Wednesday, 22 January, 2025
"For American citizens, January 20, 2025, marks Liberation Day," Trump, 78, declared inside the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol—an emblem of U.S. democracy that was stormed by his supporters on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden.
His half-hour address mirrored themes from his first inauguration in 2017, where he spoke of the "American carnage"—crime and job losses—that he claimed had devastated the country.
Trump reiterated false claims from his campaign speeches, alleging that other countries were dumping their prisoners into America, and voiced familiar, unfounded grievances about his criminal prosecutions.
The inauguration marked a triumphant return for a political disruptor who had been impeached twice, survived two assassination attempts, was convicted in a criminal trial, and faced charges for attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
"I was saved by God to make America great again," Trump said, referring to the bullet that grazed his ear during the assassination attempt in July.
Trump is the first felon to occupy the White House after a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to a porn star.
"Many people thought I couldn't stage such a historic political comeback," he added later. "I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do in America. The impossible is what we do best."
While Trump sought to portray himself as a peacemaker and unifier, his speech was often sharply partisan, in contrast to those of past presidents. With Biden seated nearby, affecting a polite smile, Trump issued a stinging indictment of Biden's policies from immigration to foreign affairs.
Trump outlined a series of executive actions he plans to take immediately, including declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and deploying troops there.
"First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border," he said. "All illegal entry will be immediately stopped, and we will begin the process of deporting millions of criminal aliens back to their countries of origin."
Numerous tech executives who sought to align with the incoming administration—such as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg—were seated prominently on stage alongside cabinet nominees and Trump’s family.
Trump announced plans to send astronauts to plant the U.S. flag on Mars, sparking a celebratory gesture from Musk, who has long advocated for colonizing the planet.
Trump also vowed to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America and reiterated his goal to reclaim control of the Panama Canal—foreign policy proposals that have raised concerns among U.S. allies.
TRIUMPHANT RETURN
At 12:01 p.m. ET (1701 GMT), Trump took the oath of office to “preserve, protect, and defend” the U.S. Constitution, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. His vice president, JD Vance, was sworn in just before him.
Outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November, sat next to Joe Biden, joined by former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, attended with her husband Bill, but Michelle Obama chose not to attend.
Due to extreme cold across much of the country, the ceremony was moved indoors.
Trump, who skipped Biden’s inauguration, continues to falsely claim that the 2020 election was rigged.
Trump, the first U.S. president since the 19th century to win a second term after losing the White House, also pledged to pardon many of the over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
In one of his final acts, Biden pardoned several individuals Trump had threatened with retaliation, including former White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci, former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. Biden also pardoned five family members minutes before leaving office, fearing Trump would target them.
Trump is set to sign an executive order requiring U.S. documents such as passports to reflect citizens’ gender assigned at birth, according to incoming administration officials.
“As of today, the official policy of the United States government is that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump declared, while Democratic Representative Sarah McBride, the first transgender person to serve in Congress, smiled quietly in the audience.
Trump will not immediately impose new tariffs, instead directing federal agencies to evaluate trade relationships with Canada, China, and Mexico, a Trump official said, an unexpected development that unleashed a broad slide in the US dollar and a rally in global stock markets on a day when US financial markets were closed.
Some of the executive orders are likely to face legal challenges.
DISRUPTIVE FORCE
As in 2017, Trump entered office as a disruptive figure, promising to overhaul the federal government and expressing strong skepticism about the U.S.-led alliances that have defined post-World War II global politics.
He returned to Washington strengthened after securing the national popular vote over Harris by more than 2 million votes, driven by widespread voter dissatisfaction with ongoing inflation, though he still narrowly missed securing a 50% majority.
Trump, now the oldest president to be sworn in, will benefit from Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. His advisers have proposed plans to replace nonpartisan bureaucrats with loyalists handpicked for their allegiance.
Trump's influence was felt even before his swearing-in, particularly with his involvement in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations. His envoy played a key role in talks in Qatar, and Trump had warned of "hell to pay" if Hamas did not release its hostages before the inauguration.
Unlike in 2017, when he appointed many institutionalists to top positions, Trump has emphasized loyalty over experience in nominating a series of controversial cabinet picks, some of whom are vocal critics of the very agencies they will now lead.
Even as he prepared to retake office, Trump continued to expand his business interests, raising billions in market value through the launch of a "meme coin" crypto token, sparking ethical and regulatory concerns.
The inauguration took place under heightened security, following a campaign marked by rising political violence.
The traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the White House, was moved indoors to the Capital One Arena, where Trump held a victory rally on Sunday.
