Donald Trump’s second inauguration is set to take place on January 20, 2025, which coincidentally falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This coincidence has left many, including The Intelligencer’s senior editor Margaret Hartmann, feeling dismayed
Hartmann noted that this timing is particularly depressing, given Trump’s past actions and comments. For instance, Trump spent his first MLK Day as president golfing and falsely claimed that his pre-insurrection speech on January 6, 2021, drew a bigger crowd than King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
This isn’t the first time a presidential inauguration has fallen on MLK Day. Both Bill Clinton’s second inauguration in 1997 and Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013 coincided with the holiday.
Interestingly, Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, views the coincidence as an opportunity for introspection. She believes it highlights the contrast between her father’s values of love and justice, and Trump’s actions, which often sanction hate and injustice .
The inauguration’s timing is also a reminder of what could have been, as Vice President Kamala Harris won’t be taking the oath of office as the first Black woman elected president. Instead, Trump will be sworn in after defeating Harris in the general election, securing 312 electoral votes to her 226.
