Trump doesn't place hand on Bible during swearing-in

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

January 20, 2025, 5:21 PM


President Donald Trump did not place his hand on the Bible as he took the oath of office during his inauguration on Monday.

First lady Melania Trump stood next to the president holding two Bibles, but the 47th president of the United States didn't place his hand on either as he raised his right hand to take the presidential oath, which Chief Justice John Roberts issued.

Melania Trump was holding her husband's personal Bible, which was given to him by his mother, and the Lincoln Bible that President Abraham Lincoln used to take the oath of office in 1861.


Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the Capitol, Jan. 20, 2025.
Morry Gash/Pool/AP

There is no legal requirement for the president to place his hand on the Bible. According to Article VI, Clause 3, of the U.S. Constitution, which covers oaths of office, members of Congress, state legislatures, and executive and judicial officers throughout the country are bound "by oath or affirmation" to support the Constitution.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-inauguration-hand-bible-swearing-in/story?id=117897715

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More sane-washing.

[VMA131Marine]

1. He forgot

Dementia is setting in

[HPM]

17. Yep, he forgot.

Melania wouldn’t be standing there holding not one but two Bibles unless he was supposed to put his grubby paw on them. I’m surprised she didn’t remind him. She looks like an idiot standing there. He is demented.

[Blue Owl]

2. He ain't tellin' no fucking truth, that's for sure

[NGeorgian]

3. Left hand fingers are crossed. **

!

[LW1977]

4. His hand would probably catch fire anyways

[twodogsbarking]

5. She looks like the undertaker in an old western.

[HPM]

15. Either that or the madam.

[twodogsbarking]

25. Both.

[Torrent63]

6. What is up with her outfit?

I believe Clint Eastwood wore the same outfit in Pale Rider. I wonder if he knows she borrowed it?

[Grokenstein]

13. Isaac from Children of the Corn (1984) n/t

[LudwigPastorius]

20. Melania is Death, the pale rider of the Apocalypse.

She's riding a pale horse. (Trump, who acts like a horse's ass, covers himself with bronzer to hide his paleness, and touts Ivermectin, a horse medication)

They are given the power to kill 1/4 of the earth's population with bird flu pestilence.

[Bengus81]

35. Nope...Melania Van Cleef

[EastBayGuy]

39. Miss Quaker Oats

[Javaman]

7. Two things

1) this is trumps Equivalent of crossing your fingers behind you back 2) he shows his true colors. Never ever religious. Not that he ever was but it shows he played the religious right wing like a harp

[Shoonra]

8. About the Trump Bible

Melania Trump was holding her husband's personal Bible, which was given to him by his mother, and the Lincoln Bible that President Abraham Lincoln used to take the oath of office in 1861.

Trump's "personal Bible" is a Revised Standard Version. I think it is significant that Trump did not make use of a "Trump Bible" - a $70 KJV with the Declaration of Independence and the original Constitution (but none of the Amendments after the first ten) and bound by imitation leather with Trump's name appearing prominently on the front cover.

[Igel]

32. Well, apparently his name was on the front cover.

It was embossed back in '55.

(My NKJV Bible from the '83 fall "Feast" has my name embossed on in, so it's not like it's a big deal.)

The video also shows that the "set up" for the swearing in ceremony was a bit botched. She wasn't in place when hand was raised and got there as recitation started.

Couldn't let a quick pause to put hand in Bible interrupt the impression of the ceremony.

[TomSlick]

9. That suits me.

I'd prefer he never touched a bible.

I suppose if he decided to actually read the bible, it would be a good thing. But I'm not counting on it.

[countryken]

10. What does this mean?

Does it mean this travesty at the Capitol doesn't count and he's not really the prez?

[DENVERPOPS]

11. This should be pointed out

to the Evangelials and Fanatical Religious Right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the first sign of him throwing them under the bus.......He has openly told them all at rallies that if they vote for him, they will never need to vote again.....WTF did they THINK that statement meant??????????

The "Religious" that voted for him are gonna get screwed over, just like all other 74+ million that voted for him....along with all those Dems that didn't vote for him.

[raccoon]

24. I hope they do, the sanctimonious shitheads. Why doesn't Trump yank their tax exemption?

I know it ain't gonna happen but I wish it would for those churches that might as well be "The Republican First Church of Bumfuck, USA."

