Ticker for Trump's inauguration Trump promises "wave of change" ++ Fuss about Musk and the "election computers"

Donald Trump moves back into the White House today, January 20: You can find all the information on his inauguration, the swearing-in ceremony and related events here in the ticker.

Schedule, guests, securityTrump moves into the White House today - what you need to know

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3.39 pm

Vice staff handover

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff received JD and Usha Vance at the White House.

3:31 p.m.

The US presidential oath of office

The oath of office that US presidents take before the President of the Supreme Court at their inauguration is enshrined in the United States Constitution (Article II, Section 1):

"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."

Translated, the oath reads:

"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."

If someone's religious beliefs prohibit them from taking an oath, the word "affirm" may be used instead of "swear".

This has only happened once before, when Franklin Pierce took the oath without an oath at his inauguration in 1853. Traditionally, future presidents add the words "so help me God" to the oath.

3:22 p.m.

What happens next

A church service is ending in Washington right now. Afterwards, the incoming president and his wife Melania meet with Joe and Jill Biden in the White House teahouse. Four years ago, the Trumps had skipped this traditional appointment.

3.08 p.m.

Musical highlights

Donald Trump has chosen American tenor Christopher Macchio to perform the US national anthem at his inauguration. Country singer Carrie Underwood will contribute her rendition of "America the Beautiful" to the celebrations in Washington.

Jackie Evancho sang the national anthem at Trump's inauguration in 2017. In 2021, Lady Gaga was responsible for "The Star-Spangled Banner" for Joe Biden. Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks performed.

2:49 p.m.

Video review of Trump's first swearing-in in 2017

2:23 p.m.

Trump promises "wave of change"

In his inaugural address, US President-elect Donald Trump wants to evoke the beginning of a new era for the United States.

"I return to the presidency with the confidence and optimism that we are at the dawn of an exciting new era of national success," read excerpts of the speech, which were made available to the AP news agency. "The country is being swept up in a wave of change," Trump went on to say.

According to sources close to Trump, the future president wants to start his second term in office with a message of hope and unity. Immediately after his inauguration, Trump plans to sign a series of executive orders, decrees and directives for which he does not need the approval of the US Congress.

"With these measures, we will usher in the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense," the speech excerpts on these decrees read. "My message to Americans today is that it is time for us to act again with the courage, strength and energy of the greatest civilization in history."

2:04 p.m.

Biden pardons Fauci, ex-general Milley and others as a precautionary measure

US President Joe Biden has granted precautionary pardons to critics of his designated successor Donald Trump. The pardons apply to immunologist Anthony Fauci, former General Mark Milley and members of the House of Representatives investigating the storming of the Capitol by violent Trump supporters, the White House announced today.

With the precautionary pardons, Biden wants to prevent Trump's critics from being targeted by the government in retaliation under the new president. "The issuance of these pardons should not be misconstrued as an acknowledgment of wrongdoing," said Biden. "Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless service to our country."

Pelosi announces members of the 1/6 select committee including:
Bennie Thompson, Chair
Liz Cheney
Jamie Raskin
Stephanie Murphy
Elaine Luria
Zoe Lofgren
Adam Schiff
Pete Aguilar

- plus Liz Cheney, whom Pelosi said was attending family matter pic.twitter.com/I9bobFTxxH

— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) July 1, 2021

Trump had threatened to take action in his second term against those who attacked him politically or tried to hold him accountable for his role in the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Fauci was director of the US Institute of Infectious Diseases, part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), for almost 40 years and was Biden's top medical advisor until his retirement in 2022.

He helped coordinate measures against the coronavirus pandemic and drew the ire of Trump when he refused to support Trump's unsubstantiated claims. He became the target of hatred and attacks from the right, who blamed him for the mask requirement and other policies they felt violated their rights.

Milley, the former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, called Trump a fascist and described Trump's behavior around the January 6, 2021 uprising in detail.

1.22 pm

Uproar over Trump statement about Musk and "those vote-counting computers"

Donald Trump held his big Make America Great Again Victory Rally yesterday, Sunday, and once again celebrated his election victory in style - see also previous entries.

One passage from Trump's speech in Washington caught our attention: In it, the 78-year-old talks about Elon Musk, who campaigned for him for a month and a half in the swing state of Pennsylvania before last year's vote. "And he's a popular guy, and he's very effective," says the incoming president.

