Inauguration Day—the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. One administration prepares to leave the White House, while another readies to take the levers of power. But what happens when an outgoing president decides not to participate in the transfer of power from one administration to the next? And how often have presidents, for one reason or another, missed the swearing-in of their successors?
Noted presidential historian and CNN contributor, Thomas Balcerski, explored the surprisingly numerous instances of presidential absence on Inauguration Day. You will learn about the five presidents who failed to attend the inaugurations of their successors and the two presidents who did not participate for other reasons (hint: one of them involves Gerald Ford). With more than three dozen presidential transitions since the founding of the republic, these seven episodes of missing incumbents reveal how inaugural no-shows are, in fact, a recurring feature of American politics.
Watch the Program Here
When
January 20, 2022
Program Supporters
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum
