we have coverage throughout the day. we'll be back here tomorrow, 6:00 a.m. eastern time on saturday. ainsley: new president. steve: meantime the people have spoken. we'll see you tomorrow. >> usa. usa. usa. usa >> bill: we witness the peaceful

>> bill: yesterday i heard this will be more about philosophy than actual about structure and about governing. the thing his supporters wanted, they wanted to get oh government out of their lives and thinking the government was telling them what they could and could not do and that's why they voted for somebody who wanted a politician. sick and tired of the things

being run out of washington and they voted with their feet and said we want wholesale change and we believe donald trump is the one who can bring that change. he will go into this idea of this not being about words. this will be about action in terms of the speech. he won't have a speech that's full of rhetoric. he did write it himself. it will be about -- he wants to get to the work of governing the country, changing people's lives. he sent out a tweet this morning saying the movement continues and the work begins. he is ready to roll up his sleeves and get it done. >> bill: john, thank you so much. we'll see you in the crowd gathered there. not necessarily a dreary day in washington but the weather is going to be a little dicey throughout the day. we'll be back with you shortly there on capitol hill. >> shannon: as the drizzle comes down here thousands of people are packing the parade route in downtown washington, d.c. this morning in just a few hours. the new president will kick off the parade as he makes his way to the white house.

we're live at john marshall park along the parade route. a lot of excited folks. hey, rich. >> good morning, shannon. and welcome to pennsylvania avenue. the rain is not too bad at least not yet. but the crowd has gathered here, started gathering here early in the morning. we're a few blocks away from the beginning of the parade route that's four blocks away from the u.s. capitol building. pennsylvania avenue will be one of the busier streets in the city. it is the direct line between the white house and the capitol building. president obama, first lady michelle obama and the president-elect will head down this street to the capitol building from the white house and then the festivities will take place there. donald trump will take the oath of office and become our 45th president and it is back down pennsylvania avenue. it is up to the president, the new president, how much he wants to walk on the parade route. it has changed a number of times. jimmy carter back in 1977

decided he wanted to walk the whole thing. most presidents decide they want to walk some part of the parade route. from there you have plenty of bands. the president-elect gets to the white house and watch the whole parade route go from there. the crowd here has really just started gathering. the security opened up around 6:00 this morning and folks started coming in through here. this is general public. you can stop by here basically without a ticket. there are some ticketed areas, but i tell you, shannon, if you want to make some money bring coffee down. this is a secure area. you have to go through security. you can make money selling coffee and donuts. >> shannon: if i had a way to get you a cup i would. we couldn't bring it through our checkpoint either, this morning. the parade you outlined for folks ends up right where we are and we'll bring it to you live.

>> bill: amazing images today. you'll see them for many hours to come. along the parade route, by the way, is the newly opened trump hotel and we'll check in with jenna lee later today. interesting along this parade route what does president trump do. does he stop there and acknowledge he has made at least two stops in the last 48 hours? that's something to watch there. in the meantime we put out brand-new fox polling last etching showing president-elect trump entering office with low approval ratings. 42% of americans with a favorable view. 55 unfavorable. so let's see where we are with the american people. byron york is watching that. byron, good day to you. based on that number, the next president has his work cut out for him. go ahead and start there. >> we have seen a lot of polls, including this new fox poll that showed donald trump with very high unpopular numbers. and people disapprove of the way he has handled himself

during the transition. so that has led to a lot of stories. we've all seen them that say trump enters the white house the most unpopular president in history. but there is a couple of things to think about here. one, trump has always polled unpopular even when he was moving toward winning the republican nomination and winning the general election. so he seems to be unpopular in a winning sort of way. the other thing, "the new york times" wrote about this this morning. it could be there is something about trump's appeal to americans that isn't really caught in the traditional polling questions because at the same time a lot of these polls are showing trump being unpopular, they are also showing majorities of americans are optimistic about the next four years under donald trump. they think he is going to improve the economy. they think he is going to lead the country in the right direction. so on the one hand you have these unpopular numbers and on the other hand you have the

optimism numbers. the optimism numbers may be more important for trump as he tries to get the agenda through congress. >> bill: newt gingrich and his wife going into the capitol building. you'll see a parade of folks throughout the day. on that optimistic note, let me show our viewers what we found on the economy. 66% of those we surveyed are optimistic and you compare that to january of last year and the january prior to that. if you take a deeper dive into that number, you find that a majority among republicans, among independents and among democrats. what do you make of that as you analyze it? >> well, certainly democrats and the obama administration would say the economy got a lot better under barack obama and donald trump gets to inherit a better economy. there is no doubt donald trump is inheriting a much better economy than barack obama did in 2009 but we also see a lot

of support in the "wall street journal" poll out a couple of days ago asking what americans think is the most important thing that congress and the new president should do right now? not a year from now, but right now. one was -- number one was keeping american jobs in the united states. that was basically the platform of the donald trump campaign and i think trump comes into office with a lot of popular support for his main campaign agenda. >> bill: thank you, byron. we'll talk to you again real soon as the images continue to flow across your screen here in washington, d.c. >> shannon: we will have special live coverage all day long of the inauguration. bret baier and martha maccallum will cover the main event at 10:45 eastern. there is a lot going on today. so much tradition, pomp and circumstance. the visit every inaugural morning to st. john's church and thinking about the pew

where president after president have chaired. >> bill: the 54th pew. the stop that so many have made to begin this day and that is where we await the future first family to emerge. as we wait on that, donald trump may have broken the mold on president. we talk about this a lot and we analyze how we got there. but even as the ultimate outsider he has many things in common with predecessors. we'll talk to a presidential historian to talk to you about that. intriguing details. >> shannon: we're just getting starting. keep it here for our continuing coverage of the inauguration of our next president of the united states of america. g new .

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>> bill: he is described as the ultimate outsider. as donald trump gets ready to take the reigns in washington he has a lot of similarities to his presented -- predecessors. i want to reach back into the vault with james madison. you believe madison is a guy who would have liked the medium of twitter. why would that be? >> before he became president he talked about the need for an

instant operation for communicating. people wanted to hear things coming from the government and they need things instant. i think he would have loved twitter and something he has in common with donald trump. the desire for communication. >> bill: speaking of twitter, the outgoing president sent this out quoting now. it has been the honor of my life to serve you. you made me a better leader and a better man. that from number 44, president obama. we're told late yesterday the pictures of the obamas were coming off the walls of the west wing and we'll see this transition within 24 hours as the trump family moves in later today. now, move forward to andrew jackson. why in the 1830s as an outsider, a person who represented the common man, why is there such a jacksonian approach to trump today? >> andrew jackson was a tough guy. he said it like it was. he was clear speaking, plain spoken and i think you see a lot of that in donald trump. and that's why there is a

parallel. when coming from the outside we'll do things a little differently and jackson was that ushering in of the common man and woman approach to things. >> bill: you talk about teddy roosevelt. you refer to fdr as well and we'll make reference of that throughout the day here. what tom barrick told us yesterday. he has been a friend of donald trump's for more than 20 years and makes his home in los angeles, california. he said for the speech today trump wants to draw on reagan and jfk from the 1960s. and apparently back in december mr. trump made a reference to that during one of the dinners he held at his resort in palm beach. how does he draw from reagan and jfk simultaneously? >> you look at presidential inaugural addresses and they talk about universal themes. themes that make -- that are relevant no matter the generation and john f. kennedy

said let us never fear to negotiate and let's never negotiate out of fear. that's something we see today in donald trump. he is a deal maker. he is not going to be afraid to negotiate and certainly not going to negotiate out of fear. with ronald reagan, he had this incredible respect for america. the goodness in america. he was giddy about it, he said, in his autobiography. i think you'll see a lot of america first, this is a great place, ronald reagan called it a miracle we had an inaugural ceremony where we changed the executive branch every four to eight years and i think that's where donald trump will be reaganesque today in his pro-american championing of america talk. >> bill: the one thing you have to factor into how you frame this presidency on day one is the outsider, the businessman, something washington has never seen before. he is going to be on capitol hill. the hall of politicians loaded with professional politicians

for decades, one could argue, and now he is not one of them. how do you frame him on day one overall, jane? >> well, i think he will take that outsider business experience and apply it in a new context. he will reach across the aisle. he will talk to fellow republicans and negotiate and listen to what they are interested in. i think that's a key. ronald reagan was a good communicator because he was a good listener. he was on the phone all the time with members of the house that were democrats. that's the tone you'll see out of donald trump. i'll listen to what you have to say and here is what i have to say and let's see where we can meet and come to some agreement here. >> bill: thank you, jane hampton cook, presidential historian with us from washington, d.c. today. high bar. off we go. thank you, jane. shannon. >> shannon: president-elect trump opens his brand-new

