Date: 2025-08-24 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00027924
ABOUT TRUMP
FROM THE BBC
Influencers, tech bros, MMA fighters: Trump's inauguration guests
FROM THE BBC
Influencers, tech bros, MMA fighters: Trump's inauguration guests
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Original article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgkjgmkn10ko
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
To nobody's surprise. Trump put on a 'good show' for the celebration of his inauguration in Washington DC on January 21st 2025.
I have decided to archive this BBC compilation for several reasons: (1) my memory is not very reliable any more, (2) there is actually quite a lot to remember, and (3) the events were pretty good entertainment!.
It took me a while to get this collection so that it was reasonably coherent ... my problem, not the BBC!
The Trump inauguration was a day of spectacle with a lot of the world's rich and powerful people in attendance ... but at the same time it was 'hollow'. Much of the day was quite 'conventional' even though much of the pomp was conducted inside rather than outside ... but that changed towards the end of the day when Trump started to sign 'Executive Orders' that were going to define the changes he was going to make and make in hours and days, not weeks and months.
My reaction to this has been 'absolute horror' ... a feeling of intense fear, dread and dismay. The reality that American voters have enabled a second term for Donald Trump as the President of the United States is utter madness, but it has happened and the country and the world my be stuck with this reality for four years because the American Constitution is written that way!
The world is watching. Any 'goodwill' that the world has had relative to the United States in the past has pretty much evaporated in the first few hours or perhaps days of the 2nd Trump term.
In my view, America has been getting a 'free pass' on pretty obnoxious global behavior for a very long time and that is going to end very very quickly. I know I am 'mad as hell' and more people around the world are in the same mindset as myself ... something that has not happened at any time since the end of WWII.
Trump may be a powerful agent for change, but my prediction is that the change will be mainly to end the 'American Century' and replace it with something that relegates the USA to a much more modest subsidiary role!
This could happen very quickly in a multitude of small ways ... stay tuned!
Peter Burgess
20 January 2025
Compiled by Natasha Preskey of BBC News
Watch: Tech CEOs, celebs and presidents - see who’s at Trump's inauguration
A host of less familiar faces mingled with former presidents, family members and US officials at Donald Trump's inauguration.
From tech billionaires to social media influencers, here's your guide to the guest list.
Tech billionaires
Trump's close and controversial friendship with X owner Elon Musk is well known but Musk wasn't the only tech chief at Monday's inauguration.
Mark Zuckerberg, who earlier this month announced Meta was to get rid of factcheckers and 'dramatically reduce the amount of censorship' on its platforms, was also there.
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Lauren Sanchez whispering to Mark Zuckerberg, who is smiling
Zuckerberg is wearing a suit, and Ms Sanchez has a white blouse on Getty Images
Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Lauren Sanchez, who is married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, in quiet conversation
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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew also made an appearance.
It comes as TikTok is resuming service in the US after Trump said he would issue an executive order to give the app a reprieve. Trump previously backed a ban on the platform but on Sunday promised to delay its implementation and allow more time for a deal to be reached with the app.
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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez
mingled with other tech billionaires
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Tim Cook standing behind JD Vance and Donald TrumpEPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Apple CEO Tim Cook was very close to the action as Donald Trump and his Vice President JD Vance were sworn in
Influencers and celebrities
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Sam Altman takes a photo on his phone of him, Jake and Logan PaulGetty Images
Another tech billionaire in the audience was Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who was pictured posing for a group selfie with boxer and influencer Jake Paul, and Paul's brother, wrestler and influencer Logan.
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Sam Altman chats to Jake and Logan Paul Getty Images
The unlikely trio chatted animatedly ahead of the ceremony
Logan and Jake Paul also shared a selfie of them travelling to the inauguration with controversial Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor.
McGregor has said he agreed to an exhibition boxing match against Logan Paul in India, however the bout is not confirmed.
Last year McGregor lost a civil case where he was accused of raping Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
Logan Paul has also recently faced fresh questions over his cryptocurrency dealings amid ongoing concerns he may have profited from misleading fans. Paul denied any wrongdoing.
