10 Most Cringeworthy Moments From Trump’s Inauguration That Instantly Became Memes

Trump’s love for McDonald’s became the subject of conversation after Melania showed up in a hat that reminded fans of the Hamburglar—the mischievous mascot known for stealing hamburgers.

The first lady’s navy blue ensemble and wide-brimmed hat was not only compared to the burger-loving cartoon thief but also to Michael Jackson, Darkwing Duck, and an “anime villain.”

If that wasn’t enough, some even claimed Melania wasn’t even Melania, but was a “body double” instead.

“Melania is a body double today,” one said, while another joked, “Melania’s body double is giving Rupaul here.”

“Bernie is at it again,” a social media user said about the senator’s appearance at the 2025 Inaugratuion.

Bernie Sanders remained unfazed as he remained seated while the rest of the room gave Trump a standing ovation during his inaugural speech.

The demanor of the seemingly unbothered lawmaker reminded netizens of his iconic meme from former president Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration, during which he was captured on the steps of the US Capitol wearing mittens and a winter coat.

“Inside or outside, same pose,” one joked online after Trump’s inauguration.

It was Trump vs. Melania’s hat each time the president leaned in for a kiss.

One one occasion, the Apprentice alum tried to plant a kiss on his Slovenian wife’s cheek but the massive brim of the Eric Javits hat got in the way.

The missed kiss sparked mixed reviews online, with one asking, “How can Trump properly kiss his wife when she is wearing such a silly hat?” 

“THAT'S WHY SHE WORE THAT GREAT BIG HAT - TO MAKE SURE HE DIDN'T FORCE ANOTHER KISS ON HER,” another bluntly said.

“Actually he was being very considerate. They both probably spent an hour in make-up and she was wearing a hat,” one commented.

Despite the awkward kiss, Trump still managed to smooch his wife on her cheek during other moments of the ceremony.

Trump opposer Hillary Clinton could not stifle a laugh during the inauguration speech.

The former secretary of state, 77, couldn’t contain her amusement when the 47th US president declared that he would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."

“A short time from now, we will be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and we will be restoring the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs,” Trump said, prompting the now-viral laugh from Clinton as she sat next to her husband, former president Bill Clinton.

In a room full of sophisticated dresses, tailor-made suits, and crisply-ironed shirts, Senator John Fetterman’s outfit stood out like a sore thumb.

The 55-year-old former Pennsylvania governor refused to deviate from his usual dress code and attended the swearing-in ceremony wearing grey shorts, a black-hooded sweatshirt, and black On Cloud sneakers.

“Aren’t there more important things we should be talking about rather than if I dress like a slob?” the senator asked on MSNBC back in 2023 when the upper chamber's dress code was relaxed to let lawmakers wear casual outfits from their wardrobe.

“What a dog,” read a social media comment after Mark Zuckerberg appeared to netizens to have a wandering eye.

Some were convinced that the Facebook founder, who sat beside his wife, Priscilla Chan, in the Capitol Rotunda, took a peek at Lauren Sanchez’s cleavage.

“Mark Zuckerberg is ready to risk it all for Jeff Bezos’ fiancée at the inauguration,” one said, while another jokingly asked if he “is human after all?”

Sanchez attended the ceremony with her fiancé, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Her white blazer, thrown on top of a bra, was deemed “inappropriate” by some people online.

“Didn’t someone tell her that wearing lingerie to an inauguration was inappropriate?! Unbelievable,” one said.

“She doesn’t care how inappropriate it is as she’s always an attention seeker,” another said.

Some netizens sympathized with the workers who meticulously prepared the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony, only for the inauguration to be moved indoors at the last minute.

Due to Washington’s sub-freezing temperatures, Trump announced ahead of the ceremony that he would take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda.

“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” he said on social media. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.”

“I don’t give a damn,” Billy Ray Cyrus said during the Liberty Ball that followed the presidential inauguration.

The 63-year-old country singer took the stage at the event on Monday night to sing his hit song Achy Breaky Heart as well as Old Town Road. But technical difficulties certainly got in the way. 

“Is my guitar still on?” he was heard asking the crew at one point. “I think they cut me off. I don’t hear my guitar anymore … Is anyone awake?”

“I don’t hear it? Do ya’ll hear it?” he continued. “Is anyone back there? Can somebody turn my guitar back on? We’re going to sing a bit more.”

After he said, “Y’all want me to sing more or you just want me to get the hell of the stage? I don’t give a damn,” a crew member finally appeared onstage to help him.

The internet wasn’t kind with their comments about his comments, branding it an “awful” and “epic disaster” that was “a hard watch.”

“Who signed off on Billy Ray Cyrus performing tonight? They should be fired immediately. This is awful,” one wrote on Twitter, while another said his performance was “possibly the cringiest few minutes in entertainment history.”

In case Elon Musk’s obsession with Mars wasn’t made clear by now, the SpaceX CEO made it a little more obvious with his ecstatic reaction during the president’s inauguration address.

When Trump promised to “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts who plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” Musk grinned from ear to ear just a few feet away and threw a thumbs up with each hand.

If there’s one thing worse than a live performance glitch, it’s a live performance glitch at the presidential inauguration.

Carrie Underwood experienced a singer’s worst nightmare as she was prepared to deliver a rendition of America the Beautiful at the ceremony, backed by the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club.

However, technical difficulties forced her to sing without any musical accompaniment.

“You know the words — help me out here,” the American Idol winner said before delivering an a cappella version that now holds a special place in US history.