Oath of office of the president of the United States facts for kids

The oath of office of the president of the United States is a special promise or pledge that the president of the United States makes when they start their job. This important promise is written in the United States Constitution, in a part called Article II, Section One, Clause 8. A new president must say these words before they can start using any of their official powers or duties.

This part of the Constitution is one of the few that actually tells you the exact words someone must say. The presidential oath is very important because it asks the new president to promise: "I will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." This means they promise to keep the country's main rules safe and strong.

The President's Oath

The Constitution clearly states the words the president must say. It's a very serious promise.

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:—
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Taking the Oath

The oath is a key part of becoming president. It usually happens during a big public event.

When the President Takes Office

A newly elected or re-elected president of the United States officially starts their four-year term at noon on January 20, after the election. This special day is called Inauguration Day. If January 20 falls on a Sunday, the president will take the oath privately that day. Then, they will repeat the oath in a public ceremony the next day, on January 21.

When a President Steps In

Sometimes, a vice president has to become president if the current president dies or resigns. In these situations, the oath is given to the new president as quickly as possible. This makes sure the country's leadership continues without any breaks.

Who Gives the Oath?

The Constitution doesn't say who must give the oath. However, it has become a tradition for the Chief Justice of the United States to do it. This tradition started with President John Adams.

Many different people have given the oath over time:

• George Washington was sworn in by Robert Livingston, who was a New York judge.
• When Calvin Coolidge became president after Warren Harding died, his own father, who was a notary public, gave him the oath.
• After John F. Kennedy's assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath aboard Air Force One. A federal judge named Sarah T. Hughes gave him the oath. She is the only woman to have ever done so.

Overall, 15 Chief Justices have given the oath. Also, one associate justice, four federal judges, two New York state judges, and one notary public have given the oath.

Swear or Affirm?

The Constitution gives the option to "affirm" instead of "swear." This is for people who, because of their religious beliefs (like some Quakers), prefer not to "swear" an oath. They might believe the Bible teaches not to make oaths.

Only one president, Franklin Pierce, is known to have used "affirm" instead of "swear." Even though Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon were Quakers, they both chose to "swear" the oath.

How the Oath is Said

Over time, the way the oath is given has changed a bit.

In the past, the person giving the oath would ask a question, like, "Do you, George Washington, solemnly swear...?" The president would then answer, "I do" or "I swear."

Today, the person giving the oath says the words, and the president repeats them exactly. For example, Franklin D. Roosevelt repeated the entire oath after Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes said it. Now, the Chief Justice usually says the oath in short parts, and the president repeats each part until the whole oath is done.

Using Bibles

It's a common tradition for presidents to place their left hand on a Bible and raise their right hand while taking the oath.

• George Washington used a Bible borrowed from a Masonic lodge and kissed it afterward.
• Many presidents after him, including Harry S. Truman, also kissed the Bible.
• Some presidents, like Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama, have used two Bibles.
• Joe Biden used a large family Bible that had been in his family since 1893.

Not all presidents have used a Bible:

• Thomas Jefferson and Calvin Coolidge did not use a Bible.
• John Quincy Adams swore on a book of law, meaning to swear on the Constitution itself.
• Lyndon B. Johnson used a Roman Catholic missal (a type of prayer book) for his first oath, thinking it was a Bible. He used a Bible for his second oath.
• Donald Trump used two Bibles for his first inauguration: one from his mother and the Lincoln Bible.

Adding "So Help Me God"

The Constitution's exact wording for the president's oath does not include the phrase "So help me God." However, most presidents, especially in the last century, have chosen to add these words at the end of their oath.

There is some debate about whether George Washington, the first president, actually added "So help me God" to his oath. Some stories say he did, but the earliest written accounts of his inauguration don't mention it.

Even though it's not required by the Constitution, many presidents have used this phrase. For example, Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said "So help me God" at his second inauguration.

Oath Mishaps

Sometimes, mistakes happen during the oath-taking ceremony.

• In 1909, Chief Justice Melville Fuller accidentally misquoted the oath when swearing in President William Howard Taft.
• Later, in 1929, Taft himself, as Chief Justice, made a mistake when swearing in President Herbert Hoover. He said "preserve, maintain, and defend" instead of "preserve, protect, and defend." Hoover did not retake the oath.
• In 1945, Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone mistakenly added a middle name to President Harry S. Truman's oath, saying "I, Harry Shipp Truman," instead of "I, Harry S. Truman."
• In 2009, Chief Justice John Roberts misquoted part of the oath while swearing in Barack Obama. Obama paused, and Roberts tried to correct himself, but the words were still not quite right. Because of this, Obama took the oath again the next day at the White House to make sure it was correct.

List of Oath Takings

Since the office of President began in 1789, there have been 59 public swearing-in ceremonies for new four-year terms. There have also been nine additional ceremonies when a vice president became president because the current president died or resigned.

With the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden, the presidential oath has been taken 76 times by 45 different people. This number is higher than the number of presidents because each president takes the oath at the start of every term. Also, some presidents have taken the oath privately on a Sunday and then again publicly the next day. A few have even repeated the oath as a precaution.

Images for kids

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  Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as next president, two hours after President John F. Kennedy's assassination

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  Franklin D. Roosevelt being administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes on March 4, 1933, the first of Roosevelt's four presidential inaugurations.

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  Joe Biden takes the oath of office on the Biden family Bible, January 20, 2021

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  George H. W. Bush being administered the oath of office by Chief Justice William Rehnquist on January 20, 1989.

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  Barack Obama being administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts for the second time, on January 21, 2009.

See also

• Presidential Succession Act
• Oath of office of the vice president of the United States
• United States presidential transition