On January 20, 2025, during the inauguration marking his second term as the 47th US President, Donald Trump broke from tradition by not placing his hand on the Bible while taking the oath of office. First Lady Melania Trump stood by his side, holding two historical Bibles.

The oath was administered by Chief Justice John Roberts with Trump raising his right hand and his left arm at his side as he repeated the 35-word constitutional pledge. Melania Trump held both the Lincoln Bible used by Abraham Lincoln in his 1861 inauguration and by Barack Obama in 2009 and 2013, as well as a family Bible given to Trump by his mother.

Observers noted that the oath-taking seemed hurried as Chief Justice Roberts began administering it even before Melania Trump was fully in position with the Bibles. “Because Chief Justice Roberts started the oath before Melanie got there, so they just went with it. She got there about halfway through but by that time, Trump was already doing it that way, and just continued on,” witnesses stated.

The incident sparked a flurry of diverse reactions on social media platforms, with thousands of users across the globe referencing Chief Justice Roberts’ past mistakes during inauguration ceremonies. They specifically noted his verbal error during President Obama’s 2009 oath, which necessitated a private do-over in the Oval Office to uphold constitutional requirements.

While some social media users reacted indifferently to the controversy, others pointed out that the presence of the Lincoln Bible, requested specifically by Trump, indicated his intention to respect the tradition.

Ecclesiastical observers and evangelical commentators joined the discussion by citing biblical teachings about oaths, specifically the advice in Matthew 5 about letting one’s word stand on its own. They emphasized that past presidents who had taken the oath with a Bible did not always fulfill their presidential duties faithfully, despite the symbolic gesture.

Constitutional scholars note that the tradition of placing a hand on the Bible during the presidential oath started with George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 but is not a legal requirement. The Constitution only requires the incoming president to take the oath or affirmation to faithfully execute office duties and uphold the Constitution. Washington used the altar Bible from a local Masonic Lodge for his oath and kissed it afterward.

Before Trump, Vice President JD Vance took his oath in the traditional manner with his hand on a Bible that belonged to his maternal great-grandmother. His wife, Usha, held the Bible during the ceremony.

Historically, at least four presidents, including John Quincy Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, have taken the oath without using a Bible. Adams used a law book, while Roosevelt did not use any book during his swearing-in following William McKinley’s assassination in 1901. In some rare instances, presidents have used other items symbolizing a higher power, such as a Catholic prayer missal.

In his inaugural address following the oath, Trump referred to his survival of an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, stating, “I was saved by God to make America great again.”