Inside the Inauguration With Stephen Studdert

January 20th is a special day in our country. It is the day when the newly elected President raises
their hand and takes the oath of office promising to protect American interests at home and
abroad. The swearing-in and Oath of Office is a part of the ceremony as a whole, the
Inauguration. The Inauguration is a huge undertaking attended by nearly every member of
Congress, The Supreme Court Justices, outgoing and incoming Cabinet Members, foreign
dignitaries, media outlets, celebrities, the public, and the families of the and newly elected
President and the outgoing President. We sat down with Stephen Studdert, a Utahn, who was a senior
advisor for Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan and who served as director for the
inauguration of President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Studdert gave us a unique inside view of
the inauguration and all the time and preparation put into making sure this special day is just that.

The day of the inauguration comes quickly for the President-Elect and their team due to the fact
that they only have from November 4th to January 20th to plan the event which usually involves a
parade, performers, speeches and concludes with the transition of power to the new President.
“Noon on January 20th is an absolute date and time, there is no extension, it has to be done,” said
Stephen Studdert when asked how quickly things have to move. “The first thing I did was write
out a rough organizational chart, and I immediately began contacting key division heads.” Such a
monumental task requires many people working lots of hours, in the case of the 1989
Inauguration Studdert said, “I began as employee number one, and when it was all said and done
we had over 30,000 volunteers and 800 paid employees.” Studdert continued “I would work 18
to 20 hours every day with a half day on Thanksgiving and all day off on Christmas, we had a
senior staff meeting every morning at 7 and we tried to conclude all evening activities by 2 or 3
in the morning.”

With all of these tasks, employees and a very short timetable many things can go wrong, but one
thing that cannot go wrong is security. The inauguration is a monumental collaboration between
all levels of law enforcement in Washington D.C. and around the nation. With around a half
million to a million people in attendance along with many high-ranking figures, security is of the
utmost importance. “It is a very very challenging circumstance to secure.” Studdert said “You
have the D.C Metro Police, the Smithsonian Police, the Supreme Court Police, the Capitiol
Police, along with several thousand law enforcement officers from around the nation, there is
nothing that compares from a security point of view.”

“America is unique in that we have a set inauguration day” said Studdert, “The inauguration is
truly a remarkable day.” To finish our interview Studdert said something that is very important in
any election year and is maybe even more so this year, “An Inaugural is a wonderful thing, I
hope that people will forget their partisan politics and realize that this is a celebration of
America.” And it truly is. Not everything in American politics is certain but a few things are,
January 20th is the day a new President is sworn in, and we will always have a peaceful transition
of power. In the last few years America has grown more and more divided by partisan politics,
name calling, and hate. With this opportunity to come together and celebrate democracy and our
amazing country I hope that we make the most of it because America truly is a special place with
special people.