President Donald Trump’s second time taking the oath of office had the internet buzzing about rules and tradition.
Unlike former President Barack Obama’s 2009 swearing-in — when Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Obama stumbled through some words of the oath, prompting a redo — Trump’s words were right.
Trump broke with another tradition: He did not place his left hand on the two Bibles first lady Melania Trump was holding.
Video and photos show that Trump recited the oath from Roberts without placing his hand on the Lincoln Bible, first used to swear in the 16th U.S. president, and a Bible his mother gave him in 1955. (Trump used the same texts at his 2017 inauguration.)
Some social media users wondered if Trump not taking the oath on a religious text meant he wasn’t properly sworn in.
“No hand on the Bible. Does that mean he is not president?” Adam Parkhomenko, a Democratic strategist, asked on BlueSky.
“Wait, if Trump didn’t put his hand on the Bible, then he’s not officially President then, right? Yea I’m going with that,” a Threads post said.
No. Trump is still the 47th president.
Here’s what happened.
Vice President JD Vance first took the oath of office from Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Vance placed his hand on a Bible his wife, Usha Vance, was holding.
Then, Roberts stepped up to administer the presidential oath to Trump. Roberts moved quickly, and Trump stepped forward. Roberts instructed Trump to raise his right hand while Melania Trump was still standing near her seat. He did not wait for her to reach Trump’s side before starting.
Trump started repeating the oath as Melania came up next to him with the Bibles. Trump kept his eyes on Roberts and did not acknowledge the Bibles, He kept his left hand at his side as he repeated the 35-word oath. We have asked the Trump team for comment on this story and will update if we hear back.
Although presidents and other government officials have historically sworn the oath on a Bible, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t require it.
Article VI, Clause 3, of the Constitution says members of Congress, members of state legislatures and executive and judicial officers are bound “by oath or affirmation” to support the Constitution. “But,” it continues, “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
This fact check was originally published by PolitiFact, which is part of the Poynter Institute. See the sources for this fact check here.
