On Monday, Donald Trump will complete a stunning comeback and be sworn in as President of the United States for a second term.

After losing the 2020 election, many believed Trump's political future was over. Critics also question whether the scandal will cast a shadow on his legacy.

After all, his false claims of election fraud prompted rioters to violently storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He subsequently faced four criminal indictments: one for allegedly withholding confidential documents, one for falsifying business records, and two for alleged election interference.

But in November, Trump scored his biggest electoral victory yet, winning both the Electoral College vote and the symbolic popular vote.

His latest inauguration will bring together several former critics turned allies, including powerful members of the country's tech elite.

What happens during the US presidential inauguration, who will be there, and what can it tell us about Trump's return to power? We answer these questions and more in this brief explanation.

What is an inauguration?

In the United States, a presidential inauguration is the time when the president-elect is sworn in and officially begins his four-year term.

When taking the oath of office, president-elects typically place their hands on a Bible, although some choose another book with spiritual or political significance.

After reciting the oath of office, the new president delivered an inaugural address to the assembled supporters, government officials and foreign dignitaries.

What does the oath of office say?

The oath comes from Section 1, Article 2 of the United States Constitution.

It reads: "I solemnly 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."

Which book will Trump read when he is sworn in?

During his first inauguration in 2017, Trump was sworn in using the same Bible used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861. He also used a second Bible given to him by his late mother, Mary Anne McLeod Trump.

Media reports indicate Trump may use a similar mix of books this year: The Lincoln Bible, plus one from his mother.

Trump also used the occasion to promote a special edition Inauguration Day Bible, currently on sale for $69.99.

“The most important thing we must bring back to make America great again is God,” Trump said in a promotional video on the website.

When and where will the inauguration be held?

The inauguration ceremony will take place on January 20, 2025 at 12:00 noon Eastern Time (17:00 GMT).

The ceremony was scheduled to be held outdoors on the west side of the U.S. Capitol, facing a park called the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

But freezing temperatures forced Trump to reconsider. On Friday, he announced that the ceremony would be moved to the Capitol Rotunda, under the 88-meter-high (288-foot) dome, due to security concerns.

However, this enclosed space will limit the number of attendees. Nearly 250,000 guests had tickets to the original outdoor event, but Trump encouraged his supporters to instead watch a live broadcast from First Capitol Arena, where he will appear later in the day.

How cold will it be?

Preliminary estimates suggest Trump's second inauguration could be one of the coldest in recent decades as a polar vortex sweeps across the United States.

As of Friday, the National Weather Service expected temperatures to hover around -6 degrees Celsius (22 degrees Fahrenheit) by noon Monday.

Has any other president held an inauguration ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda?

There is only one. In 1985, Ronald Reagan also faced cold weather when he took office for the second time. Temperatures reached -14 degrees Celsius, or 7 degrees Fahrenheit, even lower than forecast for Monday.

So, like Trump, Reagan decided to move the inauguration indoors, to the Capitol Rotunda.

However, other presidents have held ceremonies elsewhere in the Capitol, such as in the Senate chamber, although outdoor ceremonies have become increasingly standard.

Who will attend?

While presidential inaugurations always attract influential figures, this year's list of attendees drew extra attention.

Three former presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — will be in attendance. So will the outgoing administration leaders, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Both Biden and Harris faced off against Trump on the campaign trail. Although Biden won the 2020 matchup with Trump, he dropped out of the 2024 race, and Harris, who succeeded him, ultimately lost.

Trump's guest list also included a who's who of far-right leaders from around the world. Argentine President Javier Milley, Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, French politician Eric Zemour and British MP Nigel Farage are all expected to attend.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to attend, but Brazil's Supreme Court deemed him a flight risk given the legal proceedings he faces at home.

A number of prominent businessmen will also help return Trump to power, including billionaire Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Kberg.

Despite caution and outspoken criticism in the past, critics see the emergence of tech billionaires as a sign of the industry's acceptance of Trump.

Apple's Tim Cook reportedly donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration, despite previously calling the January 6 insurrection a "shameful day."

Cook is not alone. Trump's inaugural fund had raised a record $170 million as of Jan. 8, a sign that the business community is trying to win over the incoming administration.

By the time the ceremony began, some insiders expected the total to exceed $200 million.

The funds help pay for the inauguration itself and related events such as private balls and parades.

Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta each said they would donate $1 million, as did OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Other large donors include pharmaceutical company Pfizer, financial services company Intuit, stock trading app Robinhood and automakers such as Ford and General Motors.

Trump's previous inauguration also received record donations, more than $106.7 million. By comparison, Biden's 2021 awards ceremony only received $61.8 million in donations.

Who will perform at the inauguration?

Trump famously struggled to find performers for his 2017 inauguration, but that wasn't the case this year.

Pop star Carrie Underwood will sing "America the Beautiful," while country singer Lee Greenwood will reprise his hit "God Bless America," which was a hit on Trump's campaign soundtrack.

Meanwhile, opera singer Christopher Macchio will sing the national anthem.

The Village People band will also appear and perform Trump's favorite disco song, YMCA.

What's the controversy with the American flag?

On December 29, former President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100. According to tradition, the American flag was lowered on federal buildings for 30 days of mourning.

But the 30-day period overlaps with the inauguration, and Trump objected to having flags flown at half-staff during his ceremony.

“Democrats are ‘excited’ that our magnificent American flag may be flown at half-staff during my inauguration,” Trump wrote on social media this month. “No one wants to see that, and no American will So happy.”

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson ultimately sided with Trump in calling for the flag to be raised to its highest height on Monday. However, he did make it clear that he would cut rates again the next day.

It marked a break from presidential tradition. In the past, the flag has been lowered throughout the period of mourning, as was the case in 1973, when President Richard Nixon was sworn in for the second time and the nation remembered one of his predecessors, Harry Truman.

Will there be protests?

After Trump took office in 2017, he was met with widespread protests across the country, with demonstrators taking to the streets to oppose his far-right politics.

More than 200 protesters were arrested on the day of Trump's first inauguration, but nearly all saw their charges dropped.

Then, the next day, nearly 500,000 people participated in the Women's March on Washington, one of the largest single-day protests in the city's history. Nationwide, nearly four million people participated in local versions of the Women's March.

This time, however, the response seemed more muted. While protests are expected, few expect the demonstrations to reach the scale of 2017.

How about security?

Security is expected to be tight, especially after Trump was shot in the ear during an assassination campaign last July in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Nearly 48 kilometers (30 miles) of fencing have been erected around the Capitol, the longest ever installed. The fence is two meters (7 feet) high and is designed to deter those who might climb over it.

An additional 25,000 law enforcement officers are expected to patrol the capital, including 7,800 National Guard members.

The city of Washington, D.C., said there will be road closures near the inauguration and ticket holders will be required to pass security checks before entering any related events.

How big is the expected crowd size?

Donald Trump is somewhat obsessed with crowd size, and his Inauguration Day crowd was no exception.

In 2017, Trump spent weeks insisting that he had drawn the largest inaugural crowd ever, even though that was not the case.

About 220,000 tickets have been issued for this year's inauguration, which can accommodate about 250,000 seats.

But a change of venue could prove to be an obstacle. The original venue was the grassy National Mall, which could accommodate hundreds of thousands of visitors. Capitol One Arena, where the live broadcast will now be held, has a capacity of more than 20,000 people.