Liberals Point To Major Issue At Trump’s Inauguration

When President Donald Trump took the oath of office for his second term, there was some attention given to the fact that he did not appear to place his left hand on either of the Bibles at the ceremony. This moment, however, should not overshadow the significance of the event or the legitimacy of his administration. In truth, the U.S. Constitution does not require a president to place their hand on a Bible when taking the Oath of Office. What matters is the recitation of the oath itself, as outlined in Article II of the Constitution, which states that the president must “solemnly swear (or affirm)” to faithfully execute the office. There is no mention of a Bible or any religious text in this provision.

Moreover, Article VI of the Constitution reinforces the idea that no religious test is required for public office in the United States. It explicitly prohibits any religious qualification for holding office, meaning that the choice of using a Bible during the swearing-in ceremony is a personal decision rather than a constitutional mandate.

Interestingly, throughout U.S. history, several presidents have taken their oaths without using a Bible at all. John Quincy Adams, for example, swore on a book of laws rather than a Bible. Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in using a Bible when he became president, but during his rushed swearing-in after McKinley’s assassination, he did not. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in aboard Air Force One using a Catholic missal, and Calvin Coolidge took the oath in his family’s Vermont home without a Bible.

Trump’s choice to have two Bibles nearby—one a family heirloom from his great-grandmother, the other Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 Bible—further highlights the flexibility of this tradition. His decision not to place his hand on them, while it may have sparked curiosity, does not diminish the authenticity of the event. After all, the Constitution does not specify the method of taking the oath, only that it be done.

In a nation founded on principles of liberty, the focus should remain on the oath itself, not the particulars of the ceremony. The absence of a Bible does not change the solemn commitment to defend the Constitution and serve the American people.