The countdown is on for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, and some high-profile guests are confirmed to attend the ceremony on Monday. Among the big names are Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Carrie Underwood, the Grammy-winning country singer, who will be performing “America the Beautiful.”
The ceremony will take place indoors at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda due to an extreme cold front sweeping through Washington, D.C. “The weather’s looking pretty brutal, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Trump explained, urging everyone to dress warmly, especially given the potential for dangerously low temperatures and high winds.
While the change of location may affect turnout, a number of famous faces are still making their way to the event. Here’s who’s confirmed and who’s sitting it out:
Celebrities Who Will Be There:
- Carrie Underwood – Performing “America the Beautiful.”
- Lee Greenwood – Country singer known for “God Bless the USA.”
- Christopher Macchio – Opera singer, performing the national anthem.
- The Village People – Yes, the iconic group will be in attendance!
- Rascal Flatts – The country group will be performing at the Commander-in-Chief Ball.
- Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus – Joining the festivities at the Make America Great Again Rally.
Foreign Leaders Attending:
- Jair Bolsonaro, former President of Brazil, has announced his intention to attend after his passport was returned following legal issues back in Brazil.
- Xi Jinping from China will send a delegation in his place.
- Javier Milei, President of Argentina, will also be there.
- Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, is still deciding whether to attend.
- Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, has been invited but hasn’t confirmed.
Business Bigwigs in the Mix:
Expect to see some tech giants at the inauguration, including:
- Elon Musk – Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
- Jeff Bezos – Amazon Executive Chairman.
- Sundar Pichai – CEO of Google.
- Tim Cook – CEO of Apple.
- Sam Altman – CEO of OpenAI.
- Mark Zuckerberg – CEO of Meta.
- Shou Zi Chew – CEO of TikTok, despite the platform’s legal issues in the U.S.
The Notable No-Shows:
Some major figures have announced that they will not be attending the inauguration. Here’s who’s skipping out:
- Michelle Obama – Former First Lady will be staying home.
- Barack Obama – Former President will attend but skip the traditional inaugural lunch.
- Nancy Pelosi – Former House Speaker will not be attending, as confirmed by her spokesperson.
- Several other Democrats, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, are choosing to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy instead of attending the event.
With so many familiar faces showing up, it’s shaping up to be quite a star-studded occasion! Whether you’re tuning in or skipping it, it’s sure to be a day full of history and drama.
