Trump sworn in as 47th US president, vows 'golden age'
13 Min Read
Flights near Washington D.C. have been postponed for security concerns coinciding with the inaugural ceremony.
-
President-elect Donald Trump gestures as he walks with his wife Melania after a church service across from the White House in Washington, on January 20, 2025. (AP)
Donald J. Trump has officially been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday as he plans to issue a slew of executive orders ranging from migration to the economy.
His vice president, JD Vance, was sworn in just before him.
He and outgoing President Joe Biden shared a motorcade to the Capitol, where the inauguration ceremony was held, after meeting for traditional tea at the White House.
In his inauguration speech, Donald Trump pledged to rescue America from what he described as years of betrayal and decline after he was sworn in as president on Monday, prioritizing a crackdown on illegal immigration and portraying himself as a national savior chosen by God.
"For American citizens, January 20, 2025, is Liberation Day," Trump, 78, said inside the Rotunda of the US Capitol.
The half-hour speech echoed some of the themes he sounded at his first inauguration in 2017.
“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 said during his inaugural address Monday.
He 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.”
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.
The swearing-in ceremony was moved inside the Capitol due to the cold, four years after a mob of Trump supporters raided the building, a symbol of American democracy, in an unsuccessful effort to forestall Trump's loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Biden and outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November, were on hand inside the Capitol's Rotunda, along with former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, arrived with her husband Bill, but Obama's wife, Michelle, chose not to attend.
Numerous tech executives who have sought to curry favor with the incoming administration - including the three richest men in the world, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg - had prominent seats on stage, next to cabinet nominees and members of Trump's family.
Musk gives thumbs up after Trump announces sending astronauts to Mars.
A few minuted into his speech, President Donald Trump listed a number of executive orders he plans to sign to start implementing his administration’s agenda during his inaugural address.
“Today, I will sign a series of historic executive orders. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. It’s all about common sense.”
Trump also outlined his intent to declare a national emergency at the US southern border.
“After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional federal efforts to restrict free expression, I will also sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America,” Trump claimed.
“Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents — something I know something about,” he said.
Key takeaways from Trump's speech
During his inaugural address, Trump vowed to “immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families,” adding that he would "tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens."
“For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues."
He went on to say that this will bring in "massive amounts of money" to the country's coffers "coming from foreign sources."
Swift border crackdown, immigration app closed
Vowing a swift border crackdown, Trump said, "First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border," adding that "all illegal entry will be immediately halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."
Shortly after his inauguration, it was announced that the Trump administration discontinued the use of CBP One, a border app vital for those seeking to legally enter the US.
According to Homeland Security authorities, the app is helping to reduce migrant crossings by giving a more orderly approach to applying to the United States. With that gone and asylum rules in place, the border is virtually closed to asylum seekers - an unusual act. Current appointments have been canceled, according to CBP.
Mexico responds
In response, Mexico's Interior Secretary, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, enacted an initiative named "Mexico Embraces You" on Monday, aiming to help Mexicans who may be deported.
"Mexico will do everything necessary to defend, care for, and allocate what is needed to receive those who are repatriated in order to achieve their reincorporation to their native country," Rodríguez stated, detailing how the plan will position the National Migration Institute in charge of welcoming Mexicans from abroad, processing their repatriation, and facilitating transfers to their areas of origin.
The government stated that Mexican residents will be granted 2,000 Mexican pesos (about $100) upon arrival to spend throughout their relocation to their place of origin.
Rodríguez stated that the National Population Registry, comparable to the US Social Security number system, may process identity documents as needed.
The strategy was designed in collaboration with international organizations, such as the International Organization for Migration, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and UNICEF.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that she will try to engage with Trump's administration following the inauguration, and she urged Mexican residents residing in the US to be calm.
In another key decision for his tenure, Trump plans on signing legislation to confirm his plan to roll back the US' climate and clean energy advances while increasing reliance on fossil fuels, including his commitment to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.
In his inaugural speech, Trump stated that he would declare a "national energy emergency," despite the fact that the US is now producing more oil than any other country at any time.
He plans to simplify permission and examine rules that "impose undue burdens on energy production and use, including mining and processing of non-fuel minerals," according to a list of objectives released by his press office. He also promised to take steps to stop land and water leasing for wind energy.
“With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to my great American auto workers,” he said, adding, “In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice. We will build automobiles in America again at a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago.”
He went on to congratulate the auto workers for their "inspiring vote of confidence."
