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Trump returns to power after unprecedented comeback, emboldened to reshape American institutions.
Published On 20 Jan 2025
Donald Trump has been sworn in for a second term as president of the United States in Washington, DC.
Trump used his inaugural address to reiterate his grievances against his political opponents, saying he would “liberate” the country from a “radical and corrupt establishment”.
Declaring that government faces a “crisis of trust”, Trump pledged in his inaugural address a brighter future under his administration. “Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced,” he said.
Trump claimed “a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal”, promising to “give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom”.
“From this moment on,” he added, “America’s decline is over.”
Trump also unveiled a series of executive actions he plans to take in quick succession after his inauguration. The executive orders are the first step in what Trump is calling “the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense”.
Frigid weather rewrote the pageantry of the day. Trump’s swearing-in was moved indoors to the US Capitol Rotunda — the first time that has happened in 40 years — and the inaugural parade was replaced by an event at a downtown arena.
Throngs of Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the inaugural ceremony outside the US Capitol were left to find other places to view the festivities.
At the US Capitol, Vice President JD Vance was sworn in first, taking the oath on a Bible given to him by his great-grandmother. Trump followed moments later, just after noon Eastern time (17:00 GMT), using both a family Bible and one used by the late President Abraham Lincoln in 1861.
A cadre of billionaires and tech titans — including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai — were given prominent positions in the Capitol Rotunda, mingling with Trump’s incoming team before the ceremony began.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, was also in attendance, as he is expected to lead an effort to slash spending and federal employees as Trump’s adviser.
