US President Donald Trump appeared to overlook a key tradition during his swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
First Lady Melania Trump carried two Bibles for her husband’s inauguration. However, when Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, Trump did not place his hand on either of the Bibles. Neither of these Bibles was the “Trump Bible,” which his supporters can purchase for $60.
A statement from the inauguration committee revealed that one of the books was a Bible given to Trump by his mother in 1955 to “mark his Sunday Church Primary School graduation at First Presbyterian Church, in Jamaica, New York.”
The second Bible was the Lincoln Bible, used during President Abraham Lincoln’s oath ceremony in 1861.
“It has only been used three times since, by President Obama at each of his inaugurations and by President Trump at his first inauguration in 2017,” the Trump campaign stated. “The burgundy velvet-bound book is part of the collections of the Library of Congress.”
After Vice President JD Vance took his oath of office, Trump and Melania approached Roberts for the swearing-in ceremony. Surprisingly, Trump did not place his hand on any of the religious texts while the First Lady stood next to him holding the stack of books.
“I swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States and will to the best of my ability. Preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God,” Trump vowed.
In fact, Trump’s gesture did not impact the legal proceedings, as the Constitution does not specify any particular requirements for the swearing-in. While George Washington was the first president to use a Bible, other presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and John Adams had ignored the tradition.
As he swore the oat of office, Trump did not place his hand on the Bible. pic.twitter.com/xQaHNrjXhJ
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) January 20, 2025
Trump slammed for not putting his hand on Bible
Many of Trump’s critics mocked him for not adhering to the tradition.
“No hand on the bible. Does that mean he is not president?” Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko questioned.
“He didn’t put his small hand on the Bible when he took the oath of office,” anti-Trump political group The Lincoln Project wrote on X.
“no hand on the bible. perfect,” quipped Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark Podcast.
no hand on the bible. perfect. https://t.co/svuRxDBQVj
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) January 20, 2025
