WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump was covered by 17 photographers for Reuters in Washington. From a bird’s eye view of the U.S. capital to the president’s table setting for luncheon to trash left strewn outside security checkpoints, Reuters was there to capture the pomp and ceremony, the hope and celebrations of supporters, and the fears and protests of opponents.
The original, carefully laid plans of news organizations were thrown into disarray on Friday, when a forecast of snow and freezing temperatures led to last-minute changes. The swearing-in ceremony itself was moved from a stage outside the Capitol, where it would have taken place in front of large crowds, to the small, packed Capitol rotunda indoors.
Some Trump supporters still gravitated to the now mostly empty and frosty National Mall lawn, watching the event on their phones. Others huddled in hotel bars, while some scored coveted tickets to the 20,000-seater Capital One Arena. A parade initially intended to go down Pennsylvania Avenue took place in the arena instead, while Trump and some of his main allies also gave speeches there to an emotional crowd.
Photographers were there to cover it all for Reuters – and elsewhere too, including the steps of the White House, the top of the Washington Monument, and at anti-Trump protests.
Below is a selection of some Reuters pictures taken during the events of the day and in the lead-up to it, along with comments from the photographers who took them.
Fabrizio Bensch
“Back in September 2024 I started planning the implementation of robotic and remote cameras for the U.S. president’s inauguration. When I arrived here at the beginning of January we started to prepare everything for the inauguration outside on the Capitol Hill platform. And then the unexpected news came that due to the cold weather everything would take place in the rotunda.
“Now there were only three days to replan everything. We were assigned to a position where we could mount two remote cameras on a lighting truss exactly opposite the president’s platform position at the inauguration. These cameras were connected to the network and were able to send all the photos from the rotunda live to the editors in the Washington Reuters bureau.”
Brendan McDermid
“This was my fourth inauguration over 25 years. Each one has been unique, and this one is no exception. I drew the lucky job of being atop the Washington Monument. Unfortunately when they announced that everything was moving inside my position became less relevant. That didn’t stop me from taking a moment to appreciate where I was this morning, as the sky turned orange just before the dawn, looking down upon the National Mall and the Capitol Building.”
Daniel Cole
“The mood on the Mall was eerie as it was largely empty, but the crowd of supporters who did come out were totally elated and many expressed a general feeling of relief that their man was back in power. This one couple had brought camping chairs and sat in the empty Mall, watching the ceremony on their phone together.”
Jeenah Moon
“As winter grips Washington, the air was frigid, one of the coldest days of the season. I made sure to layer up in warm clothing – thick thermals, a cozy wool sweater, hand warmers and a heavy coat – to shield myself from the biting chill. Additionally, I carefully prepared my camera gear, ensuring the batteries were fully charged, as the cold can drain them faster than usual. I was determined to capture every moment, no matter how long the day that stretched ahead of me.”
Kevin Lamarque
“As a Reuters staff photographer for over 37 years, with the past 25 in Washington, I have covered campaigns, elections and inaugurations aplenty. This inauguration, however, was well outside the box. The other six inaugurations I covered were all outdoors, as is the tradition. No doubt hundreds of members of the media and thousands of Trump supporters were hugely disappointed. But disappointment is easier to overcome than frostbite or hypothermia.”
Marko Djurica
“This is my first time working in the U.S. and, of course, that means it’s my first inauguration. I could maybe compare it to the coronation of King Charles that I did in London, but this is bigger. Security wise, it is unbelievably secure and there’s police everywhere, streets are closed and the biggest challenge was to move from one anti-Trump protest to the inauguration inside the secured perimeter.”
Shannon Stapleton
“For the last three or four elections on inauguration days I have been assigned to cover the Mall area, where the people assemble. This year it was different, because it was held inside the Capital One Arena, so you had to just kind of move around and adjust – which made the job easier, because it was more like street photography.”
Brian Snyder
“I’ve covered inaugurations since 2004 and the president-elect dancing with the Village People is like nothing I’ve seen before. Throughout the campaign, Trump would end most of his rallies dancing to a recording of ‘YMCA.’ This was the first time he was joined by the band itself. Of course the crowd of supporters gathered here loved every minute.”
Mike Segar
“These are important moments in history … and we are fortunate to witness these moments and bring them to a global audience.”
Amanda Perobelli
“I have only been to one presidential inauguration – in Brazil – and it is interesting to see the difference in cultures. There are some similarities as well – the emotions, people waiting, cheering and this sense of being part of history. The challenge for me is the cold, for sure, as we don’t have cold like this in Brazil.”
Evelyn Hockstein
“I thought Melania Trump’s hat was an interesting look. I could never see her eyes so it doesn’t surprise me it got a lot of buzz. It was so visual and in the few moments that I had a clear shot of Melania I spent probably all of them photographing her and the hat against this clean backdrop with President Trump sitting next to her during the luncheon.”
Nathan Howard
“My main role today was to capture the morning arrival of Trump for tea with (outgoing President Joe) Biden, and then Trump’s arrival back to the White House following his swearing-in. The mood this morning among Biden staffers felt somewhat like the last day of school before graduation – many staffers saying goodbye to each other and packing up, others craning their necks to catch a glimpse of Trump’s arrival.
“It’s a rare and fascinating thing to witness two icons of American political life in one room. Each of them is normally the most important person in any room they’re in. Now they are sharing the stage as power transitions.”
Elizabeth Frantz
“The biggest challenge for me was not knowing in advance whether I would be outdoors in a fixed position for six hours straight or just one to two hours at a time. The last thing I wanted was to be inside sweating in all my warm layers only to then go back outside. But I managed! I survived the chill, and then quickly changed into semi-formal wear I stored in the photo office on Capitol Hill before heading to the Liberty Ball.”
Jim Urquhart
“I’ve specialized in covering armed extremist groups for over a decade in America. This includes several years of covering the Proud Boys in their homes and in their communities. This was a smaller gathering than most of the ones I’ve covered. But it shows that the Proud Boys are still here – or rather, never went away.”
Leah Millis
“This time I was covering a small group of protesters. They started at a park and marched near downtown but stayed about a mile away. The energy is different because (it is) people who are not happy about the incoming administration. There’s anger, chanting, but also music so there are people dancing and people providing support to each other in the form of water, snacks and hand warmers.”
Kevin Mohatt
“It being Martin Luther King Day, I went to the MLK Memorial where I saw several people who were in town for the inauguration. Since they weren’t able to view it, they went to the memorial instead. Having the event moved indoors made it challenging to plan around. It became a matter of figuring out where people might be and where is the best place to capture the images that tell the story of the day beyond what was happening under the dome.”
Carlos Barria
“For Inauguration Day I have a very dynamic and fast-paced assignment. We accompany the new president everywhere he goes until he makes his last move for the day, and then we head back home. The challenges are many: from dealing with the cold weather in black tie, to the long hours, with very few breaks to eat. (But) I always say this job is a front seat to history, and I will have the privilege of witnessing it.”
(Writing by Rosalba O’Brien; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
