Not a damn thing. It's not like there's a magic spot they have to stand upon.
According to the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, a President's term of office begins at 12:00 p.m. (noon) on January 20th of the year following an election. In order to assume his or her duties, the President-elect must recite the Oath of Office. The Oath is administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The constitution does not specify or restrict when that can take place.
So, where is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court going to be on the 20th?
If you ensure that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is at the Capitol Building, then Joe will have to turn up in order to be sworn in. Not sure if there are any other provisions for another judge to do it? There might be, but it may require that the Chief Justice is in some way incapacitated.
First, I don't think that would do it. There would be a quick succession of power to appoint a new Chief Justice.
Second, I don't agree with your suggestion on any level because it sounds like you are wishing harm on someone. Though it's popular around here, not my jam.
Finally, I don't get off on fantasizing about finding a loophole in the constitution that is somehow going to stop the reality that Biden is going to be inaugurated in less than 48 hours.
LBJ was sworn in as President aboard AF1 by a federal judge (Sarah Hughes) from the North District of Texas. Extreme circumstances for sure but they were on their way to Washington D.C. and Chief Justice would have been available.
To appoint a new Chief Justice, they would need to be confirmed by congress, perhaps nominated by the President? Not sure on the required legal/constitutional procedures. But that would require that the existing Chief Justice is no longer the Chief Justice. To be clear here, I am not implying any sort of violence against anyone, just that there must be some course of events that would lead to that scenario happening. Supreme Court judges, as far as I know, cannot just be replaced at whim.
What I was trying to point out is that if the Oath of Office must be administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, then any inauguration would need to occur in the same location as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. What will actually happen is not something that is known to me, and I'm not making any predictions. Just putting out some thoughts in this strange time.
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