On Monday, Donald Trump was sworn in as president of the United States in an inauguration ceremony held indoors in the Capitol Rotunda due to freezing temperatures of 23 degrees. This marked the first indoor presidential inauguration in 40 years, since Ronald Reagan’s second swearing-in in 1985.
According to political analyst and The Guardian‘s Washington D.C. bureau chief, David Smith, Trump’s return to the White House on January 20 has intensified already heated political discourse. After Trump lost reelection in 2020 to former President Joe Biden, this discourse persisted throughout the election and its aftermath.
During his inaugural address, Trump made bold claims and outlined a vision for his administration.
Referring to the July 13 assassination attempt on the campaign trail, Trump said, “I was saved by God for a reason…to make America great again.”
His speech centered on promises of “the complete restoration of America” and a “revolution of common sense.”
He pledged to make the nation “color blind,” use executive actions to “restore free speech” and uphold traditional gender norms by recognizing only two genders under federal law.
Trump’s executive actions, some signed immediately after taking office, underscore his intent to rapidly reshape the nation’s policies.
Among his proposals is a controversial order to “end asylum access and birthright citizenship,” a right protected under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Critics, such as Marjorie Cohn, a professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, argued that this demonstrates Trump’s willingness to test the limits of presidential authority against constitutional protections.
Another action included using executive authority to direct the U.S. Interior Secretary to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’ and to revert Mount Denali’s name back to Mount McKinley.
Additionally, Trump’s administration is prepared to deploy troops to the southern border and increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Democratic strongholds such as Chicago and Washington, D.C.
These measures align with his campaign’s promises to combat illegal immigration and prioritize national security, though they are expected to face significant legal and political resistance.
Despite the cold weather, Trump’s supporters traveled from across the country to witness the event.
Among the notable attendees were Elon Musk, identified by Forbes as America’s richest individual, who actively campaigned for Trump in Pennsylvania, Jeff Bezos, who donated $40 million to license First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Former President Barack Obama also attended but faced taunting from the audience upon his arrival, a stark reminder of the partisan tensions surrounding the event.
Key Democratic figures, including Nancy Pelosi, Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), did not attend.
Ocasio-Cortez said, “I don’t celebrate rapists,” referencing sexual assault allegations that Trump has consistently denied. Her remarks were part of the broader wave of criticism surrounding Trump’s return to office.
Trump concluded his address by declaring that a “Golden Age” is set to begin for America under his leadership.
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
