What a day! Alex Rodriguez, Barack Obama and more stars celebrated President Joe Biden and V.P. Kamala Harris as they were sworn into their White House duties on Wednesday, January 20, at the United States Capitol.
Biden, 78, and Harris, 56, took their oaths of office in front of a socially distanced crowd in Washington, D.C., in a unique inauguration ceremony amid the coronavirus pandemic. Before they were officially dubbed the new president and vice president, they were serenaded by Lady Gaga, who gave a moving performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Moments before she took the stage, a source told Us Weekly exclusively that Gaga, 34, felt “immensely honored” to be part of the historic event and was “grateful” to have boyfriend Michael Polansky by her side.
The Oscar winner wasn’t the only big name to appear at the political celebration. Jennifer Lopez sang “This Land Is Your Land” — and added a brief reference to her hit single “Let’s Get Loud.” The Second Act star, 51, received a strong showing of support from Rodriguez, 45, her fiancé of nearly two years.
When he arrived at the inauguration, the former baseball pro buddied up with Obama, 59, who welcomed Rodriguez to the Capitol with a fist bump. The A Promised Land author was later seen giving Biden, his former V.P., the same COVID-safe greeting before taking his seat in the audience with wife Michelle Obama.
During his speech, Biden called for American citizens to find common ground after a difficult year. “This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge,” he said. “And unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America. If we do that, I guarantee you we will not fail.”
The moment left a lasting impression on the famous faces in the crowd, including Gaga, who has partnered with Biden in her advocacy over the years. “She and the president-elect have become close allies since 2016, when Biden introduced Gaga’s performance at the Oscars and then continued to work with her on raising awareness about sexual assault,” a source told Us exclusively on Wednesday.
Following the swearing in, Tom Hanks is set to host a primetime celebration with more performances from Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and more. One day before, Perry, 36, showed off the several microphone options she has to choose from — including one that was transformed into Lady Liberty’s torch.
Scroll down to see more of the best moments from the 2021 inauguration.