Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States today during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. He is scheduled to take the oath of office at noon.
Biden becomes president during one of the more tumultuous times in the nation’s history. The country is facing a pandemic caused by COVID-19, rough economic conditions after businesses lost customers and employees lost jobs, and racial tensions related to how law enforcement officers treat Black people.
The situation intensified Jan. 6, when a mob incited by President Donald Trump attempted an insurrection at the Capitol while lawmakers were working to certify Biden’s election. Trump has baselessly claimed that he won the election.