Donald Trump Will be Sworn in on Two Bibles

By C Barnett --
19 Jan 2017 --

Trump to be sworn in on both his childhood Bible and Abraham Lincoln’s bible.

President-elect Donald Trump will be taking his presidential oaths on two Bibles. One Bible is the same copy that Abraham Lincoln used, and the other is a Revised Standard Version, a personal copy that Trump was gifted when he graduated from Sunday school in 1955.

Donald Trump Will be Sworn in on These Bibles.[/tweetthis]

Abraham Lincoln’s Bible was also used by Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, for his own swearing-in ceremony. Trump’s choice of this Bible is seen as an interesting move because Obama and Trump have very different views and ideologies. Obama has often indicated his distaste for Trump’s ideas, while the latter has criticized Obama’s administration on numerous occasions. Trump’s choice of the Bible is reminiscent of Lincoln’s words at his 1861 address:

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” – Abraham Lincoln

The choice of Bibles has been confirmed by Alex Stroman, the deputy director of communications for the 58th Inaugural Committee. Lincoln’s copy is now at the Library of Congress, and will be transported to Washington for the swearing-in ceremony. The Bible was used for the first time after Lincoln took his oath on it by President Obama for both his terms – in 2009 as well as 2013.

Trump’s Bible was gifted to him by his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, and has been with him ever since. In an earlier interview, Trump had said it was his “favorite book in the world”, although he quoted 2nd Corinthians as ‘Two Corinthians’ – something for which he was criticized heavily. The Bible was gifted to him on the occasion of his graduation from Sunday Church Primary School in Queens, Jamaica, in 1955. Trump, a Presbyterian, feels the Bible is very special to him and revealed he opens it and looks at it a lot.

Trump will use two bibles at the swearing in. When asked why, he said "in case my hand burns through the first one."#fallon
— brian kenney (@hiegold) January 19, 2017

There is no formal requirement that the Bible be used for swearing-in ceremonies. It’s just a tradition that was started by George Washington. Since then, most presidents have used the Bible for their ceremonies as well. Some exceptions include John Quincy Adams, who used a law book, and Teddy Roosevelt who didn’t use any book at all. The tradition of using a Bible and quoting scripture is symbolic as it is indicative of the way in which they will be administering the nation.

In addition to having two Bibles, Trump’s swearing-in ceremony will also have six ministers participating.