Trump Inauguration Day live updates: Trump and Vance are sworn in; Biden issues pre-emptive pardons to family

Vance, having now been sworn in, is the third-youngest vice president in history. 

At 40 years and 171 days old, Vance clocks in behind John Breckinridge, who was 36 years old upon taking office as James Buchanan’s vice president in 1857, and Richard Nixon, 40 years and 11 days in 1953, when he took office with Dwight Eisenhower.

JD Vance officially took his oath of office right at noon, with his wife, Usha, and their children by his side. The oath was administered by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Biden's term officially ends at 12 p.m., but Trump has yet to take the oath of office.

Trump had hoped to be sworn in at 11:47 a.m., symbolizing his position as the 47th president. But because of delays in the program, the ceremony is running late.

The U.S. Constitution states a president must be sworn in at the stroke of noon Jan. 20, but this doesn't always happen as schedules run over. In 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in at 12:05 p.m.

A defense official says the Trump transition team still has not informed them who the acting defense secretary will be. 

The official says the Trump team may have selected someone, but they have neither informed the Pentagon officials nor announced it publicly. 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is not staying in the role, and at least one Biden administration political appointee turned down the job, according to the defense official.

Klobuchar praised the firefighters battling the wildfires in Los Angeles during her speech.

"As we inaugurate a new president and vice president, let us remember that the power of those in this room comes from the people, the construction workers who build our country, the teachers and health care workers who nurture us, the troops defending our freedoms and yes, the firefighters in Los Angeles putting themselves on the line for us, " Klobuchar said.

"Let our democracy, strength and grit must match theirs," the senator continued.

Trump looks reflective as the ceremony is underway. He is holding his hands clasped in front of him and has what looks like a piece of paper on his seat.

Here's the list of speakers expected to take the stage at Capital One Arena today, ranging from Trump allies such as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to Elon Musk:

• Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas
• Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders
• Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley
• Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.
• Peter Navarro, former and incoming Trump trade adviser  
• Charlie Kirk, founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, a right-wing activist group
• Howard Lutnik, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and Trump's pick for commerce secretary
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin
• Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and Trump adviser
• Incoming border czar Tom Homan
• Steve Witcoff, former attorney and founder of Witcoff Group
• Kash Patel, former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Justice Department and Trump's pick for FBI director
• Dan Scavino, political adviser to Trump and former White House deputy chief of communication

The first speaker in the rotunda is Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who welcomed everyone to the inauguration.

"Today President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance will take their oaths of office and we will witness the peaceful transfer of power," she told the crowd.

"This ceremony marks what will soon be 250 years of our democracy. It is the moment when leaders elevated by the will of our people promise to be loyal to the Constitution, to protect and defend it," Klobuchar added.

Klobuchar also noted that today's ceremony falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, saying it was "a further reminder that we must strive to uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution."

Minutes before his term is set to end, Biden announced that he was pardoning several members of his family, including his brother James Biden, sister-in-law Sara Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, brother-in-law John T. Owens and brother Francis Biden.

According to the pardon document, Biden is pardoning his siblings and siblings-in-law for "any nonviolent offenses against the United States which they may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through the date of this pardon."

In a statement, Biden said, "My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end."

He added that the pardons "should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense."

Trump was just introduced. He walked into the Rotunda for his second inauguration to resounding cheers and chants of "USA, USA!"

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Vance is being led in now, where he'll join members of Congress and other members of government for the inauguration. He appeared to briefly exchange words with President Biden upon walking into the hall.

Biden and Harris are now being introduced at the inauguration ceremony.

Trump is walking through the Capitol alone, where he will soon enter the rotunda.

Biden and Harris are in the Capitol approaching the Rotunda. The pair could be seen walking side by side and chatting with each other. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is leading their path.

NBC News is being told there is no designated survivor set aside today.

Christopher Macchio, an American tenor, is singing "O, America!"

First lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff were introduced and walked out from the curtains at the front of the rotunda.

The pair turned and stood next to the line of former presidents and their spouses behind the podium.

Emhoff looked to a couple of people in the crowd with a small smile, nodding.

U.S. allies and adversaries are using today as an opportunity to send messages to the president-elect. For America’s closest allies worried about differences with Trump, it’s a chance to set a positive tone.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sent "warmest congratulations" in a statement emphasizing the "special relationship" between the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

A spokesman for Japan's government, Yoshimasa Hayashi, expressed the hope that his country's relationship with the U.S. will reach a ‘higher level’ and said its foreign minister will be the first to attend the inauguration.

