Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday for a historic second term as the 47th president of the United States, pledging to swiftly undo the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, with a series of executive orders.
Standing in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, Trump, 78, took the oath of office, holding a Bible given to him by his mother.
“We will restore America’s greatness and fix every single crisis facing our country,” Trump declared during his inauguration speech, setting the tone for an aggressive agenda focused on immigration reform, cultural battles, and a national security overhaul.
In a departure from his first inauguration, where he was a political outsider, Trump now assumes office as one of the nation’s wealthiest and most influential figures.
At the Capitol, he was joined by a host of powerful supporters, including tech billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Sundar Pichai, all of whom had prominent seats for the ceremony.
Trump’s inauguration marked a stark contrast to his first one in 2017. While his opponent, Joe Biden, had refused to attend Trump’s 2021 swearing-in due to Trump’s baseless claims of electoral fraud, Biden appeared with former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton at the Capitol.
“We’re here to restore the tradition and dignity of the presidency,” Biden said to Trump during the cordial exchange at the White House before the ceremony.
In a signal of his bold approach, Trump announced he would waste no time in taking executive action to reverse Biden’s legacy.
“I will act with historic speed and strength,” Trump vowed, promising sweeping changes on a range of domestic and international issues.
Among his first actions, Trump will declare a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, initiating immediate deportations of undocumented migrants and ending birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens.
Trump also revealed plans to roll back federal diversity programs, declaring the U.S. government would now recognize only two biological sexes.
These moves were welcomed by his supporters, many of whom attended the inauguration with pride, like the Fairchild family from Michigan. “We’re ecstatic to see our president back in power,” said grandmother Barb Fairchild.
Despite the contentious nature of Trump’s return to office, including his ongoing criminal investigations, the new president is determined to push his right-wing, nationalist agenda.
He campaigned on a promise to end “four years of American decline,” while painting a dire picture of the nation’s state.
His victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in November solidified his return as a populist force.
The world is bracing for the impact of Trump’s return to the global stage. From threatening tariffs to revisiting territorial disputes, his presidency is expected to disrupt the international order once again.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who congratulated Trump ahead of the inauguration, said he was “open to talks on the Ukraine conflict” and hoped for a peaceful resolution.
As Trump embarks on his second term, the world watches closely, awaiting the outcome of his unpredictable policies and bold moves
