Trump using Lincoln, childhood Bibles
President-elect Donald J. Trump will be sworn in at noon Friday, using his Bible, as well as the same Bible that President Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration. The oath of office will be administered by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
“In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the ‘better angels of our nature,’” Presidential Inagural Committee chairman Tom Barrack said. “As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country.”
Trump’s Bible was presented to him by his mother upon his graduation from Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church, Jamaica, New York, on June 12, 1955. The Bible is a revised standard version published in 1953 and is embossed with his name on the lower portion of the front cover.
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The Lincoln Bible is bound in burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim along the edges of the covers. It is part of the collections of the Library of Congress and has been used at three inaugurals: 1861, 2009 and 2013.
Pence using Reagan, family Bibles
Vice President-elect Mike Pence will become the first officeholder since President Ronald Reagan to take the oath of office using the Reagan family Bible.
Clarence Thomas, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, will administer the oath of office to Pence, who grew up in Columbus, Indiana.
“It will be my honor to take the oath of office to defend our Constitution from a man who has dedicated his life to the same noble pursuit,” Pence said. “I have long admired Justice Clarence Thomas and deeply respect his judicial philosophy, dedication to the rule of law, and his historic service on the bench of our nation’s highest court.”
Justice Thomas recently celebrated his 25th year on the Supreme Court.
“It will be humbling to enter office with President Donald Trump, standing next to my family, with my wife Karen holding the same Bible used by President Reagan when he took office,” Pence said.
The Reagan family Bible that Pence will place his right hand upon was used by Reagan for his gubernatorial and presidential inaugurations. This marks the first time a person other than Reagan has used it at an inauguration.
Like Trump, Pence will use a second Bible during the swearing-in ceremony — a Pence family Bible, which will also be open. The two Bibles will be stacked on top of each other.
Faith leaders will participate in swearing-in ceremony
A diverse set of faith leaders will offer readings and prayers at the swearing-in of President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence.
Worship leaders offering readings and giving the invocation at the ceremony are His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York; Reverend Dr. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; and Pastor Paula White of New Destiny Christian Center. Additionally, Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; the Rev. Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International will offer readings and give the benediction.
It will be a long inaugural parade
More than 8,000 people will follow Donald Trump and Mike Pence as they proceed 1.5 miles from the Capitol to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, continuing a tradition that began with Thomas Jefferson in 1801.
The parade lineup of 87 units is divided into five divisions. The parade’s first division has 20 units. The two Indiana units — the Culver Academies Black Horse Troop and Equestrians and Columbus North High School marching band, the Sound of North, are listed in the second division of 16 units. The parade’s third and fourth divisions also have 16 units, while the fifth division has 19 units.
The lineup and order of appearance are subject to change.
Inaugural parades, which begin at the conclusion of the official inaugural program, have started as early as 2:30 p.m. There is no official start time for the parade, however.
Indiana National Guard helping out at inauguration
The Indiana National Guard is providing about 150 service members to the nation’s capital to perform duty supporting the 58th Presidential Inauguration. These soldiers and airmen come from multiple units and specialties to include military police, communications, logistics, medical, public affairs and the guard’s Civil Support Team.
“We are proud to take part in an event of this stature, and I’m excited for the opportunity these young men and women have to contribute to such a significant part of the democracy of our nation,” said Maj. Gen. Courtney P. Carr of Columbus, the Indiana National Guard’s adjutant general.
Members of the Indiana National Guard will support Operation Strong Guardian, roughly 7,500 National Guard soldiers and airmen from about 40 states, territories and the District of Columbia. Their work is to ensure that the hundreds of thousands of spectators are able to move around smoothly and safely before, during and after the inauguration events.
No rush for Columbus delegation
Typically, it takes about 10 hours to drive from Columbus to Washington, D.C. But when you are on a bus with more than 40 friends, why rush things? After departing Columbus at 6 a.m. Wednesday, a bus carrying a local inauguration delegation could have made it to the nation’s capitol by 4 p.m. Wednesday. However, another three-and-half hours was added in order to do some socializing with political friends in New Castle, as well as to stop at a few unscheduled attractions along the way, Bartholomew County GOP chairwoman Barb Hackman said.
Pence motorcade hits police officer
The motorcade of Vice President-elect Mike Pence struck and slightly injured a reserve Washington police officer Wednesday afternoon, according to WTHR.
The accident happened at about 1:45 p.m. and the Secret Service said the officer suffered a minor injury, was transported to a local hospital and later was released, WTHR reported.
Taking care of some Pence family business
The 10-page special section, “A Political Journey,” which appeared in Wednesday’s Republic, got a couple of Pence family connections wrong. Michael J. Pence, son of Mike and Karen Pence, married Sara Whiteside in late December in a ceremony at the Indiana governor’s residence. Her maiden name was incorrect in a family photo which appeared on Page 2 of the section. In a story on the Pence family, which appeared on Page 8 of the section, daughter Charlotte was identified as the younger of two Pence daughters — but Charlotte is older than sister Audrey.
