in prison. Smith Pradia is an advocate convicted of a drug offense in 1994 when she was sentenced to 24 years behind bars. President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000.
Biden also announced he is commuting the sentences of 2 additional individuals – Michelle West and Robin Peoples – so that their sentences expire on Feb.18, 2025.
West was convicted in the '90s on charges that included conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, drug-related homicide and aiding and abetting in drug-related homicide, court records show.
The White House said West "is currently serving a life sentence for crimes she committed between 1987 and 1993."
"During her three decades of incarceration, Ms. West has demonstrated extraordinary rehabilitation and personal transformation," the Biden White House argued. "Ms. West’s clemency petition has received overwhelming support from the civil rights community, women’s rights advocates, former fellow inmates, and lawmakers. Supporters describe Ms. West as a role model who has built a 31-year record of rehabilitation and redemption."
Meanwhile, court records show Peoples was convicted of bank robbery and other associated offenses.
Peoples "is currently serving a 111-year sentence for crimes he committed in the late 1990s," the White House said in their announcement. "Mr. Peoples would likely face a significantly lower sentence under current law and policy. While in custody, he has demonstrated remarkable rehabilitation and courage. Mr. Peoples’s clemency petition has received overwhelming support from the civil rights community, government officials, friends, and family members. Mr. Peoples’s supporters describe him as a model inmate, an inspiring mentor, and someone deserving of a second chance."
It's still not clear whether Biden will use his last full day in office to give pardons to people who have been criticized by President-elect Donald Trump.
Biden had floated the idea of issuing preemptive pardons for possible offenses by Trump’s critics that could be investigated or prosecuted by the incoming administration. Doing so would stretch the powers of the presidency in untested ways.
President-elect Donald Trump will have his hand on two Bibles during his swearing-in ceremony on Monday, the culmination of the 60th Presidential Inauguration.
Trump will use his Bible, given to him by his mother in 1955, to "mark his Sunday Church Primary School graduation at First Presbyterian Church, in Jamaica, New York," a press release from his inaugural committee states.
The religious text is a 1953 revised standard version that was published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York. Trump's name is embossed on the lower portion of the front cover, and inside the cover are signatures of church officials, an inscription of the president's name and details of when it was presented to him.
In addition to the sentimental Bible, the Lincoln Bible, first used in 1861 to swear-in the 16th U.S. president, will be used.
"It has only been used three times since, by President Obama at each of his inaugurations and by President Trump at his first inauguration in 2017," Trump's team states. "The burgundy velvet-bound book is part of the collections of the Library of Congress."
President Obama also took the oath of office on two Bibles back in 2013, the Associated Press reported. One was owned by Martin Luther King Jr. and the other was the Lincoln Bible.
When Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States inside the Capitol’s rotunda, he will do so facing a bust of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday commemorating King’s legacy.
During a busy week in the nation's capital, far from the action, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had no trouble keeping his name in the political spotlight.
"This is a time for action. And a time for Washington, D.C., to deliver results to the American people. There are no more excuses for Republicans," the conservative two-term governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate said Thursday as he named Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate.
Two days earlier, President-elect Trump gave his onetime bitter GOP primary rival a shout-out after the governor called for a special state legislative session to implement Trump's expected immigration crackdown.
"Thank you Ron, hopefully other governors will follow!" the president-elect said in a social media post.
Due to the national profile he's built over the past four years, the governor of one of the country's most important states will likely continue to stay in the headlines as he takes a lead on some of the nation's most consequential issues.
The spotlight should help DeSantis if he ends up launching a second straight GOP presidential nomination run in 2028, a race in which soon-to-be Vice President JD Vance will be considered the clear early frontrunner as the perceived America First and MAGA heir apparent to Trump.
"He needs to do what he did in 2022, which is pick good fights. And he’s shown a lot of capability to pick good fights with the left both in Florida and nationally," longtime Republican strategist David Kochel said of DeSantis.
