Here’s the Presidential Battery Salute (21-gun salute) at President Trump’s inauguration in 2017. Note it’s a four-gun salute. Three are actually fired; the fourth is there in case of a misfire.
Note that you can hear Trump taking the oath in the background at roughly 1:46 before the guns are fired.
Now, some media claim Biden got a Presidential Battery Salute at his “inauguration” as well. It’s always done at presidential inaugurations.
But Biden didn’t get one. Instead there was a three-gun 21-gun salute at Arlington National Cemetery. (Two guns are actually fired; the third is on standby.) That’s the salute used when laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Note the difference in the intervals between shots for the two different types of salutes.
Here’s the salute for the Biden wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
The military is particular about these differences.
So Trump continues to fly military aircraft as a president is entitled to do while a former president isn’t. Meanwhile Biden reportedly took a private jet to his inauguration instead of the government or military flight traditionally offered to the president-elect.
And Trump got the traditional four-gun Presidential Battery Salute for his presidential inauguration, while Biden only got the salute for laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Seems the military still considers Trump president.
See more evidence from blog reader Joe below.
More from Joe
Thanks to reader Joe who provided this additional material on the tradition of the Presidential Battery Salute at inaugurations.
21 Gun Video Research:
History of Presidential 21 Gun Salute fired as soon as the President is sworn in (1 min video):
https://youtu.be/68ZLXugTsnw
In action from 2017 Trump Inauguration:
https://youtu.be/sN1zIJc8PUU
HISTORICAL VIDEO PROOF:
Carter in 1977 at 18:25:
https://youtu.be/ifmaoLJTNrk
Reagan in 1981 at 20:35:
https://youtu.be/MkptgX535E4
Reagan in 1985 At 1:05:
https://youtu.be/PNwlrzQGxJI
Interestingly…moved inside due to weather (7° with -25° windchill factor). Still see and hear those cannons though.
Bush 41 at 23:45:
https://youtu.be/MW1c2PeZu9M
Clinton 1st at 59 min:
https://youtu.be/0Cyu_3OiecY
Clinton 2nd at 32:30:
https://youtu.be/kmJHm_eqUGs
Bush 1 at 21:05:
https://youtu.be/KJ2SuQwZWt8
Bush 2 at 1 hr:
https://youtu.be/cb2w6cHFv7M
Obama 1 at 32:
https://youtu.be/S4VoolvEsyQ
Obama 2 at 41(hard to hear over crowd):
https://youtu.be/0UEbEvObgKo
Trump 1 at 1 hr:
https://youtu.be/Z7hET4Xp0qQ
Trump 21 gun salute at Andrew’s Air Force Base for farewell hours before Biden Inauguration using 4 guns and guns seen in all the other 21 gun salute videos:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/01/videos-trump-gets-21-gun-salute-at-joint-base-andrews-before-leaving-dc/
Biden at 33:30 NO 21 GUNS only SILENCE:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?508135-3/president-biden-2021-inaugural-ceremony
21 Gun Salute Wed afternoon, only this salute is different with 10 sec breaks and they only used 2 guns out of 3 at the wreath laying:
https://youtu.be/835ouLp4IiA
Full — approx 14 min to 17+min mark. It takes 3.5 minutes to fire 21 rounds with 10 sec intervals:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?508136-1/motorcade-arlington-cemetery-tomb-unknown-soldier-ceremony
Grunge.com trying to sell the later 21 Gun Salute:
https://www.grunge.com/316806/the-history-of-the-21-gun-salute-explained/
CNN too:
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/19/us/trump-21-gun-salute-history-trnd/index.html
They pulled most of their article from this Army site:
https://history.army.mil/html/faq/salute.html
Found this at https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Visit/Events-and-Ceremonies/Ceremonies/21-Gun-Salute:
“Today, the U.S. military fires a 21-gun salute in honor of a national flag, the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and the president, ex-presidents and president-elect of the United States. The 21-gun salute is also fired at noon on George Washington’s birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and the day of the funeral of a president, ex-president or president-elect.”
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one other place they use this 21 Gun Salute. Here is a video from Sept 24, 2004 where they only use 2 of 3 guns and take 10 second intervals just like Jan 20, 2021:
https://youtu.be/mhyKIdc5K1g
Strange that with so many military in attendance they would not do a very traditional military thing…that has been done at every other inauguration I can find.
