When President Donald Trump delivered the oath of office on January 20, 2025, images quickly circulated on the internet revealing that he did not place his hand on a Bible, at the moment of his swearing in. First Lady Melania Trump was holding two Bibles for him, one a childhood personal Bible and the other the historic Lincoln Bible while President Trump, raised his right hand during the oath, leaving his left hand at his side.

It has since been reported that this unintentional demonstration was also based on timing. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts appeared to have started the ceremony before Melania got to Trump’s side with the Bibles creating a very small ceremonial lapse.

Are Presidents Required to Put Their Hand on a Bible?

No. The U.S. Constitution has nothing that requires a president to place a hand on the Bible or any other religious text when taking the presidential oath. Article VI of the U.S. Constitution allows for an oath or affirmation (presumably any oath or any affirmation) but prohibits any religious test as a prerequisite for the office of President of the United States.

The reason the Bible is used is that it is merely for ceremonial purposes. Historical exceptions include President John Quincy Adams (1825) using a law book; Theodore Roosevelt (1901), who reportedly took the oath without a Bible; and Lyndon B. Johnson, who in 1963 used a Catholic missal (i.e. prayer book) aboard .

What Was The Reaction?

Social media and news outlets immediately questioned whether skipping the Bible made the inauguration less valid. Officials and constitutional scholars confirmed it did not detract from the legality of the oath, and it did not invalidate Trump’s presidency .

Supporters tried to downplay the incident as an insignificant “ceremonial” mishap, some went so far as to suggest the event’s rushed and chaotic atmosphere—someone even blamed Roberts for not having the bible in the right position—did not warrant any overriding discernible conclusions.

Conclusion

Did Trump put his hand on the Bible? No, while being sworn in during the 2025 inauguration, he raised his right hand and did not put his left hand on the Bible, which was still being held by Melania.

Is he required to? No, the United States Constitution requires the oath, but it does not require the use of a Bible or any physical act of putting a hand on a physical object.

So, while there is a decidedly ceremonial expectation to place a hand on a Bible, that act is not necessary to the legality or constitutional validity of the presidential oath.

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