75 Inauguration Day Quotes and Captions To Share

2025 isn’t just about welcoming in a new year—it’s about ushering in a new era of leadership in Washington. Every four years, between 73 and 79 days after the presidential election, Inauguration Day takes place. It’s a time when the country flips the page and starts a brand-new political chapter where the president-elect officially takes the oath of office. And we’ve got 75 Inauguration Day quotes and captions for this notable event.

This year, Inauguration Day takes place on Monday, January 20, 2025. The ceremony is slated to begin at noon ET at the iconic U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. This historic day is a tradition that goes all the way back to George Washington, who took his oath on April 30, 1789. The special ceremony is a chance to celebrate the peaceful transfer of power, a symbol of our democratic values in action.

To help you get ready for the event, we rounded up 75 Inauguration Day quotes about leadership, democracy and new beginnings, along with some fun Instagram captions inspired by the event that are great to use no matter if you’re a super political person or not. Check them all out, below!

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Inspiring Inauguration Day Quotes

1. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy

2. “Freedom lies in being bold.” — Robert Frost

3. “Let us then, fellow citizens, unite with one heart and one mind.” — Thomas Jefferson

4. “The United States is the place where you can make the impossible possible, and that’s the great gift of America.” — Barack Obama

5. “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” — George Washington

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6. “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.” — William J. Clinton

7. “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people.” — Abraham Lincoln

8. “America is another name for opportunity.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

9. “America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” — Harry S. Truman

10. “There is good government when those who are near are happy, and when those who are far away desire to come.” — Confucius

11. “One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation evermore!” — Oliver Wendell Holmes

12. “The best government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

13. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” — Abraham Lincoln

14. “Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.” — Herbert Hoover

Related: 30 Quotes From FDR to Uplift and Inspire All Americans

15. “We are a country of immigrants, of diverse peoples who bring their unique experiences, traditions, and culture to build a society that is stronger than any one group alone.” — George H. W. Bush

16. “The best government is that which is most capable of delivering justice, equality, and opportunity for all.” — John F. Kennedy

17. “We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity.” — Barack Obama

18. “In the United States, people are free to pursue happiness, free to chase their dreams, and free to make a difference in the world.” — Condoleezza Rice

19. “Our popular Government has often been called an experiment.” — Abraham Lincoln

20. “We must never forget that while Americans will always have our disagreements, we are a nation of incredible, decent, faithful, and peace-loving citizens who all want our country to thrive and flourish and be very, very successful and good. We are a truly magnificent nation.” — Donald Trump

21. “In the end, it’s not the government that we rely on to change our lives, it’s ourselves. The people must lead the way.” — Barack Obama

22. “Politics is the art of the possible.” — Otto von Bismarck

23. “Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” – George Orwell

24. “A great president is one who can inspire a nation to be better and do better.” — Bill Clinton

25. “The true test of leadership is not in the position, but in the impact you have on others.” — John Quincy Adams

Related: Abraham Lincoln’s Most Memorable Quotes

26. “America is a tune. It must be sung together.” — Gerald Stanley Lee

27. “When you see the American flag, you’re reminded that we’re a country built on the courage and sacrifice of those who believed in freedom.” — Ronald Reagan

28. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams

29. “The best road to progress is freedom’s road.” — John F. Kennedy

30. “America is the promised land, because each generation bequeathed to its children a promise, a promise that they might not come to enjoy but which they fully expected their offspring to fulfill.” — Joe Biden

31. “A president should be like a gardener, tending to the growth of the country’s people and its future.” — John F. Kennedy

32. “Freedom is the foundation of a thriving society, where every individual has the opportunity to reach their full potential.” — Unknown

33. “The secret to happiness is freedom…And the secret to freedom is courage.” —Thucydides

34. “Politics is not a game, but a serious business of serving the public good.” — Al Gore

35. “It is the spirit of the people, not the power of the government, that determines the success of a nation.” — Winston Churchill

36 “Your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power. Don’t let anyone take away your power.” — Kamala Harris

Related: 40 Inspiring Movies About Politics

Inauguration Day Instagram Captions

37. Today we write the next chapter in the story of America. #Inauguration2025

38. New year, new president. Happy Inauguration Day! 

39. New president, same coffee addiction.

40. Inauguration Day: When the only thing more official than my mood is the new president.

41. The only thing getting sworn in today is my love for snacks. #Inauguration2025

42. Dear Trump, please tell me TikTok is safe! #InaugurationDay

43. I’ll be here until they swear me in…just kidding, I’m not running for office.

44. Ready to swear in some good vibes for the year ahead.

45. Thinking about the next four years. #Inauguration2025

46. Here’s to second chances #InaugurationDay

47. One country, one dream, one future. #InaugurationDay

48. Me, pretending to understand all the political jargon. #Inauguration2025

49. Happy Inauguration Day!

50. Today we celebrate democracy in action, and a future that’s ours to shape. #InaugurationDay

51. Red, white and blue vibes.

52. Feeling presidential today.

53. Glued to the TV #InaugurationDay

54. Patriotic AF.

55. *Watching Miss Americana*

56. New day, new president, same old me scrolling through social media.

57. When your only real plan for Inauguration Day is making popcorn and watching what happens. #Inauguration2025

58. Today’s agenda: watch the inauguration, scroll through memes, repeat.

59. Together, we are stronger. #Inauguration2025

60. Scrolling RedNote today. #InaugurationDay

61. Happy MLK Day and Inauguration Day!

62. Witnessing history as it unfolds.

63. That awkward moment when the nation’s about to change, but your lunch still isn’t ready. #InaugurationDay

64. Here for the speeches and the memes. #Inauguration2025

65. New president, same old me trying to figure out what’s happening. #InaugurationDay

66. Do we get a medal for surviving the election season? #InaugurationDay

67. Me: Watches Inauguration. Also me: Thinks about lunch. #Priorities #InaugurationDay

68. If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “History is being made,” I’d buy a vacation. #Inauguration2025

69. Me: Trying to focus on the speech. My brain: I wonder what 2028 will be like. #InaugurationDay

70. New beginnings.

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