WASHINGTON, D.C. – All of the former U.S. presidents attending Joe Biden’s inauguration arrived at the U.S. Capitol shortly before the soon-to-be commander in chief.
George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, were first to arrive at the complex on Wednesday morning, several hours before Biden’s swearing-in ceremony.
Barack and Michelle Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton followed shortly thereafter, with each couple arriving in separate motorcades.
Biden and Kamala Harris arrived soon after with their spouses, Dr. Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff, and walked up the stairs of the Capitol together.
The other living former president, 96-year-old Jimmy Carter, previously announced he would not attend Biden’s inauguration. Carter and his wife, 93-year-old Rosalynn Carter, have largely spent the coronavirus pandemic at their home in Plains, Georgia.
Carter had been the first former president to confirm that he was attending Donald Trump’s inaugural in 2017.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump departed Washington earlier Wednesday, skipping the Biden inaugural festivities and heading straight to their home in Florida. Trump is the first president since Andrew Johnson not to attend the inauguration of his successor.
However, Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence, and his wife, Karen, have decided to attend. They arrived shortly after Biden and Harris.