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British politician Nigel Farage and Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor chatting at a Trump rally on Sunday Reuters
Nigel Farage comes face-to-face with Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor at Sunday's rally. McGregor was also pictured alongside the head of the Reform UK political party, Nigel Farage, at a Trump rally on Sunday night.
Media names
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Joe Rogan and wife Jessica Ditzel in inauguration crowd EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Podcaster Joe Rogan was also seen in the inauguration crowd. Joe Rogan was at the inauguration with his wife Jessica Ditzel, who usually keeps a low profile In 2020, Rogan endorsed Democrat candidate Bernie Sanders but shortly before the 2024 election, he endorsed Trump. At times, Rogan's editorial approach has landed him in hot water - for example, during the Covid pandemic, when he was accused of spreading vaccine misinformation. In 2022, Rogan apologised after footage emerged of him repeatedly using the n-word in early episodes of his show.
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Rupert Murdoch speaking to his wife Elena Zhukova Getty Images
Rupert Murdoch, chairman emeritus of News Corporation, which owns Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, the Sun and the Times, was pictured with his fifth wife Elena Zhukova. Mr Murdoch, 93, married the retired Russian biologist last year in a ceremony at his Californian vineyard.
Former presidents
All four of the living former presidents attended, as is customary.
Much has been made in the media of Michelle Obama not accompanying her husband, Barack, who cut a solitary figure as he walked into the Rotunda. Obama lined up at the front of the stage alongside George W Bush and Bill Clinton.
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Former US President Bill Clinton, from left, Hillary Clinton, former US secretary of state, Former US President George W Bush, former US First Lady Laura Bush, and former US President Barack Obama arrive for the 60th presidential inauguration in Emancipation Hall of the US Capitol Getty Images
Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, who lost out to Trump in the 2016 election, stand next to George W Bush, his wife Laura and Barack Obama
Foreign dignitaries
World leaders and politicians made the ceremony too. One familiar face was former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
When Johnson came to power in 2019, Trump called him 'a good man', adding: 'They call him Britain's Trump.'
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Boris Johnson standing outside in a coat, with two other men near him. He is looking across towards the camera and holding a piece of paper against his left side Getty Images
Others included Italy's far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, Argentina's maverick libertarian president, Javier Milei, and China's vice president, Han Zheng.
Javier Milei appeared to be a popular figure at the inauguration, posing for selfies with several US representatives. Javier Milei has been described by both supporters and detractors as 'crazy' and during his presidential campaign in 2023, he brandished a chainsaw to symbolise his determination to substantially cut public spending.
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US Rep Kat Cammack and Argentina's President Javier Milei pose for a selfie Reuters
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U.S. Representative (R-NY) Claudia Tenney and Argentina's President Javier Milei pose for a selfie Reuters
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The Trump family
Trump's family packed on to the stage to gather around him as he was sworn in.
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A photo featuring the Trump famiy in the foregound and several tech CEOs in the background Getty Images
Lined up behind Trump and his wife Melania were Barron, 18, Donald Junior, 47, Ivanka, 43 and Tiffany, 31, who was side on to the camera. Eric, 41, can be seen behind Ivanka.
Outgoing President Joe Biden watched Trump speak from the sidelines. In the background were Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (mostly hidden by JD Vance), Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk.
Here's a reminder of who's who in the Trump family:
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Donald Trump, smiling, embraces his wife Melania as his children
Barron, Donald Jnr, Eric, and Tiffany look on Reuters
Trump family tree
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Notable absences
Some notable figures decided to give the inauguration a miss. Barack Obama attended without his wife Michelle, who announced last week that she would not be there, despite attending Trump's first swearing-in in 2017. Her office did not provide an explanation.
Also missing was Karen Pence, the wife of former Vice President Mike Pence, with whom Trump had a falling out over Pence's refusal to overturn the 2020 election results.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a long-time Democratic leader and Trump adversary, also did not attend, having recently undergone hip replacement surgery.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leading figure in the Democratic Party's progressive wing, announced she would skip the inauguration in a widely-shared video on Instagram on Sunday.
Who sat where?
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Sitting closest to Trump were former President Joe Biden and entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
To Trump's left, close family members rubbed shoulders with Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.
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