WATCH: CBN News Coverage of Joe Biden's Inauguration
Shortly after 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, President-elect Joseph Robinette Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. READ: Joe Biden Sworn in as America's 46th President
BELOW: Watch CBN News special LIVE coverage of the inauguration:
The nation's capital has been on high alert ahead of Wednesday's ceremony. Unprecedented security has turned Washington, D.C. into a virtual fortress. All major bridges entering the district are closed, and a military force larger than that in Iraq and Afghanistan is on alert to secure Biden’s inauguration.
President Trump didn't make any public appearances over the past week, but Tuesday afternoon he issued his farewell address to America:
First lady Melania Trump did make an appearance calling the last four years “unforgettable”. “Do not lose sight of your integrity and values. Use every opportunity to show consideration for another person, and build good habits into our daily lives,” she said.
WATCH: A Farewell Message from First Lady Melania Trump
President Trump did not invite the Bidens to the White House before the inauguration, which has been a traditional courtesy extended to the incoming first family.
Trump also skipped Biden’s swearing-in ceremony – the first outgoing president in 150 years not to attend the inauguration of his successor. Instead, he held a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews and boarded Air Force One for the last time on Wednesday morning, bound for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Meanwhile, outgoing Vice President Mike Pence issued a final tweet on Tuesday afternoon, saying, "Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Vice President these past four years, it has been the greatest honor of my life. On behalf of our Wonderful Second Lady, Karen Pence, and our entire Family, Thank You and God Bless America."
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Vice President these past four years, it has been the greatest honor of my life. On behalf of our Wonderful Second Lady, Karen Pence, and our entire Family, Thank You and God Bless America. pic.twitter.com/chbcBfvmB9
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) January 19, 2021
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