Trump, 78, recited the oath inside the U.S. Capitol at 12:01 p.m. ET (1701 GMT), administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, while his new vice president, J.D. Vance, was sworn in just beforehand.
A familiar, hardline theme
Moments into his inaugural address, Trump announced a stringent immigration plan, vowing to declare a national emergency on the southern border and halt “all illegal entry.” He said authorities would begin “returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.”
The speech largely mirrored his 2017 inaugural comments, when he spoke of “American carnage.” This time, he repeated pledges to crack down on crime, restore jobs, and adopt an “America First” agenda—moves he says are crucial for revitalizing the country.
First felon in the White House
Trump returns to office despite having been convicted of falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to a porn star, making him the first felon to occupy the White House.
He plans a spate of executive orders, senior aides said—most tied to border security and immigration, top priorities for his new administration. Along with an emergency declaration, Trump is poised to dispatch armed troops to the southern border and reinstate policies forcing asylum seekers to remain in Mexico pending U.S. court dates.
He also aims to end birthright citizenship for children born on U.S. soil if their parents lack legal status—an action many legal scholars say would be unconstitutional.
“The journey to reclaim our republic has not been easy,” Trump said, referencing two impeachment trials, a felony conviction, multiple assassination attempts, and an indictment for allegedly trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.
“I was saved by God to make America great again,” he added, alluding to a bullet that grazed his ear during an assassination attempt last July.
Inside the Capitol
In a departure from tradition, the inauguration occurred indoors due to cold weather. Biden and outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November, attended the ceremony, as did former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton also appeared alongside her husband Bill, though Michelle Obama did not attend.
Billionaire tech moguls Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg—keen to forge ties with the new administration—sat prominently, near Cabinet nominees and Trump’s family members.
Pardons
Trump promised to pardon many of the over 1,500 individuals charged in relation to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol—“on Day One,” he says.
Just before leaving office, Biden granted clemency to several figures who had been Trump’s political targets, including former White House adviser Anthony Fauci, ex-Republican Representative Liz Cheney, and General Mark Milley.
Policy shifts
Among Trump’s immediate moves, aides said, will be restoring the federal death penalty—suspended under Biden—and mandating that official documents like passports list gender “as assigned at birth.”
He also plans to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, Reuters reported.
Surprisingly, Trump will not levy fresh tariffs on Monday, directing agencies instead to review trade ties with Canada, China, and Mexico—a decision that prompted a dip in the U.S. dollar and boosted global markets, closed in the U.S. for the holiday.
Trump, who has weathered repeated ethics questions, launched a “meme coin” cryptocurrency over the weekend—raising billions in market value—sparking fresh legal and regulatory concerns.
(jh)
Source: Reuters, Polskie Radio 24