Displaying its rivalry with Tokyo, China, too, is sending a senior official to the event for the first time. Beijing’s spokesperson Mao Ning called for "constructive U.S.-China relations in this new era."

Messages of congratulations, too, came from Europe and Russia. Polish President Andrzej Duda said Trump "perfectly understands matters from our part of Europe," while Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Trump’s "desire to restore direct contacts with Russia," adding, "We welcome this attitude and congratulate the elected U.S. President on assuming office."

Trump will sign an executive order today to officially create the Department of Government Efficiency, according to Karoline Leavitt, incoming White House press secretary.

The new department, commonly referred to by its acronym, DOGE, is tasked with cutting government spending. In November, Trump announced DOGE and declared it would be co-led by billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Trump's children just walked into the Rotunda, including Tiffany Trump, Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron Trump. They received heavy applause.

After former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama were introduced, the nine Supreme Court justices were called to enter the rotunda.

All nine walked out wearing their black robes, following in a procession.

Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were introduced as they arrived for the inauguration, each joined by former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush. Trump's incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, shook the Clintons' hands.

Former President Barack Obama was introduced after the Bushes. Former first lady Michelle Obama is not attending the inauguration.

White House staff is currently in the process of turning over the Oval Office, a source inside the West Wing told NBC News.

Among the adjustments being made in the office is the replacement of Biden's circular rug with the rug Trump had used during his first term, a sunburst-patterned rug that Nancy Reagan designed for her husband.

Several tech CEOs — including many who donated millions to Trump's inaugural committee — are attending today's inauguration. They are seated prominently, near Trump's family and Cabinet picks.

The CEOs who just took their seats include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos, who was spotted in the rotunda with his partner, Lauren Sanchez.

Mike Pence has arrived at the Capitol Rotunda for Trump's inauguration ceremony. A few blocks away in downtown D.C., a resounding 'boo' could be heard from inside the Capital One Arena where a crowd of Trump supporters donning bright red MAGA hats is watching a live broadcast of the ceremony on the jumbotron.

Pence became vastly unpopular among Trump supporters after he refused to stop the certification of the 2020 election results for Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump pressed his then-vice president to abuse his power of presiding over the electoral vote certification process to reject Biden's legitimate electoral votes. Following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Congress passed the Electoral Count Reform Act in an effort to protect the electoral count process from similar interference in the future. Among the changes was making the vice president's presiding role largely ceremonial and unauthoritative.

Trump's children have arrived at the ceremony. Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump are all in attendance. Barron Trump was also seen walking in.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the former leaders of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, thanked Biden for issuing pre-emptive pardons to committee members and staff.

In a joint statement, Thompson and Cheney thanked Biden "for recognizing that we and our families have been continuously targeted not only with harassment, lies and threats of criminal violence, but also with specific threats of criminal prosecution and imprisonment by members of the incoming administration, simply for doing our jobs and upholding our oaths of office."

"We have been pardoned today not for breaking the law but for upholding it," they said.

At Capital One Arena, Obama, the Clintons and Mike Pence all got loud boos here when shown on the big screen. There were also chants of "lock her up" when Hillary Clinton appeared.

Former New York City mayor and longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani is in the Capitol for Trump's inauguration. Guiliani shared on X today that he is in town for the ceremony.

"The first of the many reforms to restore the true American constitutional republic is to acknowledge that our rights are granted to us by God and not the government. Standing as one with our soon to be 47th President, we began the day acknowledging the primacy of the One True God," he wrote.

Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is stepping aside from Trump's advisory "Department of Government Efficiency," which he was expected to lead with tech billionaire Elon Musk, according to two sources familiar with his thinking. Instead, Ramaswamy is expected to announce a bid for governor of Ohio early next week, the sources say.

“It became increasingly clear over last week that pursuing the governor’s race and running DOGE was not compatible. He’s leaving on good terms with Trump, Elon and the team,” one of the sources told NBC News. 

NBC News previously reported on Ramaswamy's interest in running for governor, a decision made easier by Gov. Mike DeWine's decision to tap Lt. Gov. John Husted to fill the Senate vacancy being left by Vance's elevation to vice president. But despite Ramaswamy's ties to Trump, other Ohio Republicans don't seem to be dissuaded from considering their own gubernatorial bids.

Read the full story here.

Trump's Cabinet picks have arrived at the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi and Doug Burgum are all in attendance.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., denounced Trump's expected executive order to end birthright citizenship in a post this morning, calling the move "unconstitutional."

"Ending birthright citizenship is anti-America and unconstitutional. Plain and simple," Gallego said in the post on X.

