JOE BIDEN will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States today with Vice President Kamala Harris taking the oath of office alongside him in Washington DC.

Donald Trump today left the White House for the final time ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden. 

Trump will be taking a helicopter to Andrews base before boarding Air Force One which will take him to Florida.

The inauguration ceremony has been scaled back due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with 25,000 national guard members also deployed around the city in a bid to ramp up security following the Capitol Hill riot on 6 January.

Mr Biden will take the oath of office by noon, (17:00GMT) in Washington.

President Trump announced that he won't be attending Biden's inauguration ceremony, which will make him the first president in more than a century to not go to his successor's initiation.

The last president to not attend his successor's inauguration was Andrew Johnson in 1869, when he boycotted Ulysses S Grant’s ceremony.

What time will the inauguration take place?

Biden will be sworn in as President of the United States by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts just before midday (5pm GMT) outside the US Capitol.

However, the build-up to the inauguration itself will begin shortly before this.

In keeping with tradition, both the President and Vice President will be sworn in in front of the Capitol Building, but the traditional inaugural parade along Pennsylvania Avenue will instead be replaced with a virtual “Parade Across America”.

The ceremony will include musical performances from Lady Gaga - who will sing the national anthem - Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks.

A virtual ball hosted by Tom Hanks, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato and Justin Timberlake will then take place following the ceremony at 8.30pm ET (1.30am GMT).

How to watch the inauguration ceremony

You can live stream the inauguration ceremony here from 4.30pm GMT (11.30am ET), with Biden to be sworn in as President just before 5pm GMT. He will then deliver his inaugural address.

Twenty-five thousand National Guard troops will be guarding the Capitol, White House and National Mall throughout inauguration day, with these iconic areas also protected by barricades and tall fencing.