[travelingthrulife]

30. True. Every phony evangelical should have this pointed out to them.

The first clue he threw them under the bus was letting the Tech Bros and rich assholes take their place at inauguration.

[DENVERPOPS]

37. Did you also see

where he took away the seats of Republican Governors at the inauguration and gave them to Corporate/Oligarch types????????
They all were a major driving force to his success! I guess he showed them......

[Bengus81]

36. They'll say nothing and once again showing their religious BS hypocrisy......

Just like they look the other way for the endless hatred of almost everyone non-white,the upside down Bible,the grab em' by the pussy,the fucking a porn star.

Those "evangelists" in the PUKE party are as phony as Trump.........

[littlemissmartypants]

12. Why bother even bringing the Bibles? A roll of toilet paper would be more appropriate.

I guess Melanoma needed something to hold besides a stack of hundreds.

I fu>king hate these people.

[truthisfreedom]

14. Oaf of office

[Rebl2]

16. Why should

he. He certainly not a Christian.

[Betty Boom]

18. Can you imagine the screeching if a Dem had done this?

I don’t give a shit about him, not putting his hand on the Bible. Mainly because I wouldn’t want to see the Lincoln Bible go up in flames.

But can you imagine if a democrat taking the oath had done this? They would be declaring the oath invalid and screeching to high heaven, even though there’s nothing in the constitution that says they have to put their hand on the Bible.

[keithbvadu2]

19. Starting a republican tradition. No Bible for swearing in as President.

[timms139]

21. He was

afraid it would scorch his hand .He is an evil piece of work .

[cstanleytech]

22. It would have burst into flames if he had.

[OrwellwasRight]

23. He has the mentality of a child.

Like as if his hand is not on the Bible he can’t get in trouble for violating the oath.

Like crossing your fingers. But only a CHILD would think this.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. He can't get in trouble for violating the oath, ...

... no matter where that hand has been.

He's the president, and he has the Extreme Court in his pocket.

[OrwellwasRight]

38. Likely right, but ...

1) his failure to put his hand on the Bible is evidence that he is dealing with grown up obligations in childish ways, revealing he has foreknowledge that he will “cheat” on the oath, and …

2) there may indeed be some limits to his sycophants on the court: for example they did not stop his sentencing, so his childish games reveal he has some kind of minor fear of “getting in trouble”

Of course not enough fear to do the right thing, just that his little maneuvers are revealing to us.

There are many instances in history of an authoritarian ruler’s sycophants turning away from them (sometimes just to chase the next big thing), so don’t discount the possibility that Thomas and company eventually grow weary of the President, even if only to follow the brighter bulb who now lives in the VP’s residence.

[surfered]

27. For Trump, the Bible is like sun light for a vampire or Kryptonite for Superman

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

28. The real question to ask is why is anyone supposed to

swear on a bible? That introduces religion where none should be.

[BumRushDaShow]

29. What is even more interesting

is that the language in the Constitution for the oath in Article II Sect. 1 also says "swear or affirm", meaning it was explicitly attempting to accommodate those forbidden to "swear" (e.g., usually attributed to Quakers) and sort of neutralize the religious aspect.

But in the case of what you are talking about, it's a ceremonial feature.

When Keith Ellison (now MN AG) was first sworn in for his first term in Congress almost 20 years ago, he caused head explosions for wanting to use a Qur'an for that purpose. HE ended up using one that was owned by Thomas Jefferson -

Thomas Jefferson's Copy of the Koran To Be Used in Congressional Swearing-in Ceremony

IMHO, it's like the flag pin, that has politicized enforcement. Federal employees are not "sworn in" with a bible. In fact, if you watch any hearings where witnesses are giving testimony, none of them are being "sworn in" using a bible (or anything else).

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

31. I still find it bizarre and, frankly, wrong.

[Blue_Tires]

33. It's Donnie... Traditions, rules and laws don't matter to him and everyone loves him for it...

He's literally the Roadrunner who constantly defies all laws of physics

[Number9Dream]

34. Democrats need to make a huge deal out of this: Why did trump refuse to touch a bible???

The retrumplicans would already have this all over the media if it were a Democrat not swearing on a bible. The bible belt would be up in arms.