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>> bill: we mentioned a tweet from the outgoing president a moment ago. he released a letter yesterday afternoon and the tweet is a reflection of the message we have. we're about to see him leaving the oval office for the final time. >> shannon: there is serious choreographer that goes with flipping the two families. 90 white house staffers stay and prepare and moving in and out furniture. you don't pick up your own boxes when you're the president. there is a lot of help. >> bill: we will see this image and believe there is audio on this clip, too. let's pause for a moment and

take in this historic event.

>> how are you holding up? >> so far so good >> any final words for the american people? >> thank you. >> take care, sir. >> thank you, guys. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> keep the rain away, will you? >> we're working on it. >> bill: one can only imagine

the range of emotions and thoughts going through the mind of president obama. he was out there, any final words for the american people and he said thank you. classy move there. >> shannon: asked if he was feeling nostalgic he said of course. he is leaving a letter behind as is tradition for the next president. words of wisdom and encouragement and those kinds of things. >> bill: we saw the letter to the american people yesterday. at some point we'll get some information about that. screen left there is st. john's church. this is a small area. we're talking maybe a block and a half between st. john's church and lafayette park and the viewing stand and the white house behind us. the trump family is inside st. john's church, a tradition started under fdr in the 1930s and several presidents tlg to begin their day of inauguration. bush 41, bush 43, they all took part in a service at st. john's to begin this day. so that's what we're waiting on.

>> shannon: i remember seeing the obamas going in there eight years ago and they were both so full of smiles and optimism and hope and you could see they were excited to take on this new job. it has to be overwhelming for anyone. >> bill: you have to think about when you watch trump move through these events in washington so many in the media are shall i suggest in awe of what he has done and accomplished and many folks at home feel the same way. my impression of donald trump for the past couple of days is a guy who is ready for the moment. he does not seem to be in awe of much or overcome by much of anything especially at the lincoln memorial yesterday, shannon. it is almost as if he is the same guy that walked on that stage in cleveland, ohio, 17 months ago for the first debate. and did not do a walk-through to see where the microphones are and the lights and the

cameras. and i thought boy, is that a smart move? what i realize is when he walked out there, he did not need the prep because in his mind and in his heart, he was ready for the moment. >> shannon: that's what i think he likes to do things his own way to tackle them his own way and he seems like he is chomping at the bit to get started. laying out ambitious things he wants to do on day one and seems ready to go. >> bill: we'll wait for the departure at st. john's church and the hand-off. mr. trump says he will get down to work today. so much of his team still in flux. how much progress can we expect in the early days? we have thoughts on that and analysis from the reverend live on this inauguration january 20, 2017, washington, d.c.

>> shannon: we'll hear from the president-elect of his plan moving forward. you're looking live as they leave st. john's church. >> bill: he did something last night that's not usual for him. he likes to go back to new york city and sleep in his manhattan high rise as we see the incoming vice president, mike pence and his wife. mike pence will be sworn in using the ronald reagan bible two hours 30 minutes from now. a bible not used since the

1980s and quite appropriate that mike pence the conservative, the reputation he had and the admiration he carried through his political and personal life for ronald reagan. >> shannon: i believe he will have it open to one of the verses that ronald reagan had from second chronicles. healing the land. people asking forgiveness and the unified land being healed. that's an important verse for him and wanted to focus on today as well. >> bill: mr. trump and his wife spent the night at blair house, about 100 yards to our left. >> shannon: it is all very compact right here. >> bill: it is all right here. >> shannon: within a block or so. >> bill: tonight they'll be making their first evening, their first overnight in the white house. this church is such a beautiful part of washington and american history. since fdr, the tradition of visiting st. john's church on inauguration day began for the presidents who worshiped there,

harry truman, ronald reagan, george hw bush and george w. bush. they call it the president's pew, pew number 54, reserved for the nation's leader. >> shannon: some of the architects of this win, they have exited this morning and they, of course, critical to the trump win. so many changes in the campaign structure along the way. it was the team that stuck in the end and the one that got him across the finish line. >> bill: steve bannon, senior advisor and kellyanne conway in the red hat and reince priebus with his back to us. kellyanne conway has an extra special day today. it is her 50th birthday today. if you were to ask her where else she would celebrate her birthday she would say right here. >> shannon: can you imagine? she was one of the senior-most women to ever pull off this kind of work in a campaign in a

presidential run and for today to be her 50th birthday, what a celebration for her on many levels. >> bill: in about 15 minutes we expect the outgoing first family to be met with the incoming first family. and shannon, that is something that tom barrick, who has organized all the inaugural events for the trump family says he believes is the most intimate, perhaps the most special in the following sense, a peaceful transition of power where the outgoing president invites the incoming president into his home, the people's house, the white house, for tea. >> shannon: think about the fact we know they've been having conversations. a lot of people thought they were so opposed during the campaign. they had different visions for this country and come from very different political ideologies but they've had many good conversations both president

obama and president-elect trump have talked about the fact they've had these ongoing cordial conversations and trump has appreciated the advice from mr. obama and taken some to heart. he doesn't think he will take all of it to heart. he has his own way of doing it and sitting down face-to-face with their wives and parts of their family as well to the final handover. a special time. >> bill: we're 2:23 away. >> shannon: we have chris stirewalt standing by. a lot is going to happen today. there is a lot of conversation about the fact that some of the team that president-elect trump would have liked in place may not get there as quickly as he had hoped. you know, a lot of confirmations on day one for president obama. important to have your cabinet and national security team together. is that going to be the exact same thing for incoming president trump? >> i would say he is doing fine overall when we think about who has already made it over the

transome. he has a secretary of defense. the core of the national security team. his attorney general already having gone through his hearing. things are teed up in a good way. what president-elect trump is learning the pipe doesn't get any bigger. congress can only process so much at a certain pace. they want to give him what he wants but you can only do so much so fast. you want to blow it up and say we can do anything, whatever. the reality is you can't fit more in the pipe. the pipe doesn't get any bigger. >> shannon: we're looking live on screen. former vice president dan quayle stopping to take selfies and shots with usa hat and number 45 on the side. i want to ask you about mike pompeo. he is the nominee to head the c.i.a. has been through part of the vetting process and the nomination and confirmation process but senator out of

oregon wants to pump the brakes on him for now. we know numbers are there for most of these get through easily without help from the dream congratulations. why will he hold him over the weekend? it sides like on monday to the senate minority leader that will be the day that mike pompeo gets the nod formally to head the c.i.a. >> wyden is a serious critic of the c.i.a., serious. longstanding. and some pretty evident mistrust when we think about the moment -- the famous lie that james clapper told when he was -- are you collecting data in a large fashion on the american people? clapper said no and then that was later turned out because of edward snowden revealed to be not so. he is i would say in this case less about pompeo and more about his criticism of the office and surveillance and all

of that stuff. >> shannon: we do know the president-elect has asked a number of people in high ranking positions with respect to national security, state department and other places has asked them to stick around. 50 critical positions will stay in place until the transition, replacement occurs for many of these folks. again we're looking live as the president-elect and his family have transitioned away from st. john's. literally a block, if not less than that, bill. as we see them getting ready to pull up to the white house and it appears the bidens are waiting to greet them and getting ready to say hello to the trumps as well. a warm hello, bill, there from one vice presidential family handing over to the other. >> bill: i know there is a microphone in there somewhere. we'll try to pick up what we can. but just take a moment and watch this.

