Shortly after President Donald Trump took the oath of office on Monday, the newly sworn-in commander in chief got to work to usher in what he and his allies call a “new golden age of America.”

Trump, along with Vice President J.D. Vance, was in Statuary Hall, located inside the Capitol, for the traditional inaugural lunch after participating in a signing ceremony in which he approved a number of appointments. The room was stuffed to the brim with dozens of lawmakers and high-profile guests seated at roughly two dozen tables adorned with blue tablecloths and golden cutlery. 

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Speaking before guests during the lunch, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) celebrated the swearing-in of Trump, saying, “America is ready for another golden age.”

Guests began to trickle into the lunch just after 1 p.m., moments after Trump finished his inaugural address. The crowd comprised Republicans and Democrats, as nearly every member of congressional leadership in both parties was present for the affair. 

A number of tech executives were also present, such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has sought in recent days to warm up with Trump as he returns to the White House. 

Several incoming Trump administration officials also attended the lunch, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trump’s pick to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who is expected to be confirmed this week as secretary of state. 

Other Cabinet nominees present include former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

The presidential inauguration is one of the rare occasions in which all former living presidents and their spouses gather in one place, aside from funerals, such as the one for the late President Jimmy Carter earlier this month. That tradition was broken in 2021, though, when Trump declined to attend then-President Joe Biden’s inauguration. 

Despite Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attending the inauguration, none of the men attended the inaugural luncheon. Former first ladies Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton were also not in attendance. (Michelle Obama was also absent for the inauguration ceremony.)

The annual inaugural luncheon acts as the formal welcome to the incoming president and vice president, a tradition that has been upheld for seven decades. However, it’s the first luncheon since Trump’s last inauguration, as Biden did not host one for himself in 2021 due to public health precautions in place for COVID-19. 

The first inaugural luncheon was held in the Capitol in 1897, although it was not established as an annual event until 1953. 

Staff began serving the three-course meal around 2:30 p.m., with waiters pouring glasses of wine and serving appetizers. 

Trump sat at the front of the room between first lady Melania Trump and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the top Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, which helps plan the inauguration. Donald Trump was seen warmly chatting with Klobuchar and Vance throughout the lunch as attendees approached the table to greet the newly sworn-in president.

The lunch began with a course of Chesapeake crab cakes topped with tomato tartar, bay sauce, pickled vegetables, dill, and chive oil served with Chardonnay. Attendees were then served Greater Omaha Angus ribeye steak topped with carrots, broccoli, and potato gratin. 

For the third course, attendees were served dessert: Minnesota apple ice box terrine with sour cream ice cream and salted caramel. 

During the signing ceremony before the luncheon, Trump approved multiple Cabinet-level and sub-Cabinet-level appointments, as well as acting designations for Cabinet positions and chairman appointments. The president also signed a directive ensuring all flags be flown at full-staff during future inaugurations.

Trump is prepared to travel to Capital One Arena after lunch, where his supporters gathered to watch the inauguration ceremony. There, Trump will address the crowd and sign some executive orders from the indoor arena. 

Trump plans to sign several executive orders for his first day in office, even sending a memo to Republican lawmakers ahead of his swearing-in detailing the actions he would take, along with a fact sheet on “how they will improve the lives of every American and get our country back on track.”

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Trump has a number of actions he plans to take on his first day, including orders to reinstate “Remain in Mexico” protocols, declare an energy emergency, and rename certain landmarks to “appropriately honor our Nation’s history,” among other things. 

The inauguration is typically held outdoors, but the ceremony was moved indoors due to frigid temperatures, Trump announced on Friday. That decision sent staff members into a frenzy as they had to undo months of planning for an outdoor ceremony and adapt it to a much smaller venue inside the Capitol Rotunda.