On Wednesday, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States after serving in the Senate for more than 25 years and as Vice President for eight years.
Minutes earlier, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the 46th vice president in the country, becoming the first female vice president, the first black vice president, and the first vice president of Asian descent.
Joe Biden’s inauguration was historical but a little different from past ceremonies.
There was a large police and National Guard deployment in Washington D.C. Additionally, Donald Trump was not at the ceremony – the first time an outgoing president has been absent from the inauguration in more than a century and a half.
What happened to Donald Trump?
In the days leading up to the inauguration, Donald Trump announced that he would not be attending Biden’s swearing-in ceremony. However, he was seen publicly before his term as president officially ended.
He left the White House after 8:00 a.m.
Mr. Trump told the press that it had been a ‘great honor’ to hold the post of 45th President of the United States before saying goodbye and boarding Marine One with his wife and former first lady Melania Trump.
At his final farewell ceremony, Trump and former first lady Melania Trump delivered remarks.
Mr. Trump promised to “always fight.” Without mentioning Biden’s name, he also said: “I wish the new administration great luck and great success.”
“Goodbye. We love you. We’ll be back in some form. Have a good life,” he added.
Then, the couple boarded Air Force One and took the presidential plane for the last time to their Florida home.
Biden’s arrival at the Capitol.
The 46th President of the United States arrived at the Capitol shortly after 11:00 a.m. with Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff.
Before being sworn in, both Harris and Biden saluted former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Around 11:42 a.m., Harris completed her oath of office, administered by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Joe Biden was sworn in at 11:48 a.m. – Chief Justice John Roberts administered Biden’s oath.
Subsequently, he delivered an inaugural address in which he pledged to be “president for all Americans,” including those who did not vote for him.
Celebrities and poets performances
Several celebrities participated in the inauguration, including Lady Gaga, who performed the National Anthem.
Jennifer Lopez sang “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful” in a medley of American musical selections as part of her performance, and Garth Brooks performed “Amazing Grace.”
Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old woman who became the nation’s first-ever youth poet laureate, delivered a powerful poem titled “The Hill We Climb,” challenging Americans to “leave behind a country better than the one we were left.”
In reference to the deadly attack on the Capitol on January 6, she said: “We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it.”
“Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated,” she added.