>> shannon: the more hugs and handshakes and the welcome i'm sure saying to them you have no idea the adventure you're about to embark on. >> bill: no question. from the naval observatory. the bidens will depart back to delaware. he has come to washington going at the age of 29 by train. he will take the train out of town later today and so now we await the next arrival for donald trump and his wife, melania and think about how this town can change. not just politically, but socially. donald trump likes to go to

these events. and one can make the case that president obama was somewhat more insular, not that he didn't like to attend but perhaps will not attend as many as mr. trump will and then bush 43 was famous for making an early appearance and then going to bed early. and there is nothing wrong with that. it is just a different style and different approach and based on what we have seen in the past 48 hours, donald trump has barely missed an event a moment here in washington so here we go as we await michelle and barack obama and the arrival of donald john trump and the next first lady, melania.

>> nice to see you, how are you? >> i'm doing very well. thank you very much. >> now you'll get used to the protocol. melania, you'll go on this side. hold on a second. we will take care of that.

>> bill: now they go inside for a simple cup of tea and barack obama in about 2 hours and 15 minutes will join a very unique club. he will be an ex president and he will join for one of the few times in american history, a club of ex-presidents that has five living members, jimmy carter who will be here today. both presidents bush, 41 and 43. and bill clinton will be here also. >> shannon: and a wealth of knowledge to be shared with the newest member of the future club becoming president, number 45, donald trump. you have to wonder what this

conversation is they're having right now inside. it was a very cordial welcome, you wonder what tidbits of wisdom, advice or questions they may have. no one in the world knows what it is like but somebody who has lived through this process and lived in this house and led this country. >> bill: apparently they've had numerous conversations and we've been reporting that for several weeks now. juan williams is with us. juan, good morning to you on this inauguration day and juan, just reflect for us a moment. go back to january of 2008 when you are watching barack obama, an african-american candidate for the democratic nomination win the iowa caucus in des moines. and i remember, juan, just as sure as i'm sitting here, the tears i heard in your voice.

tears of pride and accomplishment and how deeply that touched you and so many others. and eight years later how do you now frame the past two terms of an outgoing african-american president and barack obama? >> well, bill, you're exactly right. his victory in iowa was emotional and in 2009 on what was an icy cold near zero temperature day in washington and, of course, this city and this mall behind me just mobbed with people to the point where secret service and security had to stop people from coming in. so that's the kind of optimism, the sense of making history, breakthrough that attended obama's inauguration. trump's inauguration also is highly historic. we've never had someone who has never served in public office or never been elected to public office or the military. a real businessman, a brand name here. i think if we look back at this

moment on the obama years, i think you would have to identify some of the difference in terms of the polarization, the heightened polarization of this moment. you think about his accomplishments. i'm sure that the obama team would say that preventing a depression. we were in a deep recession coming out of 08 and starting 09 as you recall but also, of course, a very controversial and polarizing obamacare, the controversial climate care deal, the iran nuclear. all of these issues absolutely divided not only the congress but the american people, the american media. and that's reality and now extends to this moment as obama leaves office and leaves the economy and so many of those international concerns to president-elect trump. >> bill: you know, juan, you came to the white house as a young man in the 1980s covering ronald reagan. you remember that quite well.

and here you have a meeting of the minds between barack obama and donald trump and in so many ways they count be more different. trump comes into talking about health reform and imgaition in ways opposed to the agenda that barack obama has pursued going back to january of 2009. and yes, we talk about a peaceful transition of power. but it must be a really difficult thing for him to hand the reins to someone so opposed to the to the agenda he pursued. >> it goes beyond that. i think it's difficult to hand the reins to someone who was the head of the birther movement and did not give a lot of thought to as his successor. he was dismissive many times. the famous moment at the white house correspondents dinner where he said donald trump may say things about me but he will never be president and dropped

the mic. obviously donald trump is about to become president of the united states of america. in terms of the agenda, i think the life experience is so different. you know, obviously barack obama not only coming up in terms of his upbringing around the country, even around the world, but also then in terms of his education and the fact he was an elected official, state senator, u.s. senator and so tapped into the history of the civil rights movement and the whole idea of progress and progressive agenda. that is different than a donald trump who basically grew up in new york city from queens and then went to a military high school and goes off to fordham, university of pennsylvania, the wharton school and is a businessman about making deals, real estate deals in the rough and tumble world of new york and pursuing the title of his book "the art of the deal." that's donald trump. he is not in touch with the

kind of social change, social issues, social turmoil that barack obama has seen as the model for what is someone who is using his time on earth to the benefit of the american people. donald trump says let's make a deal. this is how we improve it and this is how we put people in a better economic position and build buildings. i think it's a really distinct life experience they both brought to the realities of being president of the united states. >> bill: sounds like a column you could write from the 1980s for the "washington post" way back then. george bush is here, the 43rd president there coming into view with his wife, laura. they look as elegant as ever and he comes by way of dallas, texas, to us today where certainly he has a lot of thoughts about his own father, bush 41. and his mother, barbara bush, who are said to be recovering in that hospital in houston, texas. we certainly on this day think about them and you think about marine one coming into focus

now. there isn't a moment here where the transition of power happens and the outgoing president and his wife will climb on board that helicopter and fly directly down the national mall and they will fly over all the supporters who have gathered to honor this day on behalf of the trumps. i can remember specifically eight years ago when the bushes got on board that helicopter and made that trip down the national mall and listen, a lot of the folks here voted for donald trump. back in 2009 a lot of those folks voted for barack obama and they were not happy with the policies of the bush administration. i will suggest to you, juan, in the most polite and gentlemanly terms possible the departure from the crowd yelling up to that helicopter was not something you would put on tv or even cable television, but this is the moment that happens every four years in this case, every eight years.

