Side-by-side photos of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and Trump's 2017 inauguration, both in Washington, DC. Nearly a decade later, Trump will be sworn in on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to begin his second term. Mandel Yan/Getty Images; Alex Huang/Getty Images hide title
Monday marked a rare overlap of federal holidays, marking both Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration was only the third time a president has been sworn in on a day honoring the late civil rights leader. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama did so during their second inauguration in 1997 and 2013.
Due to special requirements and calendar peculiarities, the two events are not expected to coincide again until January 2053.
Martin Luther King Day was approved as a federal holiday in 1983 and has been recognized in all 50 states since 2000. The anniversary is always held on the third Monday of January, as it is close to his birthday on January 15th.
Since the passage of the 20th Amendment in 1933, Inauguration Day has been January 20.
Previously, presidents were sworn in in early March because of the long time it took to count votes and travel to Washington, D.C., creating a lengthy lame-duck period that Congress is eager to shorten as soon as technological advances allow. In 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first president to be inaugurated on January 20.
In years when January 20 falls on a Sunday, a private swearing-in ceremony is held that day, followed by a public ceremony on January 21 - as was the case with Obama's second inauguration.
A Bible that belonged to King himself was used by Obama when he was sworn in.
Since Monday is a federal holiday, entities such as the U.S. Postal Service, banks and many schools will be closed.
However, there are plenty of ways for Americans to stay busy, from watching Trump's swearing-in to attending memorial ceremonies at the King Center. People may also want to volunteer in the community, as Martin Luther King Jr. Day is designated as a day of service.
Trump's inauguration schedule does not appear to include any Martin Luther King Jr.-specific events.
The incoming president has been criticized for comparing himself to King. At a news conference in August, he falsely claimed that his Jan. 6, 2021 rally drew a crowd larger than King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington.
"When you look at the exact same pictures of his crowd and my crowd, we actually had more people," Trump said. "They said I had 25,000 people and he had a million people, and I'm not sure about that. Agreed, because I like Dr. Martin Luther King.”
Some Democratic lawmakers and black activists are planning to skip or not attend Trump's inauguration in favor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Some point to Trump's inflammatory rhetoric, including rhetoric of political revenge and policy positions such as promises of mass deportations, which they say are inconsistent with King's message and legacy.
Massachusetts Rep. Ayana Pressley told member station GBH: “I plan to participate in community events in my district over the Martin Luther King Day weekend that nourish our collective soul. , and let us recommit ourselves to building a future rooted in love.”
In response to posts calling for people to watch the Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony instead of the inauguration, King's daughter Bernice King took to Instagram last month to encourage people to pay attention to both events.
"I certainly understand our desire to exclude rhetoric, ideologies and policies that we strongly oppose and that are inconsistent with the spirit of our dear community," King wrote. "However, we must pay attention to President-elect Trump's remarks that day, even later Via transcript and video.”
She added that language and legislation issues could not be resolved if people did not listen strategically, warning that "this is not the time for ignorance".
King's eldest son, Martin Luther King III, who endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, also called on people to participate in the day's events without explicitly mentioning the inauguration.
“Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a reminder to move from reflection to action,” he tweeted, retweeting an article about the overlapping dates. "My father's legacy is rooted in service and action. My mother envisioned a 'day' rather than a day off—an opportunity to serve and participate in building a beloved community."