EXPLAINER
In a break from tradition, US President-elect Donald Trump has invited world leaders and heads of far-right parties – coronation style.
United States President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office for a second term on Monday, January 20 – this time as the 47th US president.
Both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are set to take the oath of office and begin a new administration amid a long day of celebrations that will include musical performances and a parade.
However, unlike traditional inaugurations of US presidents, this one will include a host of foreign leaders, including Trump’s close allies and even some of his rivals. At least seven sitting heads of state and two former leaders have been invited. According to Reuters, an estimated 500,000 guests are expected in total.
Here’s a breakdown of who’s in, who’s not invited, and why this guest list is so different from the norm:
What’s different about this inauguration?
President-elect Trump is breaking with US tradition for this event. Usually, presidential inaugurations are a domestic affair: the president and vice president take the oath with US officials, past heads of state and other American VIPs present on the steps of the US Capitol building. The public is allowed to watch from the surrounding grounds.
However, this event, which will be accompanied by an inaugural speech, a parade, musical performances and balls, will also be an international affair. Close to a dozen world leaders, most of them conservative and right wing, have been invited. Foreign leaders usually do not attend the US presidential inauguration; rather, diplomats such as country ambassadors to the US, or foreign ministers, act as representatives.
Who is invited?
Several heads of state, notably right-wing or populist leaders allied with Trump, have been invited, but so have some of his rivals. Notably, they are:
- Argentina’s President Javier Milei: Milei has confirmed his attendance. Trump once hailed the far-right leader as a man who can “make Argentina great again” and, in December, welcomed Milei at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping: Trump invited Xi to the ceremony in December, a move that his spokespeople say signals his readiness to interact with his Chinese counterpart, even amid a looming trade war. Xi will not attend, however, Vice President Han Zheng will.
- Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: Meloni, of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, visited Mar-a-Lago in January. Her office says she is likely to attend if her schedule permits.
- Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban: Populist leader Orban is a close Trump ally and has said he believes the president-elect will end Russia’s war on Ukraine. He will not make it due to a state address, according to local media.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Modi and Trump have shared a “bromance” since the first Trump presidency. Following his election victory in December, Modi was among the first to call and congratulate Trump. While the PM will not attend, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will represent him.
- Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa: Noboa hailed Trump’s December victory a victory for Latin America, too. His office confirmed he will pause a re-election campaign to travel to Washington for the inauguration.
- El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele: Bukele’s office has not confirmed his attendance yet. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, is friends with Bukele, and in July 2024, attended his inauguration in San Salvador.
- Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro: the far-right politician nicknamed the “Trump of the Tropics” has been invited, but will not attend because he is banned from travelling. His passport was confiscated by the country’s Supreme Court amid several investigations, including alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2022 general election, which he lost.
- Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck, who recently became leader of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists party in the EU parliament, will also attend.
Who is not invited?
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not been invited, his office confirmed on Thursday. However, the far-right politician, Nigel Farage of the Reform UK party, is invited and will be present.
- European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, and much of the European Union and members of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), which have largely centrist governments, have been ignored.
- Germany’s President Olaf Scholz, who leads the EU’s largest economy, has also been snubbed. An invitation has, however, been extended to Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), who will be represented by co-leader Tino Chrupalla.
- Santiago Abascal, who leads the Spanish right-wing Vox Party, and Andre Ventura of Portugal’s populist Chega party, will also be there.
- French President Emmanuel Macron was not invited, although Macron and Trump have friendly relations. Instead, French far-right politician Eric Zemmour of the Reconquest party will be present.
Which other countries have similarly packed swearing-in ceremonies?
Different countries have different traditions but, typically, inaugurations are a domestic affair although they may include leaders from neighbouring countries.
In India, swearing-in ceremonies are also becoming more extravagant, however. Last July, India’s President Narendra Modi had a long guest list for his third inauguration ceremony which hosted 9,000 guests. They included several heads of state from neighbouring Indian Ocean countries, including Sri Lanka’s Ranil Wickremesinghe and the now-ousted Bangladeshi president, Sheikh Hasina.
Similarly, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also sworn in for a third consecutive term in June 2023, hosted 34 world leaders for his lavish celebrations. They included South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary.
