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Joe Biden is preparing to be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, ending one of the most dramatic political transitions in American history.
You must take the oath at 12:00 local time (17:00 GMT).
Outgoing President Donald Trump, who has not formally relented to Biden, is snubbing the ceremony.
The new president has announced a series of executive orders aimed at dealing with the coronavirus crisis and reversing Trump’s key policies.
Trump left the White House for the last time as president shortly after 08:00 (13:00 GMT). He boarded a helicopter, flew to nearby Andrews base, and is now flying to Florida.
He is the first president not to attend the inauguration of his successor since 1869.
Biden, a Democrat, will be sworn in outside the United States Capitol. There is very tight security after the building was stormed by violent pro-Trump protesters in a deadly riot on January 6.
Some 25,000 troops guard the opening ceremony, in which the traditional hundreds of thousands of spectators will be lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Along with Biden, Kamala Harris will make history when she is sworn in as the country’s first vice president.
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American hopes and fears about the Biden presidency
How does the opening day unfold?
Earlier Wednesday, Biden attended mass at a cathedral in Washington, along with four leaders of the Roman Catholic Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, before heading to the Capitol.
At 78, Biden is the oldest president of the United States ever to be sworn in. He will be sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Among those present are three of his predecessors: Barack Obama, under whom Biden served for eight years as vice president, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence will also attend the ceremony. He skipped Trump’s farewell military salute event at Andrews base.
Attendees say Biden will use his roughly half-hour inaugural address to make an optimistic call for national unity after the turbulent tenure of his Republican predecessor.
image copyrightAFPMinutes earlier, Vice President-elect Harris will be sworn in, becoming the first African-American and Asian-American person elevated to a position within a heartbeat of the presidency.
There will be musical performances by Lady Gaga, who will sing the national anthem, as well as Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks.
Tom Hanks will host an evening concert at the city’s Lincoln Memorial and will include Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake and Demi Lovato.
What is Trump doing?
In his speech at Andrews Air Force Base, the outgoing president highlighted what he saw as the successes of his presidency. “What we have done has been amazing from any point of view,” Trump said.
The 74-year-old is now flying into his post-presidential life at his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Palm Beach.
In his final hours, Trump granted clemency to more than 140 people, including his former adviser Steve Bannon, who had faced charges of fraud.
The political drama surrounding Trump is far from over. The United States Senate is expected to try him soon, following his second record impeachment trial by the House of Representatives for allegedly inciting the Capitol riots.
On Tuesday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said the mob had been provoked by Trump and fueled with lies.
What will Biden do on his first day?
Biden has filed a series of executive orders. In a statement on Wednesday, he said he would sign 15 warrants after being sworn in. They:
- Reverse Trump’s withdrawal from the United States from the Paris climate agreement
- Revoke the presidential permit granted to the Keystone XL pipeline, which is opposed by environmentalists and Native American groups.
- Revoke Trump’s policies on immigration control and the emergency declaration that helped finance the construction of a Mexican border wall
- Push for a mask and distancing mandate for federal employees and in federal buildings, and a new White House office on coronavirus
- End travel ban on visitors from some nations, mainly Muslim
Other orders will cover racial and gender equality, along with climate issues.
Biden’s vice president will swear in three new Democratic senators on Wednesday, leaving the upper house of Congress evenly divided between the two major parties. This will allow the vice president to act as a tiebreaker in key votes.
Biden’s legislative ambitions could be tempered by the slim majorities he has in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
On Tuesday, Biden delivered a speech in his home state of Delaware, telling reporters that “these are dark times … but there is always light,” before heading to Washington.
In the evening, he and Ms. Harris led a tribute in the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial to the 400,000 Americans lost to Covid-19.
They were almost alone on the National Mall, where some 200,000 flags have been placed to represent the crowd that will be absent at Wednesday’s inauguration.
What’s the mood like in Washington?
Some 25,000 National Guard personnel guard the Capitol, the White House and the National Mall, which are also protected by a steel ring made up of high barricades and fences.
Before Biden’s arrival in the city, 12 members of the National Guard were removed from the presidential inauguration security mission after it was discovered that they had links to right-wing militia groups or posted extremist views online.
There was no threat to Biden, authorities said.
How can I see the opening?
We’ll bring you the latest developments, with analysis from the reporting teams in Washington on Capitol Hill and on the National Mall.
• Online: follow the latest updates and live videos on the BBC News website and @BBCNorthAmerica. You can also stay updated on our BBC News Facebook account and on Instagram
• Television: The BBC’s Katty Kay in Washington DC presents live coverage of the key events surrounding the opening on BBC One from 16: 00-18: 00 GMT and on BBC News Channel (UK only) and BBC World (outside UK only) from 15: 30-19: 00 GMT
• Radio: the BBC World Service has special radio coverage on an external source from 16: 00-18: 00 GMT
Related topics
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Joe biden
- Donald trump
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