He’s known for being over the top — but Donald Trump’s inauguration is shaping up to be downright understated.
On Friday Jan. 20, exactly at noon ET, Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, taking his Oath of Office from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Moments earlier, Mike Pence will be sworn in as vice president, and moments later Trump will deliver his inaugural address.
Beyond those tidbits, however, little about the upcoming quadrennial event is known — but details are starting to trickle out.
The inaugural committee on Friday announced that the theme for the Jan. 20 celebrations would be “Make America Great Again” — the Republican businessman’s campaign slogan.
Trump will attend two official inaugural balls that night, down from the 10 attended by Obama in 2009.
“This is a workman-like inaugural. This is not a coronation,” Boris Epshteyn, communications director for Trump’s inaugural committee, told ABC.
“And you’ve seen some inaugurals in the past that maybe did seem like a coronation. Again, it’s every president’s choice. This President wants to get to work.”
Recent negative headlines regarding the weekend’s entertainment (or lack thereof) and outlandish fundraising figures hasn’t aided in combatting the idea that inaugural planning — officially handled by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and Trump’s Presidential Inaugural Committee — is, at the least, a little behind schedule.
Epshteyn maintained that’s not the case.
“We have world-class talent, world-class entertainers reaching out to us offering their help, offering their services so no struggle, whatsoever,” Epshteyn said.
One name that’s in the mix is country music star Garth Brooks, who’s in discussions to perform, his rep said.
One name that’s not is one of Trump’s favorite performers, Elton John.
Last month John refuted reports perpetuated by Trump’s transition team that he would be performing at the inauguration, with his publicist issuing repeated and emphatic denials about such a possibility.
Trump himself appears to have vacillated between ideas for a more ostentatious affair and a more traditional slate of events.
During an exclusive fundraiser Wednesday morning in Midtown, Trump told a crowd of about 900 wealthy supporters that he’d discussed ideas for the inauguration ceremony and accompanying events with Mark Burnett, the television producer who created the “The Apprentice” reality TV show with Trump.
According to The New York Times, Burnett, who is said to be involved in the planning process, floated gaudy ideas such as Trump arriving to the swearing-in ceremony via helicopter after a parade along Fifth Ave. But such efforts could prove challenging in the face of the necessary security measures.
Other people involved with planning the inauguration, including Thomas Barrack Jr., the chief of Trump’s Inaugural Committee, told paper that the event would end up being more in line with past inaugurations.
“The President-elect wants this to be simple. He wants this to be about the people,” he told The Times. “It’s not about putting on the most expensive talent and spending that kind of money to ingratiate himself.”
And even if Trump wanted a slate of high-profile performers, he might not be to get many to sign on.
During his campaign, Trump struggled to attract the backing of performers outside his strange orbit of celebrities (see: Mike Tyson, Gary Busey, Omarosa), relying on loud fringe support from aging rockers like Ted Nugent and Kid Rock. And, officially, the President-elect still has zero performers lined up for the inauguration.
By contrast, President Obama’s first inauguration, in 2009, featured multiple huge performances across a three-day stretch, including a “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial featuring Brooks, Bruce Springsteen Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, and Sheryl Crow, and a “Kids’ Inaugural” event featuring Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.
Barrack has said that the group is “hard at work arranging world-class entertainment for the Inaugural celebrations” but admitted that “no offers have been extended” and that “no specifics are in place.”
Fundraising on the other hand, seems to be going better.
According to the committee, for prices ranging from $25,000 to $1 million, donors can purchase attendance at a variety of special events across the weekend. For example, a $1 million check will buy four tickets to a “leadership luncheon” with “select cabinet appointees and House and Senate leadership,” eight tickets to a “ladies luncheon,” another eight tickets to a dinner that features Melania Trump and tickets to official inaugural events and the swearing-in ceremony.
Trump is hoping to raise up to $75 million to pay for the events for the inaugural week and has reportedly already raised $50 million.
A handful of other routine facets of Inauguration Day are in place, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, including a morning worship service, a formal procession to the Capitol and the Inaugural Luncheon that follows the formal ceremony.
Construction has also begun on the stands outside the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.
And, there’s still plenty of time. While work on constructing the physical platform for the 2009 inauguration began as early as September 2008, formal announcements regarding the inauguration ceremony itself weren’t released until early January 2009.
Trump’s team said it expects to announce more details on the program this week.
With News Wire Services
