United States President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris speak in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 7, 2020, after being declared the winners of the presidential election. Both wear masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Credit: © Andrew Harnik, AFP/Getty Images

Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States on January 20. His inauguration looked different than inaugurations past. Because of the ongoing pandemic (global outbreak) of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, efforts were made to limit the size of crowds and prevent the spread of germs. Gone were the parades and balls. Instead, the country marked the transition of power with virtual parades and televised performances.

As is tradition, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States swore in the incoming president. This year, that honor went to Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. Biden then give his inaugural address and conducted a review of military troops. Celebrities were on hand to help celebrate the occasion. Lady Gaga performed the national anthem, and Jennifer Lopez gave a musical performance.

The events took place on the west front of the United States Capitol—which, only two weeks before, was raided by a violent mob intent on halting Biden’s certification as winner of the presidential election. President Donald Trump, under impeachment for inciting the mob, did not attend the inauguration ceremony, becoming one of only a handful of outgoing presidents to skip the inauguration.

A poem by Amanda Gorman drew particular attention. Gorman, a Black woman, became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration. The poem, titled “The Hill We Climb,” was written for the occasion and referenced the January 6 Capitol attack.

Thousands of military troops and police officers had been stationed at the Capitol—and at state capitols around the country—in anticipation of further violence. Experts had warned of far-right extremist groups’ desire to stage attacks at such locations on or around Inauguration Day. In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, 15,000 troops—more soldiers than in Iraq and Afghanistan—had been stationed in Washington, D.C. The weekend before the inauguration, several groups of armed protesters showed up at the capitols of such states as Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. They were met with military vehicles and police barricades. In the end, however, the inauguration festivities went off without violence.

Another major threat to the United States—COVID-19—led officials to scale down inauguration celebrations. Biden’s inauguration schedule began Tuesday night, with a somber memorial to the 400,000 Americans who have died from the disease, held at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. To limit the spread of germs, tickets for the events were not made available to the general public. And, instead of a traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, there was a virtual parade featuring music, poets, and dancers. The parade honored America’s frontline workers (workers likely to encounter COVID-19). In place of balls in honor of the new president, there was a star-studded television event on Wednesday night. Hosted by Tom Hanks, the event featured such entertainers as Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, and Kerry Washington. The television event ended a day filled with celebration and patriotism.

President Donald J. Trump
Credit: The White House

On Wednesday, January 13, Donald J. Trump became the first United States president to be impeached twice. Impeachment is the formal accusation of serious misconduct against a government official. In this case, the accusation against Trump included incitement of insurrection—that is, encouraging an uprising against the government. Impeachment is an extraordinary check on presidential power. The Constitution specifies that officials shall be removed from office after impeachment for, and conviction of, “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

In the article of impeachment, Trump is accused of “inciting violence against the government of the United States.” The accusation stems from the violent, pro-Trump demonstration in which rioters attacked the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The accusation alleges that Trump—in a rally held before the event and on social media—encouraged supporters who stormed the Capitol, endangering hundreds of lives.

On the morning of January 6, members of Congress had convened at the Capitol to certify Democrat Joe Biden as winner of the November presidential election. However, the count was disrupted by protests that turned violent. Supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol, pushing through barriers and climbing walls. Lawmakers were quickly ushered to safety. Shouting and waving flags, the unruly mob entered the official chambers of Congress, as well as the personal offices of senators and representatives. Some damaged or stole property. Others took pictures of themselves occupying one of the nation’s most sacred buildings. Several people were killed in and around the Capitol. Dozens of people have been arrested since the attack, and many more are being investigated.

One week after the attack, the vote for impeachment took place in the House of Representatives, passing 232 to 197. Unlike Trump’s first impeachment, in 2019, the vote did not strictly fall along party lines. A number of House Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach. The vote set the stage for a trial to occur in the Senate. If the Senate votes to convict Trump, he may be barred from ever holding public office again.

Trump’s two presidential impeachments are part of only four in the country’s history. In 1868, the House impeached President Andrew Johnson, who had inherited a wartime dispute between his predecessor, Abraham Lincoln, and Congress over how to treat the South after the Civil War. After impeachment, a Senate vote failed to remove Johnson from office. In 1998, the House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice. The charges developed out of Clinton’s efforts to conceal an improper sexual relationship. The House sent its findings to the Senate, which conducted a trial and found Clinton not guilty. Another president, Richard Nixon, resigned from office to avoid impeachment in 1974 for his involvement in the Watergate scandal.