During the 2025 swearing-in ceremony, Trump did not place his hand on Bibles.

On Monday, President Trump deviated from custom during his second inauguration by not placing his hand on the Bible while taking the oath of office.

John Roberts, the Chief Justice, gave Trump the oath while walking towards him, instructing him to raise his right hand and repeat the words.

As Roberts said, "I, Donald John Trump," first lady Melania Trump approached with a stack of Bibles.

He kept his hand by his side while taking the oath of office, with his family filing in behind him.

During his 2017 inauguration, Trump used two Bibles - the Lincoln Bible and his personal Bible given to him by his mother - while taking the oath of office.

The president's team did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment on why he did not place his hand on the Bibles.

JD Vance placed his hand on the Bible during his swearing-in as Vice President.

While some social media users claimed that Roberts hurried through the oath, others were stunned that Trump did not place his hand on the Bibles, a tradition that has been followed since the first inauguration of President George Washington.

The oath of office for the incoming president does not mandate the use of a Bible.

According to Article VI of the Constitution, presidents are bound by an oath or affirmation and cannot be required to pass a religious test to hold office.

The Constitution mandates that the president must take an oath before assuming office, yet there is no reference to religion.

The Constitution specifies the precise language for the 34-word oath of office: "I 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."

Judges often include the phrase "so help me God" in their oaths, although it is not legally or constitutionally required. Unlike other federal oaths, this phrase is not standard procedure. While some historians believe that President Washington set a precedent by adding it during his first acceptance, contemporary accounts do not mention any ad-libbing.

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln is said to have made a spontaneous statement, and other presidents have followed suit. During the oath of office, a Bible is traditionally used, with the president placing one hand on it while raising the other.

While the Constitution does not mandate that the president, members of Congress, or federal judges be sworn in by a Supreme Court justice, this practice has been common during inaugurations.

In 1789, when Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States, the Supreme Court had not yet been established. Consequently, New York's chief justice administered the oath of office to him at Federal Hall on Wall Street.

In 1873, Associate Justice William Cushing was sworn in for a second term, marking the beginning of the Supreme Court tradition.

Planet Chronicle’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.