Inauguration Day for President-elect Donald Trump is less than two weeks away, and the guest list is still being finalized. We are learning more about the world leaders who have received invitations to the ceremony –– and who have not.
Last month, it was confirmed that Chinese President Xi Jinping had received an invitation from Trump. However, sources indicate that Xi does not plan to attend the inauguration.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not yet received an invitation, though Zelenskyy has said he would attend if Trump extended a personal invite.
In a press conference on Dec. 16, Trump said that Zelenskyy would be welcome to attend, though he acknowledged that he had not yet invited him.
Another notable potential guest is former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who confirmed on social media that he had received an invitation to the event. Bolsonaro thanked Trump and said he was working on getting his passport back after authorities confiscated it. Bolsonaro is facing criminal charges for allegedly helping to plot a coup in Brazil, similar to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in the U.S.
As Bolsonaro works on the logistics of his attendance, he stated that it would be an honor to attend the historical event.
A spokesman for the Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not receive an invitation from Trump.
Trump’s spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, told Fox News that the president-elect had extended invitations to several world leaders but did not provide further details.
If any world leaders do attend the inauguration, it would be a historic first. State Department records dating back to 1874 show that no head of a foreign country has ever attended a U.S. presidential inauguration.
