President Obama takes the Oath of Office

the White House
Washington, D.C.

[Roberts read the oath from a card to avoid the flub that occurred during the President's first swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol in 2009. The President was clad in a dark suit, while Mrs. Obama wore a navy and maroon print dress with a bolero by American designer Reed Krakoff, according to a White House official. As Mrs. Obama held a Robinson family Bible owned by her Grandmother and dating to 1958, the President placed his left hand atop it.]

"Please raise your right hand and repeat after me," Roberts said. After the President did so, he repeated the oath after the Chief Justice:

"I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The President added "So help me God," which isn't in the Constitution but is traditionally added at the end. He also chose to "swear" his oath, as opposed to "affirming" it, an option offered in the Constitution. As they finished, Roberts leaned forward and shook hands with the President.

"Congratulations, Mr. President," said Roberts.

"Thank you Mr. Chief Justice, thank you so much," President Obama responded.

The President turned to kiss Mrs. Obama, and was overheard saying "Thank you, sweetie." He then hugged his daughters.

"Good job, daddy," said Sasha, 11. "I did it,” he responded. "You didn’t mess up," Sasha said back to her father, before President Obama led his family out of the Blue Room.

"All right, thank you everybody," he said as he departed with a wave to the press pool.

Members of the First Family attending the ceremony included the President's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and her husband Konrad Ng and their two small daughters, Savita and Suhaila, as well as half-sister Auma Obama and her daughter Akinyi Manners. The First Lady's family members included First Grandmother Marian Robinson and brother Craig Robinson, with his teenage children Leslie and Avery. The Godmother to Sasha and Malia, Eleanor "Mama Kaye" Wilson, was also present with her husband Wellington Wilson.

The Chief Justice's wife Jane Roberts and Press Secretary Jay Carney were also in the the Blue Room, which is is one of the oval rooms at the White House, and the center reception room on the State Floor.

The Robinson family Bible the President used was a gift from the First Lady's deceased father, Fraser Robinson III, to his mother, LaVaughn Delores Robinson, on Mother's Day in 1958. Mrs. Robinson was the first African American woman manager of a Moody Bible Institute's bookstore; this was the only Bible she ever used, according to the Presidential Inaugural Committee.