What will happen during Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration on January 20 in Washington D.C

President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office follows the pomp and circumstance of the 44 men who have come before him, with a ceremony steeped in history.

Set by the US Constitution, Mr Trump’s second term starts with his swearing in at midday, January 20, taking the oath of office before assuming the role.

Due to the “arctic blast” that is bringing freezing temperatures to the US Capitol, Mr Trump has moved his inauguration inside, the first time in 40 years that a presidential inaugural ceremony has been moved because of the extreme weather.

“There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way,” he said.

“Therefore, I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda.”

The last time an inauguration was moved indoors because of the bitter cold was in 1985 for former Republican president Ronald Reagan’s second swearing-in when the afternoon wind chill fell into the range of -23C to -29C.

The weather forecast for Washington DC on Monday predicts temperatures at the time of Mr Trump’s swearing-in to be about -7C but will feel even colder with wind chill.

His inauguration comes after he beat Vice President Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election, in a sweeping victory through swing states in the Rust and Sun Belts — including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Arizona.

In a statement this week, inauguration committee co-chairs Steve Witkoff and Kelly Loeffler said: “President Trump is dedicated to uniting the country through the strength, security, and opportunity of his America First agenda.”

“The 2025 inaugural celebrations will reflect President-elect Trump’s historic return to the White House and the American people’s decisive vote to Make America Great Again.”

Here is how President Trump’s second term will get underway.

What happens before inauguration day?

In the final hours of the Biden presidency, the build up to Mr Trump’s swearing in is expected to bask in his victory at a number of events, including a president’s reception and fireworks display at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, as well as a Cabinet reception and vice president’s dinner.

The weekend’s events will culminate in a rally on Sunday night with Mr Trump’s MAGA “Victory Rally” at Capital One Arena in Washington. Likely to draw significant numbers of supporters, with performances from the Village People, Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus.

What happens on inauguration day

For the president-elect, the day starts with a traditional service at St John’s Episcopal Church in Lafeyette Square — nicknamed the Church of the Presidents.

Mr Trump will be familiar with the church, as it was the site of an infamous photograph after local law enforcement cleared protesters — from the Black Lives Matters campaign — from the Square so he could hold up a bible outside, following graffiti of nearby buildings.

Following church, Mr and Mrs Trump will meet with outgoing president Joe Biden and his wife Jill for tea at around 10am (2am AEDT) The meeting has been a staple of presidential transition for decades, but was not held in 2020.

Traditionally, the sitting and incoming presidents will then travel together to the US Capitol building for the formal swearing-in ceremony before 11am (3am AEDT). However, due to the weather, they will now hold the Inauguration Address at the United States Capitol Rotunda.

The event — set to be attended by more than 250,000 people — usually starts with a range of performances, readings and speeches. Watching on will be Mr Trump’s predecessors, including President Biden, Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton. While former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush will attend, Michelle Obama will skip the event.

Outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, who Trump defeated in November’s presidential election, will also look on with husband Doug Emhoff.

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg are set to be attendance, along with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Foreign Minister Penny Wong and ambassador Kevin Rudd will attend on behalf of the Australian Government.

Combined, the Trump Inaugural organisers have raised more than $170 million USD to cover the cost of the inaugural events.

Swearing in of US President-elect Donald Trump

Shortly before midday, JD Vance will be sworn in as Vice President by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, before country music star Carrie Underwood will sing “America the Beautiful”.

During the event Opera singer Christopher Macchio will sing the national anthem, while Lee Greenwood will perform Trump’s walk-on song “Proud to Be an American”.

At the stroke of midday (4am AEDT), Mr Trump will then step forward, place his hand on a bible held by Mrs Trump, and be sworn in as the 47th US President by Chief Justice John Roberts.

How to watch Donald Trump’s inauguration

The Nightly will stream 7NEWS live coverage of President Donald Trump’s swearing in from 3am AEDT.

Will Donald Trump speak at inauguration

Following his official return as commander in chief, President Trump will deliver his second inaugural address to the nation — a speech given by every sitting president dating back to 1789.

The shortest speech was George Washington’s second inauguration, at just 135 words while the longest was William Henry Harrison, who spoke for 8445 words in cold January weather to prove his vitality. He died 31 days later.

Trump’s first inauguration speech was 1433 words.

When do Joe Biden and Kamala Harris leave Washington D.C?

Officially sworn in, President Trump will farewell former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who will leave in Marine One.

His term of office will likely start with a series of signatures for Cabinet position nominations to start formal votes in the Senate.

President and First Lady Trump will then join a parade as they return to the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue — expected to draw thousands.

What will happen on Donald Trump’s first day back in the White House?

Stepping back into the Oval Office, the newly sworn in President Trump is set to waste no time rolling out his agenda, reportedly telling Republican senators this week he had large ambitions for day one.

Once back at the White House, President Trump is set to sign in 100 executive orders — some focused on winding back President Biden’s agenda, while others are likely to establish the tone of the next four years.

Among the orders to be signed include shutting down the US-Mexico border and restarting the construction of the wall, as well as launching the “largest mass deportation operation” in US history

Mr Trump has also flagged orders to end the Russia-Ukraine war, pardon prisoners of those who stormed the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, overhaul education funding for “woke” schools, end the Biden Administration’s Green New Deal platform and roll back federal regulations.

As the day turns into night, President and First Lady Trump will attend three inaugural balls, with speeches at the Commander in Chief Ball, the Liberty Inaugural Ball and the Starlight Ball.