now, you talk about the agenda. think about the power of the personality on behalf of the president. george bush led the war on error, it is us or them, remember? barack obama got obamacare done when he said if not us, than who, if not now, when? it was the power of his personality that got obamacare through and a lot of democratic votes on behalf of congress. now you come to the personality of donald trump. i mentioned that agenda, healthcare, tax reform, immigration, the power of the personality on behalf of the president is required in order to get so much of this done. now, with regard to donald trump, he has a republican house, republican senate. but at what point do you find and feel the gears of washington perhaps slowing down the motion that you would like, especially as a private businessman who can walk down the hall and talk to his attorneys and talk to his other

associates and actually get something done? well, in private practice that's possible in america. in washington it's a very stubborn thing. >> it's very difficult but you know, i just want to go back to what you were saying about the power of personality. donald trump has a unique -- and i don't think there is any argument, powerful personality. remember, he was up against was it 16 other republicans and really stood out from the very start. even when people didn't give him a significant chance, didn't think he could go up against some of the political professionals, it was his personality. the branding and the fact that he was so clear in his message that stood out. of course, that was also the case in the general election. as he comes to washington, though, he is going to have to use that power of personality and the fact of his surprising election in dealing with republican leadership on the hill. so a lot of the differences

that exist with the speaker, paul ryan and mitch mcconnell. we know about those differences. let's say free trade, for example. that's the establishment republican position. donald trump brings a different energy and an energy fresh from this surprising victory on the campaign trail and i think he will pushing with the personality, with the brand trump and the fact that so many of his supporters remain vocal to get the gears grinding, slowly maybe at first but to get them to produce the change. we know he is already talking about executive orders that he will sign on his first day. just what you are talking about, bill. regulation, especially regulation of small business. maybe something to do with taxes. maybe something to do with immigration. he wants to demonstrate a can-do sensibility that is going to be different for washington and it is going to shock some people on the hill. of course, when i say on the hill i'm talking about that

republican majority. people who aren't used to doing business that way. >> bill: well stated, juan. thank you. we're watching the trump family arrive here, shannon. we saw the young son, barron there. we saw him yesterday as well. leading the way his daughter ivanka. it appears she will take a significant role in the administration. her husband jared, there and donald trump junior the father of five. his family has arrived here and they have made quite an impression based on the images we saw yesterday already at the lincoln memorial. >> shannon: they have. i'm struck by the fact that it's the vice president-elect who maybe one of the lynch pins getting things done because of mike pence's deep history there. that will be important as well. we're watching a new era in our country's history. just a couple of hours away. keep it here for our continuing coverage of the inauguration of donald trump as our 45th

president.

at bp, we empower anyone to stop a job if something doesn't seem right, so everyone comes home safely. because safety is never being satisfied. and always working to be better. >> shannon: it is day one of a new era in american politics and the stakes are high. as president-elect trump prepares to deliver his inaugural address seeking national unity as the clock begins on his first 100 days.

welcome to a brand-new hour of "america's newsroom" on a very special day. i'm shannon bream in for martha maccallum. >> bill: for the next 45 minutes i'm bill hemmer along with shannon. there is a new day in washington and the nation awaits a new president. we have seen some images already that we will never forget. donald john trump promising a change for the better when he assumes power two hours from now. >> shannon: carl cameron with a bird's eye view of the platform. we begin with fox news political analyst brit hume. your impressions of the morning so far? >> it looks like a lot of other inaugurations. the ceremony on the steps of the white house is a familiar scene. it is remarkable the spirit that comes to exist between the outgoing president and the incoming president and his family. and we saw that replayed again here today. all among those people, all the

partisan feelings, rancor and election is set aside for the purpose of saying to the american people, this is how we do things in the united states of america. this is how we transfer power. it is with goodwill we do so and conveys a powerful message to the people. >> bill: brit, how much have you stopped to think about how much this town will change under donald trump, his personality, his style, the leadership that he has suggested throughout the campaign and now the transition? i mean, you've been here some time. you've seen a lot of people take a swing at that pitch. and to varying degrees of success. so on day one, what do you think? >> well, i think it is unmistakable we'll have a tremendous stylistic change in the way this president conducts himself in office. that does not mean, however, that when it gets down to the actual business of governing that things will be all that different.

i don't mean there won't be new policy directions but i doubt they will be radical. nothing i've seen proposed by him is particularly radical. i have to say to you, bill, i've been watching a good bit of the confirmation hearing and the questions i hear asked and many of the answers i hear being given are very familiar to me from covering these things going back many, many years. so i would say that, you know, on the surface while things will look and feel a lot different but it remains to be seen. very much remains to be seen how much and how radically different things will be in terms of policies put in place and the practices that the government adopts going forward. >> shannon: brit, what would you say is the president-elect's assignment for his speech today to a divided country, as with any incoming president, millions of people did not vote for you but he has continually said he will be the president for all people. what does he need to say today? >> well, i think he faces a

somewhat daunting task given the level of antipathy toward him and fear of him in many corners of this country. i think he needs to do his best to assuage those concerns. he also needs to make clear the people who supported him and who are here and the make america great again to watch the festivities, he is not abandoning them and won't change his agenda and purpose simply to adapt to the ways of washington so he has a somewhat paradoxical task it seems to me, shannon. he has to assure people across the country they don't have anything to fear from him and assure the people that supported him that he will change things. >> bill: we saw kellyanne conway. she turns 50 years old today on the #45th swearing in the president of the united states.

we also saw picks from mississippi has been university of mississippi grew up in connecticut, has been alongside donald trump since day one and he has spoken about that young woman in such amazing and glowing terms so we'll continue to point out who we recognize when we do here. now, with regard to the 70, i believe, is it up to 70 the number of house democrats who will skip today. how much does that matter starting monday perhaps? >> it only matters in the sense that it conveys to those of us watching the extent of the antipathy toward donald trump on a personal level. remember this about the people who are skipping the inauguration, bill. that is that they come from districts virtually all of them, where they don't really have to fear a republican opponent in an election. all they need to do is be renominated and they're good to

go. and they need -- they are trying it seems to me to convey to their constituents that they are resisting this man and not buying into this and not going along with this. i don't think it's a very gracious thing for them to have done. i think it fails to live up to the spirit of this occasion which transcends the personality of the incoming president and is more as we've all talked about a celebration of the fact that we change leadership in this country in a way that few other nations on earth do. and that is itself something very much to celebrate and always has been. nonetheless, they are doing what is, i think, politically useful to them. i don't think it matters in any real way. these aren't people who will support donald trump and their failure to attend here today says more about them in a sense perhaps than it does about him and certainly says a lot about the politics of the places they come from. >> shannon: brit, to get things done as you know on capitol

hill you need votes. and you have to build coalitions and so the question is how do you think a president trump tackles that? we know he is a deal maker and negotiator and used to playing hardball but he seems very pragmatic. does that mean you think he'll sit down and work across the aisle? there are those who signaled they are more willing to do that than others but how do you think he will play on capitol hill? >> my guess is people on capitol hills. they're deal makers, that's how things get done. they get done because people sit down and hash out differences and let slide their partisan objections to each other for the purpose of getting something. of course, to get something you have to give something. trump understands that very well and my guess is that he will, wherever possible, reach out across the aisle to try to pick up votes for things he is going to need. he is going to need democratic votes almost certainly to pass the changes to obamacare, the replaced piece of the repeal

and replace agenda. he will need their votes. and my guess is he will make a very considerable effort to get them. the leaders on capitol hill understand this as well. they, of course, if you're paul ryan, there is a limit to how much you can give away without facing rebellion on your right. this is all the -- this is the normal stuff of congress when congress is functioning and i think there is a significant chance under this deal-making president congress will begin to function again as it has not for some time. >> bill: thank you, brit. brit hume with us throughout the day with his analysis and reflections and thoughts as we get a look at the national mall here and the crowd starting to fill in. there is a shot, if we can get it, that looks down pennsylvania avenue, and when we get it back up for our viewers just take note of the tallest building along that route. that is the old post office which is now trump international hotel. and it lies along pennsylvania

avenue just about the midway point between capitol hill and there you go, and between the white house on screen right there. it is an elegant building and beautifully restored. donald trump said we came in under budget and ahead of schedule and have had numerous events there the past couple of days. shannon, a year ago when we were covering the primary campaign and we moved in the general election, and we would think if he wins, on inauguration day during the parade, he drives by his brand-new newly opened hotel in washington, d.c., a mere .5 miles from the steps of the white house. >> shannon: it is such an interesting location literally and figuratively. maybe he can have summits there. that could be. such an interesting building. it's an old post office and it actually belongs to the american people. they're just leasing it as a

