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Trump did not put his hand on the Bible at inauguration

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump did not put his hand on Bible during his inauguration, raising questions about how the Bible traditionally figures in the ceremony.

As Donald J. Trump raised his right hand to take the oath of office as president on Monday, his left stayed at his side. Although his wife, Melania Trump, held two Bibles, Mr. Trump did not put his hand on either.

During the swearing-in ceremony, Mrs. Trump was holding two Bibles, a family Bible and a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln. However, this was not immediately clear. The White House did not immediately return a message seeking comment.


Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts directed President-elect Donald Trump to raise his right hand and repeat behind him, as Mrs. Trump stood next to Donald Trump as he took the oath.

“I was saved by God to make America great again,” he said in his inaugural address, referencing the assassination attempt on his life over the summer.

While it is common for incoming presidents to place their hand on a Bible while taking the oath of office, it’s not a legal requirement.

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution states that “all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”