The Day Joe Biden Became President, in Photos

Today was the day Joe Biden became president.

The inauguration of the 46th president of the United States was, in many respects, filled with the pomp Americans have come to expect from the ceremony: Prayers from religious leaders, copious amounts of American flags and patriotic bunting; speeches by politicians who trade their usual focus-grouped plainspokenness for language that hopes to evoke something vaguely Kennedy-esque.

But for all those comforts, this inauguration was unlike any that came before it. Coming two weeks after a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, downtown Washington was locked down, unscalable fences were erected, with green zones and red zones patrolled by more than 20,000 National Guard troops. In the midst of a global pandemic that has killed more than 400,000 Americans, the National Mall was empty, void of the typical overflow crowds. The outgoing president, Donald J. Trump, decided to skip the ceremony, becoming the first incumbent in more than 150 years not to attend his successor’s swearing in. Also different: For the first time, a woman of color was being sworn in as vice president.

Witnessing all of it was POLITICO’s team of photographers, who documented everything from the pre-sunrise preparations to the oaths of office. Here, a selection of what they saw. —Zack Stanton

On Inauguration Day, the National Mall is normally filled with supporters of the incoming president, eager to participate in revelry and soak in the history of the moment. This year, due to a combination of the global coronavirus pandemic and ongoing security threats, there were no crowds to be found. Instead, the National Mall was decorated with thousands of American flags, as seen above. For those select few able to attend the event in person, social-distancing guidelines were observed. The risers outside the U.S. Capitol normally pack together members of the House and Senate, shoulder to shoulder. This year, pairs of folding chairs were socially distanced from each other and the number of attendees drastically reduced.

Among those who opted not to attend: President Donald Trump. Shortly after 8:00 a.m., Trump departed the White House for the last time as president. Aboard Marine One, he took one final lap around Washington, D.C., before heading to a small farewell rally at Andrews Air Force base in Maryland, where he spoke to a group of former White House employees and political allies.

At the inauguration stage, teleprompters were tested early morning on Wednesday. Above, an excerpt from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Among the chairs on the inauguration platform was one reserved for an anonymous former senator.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

On the National Mall, troops stood guard while watching the proceedings. Some took out their phones to take photos of the inauguration stage or watch live broadcasts of the event from a distance.

Two weeks to the day after rioters stormed into the U.S. Capitol in an effort to stop Congress from counting Electoral College votes and recognizing Biden as the victor of the election, he was sworn in as president. Journalists in fenced-in areas several blocks away followed along with Biden’s inaugural address on their computers and phones.

The limited in-person attendees included Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D–N.J.), seen here with her husband; former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R–Wisc.); and former Sen. Jeff Flake (R–Ariz.).

The crowd was thick with Biden’s cabinet nominees. Above, Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., and current nominee for secretary of Transportation, attended attended the inauguration with his husband, Chasten. Below: Deb Haaland, the incoming secretary of the Interior; secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken; Neera Tanden, Biden’s pick to head up the Office of Management and Budget; and incoming Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

In keeping with tradition, most living former presidents attended the ceremony. Below, President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush.

Among the more emotional moments of the ceremony was the arrival and swearing in of Kamala D. Harris as vice president. Harris, shown here on the stage with her husband, Doug Emhoff, is the first woman to serve as vice president, as well as the first South Asian and Black VP.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

While maintaining a healthy (social) distance, Harris greets former First Lady Michelle Obama. The former first lady is flanked on either side by ex-presidents: at left, her husband, Barack Obama; at right, Bill Clinton.

Prior to Harris’ swearing in, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the highest-ranking woman in the history of U.S. government. Now, while still second in line for the presidency, Pelosi is behind Harris, who, as a fellow San Franciscan, is one of Pelosi’s constituents. Here, Speaker Pelosi and husband Paul arrive on stage.

At the time of this photo, Mitch McConnell was still the majority leader of the U.S. Senate. By the day’s end, after the swearing-in of Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock and Alex Padilla to the U.S. Senate, he was the body’s minority leader. Here, McConnell stands onstage with his wife, Elaine Chao, who resigned as Trump’s secretary of Transportation after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Some 48 years after he arrived in Washington as a freshman member of the Senate, Joe Biden emerged from the Capitol’s western front, with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, to take the oath of office as president of the United States.

Lady Gaga, the iconic pop star who campaigned for Biden throughout the fall of 2020, sang the national anthem at the ceremony. Here, an escort with the armed forces helps her navigate the steps leading down to the stage.

Kamala Harris takes the oath of office, officially becoming the first woman to serve as vice president. Afterwards, she celebrates her joyous moment with her husband, Doug Emhoff — who is himself making history as the first Second Gentleman.

As his wife, Jill, holds the Bible, Joe Biden is sworn in as president while Chief Justice John Roberts administers the oath of office. Returning to their seats afterwards, the first lady excitedly jostles the president’s shoulders.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Biden’s inaugural address was crisp and aimed to unify a badly divided country. “Disagreement must not lead to disunion,” President Biden said. “And I pledge this to you: I will be a president for all Americans. All Americans. And I promise you I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.”

With a smile, Biden greets Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D–Minn.), who emceed the event.

Singer Jennifer Lopez sings a medley of patriotic songs including Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.”

President Biden addresses the nation.

True to form, singer Garth Brooks showed up in boots — though it wasn’t a black-tie affair, and he didn’t ruin it. The country legend sang an acapella version of “Amazing Grace” before quickly leaving the stage.

For many viewers, poet Amanda Gorman stole the show with her graceful poise and her exceptionally moving poem, “The Hill We Climb.” “We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this effort very nearly succeeded,” it read, in part. “But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.”

Biden’s speech scrolls on a large teleprompter near the stage.

A member of the National Guard lays down on the National Mall as the festivities come to a close.

“We’ve learned again that democracy is precious,” President Biden said in his inaugural address. “And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Continue scrolling to see pictures taken by Politico photographers of President Biden and Vice-President Harris' inauguration day in Washington, D.C.