Gallego conceded that "we need to address our broken immigration system and secure the border," but argued "executive actions like this run contrary to the ideals of what makes our country great, and I will do all I can to fight this un-American executive order."

According to the 14th Amendment, birthright citizenship is required for “all persons born or naturalized in the United States."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in an interview with NBC News as he arrived in Emancipation Hall for the swearing-in, called today “an extraordinary day for America."

"There’s a new power, a new strength, a new purpose for the United States of America," Abbott said. "As governor of Texas, this is may be the most important thing that could happen for the state of Texas, now that we’re going to have a partner helping us secure the border. We’re going to do more than ever before to ensure that we control the border, secure tit and deny illegal immigration into the United States.”

All principals have arrived at the Capitol after leaving the White House. Biden and Trump rode in the same vehicle. Jill Biden and Melania Trump also rode together.

As Trump prepares to be sworn in today, communities across the country with high concentrations of immigrants are preparing for the fallout of the incoming administration.

State, county and local public officials in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood are spending the morning canvassing high-traffic areas in the community with "Know Your Rights" information pertaining to immigration and ICE deportations. Among them are Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, D-Ill.

Trump has signaled strong support for ending the birthright citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment and has said he will sign 10 sweeping border-related executive orders after he is sworn in today. One order will declare a national emergency so that the Defense Department can deploy the military and the National Guard at the border.

Retired Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell thanked Biden for issuing a pre-emptive pardon to him and fellow officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and who testified about their experiences to the House committee that investigated the riot.

"I was just doing my job and fulfilling my oath to defend this country. American citizens attacked the Capitol, injuring me and my colleagues," he said today in a statement. "My colleagues and I protected all elected officials, regardless of what party they belonged. I, an immigrant, nearly lost my life defending the Constitution and the rule of law in the building that President Trump will walk through to be sworn in."

He continued, "Thank you to President Biden for upholding our nation’s democracy, for your years of service to this country, and — in your final moments as commander-in-chief — issuing preemptive pardons for me and my colleagues. It should not have resulted in this, but this is what it has come to."

Florida Gov Ron. DeSantis, a Republican, spoke to NBC News upon entering Emancipation Hall. Asked about Trump’s inauguration, he brought up Biden’s pardons of Dr. Anthony Fauci and Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He said, “I’ve had four years of working against the federal government. Now we’re going to have some wind at our backs. But we also have some unfinished business with Biden continuing to leave wreckage on the way out. What he did with Fauci and Milley is unacceptable. It’s another abuse of his office. Those pardons can only go so far, but I think you’re going to see states step up and look at some of these things.”

Trump will sign an executive order today to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," according to incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

It is not clear if a U.S. president has the authority to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the area is considered international waters.

Former President Bill Clinton and billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos just entered the Capitol ahead of Trump's inauguration ceremony.

Clinton is among the past presidents to attend Trump's swearing-in ceremony. Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden will all be present.

Bezos' attendance represents a larger presence from Silicon Valley. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump's billionaire confidant Elon Musk are just two of the Big Tech tycoons set to see Trump officially become the 47th president.

Trump’s family was front and center at celebratory inaugural events over the weekend, but the incoming president is expected to have a much smaller familial entourage this time around in the Oval Office. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports on the first family for "TODAY."

The answer is not 100% clear, but there is a Supreme Court case that says it does. 

That case, though, was about whether a pardon recipient could be compelled to testify, not whether he could be prosecuted.

That 1915 Supreme Court case, Burdick v. United States, said a recipient may reject a pardon and, if it is rejected, a court has no power to force it on him or her. That case upheld a newspaper editor’s right to refuse a pardon — and assert his constitutional right against self-incrimination — in a case in which the government was trying to force him to testify.

The court also held that for a pardon to become legally effective, a warrant of pardon must be physically delivered to the recipient. In a previous case, United States v. Wilson, Chief Justice Marshall declared that a “pardon is a deed, to the validity of which delivery is essential, and delivery is not complete without acceptance.”

Vice President Kamala Harris said in a post on X that it has been "the honor of our lifetimes to serve you, the American people."

The short post was accompanied by a photo of Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in front of the White House this morning.

Former Vice President Mike Pence tweeted this morning that he is planning to attend Trump's inaugural ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda, the same place where a mob of Trump supporters chanted "Hang Mike Pence" as they stormed the Capitol four years ago.

"This is a day when every American does well to celebrate our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States," Pence wrote on X.

The lectern in Emancipation Hall, part of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, is set in front of the Statue of Freedom.

Chairs are arranged in rows, with placards designating who sits where. I’ve heard different estimates as to the number of chairs, ranging from 1,300 to 2,000.

