At President Donald Trump’s inauguration, some observers noticed that he did not place his hand on the Bible while taking the oath of office, raising questions about the traditional role the Bible plays in the ceremony.
Although it is customary for incoming presidents to place their hand on a Bible during the oath-taking, this is not a legal obligation.
Article VI of the U.S. Constitution specifies that “all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
First Lady Melania Trump held two Bibles during the ceremony — one was a Bible given to Mr. Trump by his mother when he was a child, and the other was the Lincoln Bible, used at Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861.
During the swearing-in, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts instructed Mr. Trump to raise his right hand and repeat the oath after him, even though Mrs. Trump had not yet reached him with the Bibles. She arrived at his side shortly thereafter, just before he began reciting the oath.
As he was sworn in, Mr. Trump raised his right hand while his left arm remained by his side.
Donald Trump Oath Taking (Photo: Pool)
In his first remarks as the 47th president, Mr. Trump did mention God, saying, “I was saved by God to make America great again,” referring to the assassination attempt on his life the previous summer.
On the other hand, Vice President JD Vance did place his hand on a Bible when taking the oath of office. He used a family Bible that belonged to his maternal great-grandmother, as confirmed by Trump’s inaugural committee.
Vance was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, with his wife, Usha Vance, holding the Bible during the ceremony.
At his first inauguration in 2017, President Trump did place his hand on two Bibles — the family Bible and the Lincoln Bible — while taking the oath of office.
According to Trump’s inaugural committee, the family Bible was given to him in 1955 as a gift for his Sunday Church Primary School graduation at First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens.
It remains unclear why President Trump chose not to place his hand on a Bible during Monday’s ceremony. Interestingly, the president also sells his own version of “God Bless the USA” Bibles, priced at $59.99 each.
