• President Donald Trump and wife Melania, the first lady, arrive at the Commander and Chief inaugural ball in Washington. AFP
    President Donald Trump and wife Melania, the first lady, arrive at the Commander and Chief inaugural ball in Washington. AFP
  • President Trump with first lady Melania and Vice President JD Vance with his wife, Usha Vance, dance at the Commander and Chief inaugural ball. AP
    President Trump with first lady Melania and Vice President JD Vance with his wife, Usha Vance, dance at the Commander and Chief inaugural ball. AP
  • President Trump points to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts after taking the oath of office. AP
    President Trump points to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts after taking the oath of office. AP
  • Kamala Harris, Bill Clinton and former George W Bush are among those in attendance at the Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol. AP
    Kamala Harris, Bill Clinton and former George W Bush are among those in attendance at the Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol. AP
  • Former President Barack Obama, right, and Laura Bush, left. AP
    Former President Barack Obama, right, and Laura Bush, left. AP
  • Barron Trump gestures after being acknowledged by his father inside Capital One Arena. AFP
    Barron Trump gestures after being acknowledged by his father inside Capital One Arena. AFP
  • Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington. AFP
    Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington. AFP
  • Trump signs numerous executive orders on the first day of his presidency in the Oval Office. EPA
    Trump signs numerous executive orders on the first day of his presidency in the Oval Office. EPA
  • Argentina's President Javier Milei, centre, former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, top right, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrive for the inauguration. AP
    Argentina's President Javier Milei, centre, former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, top right, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrive for the inauguration. AP
  • President Trump and wife Melania Trump, the first lady. AP
    President Trump and wife Melania Trump, the first lady. AP

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US

Inauguration 2025: Key moments from Trump’s first day back, from Elon Musk’s salute to Melania’s outfit

First lady’s hat steals the show as Trump begins second term in office

The National

January 20, 2025

  • English
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Live updates: Follow the latest on Donald Trump’s inauguration

President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony and ensuing celebrations gave rise to plenty of memorable moments. Here is a look at some of them:

Melania Trump's hat

While red baseball caps have become synonymous with Mr Trump, first lady Melania Trump made her own millinery-related fashion statement, sporting a navy wide-brimmed hat by American designer Eric Javits.

The headwear drew attention not just for its strikingly low brow but for the fact Mr Trump was unable to reach his wife's cheek when he tried to give her a kiss, forcing him to do a rather Parisian air kiss.

US President-elect Donald Trump tries to kiss his wife. AFP / Bloomberg
US President-elect Donald Trump tries to kiss his wife. AFP / Bloomberg

The Bible

Photos of the swearing-in show Mr Trump with his hand at his side, not on top of the Bible. It’s traditional to use a Bible during the presidential oath of office, but it is not required. Only the oath is mandated by the Constitution.

Theodore Roosevelt did not use a Bible when he was sworn in after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. John Quincy Adams used a law text for his 1825 inauguration.

Still, Mr Trump's decision not to swear on the Bible drew consternation from some of his evangelical supporters.

Mr Trump takes the oath of office. Getty Images
Mr Trump takes the oath of office. Getty Images

Elon Musk's salute

Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk drew attention after he gave what some observers said were fascist salutes during an inauguration celebration at a Washington arena. But defenders were quick to claim he was merely expressing heartfelt thanks to supporters of the new US leader.

During his remarks, an excited Mr Musk was thanking the crowd for Mr Trump’s election. On two occasions, he touched his right hand to his chest then flung it out in a quick gesture that was reminiscent of the “Roman” salute, also known as a fascist or Nazi salute.

Several users on X said that Mr Musk had immediately clutched his chest and said “My heart goes out to you”. They suggested his gesture had been misinterpreted.

Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk gestures during the inaugural parade at Capitol One Arena, Washington, on January 20. AFP
Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk gestures during the inaugural parade at Capitol One Arena, Washington, on January 20. AFP

Barron Trump's height

Mr Trump's youngest son, Barron, drew considerable attention when he appeared for the inauguration ceremony. The 18 year old is 6 foot, 7 inches (two metres) tall, and he towered over the other guests and his dad, who is 6 foot, 3 inches.

President Donald Trump shakes his son Barron's hand. The New York Times via AP
President Donald Trump shakes his son Barron's hand. The New York Times via AP
The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Plastic tipping point
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:

Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.

Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.

Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.

Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.

Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.

Saraya Al Khorasani:  The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.

(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)

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Updated: January 21, 2025, 9:06 AM
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