hotel right now and they maintain so much of the integrity they had there. when you go inside you see steel beams and some of the old inner workings of a post office but with crystal chandeliers. donald trump does it with splash and does it in a very different way than anyone we've ever seen take this office before. >> bill: i want to see how he passes that hotel today. that will be a moment. carl cameron is watching a lot of things going on at the capitol. go down pennsylvania avenue and check in with campaign carl with a mix of the flavor and what you're seeing and hearing. good morning, carl. >> hi. this is certainly the culmination of a campaign that few expected to be successful and a huge crowd is assembling on the mall to celebrate it. you can see the podium where donald trump will make his remarks and take the oath of office. as it happens, his speech

writer steve miller is at the podium checking things out as we speak. mr. trump himself went to some fanfare to show a picture of himself writing his own speech when he was back at his resort in florida a month or so ago. mr. miller, we're led to believe, has little to do with this. the v.i.p.s are beginning to trickle in here. the mormon tabernacle choir is in place. v.i.p.s are here and the marine corps band has been playing for the last hour. there is one aspect to it that happens almost in secret and likely to have happened now and that is when donald j. trump gets a tutorial, if you will, from the strategic command, members of the joint services based out in omaha, nebraska that run the nuclear arsenal for you the united states.

it is a highly encrypted cards with the key codes. it hasn't been activated for him yet. as soon as he takes the oath of office it will be one of the things he will get, an activated code card for the so-called football. a 45-pound suitcase the gives the commander-in-chief the opportunity to launch nuclear weapons. as it happens there are two other footballs distributed. one goes to the vice president-elect, soon to be the vice president mike pence and the third one goes to the secretary of defense who is likely to be james mattis perhaps as soon as today. the u.s. senate democrats have said they are inclined to allow votes either today or late tonight for both james mattis for the secretary of defense and general john kelly for homeland security secretary. both of them marine generals, both of them were also commanders of set com in

florida. it is the commander-in-chief and that aspect of chief we may never know when it happens but usually before they go to church. the soon to be commander-in-chief can pray over his new responsibilities. >> bill: carl cameron stationed in the capitol throughout the day. you are seeing the former speakers of the house make their way in. you saw newt gingrich, john boehner. when you look at john boehner, a man who led the republicans in the house for a good while until he left washington about a year ago not physically but left his position there and you think about his time as speaker, shannon, and you wonder in this context of $20 trillion in debt, the mountain of issues and bureaucracy that donald trump will inherit in 1 hour and 45 minutes. what former speaker boehner will tell you, he had a handshake with president obama on the grand bargain. he will relay that story to you. they were going to cut taxes,

reform medicare and medicaid. a way to get spending under control as you see cardinal timothy do lan and behind him franklin graham and a rabbi from california. back to boehner. he says he had a handshake on the grand bargain from the oval office. by the time he got back into his office on capitol hill he got a call from the president asking for more tax cuts to which speaker boehner said you know i can't get that and the grand bargain was off. and we have not visited that moment in washington, d.c. ever since, and you wonder now the biggest deal maker in american business as he would frame him whether or not that's something donald trump could revive and get done. wow. >> shannon: we'll see very shortly maybe. joining us now howard kurtz and

the host of media buzz. howard, this is one of those days that is just epic in broadcast coverage and media coverage because it only happens every four years. the entire world is watching. it's interesting to note how different media outlets have had a different tone this week. >> that is true. you have some outlets that are treating this as the historic eye-popping day it is and others that seem dug in against the trump presidency before it starts. i was so struck by those pibarack obama and his wife welcoming donald trump and his wife to the white house. two men who couldn't be more different and who hold each other in minimal high regard and they're about to sit down for tea. i had a similar feeling yesterday on the air when trump landed in washington instead of getting out of the blue and gold trump jet he got out of a plane that said united states of america on it.

next time i see him get on a plane he will give that salute that signals that he is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. the hand-off itself is the essence of our democracy. since george washington gave way to john adams. if you live in washington there are many layers beneath that as you talk about people finding jobs, angling for jobs, losing jobs, buying houses, making connections and making regulations. a big cultural change for this city as well as the country and the world. >> shannon: you're so right about that, howard. having lived here through a couple of different administrations myself, the feeling of the city does change. thousands of families leave, thousands of families come in. the schools are different, the synagogues and churches are different, the neighborhood are different. there is a different flavor about everything when there is such an upheaval of thousands of people who many of them are

very party loyal and partisan. it really does change the personality almost of the city. i'm struck by just a short time ago one of the faces we saw there as we're awaiting the arrivals. we see jackie evancho. jeff sessions with a one of the first to support him drawing record crowds in his state of alabama and other places. being on the road with the president-elect. senator sessions is now awaiting a vote as attorney general, the nominee having gone through his confirmation hearings. but steven miller was such an integral part of senator session's staff. we know and understand he helped the president elect write speeches and an

interesting player in this thing as we wait to see what kind of tone and message we'll get today in the inaugural address >> bill: we all get to know the staff. kellyanne conway is very close and influential to donald trump as his final campaign manager. and we get to know the families. who would have thought when this journey started that ivanka's husband jared kufpner would be such an influential voice and now working in the white house. the only thing that marred this a little bit has been not the protests. people are entitled to protest, but the nearly 70 now house democrats who are boycotting the inauguration that plays into the blood feud that often marks life in the capital. next time there is a democratic president inaugurated some republicans may decide they have better things to do.

also donald trump, nobody would dispute that a guy who nobody including many in our business thought was going to be taking the oath of office today, that he is controversial, that he is a new york street fighter. that he engages on twitter and so that i think has given a very different tone to the transition. we'll see how the media adjusts to covering him when he is the 45th president of the united states. >> shannon: we're seeing the arrival of the dole family. there is senator collins. she has had an injury so she is a trooper today getting down the steps there with what appears to be at least a minimal cast of some kind. just before her we saw the doles arriving and former senator dole himself was once the gop nominee. he has been down this road and has now been in some respects connected to the trump campaign in a bit of advisor and his wife former senator elizabeth

dole. you talked about the protests, that's part of the tradition always every four years. we now see hillary clinton and former president bill clinton now arriving on a day that a month ago many people around the world thought most certainly was going to be her inauguration day but they come now as part of the tradition and the honor and the handing over of power to a new president. they will be part of this day. you see former vice president dick cheney and his wife as well arriving. so it is a day, bill, unlike any other that brings together political foes, i just have to wonder what is going through mrs. clinton and former president clinton's mind as they sit there on this day thinking just a couple of months ago this would be the day that she would make history herself.

>> bill: oftentimes, shannon, i think the viewers and the voters look at washington, d.c. through the lens of a cable news monitor and they see democrats and republicans going at it. and with a lot of emotion. and that is the case when they argue policy. but when they are across from each other in person, they are exceedingly cordial and i think it's the relationship oftentimes that is overlooked and not seen by a lot of americans. they live and work in the same building every day. they cross paths almost every day of their lives, and it is

not always this contentious back biting nature that we often see as they fight publicly for their positions and their policies. and as i say that, we were given a word a moment ago from the white house that any moment now president obama, his wife michelle will join the next president of the united states and the future first lady an hour 40 minutes from now to make the short drive up pennsylvania avenue to capitol hill. >> shannon: you talk about the bipartisanship that does exist. there are relationships. this is a perfect example. you see a lot of top house leaders coming in. democrats and republicans filing in together and walking in to share that stage together. these are people who a lot of times are completely on the opposite side of votes. but when it comes to honoring our country and traditions you see a lot of folks who won't vote together but walk in line together and watch as we get a new president. >> bill: so on this day donald trump will take the oath of

