Donald Trump becomes 47th president of United States
Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, promising a “revolution of common sense” and taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions.
Mr Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and two assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, will act swiftly after the ceremony, with executive orders already prepared for his signature to clamp down on border crossings, increase fossil fuel development and end diversity and inclusion programmes across the federal government.
Declaring that government faces a “crisis of trust”, Mr Trump said in his inaugural address that under his administration “our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced”.
‘Mandate’
Mr Trump claimed “a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal”, promising to “give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom”.
He added: “From this moment on, America’s decline is over.”
The executive orders are the first step in what Mr Trump is calling “the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense”.
Frigid weather is rewriting the pageantry of the day.
Mr Trump’s swearing-in was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda – the first time that has happened in 40 years – and the inaugural parade was replaced by an event at an arena.
Throngs of Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the inaugural ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol from the National Mall will be left to find somewhere else to view the festivities.
At the Capitol, vice president JD Vance was sworn-in first, taking the oath read by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on a bible given to him by his great-grandmother.
Abraham Lincoln
Mr Trump followed moments after noon, using both a family bible and the one used by President Abraham Lincoln at his 1861 inauguration as Chief Justice John Roberts administered his oath.
A cadre of billionaires and tech titans – including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai – were given prominent positions in the Capitol Rotunda, mingling with Mr Trump’s incoming team before the ceremony began.
Also there was Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who is expected to lead an effort to slash spending and federal employees.
Mr Trump began the day with a prayer service at St John’s Episcopal Church.
He and his wife, Melania, were later greeted at the North Portico of the executive mansion by outgoing President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for the customary tea and coffee reception.
It was a stark departure from four years ago, when Mr Trump refused to acknowledge Mr Biden’s victory or attend his inauguration.
“Welcome home,” Mr Biden said to Mr Trump after the president-elect stepped out of the car.
The two presidents, who have spent years bitterly criticising each other, shared a limo on the way to the Capitol.
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Was the bible the one where it says a convicted felon can cheat on his wife?
No, I think you’re thinking of the wrong book.
And now the fun begins, he says sarcastically. Thanks to Trumpian ideology the world is going to hell in a hand cart, and the ones to blame for the rise of the far-right and populism are those career politicians around the world , especially here in Britain with the Conservatives & Labour, who lie through their fake teeth quoting , “I came into politics to make a difference”. Yeah, to your bloody bank balances more like. And a warning to the curious. The ones lurking in the shadows to make hay as the political wildfires burn democracy are Reform UK… Read more »
“Reform UK who will use and abuse Wales”
So tell us what has labour been doing in Wales for the past 20 odd years, have you not seen the state of the NHS for a start? What is Starmer doing to the UK as of now?
We are the most self politically abused population in the western world!
I am so enjoying watching woke socialists squirming and dancing to Trump’s and Musk’s tune, they cast their hooks and every cast a bite.
Today the world became a far more dangerous place because of Trump old allies will become new enemies old enemies will become new allies new alliances will be formed the boot licking from U K politicians of all parties the pathetic 3rd world country called U K will not figure anywhere with him but Musk wants to get rid of Labour and have Farage as P M and his English Far right party in charge do not like being run by London but they Labour are democraticly elected but we will have Musk interfering in the Welsh elections in 18… Read more »
The world will be watching closely what Trump does over the next four years. If he screws things up – as seems very likely, what with his political dominance over the Senate and Congress, along with his weird temperament and policies – it’ll make other the far right organizations around the world look incompetent and extreme too. Anyway, that’s the hope. Populists like Trump and Farage will have their day of reckoning.
Musk just dropped a nazi salute. Classy. Artd likes musk?
No sign of Fromage anywhere near the top table. Another humiliating day for him.