What to watch at Trump’s inauguration: Big Tech CEOs, Carrie Underwood and foreign leaders

Donald Trump’s inauguration as the country’s 47th president was expected to be an extravagant break from tradition — before it got moved indoors due to cold weather.

There will still be well-known performers, influential billionaires as guests and foreign heads of state. Unlike his first inauguration eight years ago, Trump will be welcomed back to office by business titans and global leaders, groups that often shunned him in his first term.

Here are some things to look out for during Trump’s inauguration.

Trumps inside the Capitol Rotunda, but who else?

Expect to see Melania Trump, the president-elect’s five children and grandkids. Don Jr., his eldest son, and Lara Trump, who is married to Eric Trump, have gained more influence over the past year. The fathers of Trump’s two sons-in-law were given key adviser posts as well. While Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have taken a step back, they are expected to attend just like they did for election night.

But the Capitol Rotunda can only hold around 600 people, according to organizers. There will be precious few spots for Supreme Court justices, military leaders, former presidents and their spouses, Cabinet nominees and visiting dignitaries — along with the 535 members of Congress who traditionally get prime spots, though some Democratic lawmakers are skipping the ceremony.

Tesla and X owner Elon Musk was invited to the dais along with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Who will make it into the Rotunda?

Country superstar and the Y.M.C.A.

Country music star Carrie Underwood, who has won eight Grammy Awards, will sing “America the Beautiful” before Trump is sworn in around noon EST by Chief Justice John Roberts. Underwood, who went from 2005 “American Idol” contestant to the most decorated artist in CMT Music Awards history, was a surprise get for the president-elect’s inauguration program.

Another unexpected announcement came from the Village People, the late-70s American disco group behind the hit “Y.M.C.A.” The group was booked for a Trump rally in Washington on Sunday and at one of the inaugural balls. The hit song was played at the end of Trump rallies and became a viral trend on social media after the election with people mimicking the president-elect’s signature dance moves.

Other performers will include two of Trump’s musical favorites: opera singer Christopher Macchio, who will sing the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and country singer Lee Greenwood, known for his patriotic anthem, “God Bless the USA,” also played at Trump rallies.

Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw, best known for his hit song “I Don’t Want To Be,” will perform at one of the three balls Trump is attending. Country singers Jason Aldean, Parker McCollum and country music band Rascal Flatts will be performing at the other two balls.

The inaugural address

Trump is known for delivering hour-plus speeches where he makes grand promises, attacks political opponents and mocks some foreign leaders.

During his 16-minute inaugural address in 2017, Trump stuck to his campaign script and painted a bleak picture of the country blaming other countries for shuttering factories and shrinking the middle class. He said he would end “American carnage” and would govern with an “America First” approach.

This time around, his main campaign promise has been to launch the largest deportation operation in history and seal off the U.S.-Mexico border. He has spoken about ushering in a “golden age” and pledged to impose tariffs on imports, rolling out more details in recent days on how he plans to pursue those goals.

He told NBC News on Saturday that the theme of his inaugural address will be “unity and strength, and also the word ‘fairness.’”

“Because you have to be treating people fairly,” Trump said. “You can’t just say, ‘Oh, everything’s going to be wonderful.’ You know, we went through hell for four years with these people. And so, you know, something has to be done about it. … You can’t have that happen, and we shouldn’t have that happen.”

Foreign leaders in town

Trump may be breaking a tradition on Inauguration Day after extending invitations to world leaders. No heads of state have previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was the first foreign leader whose invitation to the inauguration became public last December. Xi will not attend but is sending Vice President Han Zheng as his special representative.

Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, and Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni, accepted Trump’s offer. The offices of Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña have also said they were invited and were planning to attend.

Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated Press