On the morning of Jan. 20, also known as the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States.
Returning for his second term, enduring controversies and disagreements in the four years since Biden’s swearing in, Trump maintained his promise that he would be in office once again to fulfill the “Make America Great Again,” vision.
With record breaking cold temperatures and windchill factor in Washington due to an Arctic blast hitting the US, the swearing in process took place inside the Capitol Rotunda instead of outside in front of Capitol Hill as usual.
US Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., gave the opening remarks at the ceremony. She called the theme of the inauguration an “enduring democracy,” by urging citizens to find the importance of common ground as the new administration steps in. She welcomed notable attendees, including former presidents and vice presidents, Supreme Court justices, and their corresponding families.
The inauguration day invocation was given by Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, the archbishop of New York, and Rev. Franklin Graham.
Vice President J.D. Vance took the oath of office administered by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Following Vance, Trump took the oath of office administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. Both Vance and Trump were surrounded by their wives and children.
Following the oath of office, Trump gave his first speech as President again. The inaugural address spanned about 30 minutes, about double the time as his 2017 address. The theme of Trump’s speech emphasized his phrases claiming “America’s decline is over,” and “The golden age of America begins right now.”
Trump claimed to have been “saved by God to make America great again,” referring to the two assassination attempts taking place during the 2024 campaign cycle.
After the visionary and more personal part of the speech concluded, Trump laid out a series of executive actions he plans to take, as soon as today, now having returned to office, such as:
- Trump pledges to sign an executive order that will declare the border a national emergency. The intent of this is to begin the process of deporting millions of people. He stated that the Trump Administration will transition away from Biden’s immigration policies, deploy US troops to the border, and designate cartels at “foreign terrorist organizations.
- Trump pledges to declare a “national energy emergency,” stating that he will appoint Cabinet members to address inflation, bring down costs, and “drill, baby, drill.”
- Regarding the Department of Efficiency, Trump will establish the External Revenue Service within the department for collecting taxes and tariffs from foreign companies.
- Trump announced an executive order that will “end all government censorship and ‘bring back free speech to America.’”
- Trump said under his administration, the federal government will stand on the position that there are two genders: male and female.
- Trump will reinstate all military members who were discharged for refusing to receive the COVID vaccine with full back pay.
- Regarding a myriad of tasks, Trump claims he will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. He will change the name of the highest peak in North America from Denali (a traditional Native Alaskan name) to Mount McKinley after William McKinley. He is determined to reassert US control over the Panama Canal from China. And, announced sending astronauts to Mars to plant US flags – claiming it part of American “manifest destiny.”
Trump wrapped up his speech with confidence. Confidence of the American people, stating that the “people have spoken,” and confidence in his administration, asserting “We are going to win like never before.”
After the speech, Carrie Underwood sang “America the Beautiful,” and Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman and Rev. Father Frank Mann gave the inauguration’s benediction.
Post-inauguration, Trump hopes to sign about 100 executive orders on the first day of his presidential comeback. There even is a desk ready in the Capital One Arena, where some of the inaugural activities took place, for him to have a place to begin signing orders right away.
As for Biden, he alongside his wife Jill Biden will engage in the traditional send-off ceremony where the outgoing president and first lady do a flyover of the capital city. Short-term, plans thus far show the Bidens will travel to central California for some personal time.
In Biden’s final weeks as president, he focused on a series of actions. Some of them include:
- Biden pardoned several individuals such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, members of the January 6th investigative committee, and even his own family members.
- He signed several executive orders on strengthening cybersecurity, artificial intelligence infrastructure, establishing order of successions within various Departments, and taking additional steps in the situations in Syria and the Western Balkans.
- Biden approved the final student loan relief which forgave $600 million in debt.
- He declared the Equal Rights Amendment as law of the land, which would make it the 28th Amendment, though the status of it actually being part of the Constitution is currently in a grey area.
- Biden issued a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling in hopes of protecting US coastal waters.
On Jan. 15, Biden delivered his farewell address which reflected on his 50-year political career along with his single-term presidency and warned of the hurdles that are to come with the Trump Administration. He noted the ceasefire agreement and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, and highlighted that this administration is made up of a few “ultra-wealthy,” people.
Biden highlighted wins in the economy, climate change and infrastructure. Details of these wins include:
- The administration created nearly 17 million jobs domestically.
- More people have access to health care than before.
- Strengthening the North Atlantic Treaty Agreement, and pulling ahead in the competition with China.
Biden gave the Trump Administration a vote of confidence and wants the US to succeed by stating, “That’s why I’ve upheld my duty to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power, to ensure we lead by the power of our example,” he said. “I have no doubt that America is in a position to continue to succeed.”
The inauguration of Trump as the 47th president marks not only the return of a controversial figure to the highest office but also the beginning of a dramatically different chapter in American governance. Trump’s ambitious agenda, outlined in his fiery inaugural address, sets the stage for sweeping changes across immigration, energy, free speech, and more.
As the US enters this new era, the contrasts between these two leaders—their visions, priorities, and approaches—will likely define the political and cultural discourse for years to come. What remains to be seen is how the nation navigates this pivotal moment and whether the promises of both past and present administrations will come to fruition.
