Published : Jan. 21, 2021 - 01:03
President-elect Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff salute as they arrive ahead of the inauguration of Biden, in Washington, US, on Thursday. (Reuters-Yonhap)
WASHINGTON (AFP) -- President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris arrived at the US Capitol on Wednesday for their official inauguration ceremony.
Biden, 78, is to be sworn in at noon (1700 GMT) by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts as the 46th president of the United States. Harris, 56, will be the first woman to become vice president.
Donald Trump left Washington three hours before Biden's swearing-in, the first American president to skip the inauguration of his successor in more than 150 years.
The inauguration comes exactly two weeks after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to disrupt the certification by Congress of Biden's November election victory.
Among those attending the ceremony are former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Vice President Mike Pence will also be present after skipping a departure ceremony for Trump at nearby Joint Base Andrews earlier in the day.