As it happened: swearing-in ceremony for Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The ceremonial office in EEOB is grand, but not tacky. An expansive gold gilded mirror sits atop a black wood-burning fireplace, where four perfectly neat cuts of wood sit, waiting to be lit. It’s unclear the last time it was used. The wall paint is somewhere between an eggshell and baby blue, which subtly completed the hexagon design wood flooring. To the right of the fireplace stands four flags and adjacent to that is a wooden armoire, richly stained, full of keepsakes. A strong nautical motif flows through the room, including painting of ships and a ceiling design that mimics rolling waves.
VP Harris, followed by Buttigieg and his husband Chasten and the Second Gentlemen Douglas Emhoff, entered the room at 9:40 am. The event was scheduled to begin at 9:30 am. Buttigieg repeated his oath and was sworn in by 9:41. The group took a photo and left soon after.
Buttigieg was sworn in on a Bible, which was held by Chasten. Chasten looked at his husband during the oath, and your pooler noticed palpable emotion in his eyes. Pride? Happiness? Relief? It’s hard to tell with face coverings.
Though he did not shed a tear. Buttigieg is the second of Biden’s democratic rivals to have a place in the administration, with Harris being the first.