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"For American citizens, January 20, 2025, marks Liberation Day," Trump, 78, declared inside the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol—an emblem of U.S. democracy that was stormed by his supporters on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden.
His half-hour address mirrored themes from his first inauguration in 2017, where he spoke of the "American carnage"—crime and job losses—that he claimed had devastated the country.
Trump reiterated false claims from his campaign speeches, alleging that other countries were dumping their prisoners into America, and voiced familiar, unfounded grievances about his criminal prosecutions.
The inauguration marked a triumphant return for a political disruptor who had been impeached twice, survived two assassination attempts, was convicted in a criminal trial, and faced charges for attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
"I was saved by God to make America great again," Trump said, referring to the bullet that grazed his ear during the assassination attempt in July.
Trump is the first felon to occupy the White House after a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to a porn star.
"Many people thought I couldn't stage such a historic political comeback," he added later. "I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do in America. The impossible is what we do best."
While Trump sought to portray himself as a peacemaker and unifier, his speech was often sharply partisan, in contrast to those of past presidents. With Biden seated nearby, affecting a polite smile, Trump issued a stinging indictment of Biden's policies from immigration to foreign affairs.
Trump outlined a series of executive actions he plans to take immediately, including declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and deploying troops there.
"First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border," he said. "All illegal entry will be immediately stopped, and we will begin the process of deporting millions of criminal aliens back to their countries of origin."
Numerous tech executives who sought to align with the incoming administration—such as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg—were seated prominently on stage alongside cabinet nominees and Trump’s family.
Trump announced plans to send astronauts to plant the U.S. flag on Mars, sparking a celebratory gesture from Musk, who has long advocated for colonizing the planet.
Trump also vowed to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America and reiterated his goal to reclaim control of the Panama Canal—foreign policy proposals that have raised concerns among U.S. allies.
TRIUMPHANT RETURN
At 12:01 p.m. ET (1701 GMT), Trump took the oath of office to “preserve, protect, and defend” the U.S. Constitution, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. His vice president, JD Vance, was sworn in just before him.
Outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November, sat next to Joe Biden, joined by former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, attended with her husband Bill, but Michelle Obama chose not to attend.
Due to extreme cold across much of the country, the ceremony was moved indoors.
Trump, who skipped Biden’s inauguration, continues to falsely claim that the 2020 election was rigged.
Trump, the first U.S. president since the 19th century to win a second term after losing the White House, also pledged to pardon many of the over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
In one of his final acts, Biden pardoned several individuals Trump had threatened with retaliation, including former White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci, former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. Biden also pardoned five family members minutes before leaving office, fearing Trump would target them.
Trump is set to sign an executive order requiring U.S. documents such as passports to reflect citizens’ gender assigned at birth, according to incoming administration officials.
“As of today, the official policy of the United States government is that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump declared, while Democratic Representative Sarah McBride, the first transgender person to serve in Congress, smiled quietly in the audience.
Trump will not immediately impose new tariffs, instead directing federal agencies to evaluate trade relationships with Canada, China, and Mexico, a Trump official said, an unexpected development that unleashed a broad slide in the US dollar and a rally in global stock markets on a day when US financial markets were closed.
Some of the executive orders are likely to face legal challenges.
DISRUPTIVE FORCE
As in 2017, Trump entered office as a disruptive figure, promising to overhaul the federal government and expressing strong skepticism about the U.S.-led alliances that have defined post-World War II global politics.
He returned to Washington strengthened after securing the national popular vote over Harris by more than 2 million votes, driven by widespread voter dissatisfaction with ongoing inflation, though he still narrowly missed securing a 50% majority.
Trump, now the oldest president to be sworn in, will benefit from Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. His advisers have proposed plans to replace nonpartisan bureaucrats with loyalists handpicked for their allegiance.
Trump's influence was felt even before his swearing-in, particularly with his involvement in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations. His envoy played a key role in talks in Qatar, and Trump had warned of "hell to pay" if Hamas did not release its hostages before the inauguration.
Unlike in 2017, when he appointed many institutionalists to top positions, Trump has emphasized loyalty over experience in nominating a series of controversial cabinet picks, some of whom are vocal critics of the very agencies they will now lead.
Even as he prepared to retake office, Trump continued to expand his business interests, raising billions in market value through the launch of a "meme coin" crypto token, sparking ethical and regulatory concerns.
The inauguration took place under heightened security, following a campaign marked by rising political violence.
The traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the White House, was moved indoors to the Capital One Arena, where Trump held a victory rally on Sunday.
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