A number of surprising faces appeared at President Trump’s inauguration; he managed to sneak into the Capitol Rotunda and get a coveted seat for the ceremony.
The star-studded event was attended by tech titans, media moguls and dignitaries, as well as Washington DC heavyweights.
As he took the stage to be officially sworn in with his wife Melania and children, Trump was flanked by campaign donors and major tech executives.
The likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk were all close by when he took the oath of office.
Scattered around were the president’s family members and other familiar faces in Trump’s orbit.
Lawmakers usually sat in front of Trump and watched the new president take the oath of office.
Others nearby included podcaster Joe Rogan, as well as his good friend and fellow billionaire Phil Ruffin, 89.
Ruffin had attended the ceremony with his partner Oleksandra Nikolayenko, 43, as the couple sat next to all the former presidents.

The star-studded event was attended by tech titans, media moguls and dignitaries, as well as Washington heavyweights

As he took the stage to be officially sworn in with his wife Melania and children, Trump was flanked by campaign donors and big tech execs.
George W. Bush was accompanied by his wife Laura, Hillary and Bill Clinton. Barack Obama had entered the meeting room alone after his wife Michelle rejected the ceremony.
President Biden was joined by First Lady Jill alongside Kamala Harris, whose partner Doug Emhoff stood behind her.
Dior CEO Delphina Arnault stood shoulder to shoulder with Nikolayenko, who sat next to her brother Alexandre and father Bernard Arnault.
The elder Arnault is chairman and CEO of LVMH, the conglomerate behind brands such as Louis Vuitton, and is worth more than $180 billion.
Trump also made sure to invite his children’s in-laws — including Ivanka’s husband Jared’s parents, Charles and Seryl Kushner.
Charles Kushner has already been nominated by Trump to serve as US ambassador to France during his second presidential term.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson was among those invited to the special event

American businessman Phil Ruffin and his wife Oleksandra Nikolayenko also received a top position

Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former lawyer, took out his phone to take pictures of the event

Donald Trump Jr.’s new girlfriend, Bettina Anderson, took pictures on her phone all the time

Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.’s ex-fiancée, also attended the event
Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos was also in the crowd – after being named Trump’s Middle East adviser. He became Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law in 2022, when she married her husband Michael.
They are expecting their first child together in 2025.
Nearby Israeli-American doctor Miriam Adelson had a clear view of the procedure.
Adelson’s family was Trump’s largest donor during his last term as president and now also owns the Dallas Mavericks.
According to Forbes, the businesswoman is worth a whopping $34.4 billion, making her the third richest owner in the American sports world.
Others standing nearby included UFC president Dana White and his wife Anne. White has been an outspoken supporter of Trump in recent times.
On the floor of the rotunda, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, sat next to Sens. Tom Cotton, R-AR, and Cory Booker, D-NJ.
In addition to the trio of senators, Senate President pro tempore Charles Grassley was also featured.
Seemingly banished to the other side of the roundabout, Don Jr.’s former partner Kimberly Guilfoyle made an appearance despite rumors that she would be expelled.

(L-R) Priscilla Chan, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk attend Donald Trump’s inauguration

On the floor of the rotunda, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, sat next to Sens. Tom Cotton, R-AR, and Cory Booker, D-NJ
Near Guilfoyle sat Trump ally Charlie Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA. Kirk cheered noticeably when Trump raised his fist during the ceremony.
Congresswoman Alma Adams wore her signature zebra-striped hat in the rotunda as she sat in the back of the room next to Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio.
Further along, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who was all smiles, sat next to Mitch McConnell.
A few rows behind them was Rudy Giuliani, who last week reached a settlement with two election workers he repeatedly discredited.
Across the aisle, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s chosen special envoy to the Middle East, watched the proceedings.

Vice President-elect JD Vance takes the oath of office during the 60th presidential inauguration in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington
Others on the rotunda floor included media personality Tucker Carlson and Fox host Laura Ingraham.
In an unprecedented move, Trump also invited foreign leaders to the inauguration, and they were also given coveted seats for the ceremony.
Argentine President Javier Milei sat next to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni next to Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng was also close to the group of foreign leaders.