A member of the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets participates in a rehearsal for inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 12, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images
Donald Trump’s presidential transition team on Monday released a schedule of official parties, gatherings and other events that will surround his inauguration as the 47th U.S. president next week.
The four-day schedule includes a fireworks show and three VIP events at Trump’s golf course outside of Washington, D.C., as well as a celebratory MAGA rally on the eve of his swearing-in ceremony.
It also includes three inaugural balls, a relatively small number by recent presidential standards — and one that appears even more modest considering the record-shattering amount of money that Trump’s inaugural committee has at its disposal.
The Trump Vance Inaugural Committee has raised more than $170 million, and is on track to end up with more than $200 million to spend on inaugural events and operations, news outlets including NBC News have reported.
The nonprofit committee is tasked with planning and hosting much of the pageantry that traditionally accompanies transitions of presidential power.
That does not include Trump’s swearing in at the Capitol or his inaugural address, both of which are paid for by a special joint congressional committee.
Outside of the balls, several of Trump’s events will be held at his Virginia golf course, a break from recent inaugurations that largely kept events within Washington, D.C.
Unlike in 2021, when President Joe Biden held a fireworks show over D.C.’s National Mall, the fireworks at Trump’s club will explode over 20 miles from Capitol Hill, out of view for much of the general public.
Trump’s second inaugural committee, like his first in 2017, will once again be flush with far more cash than those of other recent presidents, while hosting fewer events.
Former President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, for example, featured 10 official balls alongside dozens of other unofficial events. His inaugural committee raised over $53 million, a record at the time.
Former President Bill Clinton attended a record 14 official balls during his second inauguration in 1997, which reportedly raised less than $24 million.
President Joe Biden did not host any balls in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trump’s massive fundraising haul and relatively scant schedule mirror the circumstances of his 2017 inauguration, which raised $107 million and spent more than $97 million over just two days of events.
That unprecedented jump in spending came out to about $37,000 per minute, more than four times the $8,600 per minute spent during Obama’s first inauguration, OpenSecrets calculated in 2018.
The current Trump inaugural committee did not immediately respond to CNBC’s questions about its fundraising and spending plans.
As Trump vows to overhaul U.S. economic policies — including by imposing potentially sweeping tariffs while slashing all sorts of other taxes and regulations — some top CEOs and businesses seem eager to warm up their once-frosty relationships with him.
That extends to the inaugural committee, which has received million-dollar donations from a wave of companies, including many of the tech giants that declined to contribute to his 2017 inauguration.
Last week, departing Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan suggested to CNBC that Amazon and Facebook parent Meta may be working to get a “sweetheart deal” from the next Trump administration.
Possibly in response to the increased interest in currying Trump’s favor, the inaugural committee is reportedly asking top donors to give a minimum of $1 million — twice as much as it requested in 2017 — for the opportunity to get some direct face-time with the president- or vice president-elect, the Guardian reported.
Here’s the latest schedule of events, provided by Trump’s inaugural committee:
Saturday, January 18, 2025
- The President’s Reception and Fireworks at Trump Sterling
- Cabinet Reception and Vice President’s Dinner
Sunday, January 19, 2025
- Arlington National Cemetery Ceremony
Wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Make America Great Again Victory Rally
President Donald J. Trump Delivers Remarks - Candlelight Dinner
President Donald J. Trump Delivers Remarks
Monday, January 20, 2025
- St. John’s Church Service
- Tea at the White House
- Swearing-In Ceremony
US Capitol - Farewell to the Former President and Vice President
- US Capitol Departure Ceremony
- The President’s Signing Room Ceremony
- JCCIC Congressional Luncheon
- The President’s Review of the Troops
- Presidential Parade
Pennsylvania Avenue - Oval Office Signing Ceremony at The White House
- Commander in Chief Ball
President Donald J. Trump Delivers Remarks - Liberty Inaugural Ball
President Donald J. Trump Delivers Remarks - Starlight Ball
President Donald J. Trump Delivers Remarks
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
