Photo: Collected
Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, was sworn in Monday as the 47th U.S. president, taking charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country's institutions.
Trump's swearing-in ceremony was moved indoors due to intense cold, and began at noon. Festivities started earlier when the incoming president arrived for service at St. John's Episcopal Church.
Trump in his first remarks as the 47th president declared that the "golden age of America begins right now."
"From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world," he said.
Trump referred to the assassination attempt against him, saying he was "saved by God to make America great again," drawing a standing ovation from Republicans in the room while Democrats, including Biden and Harris, remained seated and still.
Trump says the election has given him "a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal" he says has taken place, "and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom. From this moment on, America's decline is over."
Trump marked the fact that his inauguration is occurring on Martin Luther King Jr. Day., saying in his speech that his administration will "strive together to make his dream a reality."
"To the Black and Hispanic communities, I want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote. We set records and I will not forget it," Trump said.
"We will make his dream come true," Trump vowed of the Rev. King.
Trump said "all illegal entry will immediately be halted," with few details on how he will achieve that. He said he would end the practice of releasing migrants in the United States to pursue asylum, known as "catch-and-release," but didn't say how he would pay for the enormous costs of detention.
Part of his plan relies on resuming the "Remain in Mexico" policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court, a hallmark of his first term. The Mexican government has agreed, signaling perhaps one of the most concrete and immediate changes that will be seen at the border.
Trump said little about his plans for mass deportation, saying only that he would deport "millions and millions of criminal aliens."
Trump says he wants to send American astronauts to Mars, saying he "will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars" and "plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars."
Billionaire Elon Musk of SpaceX threw his hands up in the air as Trump announced the U.S. would plant its flag on Mars.
Trump vowed to "defeat what was record inflation."
Inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 after rising steadily in the first 17 months of Biden's presidency from a low of 0.1% in May 2020. The most recent data shows that as of December it had fallen to 2.9%.
But other historical periods have seen higher inflation, such as a more than 14% rate in 1980, according to the Federal Reserve.
Trump's promised Day 1 executive orders
Here are a few of the executive orders Trump says he plans to issue on his first day:
1. Several on immigration, including declaring a national emergency at southern border, reinstating the "remain in Mexico" policy and sending troops to the southern border.
2. Seeking a broad government effort to reduce inflation and reduce prices.
3. Declaring a "national energy emergency" and allowing for more energy production.
4. Ending what he has called an "electric vehicle mandate."
Trump repeats unfounded immigration claim at the crux of his campaign
In his inaugural address, Trump repeated a line he usually brought up during his campaign, saying that immigrants arriving in the country illegally come from prisons and mental institutions.
There is no evidence countries are sending their criminals or mentally ill across the border.
Speaking just feet from former Biden, Trump delivered a forceful critique of the federal government, which he says "cannot manage even a simple crisis at home."
He cited the wildfires in California and flooding in North Carolina, crises about which he has repeatedly spread incorrect claims. He also points to "a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad" and illegal immigration.
White House staff turning over the mansion for Trump during inauguration
The staff of the White House residence starts the work of moving out one president and preparing the mansion for a new president as soon as the outgoing and incoming presidents leave for the inauguration at the Capitol.
They have about five hours to do it.
The White House chief usher is the staff person who oversees the process and will have worked with Melania Trump to coordinate the move. One former White House usher describes the process as "organized chaos."
Trump will order the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and more
A spokeswoman for the transition team says Donald Trump will order the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska's Mount Denali in his first executive orders.
Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on the social platform X that the Gulf of Mexico will be renamed the Gulf of America and Denali - the highest mountain in North America - will revert to Mount McKinley, its former name until the Obama administration changed it in 2015.
Earlier this month, Trump floated the idea of renaming the body of water that forms the coastline along five southeastern states, saying he felt "Gulf of America" has a "beautiful ring to it."
As president, Trump can take the action to rename the body of water, although other countries don't have to adopt the new name.
Audience welcomes former presidents
The former presidents in attendance - Obama, Bush and Clinton - drew applause from the audience.
Two former first ladies were there, too, but Michelle Obama skipped the inauguration. She wasn't with the former U.S. leaders and their spouses at former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral earlier this month either.
No explanation has been given for her absences.
Vocal Trump ally Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the owner of social platform X, was seen along with Google's Sundar Pichai and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook were also in the audience.
The capacity shrunk significantly when the ceremony was moved indoors due to cold temperatures. Musk has also been tapped by Trump to help lead an outside government group called the Department of Government Efficiency to slash bureaucracy.
All 9 Supreme Court justices are at the Capitol
The entire court entered, led by Roberts. Retired Justice Stephen Breyer also is there.
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