Donald Trump Sworn In As The 47th US President

Feature and Cover Donald Trump Sworn In As The 47th US President

“The golden age of America begins right now,” declared Donald Trump in his inaugural address on January 20, 2025, immediately after he was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Trump said the US would “flourish and be respected” under his leadership. Trump is taking charge of the world’s most powerful nation, even as the Republicans claim unified control of Washington and setting out to reshape the country’s institutions.

Trump was sworn in by Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court John Roberts, marking a political comeback after being convicted of felonies. His running mate, JD Vance, was sworn in by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The ceremony was moved inside to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda because of frigid weather for only the first time since Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration 40 years ago.

Photos of the swearing-in show Trump with his hand at his side, not on the Bible, as has been a long held tradition. Using a Bible during the presidential oath is traditional but not required; only the oath is mandated by the Constitution. Theodore Roosevelt, John Quincy Adams, and Lyndon B. Johnson did not use a Bible for their oaths.

The high-profile, solemn ceremony was attended by, among others, Tech billionaires, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, cabinet nominees, and former presidents, who were all at the ceremony in the rotunda of the US Capitol. Country music star Carrie Underwood performed “America the Beautiful.”

President Donald Trump claimed today, January 20, 2025, is “liberation day.”  He went on to state that, “It is my hope that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country.” Trump added that his presidential victory showed that “the entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda with dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society.”

Inauguration ceremony for Trump's second presidential term
Photo Credit: Reuters

He went on to thank Black and Hispanic voters for “the tremendous outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote. We set records and I will not forget it,” the president said. “I’ve heard your voices on the campaign, and I look forward to working with you in the years to come.”

In his inaugural address Trump slammed the Biden administration — as former President Joe Biden sat steps away — for failing to “manage simple crisis at home. 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,” Trump said.

Per reports, Trump is expected to sign an executive order declaring that the federal government would recognize only two genders as well as a series of orders aimed at remaking America’s immigration policies, including ending asylum access, sending troops to the southern border and ending birthright citizenship.

Focusing on immigration, a major focus of his new administration, Trump said, the government “fails to protect our magnificent law-abiding citizens but proves sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals. 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.”

Hours before the change in US leadership, President Joe Biden issued pardons for Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of Congress who served on the committee investigating January 6. He also issued preemptive pardons for his brothers, James and Frank, his sister Valerie, and their spouses.

A coalition of veterans, public health professionals, teachers, and consumer advocates has filed a federal lawsuit against Trump’s special commission on government efficiency. Filed after Trump’s swearing-in, the suit seeks an injunction against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It claims Trump is not complying with federal transparency laws and argues that private commission activities must be public. Trump mentioned DOGE, led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in his inauguration speech.

Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University, delivered the first benediction after Trump’s inaugural address. He is the second Orthodox rabbi to do so at a presidential inauguration. The tradition of clergy offering prayers at inaugurations dates back to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second inauguration in 1937. Rev. Lorenzo Sewell, pastor of 180 Church Detroit, delivered the second benediction, expressing gratitude for the “millimeter miracle” given to the 45th and 47th presidents.

Trump’s Unfulfilled Promises

Ordinarily, presidents wait until they are in the Oval Office before breaking campaign promises. However, Donald Trump began this process before Inauguration Day. As a candidate, Trump promised to lower grocery prices. As president-elect, he acknowledged that achieving this goal would be “very hard” and expressed uncertainty about his ability to do so.

Trump had claimed that Elon Musk would find ways to cut “at least $2 trillion” from the federal budget. As president-elect, his GOP megadonor publicly stated that the $2 trillion figure was more of a “best-case outcome” than a realistic goal, though there might still be a “good shot” at achieving half of it.

Perhaps most notably, Trump asserted during his campaign that he would successfully broker an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine within 24 hours, even during his transition period. He reiterated this promise during his presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, assuring Americans that “I will get it settled before I even become president.”

Despite these assurances, as Trump prepares to return to the White House, it is evident that this promise remains unfulfilled. Nearly three years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war, Europe’s worst since World War II, continues with no end in sight. The New York Times published an analysis noting that Trump “not only has failed to keep his promise; he has also made no known serious effort to resolve the war since his election in November.”

In summary, the president-elect did not attempt to honor his commitment. This was not merely a one-time statement; according to data published by NOTUS, Trump told voters on 33 occasions that he would end the conflict within one day. A recent Reuters report added that the president-elect’s team now concedes “that the Ukraine war will take months or even longer to resolve, a sharp reality check on his biggest foreign policy promise.”

A New Beginning in 2025

Trump’s second inaugural speech today marked a major departure from his tone the first time he took the Oath of Office in 2017, when Trump put aside the typical optimism and promises of unity with a dark portrait of national life as he spoke of “American Carnage.” He had declared then,  “From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, it’s going to be America first.”

However, today, Trump portrayed himself in a positive manner. “Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback, but as you see here today, here I am,” Trump said in his inaugural address in 2025. “I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do in America,” he went on, adding: “In America, the impossible is what we do best.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Related Stories

-+=