office using two bibles. one is the lincoln bible used at lincoln's first inauguration in 1861. it has been used on other occasions, but rarely. 2009 president obama, 2013, president obama. the second bible is trump's personal bible that was given to him by his mother after graduation from sunday church primary school in jamaica, queens, on june 12th, 1955. that was about just a few days before donald trump turned 9 years old. two bibles used today. for the swearing in. for the tea at the moment. the president and first lady are there. the vice president is there. president-elect donald trump, his wife melania, mike pence and his wife are there. as we see dick and lynn cheney move their way down the hall. we know senator blunt is there,

the republican from missouri as we look at kellyanne conway as this 50 birthday for her. senator blunt has a big job. he is in charge of all the introductions today on capitol hill. you'll see a lot of him momentarily. >> shannon: let's bring the former media spokeswoman for george bush. we're watching as people from across the aisle share this very important walk onto the stage where things are going to change for a lot of them radically. >> i also want to say this is washington's day of celebrities coming in. as you were mentioning dick cheney, newt gingrich. the political figures who come together to celebrate this historic moment. it is what we know such an important day in american history when you have this passing of power from one president to the next and the transfer of power and just having the opportunity for president obama to be there. those last moments. i have to tell you, i remember

being during the transition period for george w. bush and it is that moment where it's the empty halls, new president is coming in, new energy, and i know for donald trump i think he feels this en -- enormity. >> shannon: we're watching the motorcade proceeding, the crowd cheering and flags waving. mercedes, you may have encountered protestors as well. many people are hoping for a message of unity today. we have heard that there will be some themes about restoring america to its greatness and prominence to its dominance. those are the words that were used. and trump continues to use a very positive tone. yes, you talk about the enormity of what's ahead of him.

he wants to hit the ground running and he has such an optimistic and overwhelming agenda. you know folks on capitol hill will try to put the brakes on at every turn. does he get some of it done and take longer than he maybe expects? >> he will understand quickly that congress can be the slow-moving elephant. for donald trump what he will do is push congress. you'll see these congressional members and staffs work endless hours to push through a donald trump agenda. what we do know that first year in particular is incredibly important because that is the moment that you are able to push through significant legislation like tax reform, obviously the repeal and replace of obamacare. it will be timely because you move quickly. i know president-elect trump mentioned this yesterday at one of the dinners where he said we're moving on to the next election. you know what that next election is the mid-term elections in 2018. >> shannon: to that point the fact that republicans control

the white house and both houses of congress, if they don't get some things done there will be a payback, i would imagine, at the mid-terms. >> absolutely. the math right now looks favorable to the republicans in the senate seats. i have to say it's very critical that the republicans, especially on the obamacare replacement, that they get it right. the political consequences could be severe. we've seen this in the past where presidents have come in, have done well, probably that first year but maybe it didn't go so well. by the mid-term elections they lose seats. we've seen that historical loss during the 2014 mid-term elections where president obama lost the house. it is very critical that they get it right. they can learn from their democrats you don't work alone. you try to find common ground and work in a bipartisan fashion and i think if they're able to work with the democrats and right now it doesn't look that positive, i believe they could move forward a strong agenda and it would be

beneficial for the republicans. >> bill: it is going to be a hot bed of activity all the news in this country will essentially come out of the house behind us, the white house. nikki haley the former governor of south carolina, nominated to be the next u.n. ambassador had her hearing this week. we're awaiting potentially later today the confirmation of someone like james mattis and possible mike pompeo could be confirmed today as c.i.a. director. but so far nothing on the cabinet nominees. that's robert craft, by the way, the owner of the new england patriots. he got a shout-out yesterday in washington, d.c. and we also know woody johnson, the owner of the new york jets, has been awarded, shall we say, the ambassadorship to the united kingdom in london. >> shannon: you mentioned

governor haley. it is also her birthday today. a busy day on the hill. >> bill: it certainly is. democrats and republicans alike. we do know, we talked about upwards of 70 house democrats say they will boycott today's inauguration. we'll see what the effect of that is in the days and weeks to come. but when mike pence raises his right hand, the oath will be administered by justice clarence thomas and you bring the supreme court reporter, know him well. chief justice john roberts will do the honor with donald trump. >> shannon: we understand there were some contentious moments along the way on the campaign trail that the president-elect was critical of the chief justice and some of the decisions that he has made on the supreme court. they met yesterday at blair house and talked through some of the events for today.

the chief justice invited both the president-elect and vice president-elect to come to the supreme court. the court still operating, business as usual oral arguments. they couldn't work out the timing. we do know the chief justice and president-elect have spoken and prepared for the official swearing in. >> bill: we have heard some music in the background here and we want to make sure we keep a close eye on that because the images and the sounds are something that you capture on a day like this. frankly you never forget. this is my fifth inauguration. and shannon, i can remember each one specifically. and i remember after the 37 days in tallahassee when george bush was sworn in, rudy giuliani coming in with his wife, judith. and the man who ran the digital operation for donald trump behind him. tall fellow with the beard, 6'7". he told me on friday before the

election, once this is done and donald trump wins you'll have to change how you do polling in america. why would that be, brad? you can't reach anybody the way technology has changed. i said give me an example. somebody calls you on your cell phone, you don't recognize the number. how often do you answer? i say never. he says that's the problem. i will tell you as we stand here -- sit here today, he was right on that friday. >> shannon: and what a radical operation they had pinpointing, targeting, very focused and it worked. we have our nation's capitol covering. henry is at the capitol and we begin to john roberts. the arrivals are in full swing. >> frank luntz is here, the arrivals are complete. the inauguration can get underway. good morning, interesting day today. >> remarkable. i've been at every inauguration since 1980 and the first time

i'm on the platform. there are hundreds of thousands of people already backed up. my question is, are the seats for the democrats who aren't showing up, are they going to be held empty? >> that's a big question. we can show you what is happening on the platform. a number of dignitaries and invited guests have already arrive. sheldon -- the joint chief of staffs. will be hillary clinton four rows back from the president-elect. it's that section to the left of the camera if the camera can swing around there where you see newt walking or somebody else. not newt. i don't have my glasses on. that whole section is where the house of representatives will sit. we don't know if the seats will be empty or if they'll put seat fillers in them or not. i think they could make the argument that those are reserved for members of the house and you can't put anybody but house members there. this will be a very significant event today for donald trump when he walks out of the lower

terrace door here, when he looks down the mall and it will finally hit him that he is about to become the most powerful leader in the world. and what an awesome responsibility that will be. shannon and bill. >> shannon: no other moment like it. thank you. >> bill: debbie wasserman schultz, the former head of the dnc who ran into trouble in philadelphia. she is present and accounted for. so, too, is ed henry live on the west front ticketing area of the capitol. you've been talking to a lot of folks. how do they feel and what are you hearing? >> in the last 10 or 20 minutes hundreds and thousands are streaming in. stuck behind security. one of them b. we talked to him earlier. 9 years old from rhode island. he wants to be a young donald trump. what is it like as a kid to be here and watch history? >> it's really cool and donald trump is going to make america

great again and someday i want to be president. >> you want to be standing up there being sworn in. >> yes. >> we've heard so much about a lack of enthusiasm here. look at these people here. they've been out here since 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning. they don't want to hear about a lack of enthusiasm. as we take it around there are people still streaming in this way and that way. look at the crowd down there and you can see they are still coming in with their tickets, bill. a little while ago i talked to willie robertson from duck dynasty. he stuck his neck out early for donald trump. it split up the family in a good nate urd way. here is what he said. >> satisfying and i believed in mr. trump early and this is a culmination. now it's time to do some work. bring the country together. i was happy to be part of this early but there is a lot of people on board now, that's for sure. >> where are you from? >> columbia.