21 Gun Video Research:
History of Presidential 21 Gun Salute fired as soon as the President is sworn in (1 min video)
https://youtu.be/68ZLXugTsnw
In action from 2017 Trump Inauguration
https://youtu.be/sN1zIJc8PUU
HISTORICAL VIDEO PROOF:
Carter in 1977 at 18:25
https://youtu.be/ifmaoLJTNrk
Reagan in 1981 at 20:35
https://youtu.be/MkptgX535E4
Reagan in 1985 At 1:05
https://youtu.be/PNwlrzQGxJI
Interestingly…moved inside due to weather (7° with -25° windchill factor). Still see and hear those cannons though.
Bush 41 at 23:45
https://youtu.be/MW1c2PeZu9M
Clinton 1st at 59 min
https://youtu.be/0Cyu_3OiecY
Clinton 2nd at 32:30
https://youtu.be/kmJHm_eqUGs
Bush 1 at 21:05
https://youtu.be/KJ2SuQwZWt8
Bush 2 at 1 hr
https://youtu.be/cb2w6cHFv7M
Obama 1 at 32
https://youtu.be/S4VoolvEsyQ
Obama 2 at 41(hard to hear over crowd)
https://youtu.be/0UEbEvObgKo
Trump 1 at 1 hr
https://youtu.be/Z7hET4Xp0qQ
Trump 21 gun salute at Andrew’s Air Force Base for farewell hours before Biden Inauguration using 4 guns and guns seen in all the other 21 gun salute videos:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/01/videos-trump-gets-21-gun-salute-at-joint-base-andrews-before-leaving-dc/
Biden at 33:30 NO 21 GUNS only SILENCE
https://www.c-span.org/video/?508135-3/president-biden-2021-inaugural-ceremony
21 Gun Salute Wed afternoon, only this salute is different with 10 sec breaks and they only used 2 guns out of 3 at the wreath laying:
Clip: https://youtu.be/835ouLp4IiA
Full: approx 14 min to 17+min mark. It takes 3.5 minutes to fire 21 rounds with 10 sec intervals.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?508136-1/motorcade-arlington-cemetery-tomb-unknown-soldier-ceremony
Grunge.com trying to sell the later 21 Gun Salute:
https://www.grunge.com/316806/the-history-of-the-21-gun-salute-explained/
CNN too:
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/19/us/trump-21-gun-salute-history-trnd/index.html
They pulled most of their article from this Army site:
https://history.army.mil/html/faq/salute.html
Found this at https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Visit/Events-and-Ceremonies/Ceremonies/21-Gun-Salute
“Today, the U.S. military fires a 21-gun salute in honor of a national flag, the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and the president, ex-presidents and president-elect of the United States. The 21-gun salute is also fired at noon on George Washington’s birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and the day of the funeral of a president, ex-president or president-elect.”
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one other place they use this 21 Gun Salute. Here is a video from Sept 24, 2004 where they only use 2 of 3 guns and take 10 second intervals just like Jan 20, 2021:
https://youtu.be/mhyKIdc5K1g
Strange that with so many military in attendance they would not do a very traditional military thing…that has been done at every other inauguration I can find.
Joe, I very much appreciate your research on this. If you don’t mind, I’m going to add your comment and links to the post.
Interesting.
It’s because, he isn’t considered the President by the Military.
Meaning, he is not truly the President.
Very interesting. My thing is, if the military doesn’t consider him to be president, why isn’t something being done about him? Our military is highly respected, so why wouldn’t they be able to do something? This isn’t coming out the way I’m thinking it in my head. UGH. Why would they listen?
Jo, I think they’re doing something. I think the reason they staged a fake inauguration is because Biden wasn’t really inaugurated.
I think there have also been a lot of arrests.
I’ll do a post today on other progress.
Our military is in control. Timing is everything. The time is not right.
I believe everyone is correct in the use of military salutes and gun firings. Biden was illegally inaugerated since he did not win by proper voting and actually stealing/swiping the election right from under the rightful winner Donald J. Trump. He knew it, they all knew it because they were all in on it. Like Hillary’s motto “Stronger Together”, think about that one. So Biden staging his untimely inaugeration recorded prior to the 20th so they can show it on the 20th to the public to view kept him just a Mr. Biden and not President Biden which he’ll never be. The gun salute was correct.
Excellent commentary, Suzanne. Your explanation makes it better for all of us to understand what is going on right now, and what is to be coming to us soon! Thank You!
I wonder if there was actually ever a 21 Gun salute for Biden on that day. Or did they just use a clip from an Arlington salute. Did anyone actually hear a 21 gun salute that day in DC? Just a thought….
Colette, if you follow all the links below the piece, you will see that Biden never got the inauguration gun salute.