Donald Trump pledged to initiate a new chapter of American excellence shortly after being sworn in as president for a second term, marking a remarkable political resurgence following two assassination attempts, a felony conviction, and an indictment related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. “The golden age of America begins right now,” he declared.
At 12:01 p.m. ET (1701 GMT), Trump took the oath to “preserve, protect and defend” the U.S. Constitution, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts within the U.S. Capitol. His vice president, JD Vance, was sworn in just prior to him.
According to incoming White House officials, Trump plans to sign a series of executive orders in his initial hours as president, with ten of them concentrating on border security and immigration, which he has identified as his primary focus.
The president is set to declare a national emergency at the southern border, deploy armed troops there, and reinstate a policy requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while awaiting their U.S. court hearings, as reported by officials.
Additionally, he aims to eliminate birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents without legal status, a proposal that some legal experts have argued may be unconstitutional.
This inauguration signifies a remarkable return for a political figure who has endured two impeachment trials, a felony conviction, two assassination attempts, and an indictment concerning his efforts to challenge the 2020 election outcome.
The ceremony was relocated indoors due to severe cold weather, four years after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, a symbol of American democracy, in a failed attempt to prevent Trump’s defeat by Joe Biden. Biden and outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November, were present in the Capitol’s Rotunda, alongside former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, attended with her husband Bill, while Michelle Obama opted not to participate.
Several technology leaders, including the world’s wealthiest individuals—Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX; Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon; and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta—sought to align themselves with the incoming administration. They occupied prominent positions on stage alongside cabinet nominees and members of Trump’s family.
Trump, who became the first U.S. president since the 19th century to secure a second term after losing the presidency, has announced plans to grant pardons “on Day One” to many of the over 1,500 individuals charged in relation to the January 6, 2021, insurrection. He did not attend Biden’s inauguration and continues to falsely assert that the 2020 election was rigged.
In one of his final acts in office, Biden pardoned several individuals targeted by Trump for retribution, including former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci, former Republican Representative Liz Cheney, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.
Trump intends to reinstate the federal death penalty, which Biden had previously suspended, and mandate that official U.S. documents, such as passports, reflect individuals’ gender as assigned at birth, according to incoming administration officials.
They also indicated that he would sign an executive order on Monday, coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to terminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the federal government.
However, Trump will not impose new tariffs immediately on Monday. Instead, he will instruct federal agencies to assess trade relations with Canada, China, and Mexico, as confirmed by a Trump official. This unexpected move led to a significant decline in the U.S. dollar and a surge in global stock markets, even as U.S. financial markets remained closed. Some of the executive orders are anticipated to encounter legal challenges.
As he prepared to assume office once again, Trump continued to broaden his business interests, generating billions in market value by introducing a “meme coin” cryptocurrency over the weekend, which raised ethical and regulatory concerns. Shortly before 10 a.m. ET (1500 GMT), Trump and incoming First Lady Melania Trump arrived at the White House, where they were welcomed by President Biden and outgoing First Lady Jill Biden with handshakes.
“Welcome home,” Biden remarked.
DISRUPTIVE FORCE
Similar to his entry in 2017, Trump returns to office as a tumultuous and disruptive figure, pledging to overhaul the federal government while expressing significant skepticism towards U.S.-led alliances that have defined global politics since World War II. The former president comes back to Washington with renewed confidence after winning the national popular vote over Harris by more than 2 million votes, driven by widespread voter dissatisfaction with ongoing inflation, although he still fell short of achieving a 50% majority. In 2016, Trump secured the presidency through the Electoral College, despite receiving nearly 3 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton.
Having surpassed Biden as the oldest president to be inaugurated, Trump will benefit from Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, which have largely eliminated any dissent within the party. His advisors have proposed plans to replace nonpartisan bureaucrats with loyalists chosen by him. Even prior to taking office, Trump established a competing power base in the weeks following his election victory, engaging with world leaders and raising eyebrows with comments about potentially seizing the Panama Canal, claiming territory in Greenland from NATO ally Denmark, and imposing tariffs on major U.S. trading partners. His influence was already evident in the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire announcement, as Trump’s envoy participated in negotiations in Qatar, where he had warned of severe consequences if Hamas did not release hostages before the inauguration.
In contrast to 2017, when he appointed numerous institutionalists to key positions, Trump has now emphasized loyalty over expertise in selecting a range of contentious cabinet members, some of whom have been vocal critics of the very agencies they are set to lead.
The inauguration occurred under tight security following a campaign marked by a rise in political violence, which included two assassination attempts on Trump, one of which resulted in a bullet grazing his ear.
‘AMERICAN CARNAGE’
Eight years prior, Trump delivered a grim inaugural address, pledging to put an end to the “American carnage” he associated with crime-ridden cities and lax border policies, a stark contrast to the optimistic tone typically adopted by newly elected presidents.
Foreign governments will be closely analyzing the tone of Trump’s speech on Monday, especially after a campaign characterized by provocative language. The customary parade along Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House will now be held indoors at the Capital One Arena, where Trump celebrated his victory on Sunday. He is also scheduled to attend three inaugural balls later in the evening.
Some of Trump’s most devoted supporters braved freezing temperatures, sleeping on the streets to ensure they secured a spot in the arena.
On stage, a desk and chair were set up for Trump, who was anticipated to sign some of his initial executive orders in front of his supporters before proceeding to the White House.
Trump will be the first individual with a felony conviction to assume the presidency, following a New York jury’s verdict that found him guilty of falsifying business records to conceal payments made to a porn star. Winning the election also shielded Trump from two federal indictments related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the retention of classified documents, due to a Justice Department policy that prevents the prosecution of sitting presidents.
In a report released last week, Special Counsel Jack Smith indicated that he possessed sufficient evidence to secure a conviction against Trump in the election case if it were to go to trial.
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