Donald John Trump completed a remarkable return to power on Monday as he was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, and laid out plans for an immediate blitz of orders and actions meant to dramatically change the course of the country.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Mr. Trump declared as he began a 29-minute Inaugural Address, shortly after he and Vice President JD Vance took their oaths in the Capitol Rotunda. He added: “My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all these many betrayals that have taken place and give people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and indeed their freedom. From this moment on, America’s decline is over.”
Much as Mr. Trump did eight years ago when he decried “American carnage” in his address, he painted a grim portrait of a country on its knees that only he can revive. But even more than in 2017, he largely dispensed with lofty themes and the broad unifying strokes favored by most presidents in their Inaugural Addresses and outlined a series of often-divisive policies.
He vowed to immediately declare a national emergency at the border and send the military to guard it. He said he would end government programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. He said he would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and promised to seize the Panama Canal. “We’re taking it back,” he said.
After the ceremony, Mr. Trump addressed supporters in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol and mentioned some issues that were left out of his remarks, including his supporters who attacked the building on Jan. 6, 2021, and his grievances over the subsequent investigation by a congressional panel.
Here’s what to know:
A stunning comeback: Mr. Trump was inaugurated in the same building where a mob of his supporters rampaged four years ago in a failed effort to reverse an election that he lost, culminating in a political comeback unlike any in American history. President Biden graciously hosted Mr. Trump for coffee at the White House before the ceremony. “Welcome home,” Mr. Biden told Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, as they arrived at the executive mansion.
Moving fast: Feeling vindicated by voters despite his impeachments, indictments, and conviction on 34 felony counts, Mr. Trump intends to move quickly beyond Inauguration Day rituals to put his stamp back on the government. Among as many as 100 orders he may sign within hours of taking office are directives to initiate a new crackdown on illegal immigration, slap tariffs on trading partners and pardon supporters who were prosecuted for storming the Capitol.
A historic start: Mr. Trump, 78, became the oldest person ever inaugurated as president, eclipsing Mr. Biden, who was five months younger when he took the oath four years ago. Mr. Vance, 40, by contrast, has become the third-youngest vice president in history. Mr. Trump also became only the second president since the founding of the republic to reclaim the White House after being defeated for re-election, joining Grover Cleveland, who served nonconsecutive terms in the 19th century.