Donald Trump declared that the ‘golden age of America begins now’ during his swearing-in ceremony as the 47th president.
The inauguration took place inside the US Capitol building in Washington, where the President delivered his address.
Trump arrived with his wife, the incoming First Lady Melania Trump, at St John’s Church, known as the ‘Church of the Presidents,’ on January 20 as he prepared to assume the presidency for a second term.
He described the inauguration as ‘liberation day’ for America, expressing hope that “our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country.”
In his remarks, Trump acknowledged figures such as Vice President JD Vance, Justices of the US Supreme Court, and former presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Joe Biden, stating that ‘the golden age of America begins right now’.
Trump expressed confidence and optimism, suggesting that the nation is at the dawn of a thrilling new era of national success.
“Sunlight is pouring over the entire world and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before,” he added.
During the inaugural address, Trump pledged to ‘rebalance’ the ‘scales of justice’ during his tenure.
“The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and government will end,” CNN reports.
He also criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for his domestic and international policies.
Trump commented: “We now have a government that cannot manage a simple crisis at home, while at the same time stumble into a continuing catalog of catastrophic events abroad.
“We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people.”
Trump also highlighted several executive orders he plans to implement, including ending the ‘Green New Deal’ and the ‘electric vehicle mandate’ while addressing inflation.
He asserted that the United States is experiencing a ‘national energy emergency’, vowing to ‘drill, baby, drill’, reduce soaring costs, and provide ‘tax cuts for American workers’.
At 78 years old, he is the oldest individual to be elected to the presidency and will become the oldest president in US history by the conclusion of his term.
Referring to an assassination attempt during his campaign, Trump claims his life was ‘saved by God’ to ‘make America great again’.
His speech was part of a longstanding tradition where the president-elect recites an oath, and the vice-president is sworn in by repeating the same oath of office, which has been in use since 1884.