Seats are reserved for Medal of Honor winners, governors, governors’ spouses, the “diplomatic corps,” spouses of House members, spouses of senators, guests of senators and others.

A paper program has been placed on each chair.

Two hours before the inaugural ceremony, guests were milling about the hall. When a giant TV monitor showed an image of President Joe Biden and the first lady, the crowd erupted in applause.

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., has officially resigned from his House seat today to become the national security adviser in Trump’s second term. The House’s whole number is now 433, as read by the clerk.

The Florida secretary of state’s office announced April 1 as the special election to fill the House seat being vacated by Waltz. This is the same date that the state will hold the special election to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz.

While traditional U.S. allies are nervous about Trump’s return to the White House, much of the rest of the world is far more welcoming, predicting it will have a positive impact on U.S. citizens, as well as their own countries, according to a global poll.

“Many think Trump will not just be good for America but that he will bring peace or reduce tensions in Ukraine, the Middle East and U.S.-China relations,” the European Council on Foreign Relations found in a survey conducted after Trump was elected in November.

Respondents in India (84%), Saudi Arabia (61%) and Russia (49%) were the most likely to say Trump’s election was good for their countries, with higher percentages in each country saying it was also good for U.S. citizens. In China, 46% of respondents said his election was good for their country, despite the hawkish views of some of Trump’s Cabinet picks and his pledge to impose tariffs of 60% or more on all Chinese goods imports.

A far lower percentage of respondents saw Trump’s election as a positive development for their countries in the European Union (22%), Britain (15%) and South Korea (11%).

“U.S. allies in Europe and South Korea are notably pessimistic about the incoming president — suggesting a further weakening of the geopolitical ‘West,’” the group said.

As Biden and Trump meet, it is notable to remember that Vice President Kamala Harris will not be meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance at the vice presidential residence, but she and second gentleman Doug Emhoff did greet him and his wife, Usha Vance, at the White House.

Harris’ aides point out that former Vice President Mike Pence did not meet with her at the vice presidential residence when she was coming into office. However, in 2016, then-Vice President Biden did meet there with Pence.

Biden greeted Trump as he arrived at the White House, with the pair shaking hands before heading inside.

Reporters heard Biden tell Trump, "Welcome home," as he greeted him.

Trump and Biden walked inside first, with incoming first lady Melania Trump and first lady Jill Biden following behind them.

Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood, died at the age of 67 after being treated for brain cancer. A statement from her family notes she "passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie."

"If you’d like to celebrate Cecile today, we invite you to put on some New Orleans jazz, gather with friends and family over a good meal, and remember something she said a lot over the last year: 'It’s not hard to imagine future generations one day asking: ‘When there was so much at stake for our country, what did you do?’ The only acceptable answer is: ‘Everything we could,'" the statement concludes.

Richards was one of the most prominent leaders in the pro-abortion rights movement, leading Planned Parenthood for more than a decade. She also previously served as a top aide to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and her mother, Ann Richards, served as governor of Texas.

New polling from The Wall Street Journal shows the incoming president and vice president with higher favorability ratings than the outgoing ones.

Just 35% of registered voters say they have a favorable opinion of Biden, compared to 62% who have an unfavorable one (note: this is different kind of question than an "approval rating"). Trump, on the other hand, is viewed favorably by 47% of registered voters and unfavorably by 51%.

Harris is viewed favorably by 40% and unfavorably by 57%, while Vance is viewed favorably by 44% and unfavorably by 45%.

(The Wall Street Journal polled 1,500 registered voters between Jan. 9 and 14 by phone and text-to-web, and has a margin of error of 2.5%.)

In a text to NBC News, Trump slammed the pre-emptive pardons Biden issued for Jan. 6 committee members and witness, Anthony Fauci and Mark Milley.

"It is disgraceful," Trump wrote, alleging without evidence, "Many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES."

In the West Wing at the White House, framed pictures of Biden have been removed. Soon, they will be replaced by pictures of Trump.

Trump is expected to sign an executive order to recognize only two sexes in U.S. policy and an order to terminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, incoming White House officials said on a call this morning.

One executive order will focus on calling for only be two sexes, male and female, which would not be changeable and would be determined by "biological classification." Federal employees would need to use the term "sex" and not "gender," and those classifications would be reflected on all government documents, such as passports and visas.

Another executive order would call on the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management to coordinate with federal agencies to terminate DEI initiatives, policies, preferences and activities in the federal government. In accordance with the order, there would be monthly meetings with deputy secretaries of all agencies to assess and eliminate remaining DEI programs, an incoming White House official said.