10
Loading video...
By Hannah Parry
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Unlike Donald Trump's 2017 swearing-in ceremony, this year's event was a star-studded affair, as celebrities and tech giants gathered to watch the 60th presidential inauguration.
Tech Titans
...
Read More on News
...
...
...
Some of Silicon Valley's biggest players were in attendance at the U.S. Capitol Monday, signaling a change from when Trump was banned from their platforms.
Tech moguls Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg were given priority seats for Trump's second inaugural, reflecting a new era in which Silicon Valley's influence isn't just behind the scenes—it's on full display.
Cabinet members, governors and long-serving public servants were positioned in rows behind the tech executives, with only Trump and JD Vance family members seated ahead of them.
Amazon CEO Bezos, who was joined by his TV anchor fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, stood next to Meta and Facebook CEO Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, in the Capitol Rotunda.
They were joined by Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a prominent Trump ally and soon to be co-leader of the new Department of Government Efficiency.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Apple CEO Tim Cook and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew were also in attendance.
Among the tech CEOS who donated to Trump's inauguration ahead of the event were Cook, Zuckerberg, Bezos and Altman.
Former Presidents and World Leaders
...
...
...
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ex-President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush, and former President Barack Obama were in the Rotunda to watch Trump get sworn into office.
Former Vice President Mike Pence was also present. But former first lady Michelle Obama and former second lady Karen Pence declined to attend.
New York City Mayor was also there after a last-minute invite. He had flown down to Florida to speak with Trump, who is reportedly considering a pardon for him, a few days earlier.
Unlike many recent inaugurations, including those for Biden and Obama, Trump invited leaders from around the globe to attend the ceremony.
China's vice president, Han Zheng, came on behalf of President Xi Jinping. Argentinian President Javier Milei was spotted shaking hands and greeting guests ahead of the ceremony. Ecuador President Daniel Noboa was expected to attend.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the press secretary of Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, also said they would attend, in addition to the foreign ministers of Australia and Japan and the external affairs minister of India.
Celebrities
...
...
UFC's Joe Rogan and Dana White are both at the inauguration. They also attended Trump's Victory Rally on Sunday, with CEO White giving a four-minute speech celebrating his win.
White then shared a photo of himself with Rogan and Trump on his Instagram Stories.
Other UFC, boxing and wrestling stars in attendance at the inauguration were Conor McGregor, Logan Paul and Jake Paul.
Trump's campaign appearance on Rogan's podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, is believed to have helped him reach a key voter demographic, young men, before the election.
Another podcaster, Theo Von, was in attendance. Von, who hosts the This Past Weekend podcast, with 3.51 million subscribers on YouTube and 7.3 million followers on Instagram, interviewed Trump in September. The podcast has a huge audience among young men, and Trump's episode has been viewed 15 million times to date.
...
Former NHL player Wayne Gretzky was in attendance with his wife, Janet Jones. Trump has teased the former Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers star. On Christmas Day, Trump urged Gretzky to become the next prime minister of Canada.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: "I just left Wayne Gretzky, 'The Great One' as he is known in Ice Hockey circles. I said, 'Wayne, why don't you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada - You would win easily, you wouldn't even have to campaign.'"
Rupert Murdoch, founder of News Corp., was also in the crowd, despite Trump's hot-and-cold relationship with Fox News in recent years.
Caitlyn Jenner, a vocal Trump supporter who attended his inauguration ceremony in 2017, was planning to be there again.
After patching up her rocky relationship with Trump, who once described her as a "bimbo" and "crazy," former Fox News host Megan Kelly was also at the ceremony.
Model and TV personality Amber Rose was expected at the event, according to TMZ.
Performers
...
...
Carrie Underwood performed a rendition of "America the Beautiful" at the ceremony. The country singer has faced backlash on social media over her decision to perform at Trump's inauguration, but various celebrities have defended her, including Whoopi Goldberg and John Rich.
Underwood told Newsweek in a previous statement: "I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future."
Opera singer Christopher Macchio, who performed at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally in New York City in October, performed the national anthem.
Lee Greenwood performed "God Bless the USA" with the United States Marine Corps ban, before Trump took the oath. He said the inauguration will be a "magic moment" for him.
"My song is a tribute to the culture of America, Black, white, red, yellow, economic standards," Greenwood previously told Newsweek. "It is about an American, whoever we are as Americans. If they embrace my song as their song, it makes me proud."
He also said that Trump is a friend and that he has visited the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago.
Nelly is one of the big names who will perform at one of three inauguration balls Monday evening. The "Hot in Herre" singer will perform at the Liberty Inaugural Ball.
Rascal Flatts lead vocalist Gary LeVox confirmed on social media that he will perform with the band—known for hits such as "Life Is a Highway" and "What Hurts the Most"—at the Commander in Chief Ball.
"I am so humbled and honored and grateful for the opportunity again to play the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States," he posted to Instagram on January 14. "I got to play it in 2016 and now Rascal Flatts will be performing at the commanders ball and I am so looking forward to it! Thank you to Governor Kristi Noem and Mrs. Virginia—it will be a night to remember!"
Gavin DeGraw, best known for his song "I Don't Want to Be," which served as the theme to One Tree Hill, will headline at the Starlight Ball.
The Village People, who performed at the Victory Rally on Sunday, will perform at the Liberty Inaugural Ball Monday night. The disco group has received backlash for its decision, with some branding the members as "traitors."
"We know this won't make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics," the band said in its social media post. "Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost."
Other performers include Jason Aldean at the Liberty Ball and Parker McCollum at the Commander in Chief Ball.
Trump also had a bevy of celebrities and performers at Sunday's Make America Great Again Victory Rally, including Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus and Liberty University's Praise Choir.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines