President-elect Donald Trump broke centuries of precedent when he invited world leaders to attend his second inauguration.
Although no head of a foreign country has ever attended a presidential inauguration in the United States, the president-elect decided to break the tradition after he won a second term in November 2024. His team explained the move as an avenue to “create a dialogue with leaders of countries that are not only allies but also our adversaries and competitors.”
Here’s a list of foreign leaders who have been invited to Trump’s swearing-in ceremony, as well as those who may have been snubbed.
Argentina
Argentine President Javier Milei is planning to be at the inauguration after Trump personally invited him. The first world leader to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home after his victory in 2024, Milei initially cast doubt on attending the inauguration as doing so would break historical precedent.
However, after Trump spoke with the Argentine president on the phone, Milei agreed to break tradition at the request of his friend, according to local news reports.
Trump offered insight into his thought process behind breaking tradition to invite foreign leaders to his second inauguration in early December 2024.
“Some people said, ‘Wow, that’s a little risky, isn’t it?’” Trump said during an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange. “And I said, ‘Maybe it is. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.’ But we like to take little chances.”
Ukraine
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wanted to attend Trump’s inauguration but had not yet received an invitation.
“I would like to [attend], of course,” Zelensky said during a podcast interview with Lex Fridman. “I will be considering what is happening then in the war because there are moments of difficulties, escalation, many missiles, etc. But honestly, well, I can’t. I can’t come especially during the war, unless President Trump invites me personally.”
During a press conference on Dec. 16, Trump said he had not invited Zelensky but that “if he’d like to come, I’d like to have him.”
Zelensky’s archnemesis, Russian President Vladimir Putin, has not been asked to attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. However, the president-elect suggested during a Tuesday press conference he would meet with the Russian leader following the inauguration.
Great Britain
A seemingly friendly relationship between Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer may have taken a frosty turn recently, and the foreign leader has not been invited to the inauguration yet. Before the election, Starmer and Trump met for a two-hour dinner and exchanged complimentary words with each other. After the election, Starmer’s chief of staff flew to meet the president-elect’s team in Florida and Washington, D.C., and the two spoke on the phone again in December.
However, since then, top Trump ally Elon Musk has criticized Starmer for running a “tyrannical police state” and urged other parties to take power. In one post, Musk asked if “America should liberate the people of Britain.”
While Starmer may be absent, Nigel Farage, who leads Great Britain’s right-leaning Reform UK party, is set to travel to the inauguration, despite also having a public feud with Musk.
“I’ve been a friend of Donald Trump’s for a decade,” Farage said Tuesday during a phone interview on a British radio broadcast. “I’ve been very supportive of him, he’s been very supportive of me.”
While Trump and Farage are long-standing allies, Musk called on the British politician to step down as head of the Reform Party at the beginning of January.
Farage has signaled he wants to repair the relationship, saying he is “confident that whatever has been said, we can mend.”
China
In December, Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend inaugural festivities. However, Xi reportedly turned down the offer and is expected to send a delegation of senior Chinese officials to attend in his place.
France
It is unknown whether Trump personally invited French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the inauguration, although the two men enjoyed a friendly meeting at the grand reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in December 2024.
However, a leader of a right-leaning French political party has been invited and will attend the event, according to a Politico report published Wednesday. While the head of France’s largest right-leaning party, Marine Le Pen, was reportedly snubbed by the Trump team, Eric Zemmour, who leads the Reconquête party, has accepted an invitation.
Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump after the election, calling his victory “the biggest comeback in U.S. political history.” He was also one of the many foreign heads of state who traveled to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago after he won the election.
Gergely Gulyás, Orbán’s chief of staff, said on Dec. 12 that the Hungarian leader was not slated to attend festivities.
“There is no such plan, at least for the time being,” Gulyás said.
However, Orbán may still be “considering” attending the ceremony, according to CBS News.
Italy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was invited to attend Trump’s festivities. Although the Italian leader has not confirmed her attendance, she met with the president-elect Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago home.
The two spoke favorably of each other after the meeting, with Trump saying Meloni had “really taken Europe by storm.”
Brazil
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was invited to attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. However, passport troubles may keep him from traveling to the event.
Bolsonaro announced Wednesday that his lawyers are working to get his passport released after Brazilian officials confiscated it in February 2024. He was indicted on charges of inciting a coup in an attempt to overthrow the election.
“My lawyer, Dr. Paulo Bueno, has already forwarded a request to Minister Alexandre de Moraes for me to have my passport returned so that I can attend this honorable and important historical event,” Bolsonaro wrote on X.
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El Salvador
El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele was among the world leaders reportedly invited to the inauguration after Trump’s eldest son attended his second inauguration last year.
Bukele also has not indicated whether he will be in attendance.
