WASHINGTON D.C. (FOX 2) – After a long election cycle and a relatively quiet transition period, inauguration day has finally arrived.

Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the 47th president of the U.S. In addition to placing his hand over the bible and taking the oath, Trump will deliver a speech before entering the White House for his first official act as president.

FOX 2’s Roop Raj will be live outside the ceremony as well as provide live coverage of the entire day.

Ahead of Inauguration:

The backstory:

Due to freezing temperatures, officials moved the inauguration ceremony that was set to take place outside in front of the U.S. Capitol building. Donald Trump’s swearing-in will take place inside The Rotunda.

All that remains is the fencing that was meant to be a barrier for the ceremony, which remains wrapped around the National Mall. 

Instead of the hundreds of thousands that had traveled to the city to watch the president take the oath of office, several hundred will gather inside the dome. Most will be public officials and those personally invited by the president-elect.

For the 220,000 people who had gotten tickets to attend the ceremony, they are souvenirs. 

As for the inauguration parade, it also been moved inside Capital One Arena. It has a capacity of about 20,000 people. 

Posted: Jan 19, 2025 11:12 PM CST

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WAKA Action 8 News

State Troopers from Alabama will be providing additional support to law enforcement in Washington, D.C. during President Donald Trump’s Inauguration on Monday. According to a social media post by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, their Presidential Inauguration Detail teams all safely landed Saturday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

ALEA will represent the State of Alabama protecting and serving during the Presidential Inauguration. It’s a practice the agency has followed in previous years.

CHICAGO (WLS) — While Illinois is mostly thought of as a blue state these days, close to 2.5 million people in the state voted for Donald Trump. So, it’s no surprise there are a lot of Illinois folks already in Washington D.C. or on their way there ahead of Inauguration Day.

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Pastor Corey Brooks delivered his Sunday sermon at New Beginnings Church in Parkway Gardens one day after returning from Washington D.C. and just a few hours before going back there for Monday’s presidential inauguration.

“Regardless of who the president is, as an American, we all need to be supportive and praying for the success of our president,” Pastor Brooks said.

A vocal Donald Trump supporter, Pastor Brooks has attended and spoken on behalf of the incoming president at his rallies. He said his presence at the inauguration festivities serve a more practical purpose.

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“We’re networking,” Pastor Brooks “We’re trying to meet as many people as we possibly can. There’s a lot that we’re trying to do on the South Side of Chicago. We’re building a $45 million facility across the street. We’re getting ready to start one school in four locations.”

That networking is crucial according to Illinois GOP Co-Chairman Aaron Del Mar, who was already in Washington D.C. this weekend. Del Mar likened the pre-inauguration events to the Super Bowl of politics.

“One of the main things we are doing here is to find ways to bring other resources back to Illinois and be able to heard from the government side,” Del Mar said. “There’s a lot of concern right now in Chicago about mass deportations, so that’s something I’ve got my ear next to.”

Not everyone in Washington D.C. this week is there to celebrate Trump’s inauguration. Thousands converged on the nation’s capital yesterday to participate in the “People’s March,” speaking on on immigration, women’s reproductive rights and a host of other issues.

READ MORE | Protesters descend on Washington ahead of inauguration

While protests continue, both camps are mostly being kept apart Sunday, with thousands lining up in advance of Trump’s rally Sunday afternoon. The rally was thrown together at the last minute to make up for the last minute decision to move the inauguration ceremony indoors due to the cold weather.

“It’s great. The crowd is ebullient,” former Illinois RNC member Richard Porter said. “It’s a little rainy, but it’s not dampening anyone’s spirits. I’ll tell you what. It’s a big day. The day before the big day.”