Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States (US) on Wednesday afternoon, marking a historic end to Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency and transition period, during which the embattled president refused to acknowledge his electoral loss and incited a violent riot at the US Capitol that resulted in five deaths.
Unsurprisingly, Trump showed no remorse for his actions as he delivered his final remarks at Andrews Air Force Base ahead of the inauguration, before departing for Florida for the last time as president on Air Force One. “We’ve accomplished a lot,” he said, adding, “What we’ve done has been amazing by any standard.”
In a true campaign-style send-off, while boasting about “rebuilding” the US military, appointments to the Supreme Court, creating the Space Force, getting large tax cuts, and taking utmost care of the country’s “beautiful vets”, Trump stressed that his administration’s response to the debilitating pandemic and resulting economic and social chaos was nothing short of a miracle.
“We got the vaccine developed in nine months instead of nine years, or five years, or 10 years. A long time. It was supposed to take a long time, many, many years to develop a vaccine. We have two out. We have another one coming almost immediately, and it really is a great achievement. So, you should start to see really good numbers over the next few months. I think you’re going to see those numbers really skyrocket downward,” Trump said. More than 400,000 Americans have already lost their lives due to COVID-19.
Though Trump did not claim to have won the election again, he wished the new administration well. However, he did not mention his successor by name. “I wish the new administration great luck and great success. I think they’ll have great success. They have the foundation to do something really spectacular,” he said. Trump further thanked his family, Vice President Mike Pence, and (some) members of Congress for working diligently with him over the last four years, and expressed his love and gratitude for his supporters, promising that he would be back “in some form”.
The former president had delivered a longer farewell speech on the eve of the inauguration, describing his ascent to the presidency as “the greatest political movement in the history of our country .” Over the next 20 minutes, Trump went on to list the successes of his “America First” approach, in eliminating “job-killing regulations,” fixing “broken” trade deals, delivering the largest-ever tax cuts, and taking a tough stance on China and Iran. He also blamed the “China virus” for the suffering in the country, but said that the strong American economy which his administration built, “outperformed” other nations despite the stresses brought on by the pandemic.
Trump left for his Mar-a-Lago residence just a few hours before Biden’s inauguration, making him the first president in modern history to boycott his successor’s swearing-in. Vice President Mike Pence, however, did attend.
At the ceremony, President Joe Biden received a standing ovation from his and Vice President Kamala Harris’ families, members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, and former presidents as he took to the podium on Capitol Hill to deliver his first address as the nation’s leader. Biden claimed that the day was a “triumph” for democracy, noting that even though the country had learned how fragile democracy is, today, democracy had prevailed. Biden stressed that a peaceful transfer of power was at the very core of true American values and that in order to get through the upcoming “winter of peril” amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, Americans would have to come together, in order to confront and defeat the challenges awaiting them. “The dream for justice for all will be deferred no longer,” the new president said, adding that overcoming this time of crisis would need “one of the most elusive things in a democracy – unity.”
Biden pledged to pour his “whole soul” into bringing the nation together and be a president for all Americans, to fight the country’s adversaries, to tackle violence, lawlessness, disease, discrimination, and extremism within its own borders, and asked every citizen to join him in his cause. “It is the path forward, and we must meet this moment as the ‘United’ States of America,” he said, adding that while this did not mean that disagreements were bad, they “must not lead to disunion.”
“Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path,” he said. “We must end this uncivil war.” To the world watching, Biden promised to repair alliances and work with foreign leaders again, adding: “We will be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security”. Acknowledging the challenging times ahead for the country as it continues to battle the novel coronavirus, Biden said, “Folks, this is a time of testing… We will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era. Will we rise to the occasion? Will we master this rare and difficult hour?”
Biden’s speech appeared to have struck a chord with lawmakers on the other side of the aisle as well, with several GOP leaders expressing optimism that both parties will be able to work together and find common ground as the new administration begins. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said that the speech was “very well done,” and agreed with the president saying: “You can still disagree from a policy perspective and you can do so in ways that are still respectful and allow you to continue to work towards other goals.” Utah Senator Mitt Romney also praised Biden’s words and strong and timely, saying: “We as a nation come together if we are told the truth and if we have leaders who stand for enduring American principles.”
Following the ceremony, President Joe Biden participated in a signing ceremony at the Capitol for an Inauguration Day proclamation and to formally submit cabinet nominations to Congress. Biden is also expected to take 17 executive actions on his first day in office, to halt the construction of Trump’s border wall, reverse his travel ban targeting largely Muslim countries, and embrace progressive policies on the environment and diversity that Trump spent four years blocking.
Additionally, Biden has promised to re-join the Paris Climate Agreement and stop the US’ departure from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the government’s top infectious disease expert, will lead the US delegation at the UN agency. The president will also impose a mask mandate on federal property, create an office to coordinate a national response to the virus, and restore the White House’s National Security Council directorate for global health security and defence.
Trump Leaves DC, Joe Biden Sworn in as 46th President of the United States
Biden pledged to pour his “whole soul” into bringing the nation together and be a president for all Americans, regardless of who they voted for.
January 21, 2021
(From L-R): Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Vice-President Kamala Harris, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and President Joe Biden SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES via FT