Then this: "He knows these computers better than anybody. All these computers, these vote-counting computers. And we ended up winning Pennsylvania in a landslide. That was pretty good. So thanks to Elon."

Trump on Elon Musk: "He knows those computers better than anybody. All those computers. Those vote-counting computers. And we ended up winning Pennsylvania like in a landslide." pic.twitter.com/MJdfUVhFsT

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 19, 2025

While Elon Musk himself commented on the clip on X with a salute emoji, Jasmine Crockett is annoyed. "So Trump is bragging that he and Elon rigged the election?" asks the Democratic congresswoman from Texas on X. "Am I missing something, or is he confessing to another crime?"

The statements are causing mistrust in parts of the online world, according to the Daily Mail and Unilad. Many users are wondering what Trump meant. He will probably soon be asked about it himself. To be continued.

Can we get some attention on this? https://t.co/CctryRl1Pt

— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) January 19, 2025

10.55 am

Trump's crypto coin loses massive value - because Melania launches her own meme coin

"Meme coins" are something like digital commemorative coins based on an online phenomenon. After Donald Trump, his wife Melania now also has her own "meme coin" on offer.

The future president's wife presented "$MELANIA" at the weekend - and fans drove the market value up to around two billion dollars by the morning. Trump will be sworn in as US President today, and the couple started the project shortly beforehand.

The Official Melania Meme is live!

You can buy $MELANIA now. https://t.co/8FXvlMBhVf

FUAfBo2jgks6gB4Z4LfZkqSZgzNucisEHqnNebaRxM1P pic.twitter.com/t2vYiahRn6

— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 19, 2025

Just like "$TRUMP", the coin is technically based on the cryptocurrency platform Solana and is something of a digital commemorative coin that can be traded. And just like the future president's coin, there is an indication that "$MELANIA" is not intended as an investment object or security, but as an expression of support.

The market value of Trump's coin, which was unveiled three days ago, has since been driven up to 14 billion dollars by his supporters. 80 percent of the "$TRUMP" coins will be held by two companies associated with the Trump Organization: CIC Digital and Fight Fight Fight.

My NEW Official Trump Meme is HERE! It’s time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING! Join my very special Trump Community. GET YOUR $TRUMP NOW. Go to https://t.co/GX3ZxT5xyq — Have Fun! pic.twitter.com/flIKYyfBrC

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2025

Donald Trump had promised support for cryptocurrencies during the election campaign. In recent years, he has also successfully sold digital trading cards to his supporters.

Exciting: The issue of Melania Trump's meme coin has reduced the value of her husband's, reports "Forbes": It fell by 7.5 billion dollars when the First Lady launched her own version 48 hours later.

10.30 a.m.

Bitcoin at record high

Bitcoin has risen to a record high on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration as US President. In the morning, the oldest and best-known cryptocurrency climbed to 109,356 US dollars on the Bitstamp trading platform - leaving the old record from mid-December behind.

Bitcoin has risen by almost 60 percent since Trump's election in November. Trump had promised to loosen the regulations for cryptocurrencies. He has also spoken out in favor of a national Bitcoin reserve for the USA. Bitcoin recently traded up almost eight percent at 108,794 dollars.

7.50 am

Trump announces publication of explosive documents

One day before his inauguration as the 47th US President, Donald Trump has announced a remarkable plan: During a "Victory Rally" in the Capitol One Arena in Washington, he told an audience of 20,000 supporters that he would release secret documents relating to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

"In the next few days, we will make the remaining files on these historic events and other topics of great public interest available," explained Trump.

He had already expressed similar plans during his previous term of office, but many documents remained under lock and key due to security concerns. The FBI and CIA warned against this step.

The assassination of JFK in 1963 still preoccupies the public today, as many Americans believe in a conspiracy. Officially, the perpetrator was found to be Lee Harvey Oswald, but he was shot dead just two days later.

5.23 p.m.

Trump's vice president discusses with China's vice president

China's Vice President Han Zheng met Donald Trump's designated deputy J.D. Vance and tech billionaire Elon Musk shortly before he was sworn in as the new US President. As Trump's transition team confirmed, Vance and Han discussed topics such as trade between the world's two largest economies, regional stability and the opioid fentanyl, which is largely responsible for the drug crisis in the US.

