By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Donald Trump has been inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, returning to the White House after his defeat in 2020 when he sought to lead the country.
Trump, who was also the 45th President, governed from 2017 to 2021 and made one of the most historic political comebacks in US history with his victory in last November’s election.
The 78-year-old Real Estate tycoon recited the oath of office shortly after noon ET at an inauguration ceremony inside the Rotunda of the Capitol, the same building a mob of his supporters stormed four years ago in an attempt to stop the certification of Trump’s 2020 election loss. The ceremony was moved indoors due to below-freezing temperatures in the nation’s capital.
Trump raised his right hand and took the oath of office using a Bible his mother gave him in 1955, which was stacked on a second Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln for his 1861 swearing-in.
JD Vance was sworn in as Vice President before Trump.
The new President, who arrived at the Capitol to applause and chants of “USA! USA! USA!”, replaces Joe Biden in the nation’s highest office.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said at the beginning of his second inaugural address.
“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 during every single day of the Trump administration.”
In prime seating behind Trump on stage were Trump’s and Vance’s family members, the President’s Cabinet nominees, and billionaire executives, including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Opera singer Christopher Macchio sang “Oh, America!” before Trump took the stage.
Trump is the second former President to return to office after losing an election, joining Grover Cleveland, who returned to the White House for his second term in 1893.
Trump is also the first formerly impeached President to return to office, the first convicted felon to serve as President, and the oldest President on Inauguration Day.
Trump has promised a new “golden age” in the US after campaigning on big promises in his election victory over Democrat Kamala Harris to root out the so-called “deep state” from the federal government.
He has also promised to begin mass deportations of immigrants in the country and to undo Biden’s policies on climate, energy, transgender rights, cryptocurrency, and a host of other areas.