'Golden age of America'
"The golden age of America begins right now," Trump proclaimed, vowing that the United States will "flourish and be respected again all over the world."
Trump referred to his survival of an assassination attempt as divine intervention, whereby his “life was saved” by the grace of God to make America great again, emphasizing that his victory is a sign of national unity. He also pledged to prevent the weaponization of state power against political opponents.
He acknowledged the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, noting the destruction of homes, including those of some powerful individuals, and criticized the former administration for failing to manage domestic crises and for mishandling international issues.
“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,” he stated, adding that the government “fails to protect our magnificent law-abiding citizens but proves sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals.”
At the beginning of his speech, President Donald Trump said he wanted to build a legacy as a “peacemaker and unifier” while building “the strongest military we have ever seen.”
“Like in 2017, we will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end and perhaps, most importantly, the wars we never get into,” Trump said to an applauding crowd.
Then he went on to list several contentious issues that negate his "peacemaker" claim.
He presented plans to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, to rename Denali “Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.”
He also repeated his intention to take back control of the Panama Canal, one of several foreign policy pronouncements that have caused consternation among US allies, after claiming that Panama has violated treaty agreements that require neutrality in the canal’s operations.
“American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy,” Trump claimed. “And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal and we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back."
Trump acknowledged he was taking office on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and said he would work to honor the civil rights leader's legacy. At the same time, he said he would issue orders to scrap federal diversity programs and require the government to recognize only genders assigned at birth.
"As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female," Trump said.
He lambasted the public health system, claiming that the country has a system that teaches children shame and hatred of their own country, as he promised quick change and reversal of what he called a "horrible betrayal".
The newly elected president expressed he was “confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success," observing a "tide of change" sweeping the nation.
He also vowed to reverse the "vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and government."
The first felon to become president
In 2016, Trump was the oldest president to take office at 70 years old. When his tenure ends in January 2029, he will be 82 years old, making him the oldest sitting president in history.
Trump is also the first former president-turned-felon to return to office. In early January he was sentenced to "unconditional discharge", which carries no penalty but confirms his felony record.
Last May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of falsifying company records to hide a hush money payment to an adult actress, making him the first former president to be convicted of a felony.
The 45th and 47th president, Trump's 2017 inauguration sparked a wave of demonstrations that overwhelmed the number of his supporters assembled on the National Mall - but this year's event is likely to be more subdued.
Flights near Washington D.C. have been postponed for security concerns coinciding with the inaugural ceremony.
In his closing hours in office, Biden ordered unusual pre-emptive pardons for former Covid-19 advisor Anthony Fauci and retired general Mark Milley to protect them from "politically motivated prosecutions" by President Trump.
Biden issued identical pardons to members, officials, and witnesses of a US House committee investigating the deadly January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by Trump loyalists.
Officials in, others out
President Donald Trump has selected junior CFTC Commissioner Caroline Pham as acting chair of the swaps and derivatives regulator, according to an announcement from her office, Bloomberg reported.
The five members of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission voted Monday to confirm Pham as acting chair. Traditionally, the commission approves whoever the incoming administration has selected to serve in the acting role.
Robert Salesses, the deputy director of Washington Headquarters Services, has been tapped as the acting defense secretary until a secretary is officially confirmed, a defense official told CNN.
Pete Hegseth is awaiting a vote on his nomination as secretary of defense, following his confirmation hearing last week. CNN reported Monday that the Senate Armed Services Committee plans to vote on his nomination tonight, and Senate GOP leaders are planning for a final confirmation vote this week.
Salesses is a retired Marine Corps officer, according to his official bio. The WHS is the “support and service providers” for facilities, resource management, contracting, human resources, and more for the Department of Defense, Congress, and the White House, according to its website.
Transportation Security Administration Administrator David Pekoske was asked by incoming Trump officials to leave his post Monday morning, according to four sources familiar with the matter, stunning Homeland Security officials who expected him to stay in his role.
TSA workers received a message at 11:40 am from Pekoske that stated he was “advised by President-elect Trump’s transition team that my time as your administrator will end as of noon today,” according to one of the sources.
Maura Burns has been tapped to serve as acting CIA director until President Donald Trump’s nominee, John Ratcliffe, is confirmed, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Burns was selected as the CIA’s chief operating officer in 2022. Before that, Burns spent years working for the agency’s Directorate of Analysis, where she specialized in weapons, counterproliferation, and counterterrorism, according to her bio.