According to China's official news agency Xinhua, Han ordered greetings from state and party leader Xi Jinping, who sent him to Washington as a special envoy for the inauguration. With regard to the tense trade relations, Han emphasized that despite the differences between China and the US, both countries have common interests and room for cooperation. Trump had already threatened further tariffs on Chinese products.

According to Chinese sources, Han also encouraged Tesla boss Musk at a meeting to promote trade relations between the two countries. The People's Republic is a very important market for Tesla. The government in Beijing has already received the 53-year-old for talks at a high political level.

4.59 pm

Trump wants to repeal "radical and senseless" orders

US President-elect Donald Trump wants to reverse important decisions made by his predecessor Joe Biden within the first few hours of his inauguration.

"Every radical and senseless executive order of the Biden administration will be rescinded within hours of my swearing in," the Republican said at a rally in front of cheering supporters in the capital Washington. The 78-year-old promised a big wave of resolutions on his first day in office, including on deporting migrants and securing the border.

Two and a half months after the election, Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States this Monday in Washington. The ceremony, originally planned on the west side of the Capitol, was moved at short notice to the Dome Hall of the Parliament Building due to the icy cold in the US capital, where there is much less space for guests.

The presidential parade, which traditionally leads past crowds of people from the Capitol to the White House, is now also to take place indoors: in a sports arena in the center of Washington. This is exactly where Trump was celebrated frenetically in front of supporters on the eve of his swearing-in.

The Republican took a dip in the crowd as he entered the hall and shouted to his supporters: "We won!" His fans jeered, danced and cheered. Some of them had queued for eight or nine hours in the cold in sleet and hail to get into the arena.

"We're ready!" Trump fans shouted ecstatically in anticipation of his return to power. The man who will once again be the most powerful man in the world was also in high spirits, joking and dancing somewhat awkwardly with the band Village People to their disco classic "Y.M.C.A." at the end.

4.45 a.m.

One resolution after another

US President-elect Donald Trump has promised that he will begin solving "every single crisis" in the country immediately after his inauguration today, Monday.

He held out the prospect of signing numerous resolutions directly on Monday. "Someone said to me yesterday: <Sir, don't sign so many in one day. Let's do it over a period of weeks.> I said, <hell, (...) we'll do it right at the beginning>."

A Trump adviser told CNN that the Republican wanted to use practically every free minute in the tightly scheduled program on the day of the swearing-in. The Fox News channel reported that Trump's team is planning more than 200 resolutions on day one - some of them in bundled form.

Among other things, US presidents can implement political priorities without the approval of Congress with the help of so-called executive orders. These decrees enable quick decisions to be made, but can just as easily be revoked by successors. Trump intends to do the latter.

He wants to focus on migration policy. When the sun sets on the evening of his inauguration, "the invasion at our borders will have come to a halt", Trump shouted into the hall. "All illegal border violators will be on their way back home in one form or another." This sparked cheers. During the election campaign, the Republican promised the "biggest deportation program in American history".

According to the US media, the first raids under the name "Operation Safeguard" are to begin in several cities shortly after Trump's swearing-in. The campaign is set to last a week. Trump and his team have not officially revealed any details, but have spread fear among migrants with their pithy announcements.

4.31 am

Clemency for Capitol striker

US President-elect Donald Trump has once again promised to pardon some of the supporters convicted of involvement in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, immediately after his inauguration.

"Everybody in this very large hall will be very happy with my decision on the January 6th hostages," he said at an event in Washington on Sunday evening. Trump regularly refers to the convicts as "hostages" and "political prisoners" - a fighting term used by his movement to blatantly glorify the anti-democratic outbreak of violence back then.

On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters violently stormed the seat of parliament in the capital Washington, where at the time Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election against Trump was to be formally confirmed. Five people died as a result of the riots. Trump had stirred up his supporters with the unsubstantiated claim that the election victory had been stolen from him through massive fraud. He has never conceded defeat. And the attack still has repercussions today.

Trump also announced that he would save the popular video app Tiktok from being shut down in the USA. Immediately after taking office, he would initiate an extension of the deadline set for the Chinese Tiktok owner Bytedance to divest itself of its US business.

4.10 am

Trump's inauguration leads to first discussion on first WEF day

Donald Trump's inauguration will lead to an initial discussion about the incoming US administration on the first day of the WEF. The second focus of the day is the presentation of the Crystal Award to former football star David Beckham.

