If Donald Trump’s return to the White House wasn’t already chaotic enough, the calendar has another thing in store: this year’s presidential inauguration falls on Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day, a rare coincidence that happens once every 28 years. Here’s what you need to know about this ironic turn of events.
When is Inauguration Day, and what does it entail?
On Monday, Jan. 20, the 60th presidential inauguration occured at noon ET (9 a.m. in Portland). This will mark the start of Trump’s historical return to office, making Trump the second president to ever serve split terms, following Grover Cleveland.
Why do Inauguration Day and MLK Day overlap this year?
Inauguration Day is constitutionally mandated to be the 20th of January, because of the 20th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which modified the presidential terms to four years. MLK Day is more flexible, occurring on the third Monday in January. This year, these dates line up, meaning MLK day will receive an ironic interruption as we swear in the 47th president of the United States.
Why is this such a big deal?
America has historically been led by White people. In 2009, we got our first African-American president, Barack Obama. In the most recent election, America was offered another chance to make history, with current vice-president Kamala Harris, a woman of Black and South Asian heritage, who, if elected, would have been the first female president of the United States.
Endorsed by Obama himself, Harris’s campaign came as a symbol of hope for many women of color in the U.S. looking to hold similar positions. Instead, America will be re-electing another White president, and doing so on a day dedicated to a Black activist who lost his life fighting for racial equality. How ironic that Trump, a man who opposed many things that MLK fought for is becoming president on a day meant to honor MLK.
This overlap is also quite rare. This year’s inauguration will be the first overlap between the two events since Bill Clinton’s 1997 inauguration, 28 years ago. This may not seem like a long time, but as MLK day was only established as late as 1983, Trump’s inauguration will be the second time in U.S. history that these days have overlapped.
Wait, It Doesn’t End There!
This coincidental overlap isn’t even the only quirk of this year’s inauguration. In addition, U.S. flags will fly at half-staff during the inauguration in honor of the late President Jimmy Carter, who died at 100 on Dec. 29, 2024. As per the U.S. flag code, it is required for flags to fly at half-mast for 30 days following the death of a president, meaning flags will remain at half-mast for Donald Trump’s inauguration and the first week of his term. As of now, this will be the first time for a presidential inauguration within that window, but Trump could order the flags be raised after he is inaugurated as president.
Despite this coincidence, MLK day is still MLK day – a day to honor the life and legacy of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. and how he fought for equality, an idea our nation was founded upon, yet MLK never got to see. Tune into the 2025 inauguration to watch America make history, but don’t forget how others like MLK have made history on this very day.
