George W. Bush sworn in as 43rd President of the United States, Dick Cheney as 46th VP 20 years ago this hour (Jan 20 2001)

2000s, U.S. Presidents


Video: 'CNN - INAUGURATION 2001 - 8:08 A.M E.T - 2:31 P.M E.T'

(Saturday, January 20, 2001, 12:01 p.m. EST) — Seeking to unify the nation after one of the most disputed elections in its history, former Texas Governor George W. Bush, 54, was inaugurated today as the 43rd President of the United States at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with Chief Justice William Rehnquist administering the oath of office.

A few minutes earlier, at 11:56 a.m. EST, former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, 59, of Wyoming was inaugurated as the 46th vice president of the United States.

Bush and Cheney, both Republicans, had narrowly defeated the Democratic ticket of incumbent Vice President Al Gore and Joe Lieberman in the November 2000 general election.

The incumbent president, Bill Clinton, a Democrat, was ineligible to run for a third term because of the term limits established by the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.