President Donald Trump’s inaugural address laid out his plans for the next four years. He said he was “confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success.”
“A tide of change is sweeping the country,” he said, describing Jan 20 as salvation day and then proceeded to take potshots at his predecessor Joe Biden.
Attacking the Biden administration for providing sanctuary and protection for “dangerous criminals”, he promised to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to remove criminal gangs operating in the country.
He said he would end the weaponization of the Justice Department, an allusion to how he believes he was politically targeted.
“The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and government will end,” Trump said.
“Sunlight is pouring over the entire world and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before,” Trump said.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said. “From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer, America’s decline is over,” he said.
He returned to a favourite theme, that America was being taken advantage of economically by many countries. The key was reinvigorating American industry, he said, indicating strong backing for the automobile sector and ending subsidies for electric vehicles.
“We will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” he said, dwelling on his controversial Trump tariff. He said he was committed to establishing an external revenue service that will manage the duties coming into the country.
“A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” he said while accusing Panama of treating the US unfairly when it comes to using the Panama Canal built by American labour.
“America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth — inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world,” Trump said.
The Ceremony
Trump earlier arrived at The White House and met his predecessor Joe Biden, who welcomed the President-elect to ‘home’ for tea.
According to reports, Joe Biden has followed the tradition of leaving his successor a note. While Biden confirmed that he wrote Trump a letter, he did not say what his message was.
Donald Trump became only the second President in US history, after Grover Cleveland in 1893, to return to power after being voted out of the White House.
Trump made history by replacing Joe Biden as the oldest President of the United States.
Donald Trump’s team earlier declared, “As soon as President Trump places his hand on the Bible and swears the Oath to the United States Constitution, the Golden Age of America will begin.”
However, several Americans have expressed deep concern over his administration given the conservative policies in his last term.
MAGA Slogan
Trump has promised to sign a record number of executive orders on the very first day of his office ushering in sweeping changes and reversing much of what his predecessor Joe Biden has done.
This is according to him the “need of the hour” and the only way to “Make America Great Again”.
Trump’s return to the Oval Office has been quite a dramatic one that saw him defy two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction to win the historic election, including him registering a win in every single swing state in the country.
His Republican party has returned to power with a majority in both the House of Representatives, as well as the Senate, giving him the power to push through any agenda he feels necessary.
According to reports, Trump will sign a staggering 100 plus executive orders including immediate tariff implementation, stringent curbs on immigration, mass deportation of illegal migrants, a national emergency on the southern US border with Mexico, ending birthright citizenship, pardon to all 2021 US Capitol rioters, ban on transgender athletes from women’s sports, ending all gender-affirming care practices, and undoing the Biden administration’s directives on diversity and oil drilling, among others.