Under the title "First Impressions: Inauguration Day", journalists* from Anglo-Saxon media will discuss the Trump administration on Monday, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) program. The focus of the discussion will be the presumed working methods of the new government. The inauguration of the Republican is likely to overshadow the other topics of the first day.

Trump himself will give a video address on Thursday, in which he is likely to find out more about the political priorities of the new US administration. It was not initially known who from the new US administration will be physically present in Davos. The organizers also did not rule out the presence of entrepreneur and Trump adviser Elon Musk in advance.

1.03 pm

Trump on the fire disaster: trip to California

The future US President Donald Trump wants to see the enormous damage caused by the fires in Los Angeles for himself in the coming week. On the eve of his swearing-in, Trump told supporters in Washington: "I will be traveling there on Friday. We are praying for all of you." Trump promised to help the affected areas in California rebuild. "We're fixing it up."

According to initial estimates, more than 12,000 buildings in the region have been destroyed or damaged by the wildfires. The number of confirmed deaths has risen to 27 and several people are missing. Concerns about a renewed flare-up of the fires in the US West Coast metropolis are rising as strong winds are again forecast for the coming days.

0.58 pm

Trump brings Musk on stage at event in Washington

At an event in Washington on the eve of his inauguration, US President-elect Donald Trump brought the wealthy entrepreneur Elon Musk on stage - underlining the close relationship between the two.

Musk, who owns the car manufacturer Tesla as well as the online platform X, appeared with his son X Æ A-Xii and drew cheers from the audience. "Excuse me, little X has just followed me on stage. He's a very enthusiastic supporter, as you can see," said Musk.

The tech multi-billionaire - the richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine and other estimates - is considered a close confidant of Trump and can often be seen in his presence. Together with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican has appointed him to head a newly created committee called DOGE ("Department of Government Efficiency"). They are to develop proposals for cutting government spending.

Although the committee is not officially part of the government, it is close to it due to its job description. Critics warn of potential conflicts of interest, as Musk pursues far-reaching economic interests as an entrepreneur that could be influenced by government decisions. In addition to Tesla and X, he also owns the space company SpaceX.

0.55 p.m.

Scholz emphasizes the importance of transatlantic relations

In view of Donald Trump's upcoming swearing-in as US President, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz continues to emphasize close political cooperation and joint alliances with the United States.

"Transatlantic relations are of the utmost importance for Germany and for Europe," Scholz told the Rheinische Post newspaper. It should not be forgotten how important the USA was for the establishment of democracy in West Germany. "And NATO is the guarantor of our security. That's why we need stable relations with the USA." Trump will be sworn in for a second term as president on Monday.

Scholz also emphasized European self-confidence. "And as the European Union, we can also build on our own strength," he said. "As a community of more than 400 million Europeans, we have economic weight." We can "act confidently as states of the European Union".

The Europeans stand for rules that have long been agreed upon internationally, said Scholz. "One rule is: borders must not be moved by force." Following recent statements from the USA, he made it clear that this rule applies to everyone. Trump had recently expressed territorial claims to Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal.

The Chancellor went on to say that he had already spoken to Trump twice on the phone. "Those were very friendly and good talks. Our advisors have also met several times. So we are not starting from scratch with the new administration." The USA is Germany's closest ally.

In view of the participation of European right-wing populists in Trump's inauguration ceremony, Scholz called for populists to be confronted with confidence and a clear stance. "We must confront the dividers."

Monday, January 20, 2025, 0:06 a.m.

Trump: "Border invasion" will end at sunset

At an event in the US capital Washington, US President-elect Donald Trump made it clear how rigorously he intends to implement his migration policy in the first few hours after taking office.

"When the sun goes down tomorrow night, the invasion at our borders will have come to a halt," said the Republican at an event in an arena in the US capital Washington. "All illegal border violators will be on their way back home in one form or another."

As he did during his election campaign, Trump resorted to generalizations and portrayed migrants living in the country irregularly as criminals. Although there has been an increase in crime in some areas of the USA, experts attribute this to complex socio-political causes. There is no evidence of a crime wave caused by migrants, nor that this group commits crimes more frequently than natives.

One of Trump's key campaign promises was to carry out mass deportations. To implement this plan, Trump has appointed several right-wing hardliners to his government team. According to US media, the first raids under the name "Operation Safeguard" are set to begin shortly after he is sworn in on Monday. These are initially planned in Chicago and may be extended to other cities. The operation is scheduled to last a week.

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You can read about what was important beforehand here.