>> how excited are you to be witnessing history here? >> oh my goodness. i haven't been here since bush. we're happy. >> it's against the odds. nobody gave donald trump a chance. they all said he wouldn't win. >> my husband was the first elected official to endorse him. >> you enjoy the show. when i spoke to willie robertson. what would you say to donald trump? get going. let's get the show on the road. it might start raining. some supporters want to get the show on the road, bill. >> bill: thank you, ed henry. great work with you out there. mitch mcconnell has got his work cut out for him. perhaps one of the first orders of business is the nomination for the next supreme court justice. >> shannon: and that will be a big one. we know several people have been interviewed and met with the president-elect. i am told that there is a handful of federal judges, that

they're down to. folks that we're focusing on include bill pryor and diane sikes and others. we expect it to be within the first couple weeks. it will be a battle on the hill as democrats are looking for payback after the fact that president obama's pick never got to a vote. >> bill: this is the republican majority leader from california and the jot before the jared kushner. donald trump junior, five kids, ivanka and jared have three including one born during the primary contest this past year. you also saw cadillac one i believe there a moment ago. this is -- this is a shall we say a trumped-up vehicle. it is brand-new, a new fleet that will be ushered in

replacing those made in 2009, i do believe. military grade armor. doors so heavy the president can't open it from the inside. it has bullet proof windows, blood type in case of emergencies and the world in which we live and cadillac one will make its debut today, shannon. >> shannon: you see the arrival of senator bernie sanders who fought hard. he won more than 22 primary contests to become the democratic nominee. had a huge impact on the conversation and the race influencing both hillary clinton and the republican side of the ticket, too. challenging on issues from trade, abortion and all kinds of things. and, you know, there are a lot of folks who are still very much part of the bernie sanders movement. he has elected to come and be part of this. as you can see the entry of a number of bipartisan senators there. rivals and friends as they try

to get things done here in washington >> bill: you know, eight years ago chief justice roberts and the incoming president kind of stumbled a little bit during the taking of the oath and they did a redo at the white house. >> shannon: and it was official. >> bill: and i remember that was a time when everybody was talking about transparency, etc. the first argument the white house press corps had with the incoming administration. >> shannon: we want to see the redo. there was a lot made of that. they wanted to make sure no one could ever say the words weren't said right in the direct order. this is our 44th president and he has been sworn in. better to be safe than sorry when swearing in the president. >> it's 10:37. ruth bader ginsberg about to make her entrance here and we expect to see the trumps and obamas emerge. about that time where we welcome our colleagues as well.

bret baier and martha maccallum will continue our coverage now and take you through the 5:00 hour as we watch a day of history, america. live from washington it is inauguration day and our coverage continues now. >> thanks, bill and shannon. hundreds of those people are expected to gather on the national mall to watch donald j. trump as the 45th president of the united states. >> this is a day a year and a half in the making. it started with a presidential bid that many didn't take seriously at all. >> is this real? >> this is real. i am officially running for president of the united states and we are going to make our country great again. >> leading in every poll. we're leading in just about every state. i am going to knock the hell out of isis. i will hit isis so hard. i love you all.

thank you. >> we need a person like this. >> he is a regular guy. >> donald trump will lead from strength. he will rebuild the arsenal of democracy. >> i am your voice. >> build a wall, believe me, folks. >> it is pretty clear -- >> drain the swamp. we'll go to washington we'll drain the swamp. >> donald trump will be the 45th president of the united states. >> i've spent my entire life in business looking at the untapped potential in projects and in people all over the world. that is now what i want to do for our country. there is a great spirit going on right now. a spirit that many people have told me they've never seen before ever.

>> you are looking live here in washington, d.c. at the national mall. we're just moments away from the swearing in of president-elect donald j. trump. good morning, i'm bret baier. >> good morning, everyone. i'm martha maccallum. good to be with you this morning. the skies are gray and overcast. last night donald trump thought the sun will come out around his inauguration. >> so far we're looking at the white house. they have not left the tea, the first family to be, and the first family, president obama and mrs. obama welcoming the president-elect and melania trump there to the white house. they'll then take the drive from the white house to the capitol as the crowds are filing in here. >> important in a way as the inauguration of donald j. trump

is the exit of the former president. the handing over of power from one to the next. this morning, no doubt very emotional moments for the obama family. >> one of the things you don't hear about is the goodbye to the staff. traditionally the presidents and first lady gather the staff. remember, they've been with this family for eight years. and there is about 100 of them and they gather in the state dining room and tradition has it that the staff gives a handmade box with two flags. one flag that flew at the white house the day he was inaugurated and one flag that is flying today. >> a huge moment. you can imagine what is going through their minds this morning. donald trump, the president-elect talked a lot about how gracious the obamas have been to him. some other democrats haven't been quite as gracious but he also know this morning president obama left a letter as his custom on the desk in the oval office and donald trump later today no doubt will sit down and open that letter and probably read it in private

as so many presidents have done before him. >> this will be quite something when you get down to the mall here and you are seeing this white on the ground as you look on the national mall, that's the flooring that they have to prevent the mud, if you will. people are filing in. the security it took me a long time to get through all of the different stops to walk a few blocks. we'll see how much of the small fills in here and they have kind of a guesstimate based on how those different squares fill in with people. >> we've been seeing the gates open in some sections and people starting to flood in. people have tickets for different parts of the mall and they're on their way this morning. a lot of enthusiasm on the streets but tight getting in here this morning, no doubt. >> let's bring in our panel us in the national mall. okay, brit, your thoughts on this day. >> the first time i ever attended an inauguration was

1953. dwight eisenhower was being inaugurated. i was 9 years old. my memories of that are this, it was very cold. i was just a little boy. i was thinking the whole time what am i doing here? i think i have a better idea today. i would say this and not the first to say this. but this is a remarkable thing we do in this country. not very many countries on earth do it this way. you see this moment we saw this morning at the white house when the trumps arrived and met with the obamas, people from vastly different lives and vastly different political sectors of the country. the behavior to the families to each other is gracious and thus it has always been. it is a fine moment and the stately procession will come down to the capitol and we'll have this, as many people remark, a peaceful transfer of power. >> you see jared kushner, believe to be, chris, a pretty powerful figure inside this administration to be married to

ivanka trump, donald trump's daughter but seemed to take a pretty prominent role. >> absolutely. some people called him the trump whisperer. keep trump calm and centered and jared kushner did that better than almost anyone else and he is being entrusted with an enormously influential role. there are five key players in the trump white house. he is one of those five. even last night mr. trump said if jared kushner can't bring peace to the middle east no one can. not putting any high expectations on somebody. >> not a high bar. >> since 1947. jared kushner, not others. he will bring peace to the middle east. that's a pretty big portfolio. >> tall order for a 35-year-old man well beyond his years in his wisdom. he will be tested in his new role as senior advisor.

