Which foreign leaders are attending Trump’s inauguration – and who isn’t?

EXPLAINER

United States President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office for a second term on Monday, January 20 – this time as the 47th US president.

In the middle of a long day of celebrations that will include musical performances and a parade, both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are scheduled to take the oath of office and appoint a new administration.

However, unlike traditional inaugurations of US presidents, this one will include a host of foreign leaders, including Trump’s close allies and even some of his rivals. Two former leaders and seven current heads of state have been invited. According to Reuters, an estimated 500, 000 guests are expected in total.

Here’s a breakdown of who’s in, who’s not invited, and why this guest list is so different from the norm:

What’s different about this inauguration?

President-elect Trump is breaking with US tradition for this event. On the steps of the US Capitol building, the president and vice president take the oath of office with US officials, former leaders of state, and other VIPs. From the nearby grounds, the public may observe.

However, this event, which will be accompanied by an inaugural speech, a parade, musical performances and balls, will also be an international affair. Close to a dozen world leaders, most of them conservative and right wing, have been invited. Foreign leaders usually do not attend the US presidential inauguration, rather, diplomats such as country ambassadors to the US, or foreign ministers, act as representatives.

Who is invited?

Several heads of state, notably right-wing or populist leaders allied with Trump, have been invited, but so have some of his rivals. Notably, they are:

Argentina’s President Javier Milei: Milei has confirmed his attendance. Trump once hailed the far-right leader as a man who can “make Argentina great again” and, in December, welcomed Milei at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
• Xi Jinping, the president of China, said Trump’s invitation to the ceremony in December, which his spokesman said shows how eagerly his country is to cooperate with his Chinese counterpart despite the looming trade war. Xi will not attend, however, Vice President Han Zheng will.
• Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: Meloni, of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, visited Mar-a-Lago in January. If her schedule allows, she is likely to show up, according to her office.
• Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban: Populist leader Orban is a close Trump ally and has said he believes the president-elect will end Russia’s war on Ukraine. He will not make it due to a state address, according to local media.
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Modi and Trump have shared a “bromance” since the first Trump presidency. Modi was one of the first to call and thank Trump for his election victory in December. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will represent him even though the PM won’t be present.
• Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa: Noboa hailed Trump’s December victory a victory for Latin America, too. His campaign paused, and his office confirmed that he would attend the inauguration in Washington.
• El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele: Bukele’s office has not confirmed his attendance yet. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, is friends with Bukele, and in July 2024, attended his inauguration in San Salvador.
• Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro: the far-right politician nicknamed the “Trump of the Tropics” has been invited, but will not attend because he is banned from travelling. His passport was confiscated by the country’s Supreme Court amid several investigations, including alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2022 general election, which he lost. &nbsp,
• Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck, who recently became leader of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists party in the EU parliament, will also attend.

Who is not invited?

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not been invited, his office confirmed on Thursday. However, the far-right politician, Nigel Farage of the Reform UK party, is invited and will be present.
• European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, and much of the European Union and members of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), which have largely centrist governments, have been ignored.
• Germany’s President Olaf Scholz, who leads the EU’s largest economy, has also been snubbed. An invitation has, however, been extended to Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), who will be represented by co-leader Tino Chrupalla.
• Santiago Abascal, who leads the Spanish right-wing Vox Party, and Andre Ventura of Portugal’s populist Chega party, will also be there.
• Despite having friendly relations with Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron was not invited. Instead, French far-right politician Eric Zemmour of the Reconquest party will be present.

Which other countries have similarly packed swearing-in ceremonies?

Although different nations have their own traditions, inauguration ceremonies typically take place inside a home country, with guests coming from neighboring nations as well.

In India, swearing-in ceremonies are also becoming more extravagant, however. Last July, India’s President Narendra Modi had a long guest list for his third inauguration ceremony which hosted 9, 000 guests. They included several heads of state from neighbouring Indian Ocean countries, including Sri Lanka’s Ranil Wickremesinghe and the now-ousted Bangladeshi president, Sheikh Hasina.