Tech leaders should have a visible presence at Trump’s inauguration, with Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Shou Zi Chew, Sundar Pichai, and Sam Altman all reported to be present. Musk is also scheduled to speak at a pre-inauguration rally, and Zuckerberg will reportedly host a black-tie event on Inauguration Day.

There are, alas, some who don’t have the option of tuning out on Monday as Donald Trump is once more sworn into the presidency— billionaires, historians, journalists (including, of course, our wonderful colleagues here at Vanity Fair ). But others have no such mandate, freeing them up to spend January 20 on any number of other pursuits.

As we prepare ourselves for Donald Trump's second inauguration on Monday, this presidential historian is surprised to learn how many people blithely dismiss it as mere frivolity, filler for the media,