Legally speaking, it doesn't matter whether the U.S. president placed his hand on a bible. And he wouldn't be the first not to.

Donald Trump raised his right hand while placing his left hand on the Bible Monday afternoon. He then took the oath of office and was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

In his second inaugural address, President Donald Trump reached back into history to signal how he will implement his promise to control our nation’s borders and to expand those borders by acquiring new territory.

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20, 2025. (Photo by Morry Gash / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MORRY GASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Before Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in 2021, Donald J. Trump held the record for the country’s oldest commander in chief. He reclaimed the record on Monday.

Theodore Roosevelt did not use a Bible when he was sworn in following the death of President William McKinley in 1901. Lyndon Johnson had his hand on a Catholic missal, or prayer book, when he took the oath aboard Air Force One after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

The president-elect promises to rule with robber baron tactics and imperial belligerence—just like his role model, William McKinley.

During his 2017 inauguration, Trump placed his hand on a family Bible stacked atop Lincoln's while taking the oath. While reciting the presidential oath of office is mandated by the Constitution, using a Bible isn't. Trump is certainly not the first president to not use a Bible during the swearing-in ceremony.

Donald Trump will make history when he is sworn into office today as the oldest President to take the oath of office.

As millions watched President Donald Trump’s inauguration at the White House on Monday, Jan. 20, many noticed that he did not place his left hand on a Bible while being sworn in. Now people are questioning that gesture, and wondering if the president can be sworn in without using a Bible. The answer is quite simple: Yes. Here’s why.

Donald Trump's inaugural address underscored his administration's commitment to both domestic and international matters, declaring a“new golden era”