chris, i want to stay with you for a moment. before we know it we'll be into the speech. >> i have gotten, i think, a unique read-out on this speech and it is worth talking about. apparently mr. trump looked at every post inaugural speech, post world war ii inaugural speech and came to the conclusion there were two that really lasted and endured. kennedy in 1961 talking about the path to a new generation. and ronald reagan in 1981 talking about government isn't the solution to the problem, government is the problem. they had a big idea and animating philosophy. the animating philosophy in president trump's speech today is going to be that there is a section of america what he calls the forgotten americans, working class americans who have been left behind. left behind because of

structural unfairness in the economic system. left behind because this country focuses too much on the world and not enough on itself and that this president's key message will be the idea that america to work has to work for all americans and that there is a national interest and his idea of unity is going to be around the idea that america has to work for all americans and everything he is going to do as president, trump's government, his administration, is going to be to take care of all americans. >> there you see justice ruth bader ginsberg critical of donald trump throughout the campaign and had to apologize. the rest of the supreme court justices, eight now. the ninth to be named. a nominee soon. chief justice john roberts will administer the oath of office to president-elect trump, soon to be president trump as clarence thomas will add

minister the oath to vice president pence. we saw president carter he was flying in on a commercial flight. that was very carteresque. >> seeing former presidents on the dais says -- chris mentioned 1947. the year the world realigned after the war. whole new countries were created and people rethought things. 70 years ago. i think we're going through something similar now not just in the united states but around the world. people reassessing the post war political structure and the economic system and thinking do we need something new? it's important to see this amazing thing. donald trump about to be president of the united states, stunning but see it in global context. things like this are happening everywhere. this country and world will not be the same three years from now and it will look very different. >> a revolutionary spirit about this new president. you think about the speeches

that he looked back at and chris was talking about looking at the kennedy speech. when john f. kennedy came into office there were a lot of people who didn't think he could pull it off and do the job, that he was strong enough. a transformational speech for him that day and it made people look at him in a different light. that's the task before donald trump today. he needs people who aren't sure about this presidency to watch his speech today and feel a little differently about him. this is earlier today. >> that is the first lady and the first lady to be. mrs. obama and melania trump. your thoughts. >> eight years ago today i was there at the white house at that moment as president george w. bush and laura bush welcomed the obamas to the white house and i love days like this in terms of the tradition. i think america does this extremely well and it is a symbol to the rest of the world that we do a peaceful power of transition and that you can have arguments on the political side of things but you can come together as a country. that's a great example for

around the world. i see this as a day when you have a chance to read a new book and you don't know what the ending is going to be. there is a lot of excitement. the other thing is in terms of accomplishing that big idea. you may want to say they're coming out now. >> let's listen in for a second. >> finish your thought. >> because he has a republican congress both the house and senate and they are geared up and ready to go, i do think that you will see some pretty dramatic and immediate change right away and that momentum will be carried through because i think the democrats have pretty much in the wilderness now when it comes to politics. they aren't sure what to do and that means the republicans can get in there and get a lot done.

i think the democrats it would behoove them to get involved in the policy discussions right now and get over the protest. the decisions are being made as we speak. >> a lot of focus on the 69 democratic congressman who decided not to attend. this image in just a moment is the image the world needs to see. >> here we go.

>> brit mentioned 1953. in 1953 eisenhower never got out of the car. eisenhowers never went into the white house for the tea. they had such a chilly relationship with the trumans. truman gets in the -- they didn't say a word to each other. it is also a different time and a different pass-off. >> my recollection it was an open car that they rode. they didn't have the weather like we had today. even if it was bright and sunny they would still be riding in a closed car, security. >> can we say this is a new closed car. they have a new beast what we all call the presidential limousine. it is not a car, it's more like

a battle ship. heavily armored. >> hillary clinton and bill clinton. the former president of the united states and the woman who wanted to be the first woman president of the united states. she thought for a long time today would be her day. that she would be sworn in. as we talk so much about the continuity, she came out and made a gracious speech after the day she lost. many democrats haven't been so gracious. this is an extraordinary moment. donald trump just stepped into the back of this vehicle which chris rightly calls a battlefield tank. the most secure car any vehicle anyone could even travel in. the current and future president all together riding along in this extraordinary motorcade. it's an extraordinary american moment. >> let's take this picture full on the right. again, this is the candidate who lost, former first lady,

former secretary of state, former president bill clinton.

>> steve mnuchin and his fiance there. he has taken a lot of questions on capitol hill. >> they accused him of being the foreclosure king talking about how they tried to rework a number of the loans that were -- had defaulted. steve mnuchin is the man who will most likely take over as treasury secretary as we watch cabinet members file in and take their positions and the presidential motorcade turning the corner as it makes its way to the capitol. it will go to the senate carriage entrance, which is where the president elect and the current president will be brought into this momentous occasion as they get ready for this. he has been practicing the speech for about three weeks. he was very involved in the writing of the speech according to what we know. he practiced with the teleprompter quite a bit. a mixture of teleprompter and ad libing. see if he has any off the cuff moments during the course of

the speech. john kennedy's speech was only 14 minutes long. this speech is brief at 20 minutes will be not the shortest in inaugural history. history is what we're watching unfold this morning as they make their way to the capitol. >> i want to reflect on the fact that hillary clinton is here, bill clinton is here. after the election we just went through, dana, how important is that image and that fact? >> i think it is remarkable and shows again to the world and to the country for the 61, 69 democrats who decided not to come today, you think about it. they're upset that hillary clinton didn't win. well, maybe the least they could do is come and support her. she had to show up and she looks beautiful and she is there. amazingly with another former president and george w. bush is there. you have carter there. we know that george h.w. bush would have been here but he is in the hospital doing better,

we understand. it is a remarkable thing you have this many former presidents living and able to attend today. >> i talked to vice president-elect pence about this moment that he will see in just a few as he swears in on the reagan bible. justice clarence thomas will administer the oath. here are his thoughts about all of this. >> it's really hard to express, bret. i will have president reagan's bible sitting on top of the bible i try to read every day. to have justice clarence thomas in his 25th year on the court, a career that spans from deep poverty in his life to the platform administering the oath of office to a vice president after he built a career of consistent, conservative juris

prudence. it is humbling on both counts. >> mike pence, governor of indiana. now vice president-elect. a huge moment. >> it is. as we've remarked many times a lot of people didn't think he would get where he is now, either. wondered why he climbed on a limb with donald trump and he did and it worked out very well for him. it is worth noting as we see the procession up to capitol hill that this magnificent vista that we have in both directions down the national mall from where we are also to the west front of the capitol is not the way it was always done. when i was a little boy and even up to the time i was in college that ceremony was carried out on the other side of the capitol which looks toward the supreme court over the capitol parking lot. i can't figure out why they did it that way but they did. with reagan, they changed it to the west front because he wanted to face west towards california and the shot and the

whole grandeur of the moment is hugely enhanced by the fact it looks down across the splendid vista from the capitol down across town to the lincoln memorial. there you see it. the right side of the capitol. the west side where it should be and where it has been now for what, 36 years. >> it's been a troubled relationship between donald trump and president obama. i remember when president obama was speaking to crowds saying donald trump will never be president of the united states. forget about that option. here they are sitting in the car together. as you talk about the chilly moments between truman and eisenhower and you think about bill clinton and george bush who became friends and sought counsel from him on some occasion. >> his family's behavior toward the trumps has been absolutely impeccable all along, played out once again this morning as they greeted the trumps at

their arrival at the capitol. >> arguably the transition has been fairly smooth. >> cooperative on the part of the obamas. mirroring what the bush 43 administration did to help bring the obamas administration into office. >> we heard in the opening we had. it is amazing to look over the past two years as you look at hillary clinton clinton there on the stage and where we've been. >> everything is so different. the last 15 years have completely -- the helicopter flying over us -- has completely transformed the country and frankly divided it mostly along economic lines. we focus on the left coast, middle of the country, but really what you've seen, and it goes back to the classic liberal critique of our economy, is a massive accumulation of wealth at the top. and i'm not sure any person

individually is to blame for that but it is real and it has real and tangible political consequences. you are looking at one right here. >> what do you think he is going to say? >> i think he will speak to the people who elected him. america's shrinking middle class who felt disempowered economically. our focus is on the cultural stuff and the country's demographic change. the middle of the country has become poorer. living shorter lives. the most basic measurement of all. i have think he will speak to them. he ought to. >> george w. bush and laura bush arriving as we're at the top of the hour. 11:00 eastern time. let's listen in. [applause]