Donald Trump Is Sworn In As 45th President Of The United States

The tradition of U.S. presidents taking the oath of office with a hand on a Bible continues. This practice stems from the inaugural ceremony of the first President.

The reason for this is simply long-standing custom. According to the White House Historical Association, George Washington, the nation’s first president, established this practice in 1789.

Numerous presidents followed suit, including [list of presidents].

Washington also initiated the custom of kissing the Bible after taking the oath, a tradition that persisted until 1853 when Franklin Pierce broke with it.

Many presidents have used family Bibles. President Biden, for instance, utilized a family Bible dating back to the 19th century.

At his first inauguration, Donald Trump used two Bibles: one from his mother and the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration.

However, not all presidents have used a Bible. Theodore Roosevelt used no object during his 1901 swearing-in, while John Quincy Adams opted for a law book in 1825 to represent his commitment to upholding the Constitution.