You can place a bet on what Biden will say in his inauguration speech

Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the USA today, making his first remarks at 4.30 PM GMT. 

The speech he delivers is sure to be one that will be scrutinized over both now and into the future. His taking office marks a significant moment of change in the United States, taking the country from Trump’s republican politics to Democrat for the next four years. 

The words he will use matter as they will set the tone for his presidency. Historically, incoming presidents have used this moment to unify the country and mark their intentions for what they aim to achieve for the people. We expect no different from Biden, but the exact words he’ll use remains a mystery. 

That’s why US political betting markets have released their odds on what they expect Biden to touch upon. Punters have priced a number of predicted phrases, some of which controversial, giving viewers at home the chance to place their bets.

Here are the odds Ladbrokes have released.

“Pandemic” – 1/3

It would be highly surprising if Biden doesn’t mention the pandemic at some point in his speech. Like the rest of the world, the US has been devastated by the spread of COVID-19 over the past year, and Trump’s handling of the crisis has been fiercely criticised and contested. While Trump refused to concede that the situation was out of control, Biden has used the term ‘pandemic’ much more freely during his election campaigning, and this attitude could have won him a great number of voters. It’s quite possible he could mention this during his address.

“Founding Fathers” – 1/1 (Evens)

Most incoming presidents give a rousing reference to the Founding Fathers during their inaugural speech as they are a unifying reminder of the country’s foundational values. These symbolic figures are beloved across party lines. As well as these even odds, Abraham Lincoln himself is 6/4 to get a mention. When Obama was inaugurated, he spoke of the Founding Fathers to signify the spread of prosperity across the country, and as Obama’s former vice president, Biden is expected to make similar analogies for today’s America.

“Impeached” – 3/1

In light of recent legal issues involving Trump’s alleged encouragement of the insurrection of the nation’s Capitol building, it would be quite brave of Biden to bring up the former president’s failings. While Democrats might support this, it would absolutely defeat the unifying message he needs to begin his presidency in a strong position. Similar phrases are also widely priced in the betting odds, including, ‘nightmare’ (5/1), ‘treason’ (5/1) and even ‘lock him up’ (50/1). 

“Black Lives Matter” – 3/1

After the growth of this civil rights movement, the shockwaves of which rippled throughout the world this summer, it will be interesting to see if Biden will mention or champion this significant cultural moment. Will he identify the issues currently faced by the black population specifically, or instead opt for the watered-down general ‘hard-working families’ (4/1)? Any attention to race relations has split America since its inception, so Biden may choose to avoid it altogether and instead appeal to ‘brave troops’ (4/1), ‘hard choices’ (6/1) and a ‘tough decision’ (8/1).

This isn’t the first time betting and American politics have come hand in hand. Did you know that the contentious results of this year’s presidential election caused bookies to not pay out winnings to those who bet for weeks after Biden’s win was officially announced?