"I think he’ll be in demand to come do stuff in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina," Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, predicted, pointing to the three key early voting states in the Republican presidential primaries.
"I wouldn’t change a lot from how he did the run-up to his 2024 campaign. The problem was he basically ran against an incumbent president. He didn’t have the wrong playbook. He had the wrong cycle."
While the initial moves in the 2028 White House run will likely start in the coming months, including some early state visits, most Americans won't be paying a lick of attention until after the 2026 midterms, when the next presidential campaign formally gets under way. And that's when DeSantis will be wrapping up his second and final four-year term steering Florida, allowing him to concentrate 100% on a White House run if that's in his cards.
But what about another high-profile Republican governor who likely has national ambitions in 2028?
The Virginia Constitution doesn't allow for incumbent governors to run for a second consecutive term, so Gov. Glenn Youngkin will be out of office in Richmond in a year.
Compared to DeSantis, who also enjoys large GOP majorities in his state legislature, which will allow him to continue to enact a conservative agenda, Virginia is a purple state where Democrats have a slight upper hand in the legislature.
"It might be a little tougher for Youngkin, a little tougher for him to find ways to stay in the news" after he leaves office in a year, Kochel suggested.
But, Younkin predicted, "You’re going to see me a lot."
"We’ve got a very aggressive agenda for being governor in the last 14 months," he said in a Fox News Digital interview in November. "But part of that agenda that I have is to make sure that we have [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears as our next governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares is back as our attorney general and a super lieutenant governor who we will pick at our primaries."
Youngkin, who energized Republicans nationwide in 2021 as a first-time candidate who hailed from the party’s business wing, edged former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to become the first GOP candidate in a dozen years to win a gubernatorial election in the one-time swing state that had trended toward the Democrats over the previous decade. He could also potentially end up in the Trump administration after his term in Richmond sunsets in a year.
"I told the president when I called him and told him that I wanted to finish my term that I would be available to help him at any time while I’m governor and afterwards," Youngkin told Fox News Digital, referring to a call he held with Trump right after the November election.
But if he doesn't enter the Trump administration, another route for Youngkin to stay in the spotlight in 2026 would be criss-crossing the country on behalf of fellow Republicans running in the midterm elections. It's a role Youngkin previously played in 2022, helping fellow Republican governors and gubernatorial candidates.
"He’s got to do the blocking and tackling, go state by state, help a lot of candidates, raise a lot of money for them. Get a bunch of governors elected," Kochel suggested. "That’s the playbook for him."
What about NIkki Haley, the former two-term Republican governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Trump's first administration, who was the last rival standing against Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries?
Out of office and shut out of the Trump world while still facing social media zingers by the president-elect, Haley's ability to grab attention should she seek the presidency again may be a more difficult climb within a party once again on bended knee to the former and future president.
Haley does have a weekly national radio show on Sirius XM, where she noted a few weeks ago, "I had no interest in being in [Trump's] Cabinet."
But a lot can happen in the two years until the next White House race officially gets under way. There could be some buyer's remorse among voters if the new administration is not successful in enacting some of its goals.
"While JD Vance starts as the presumed frontrunner right now, there’s a million miles to go between now and then," seasoned Republican strategist Colin Reed told Fox News.
And Kochel added that for some Republicans mulling a 2028 presidential bid, "I think a little strategic distance is not a bad idea. Because you don’t know what’s going to happen over the next two years."
But holding statewide office — either as a governor or senator — doesn't guarantee favorable coverage.
"Having a day job cuts both ways. It gives you a platform, a megaphone, and an ability to make news whenever you want. But it also carries with it the responsibilities of governing or legislating or being part of government bodies, whether it’s Congress or the state you are running, where things can go wrong and end up on your doorstep and become political baggage," Reed noted.
Reed warned that "history is littered with those officeholders who ran and won for a second term only to have political baggage at home become political headaches on the campaign trail."
