Inauguration Day Latest: Trump moves swiftly to implement new agenda, Biden departs Capitol
Jan 20, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, was sworn in Monday as the 47th U.S. president taking charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the countrys institutions.Trumps swearing-in ceremony moved indoors due to intense cold and began at noon ET. Festivities started earlier when Trump arrived for service at St. Johns Episcopal Church.Here's the latest:No longer president, Biden leaves CapitolHe and his wife, Jill, boarded a military helicopter on the grounds of the Capitol after Trump was sworn into office.Biden is going to Joint Base Andrews for a farewell ceremony with now-former members of his staff.Hell then fly aboard a military airplane to Santa Ynez, California, to unwind with his family.Leaders of Israel, Egypt congratulate Trump on his inaugurationIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi were among those wishing Trump well in his new term in the White House.Netanyahu predicted the best days of our alliance are yet to come, even as he hailed actions Trump took in his first term, including moving the American embassy to Jerusalem.El-Sissi said hed work with Trump to enhance their countries relationship.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labor government has been under attack by Elon Musk and other Trump allies, also sent his warmest congratulations.Trump and Vance have departedPresident Trump, VP Vance, and the first and Second Lady have departed.Former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris have also left.The Trump family is waiting for the remaining former presidents to leave the platform before they are escorted outTrump has left the Capitol RotundaHe is next expected to appear at a signing room ceremony.Macchio returns for The Star-Spangled BannerTrump selected opera tenor Christopher Macchio to perform the national anthem during the inauguration. Hes a smaller name than some of the performers whove offered their renditions of The Star-Spangled Banner in the past.In 2021, Lady Gaga sang the national anthem for President Joe Biden. In 2013, Beyonc performed the national anthem and later said she had lip-synced to a taped track for President Barack Obama.Trump again will withdraw the US from Paris Climate AgreementTrump says he will again withdraw the United States, a top carbon-polluting nation, from the landmark Paris Climate Agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and once again distancing the U.S. from its closest allies.The announcement echoed Trumps actions in 2017 when he announced that the U.S. would abandon the Paris accord, which is aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.The 2015 Paris Agreement is voluntary and allows nations to provide targets to cut their own emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.Trump repeated his desire to take back the Panama CanalTrump did not express intentions to take back the Panama Canal during his campaign but began talking about wanting this vital waterway last month. During his inaugural address, Trump said the spirit of a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter that relinquished control of the canal in 1999 had been violated.He said the waterway should have never been given away and said that American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly, and repeated that China is operating the Panama Canal. Earlier this month, he said he would not rule out military force to take control of it.Trump ends CBP One, a Biden-era border app that gave legal entry to nearly 1 million migrants with online appointmentsReligious leaders offer benedictionsRabbi Ari Berman delivered the first of several benedictions after Trump delivered his inaugural address. Berman is president of Yeshiva University, a Jewish institution in Manhattan. He is the second Orthodox rabbi to deliver the benediction at a presidential inauguration.At least one prayer has been recited by clergy members at presidential inaugurals since 1937 during President Franklin D. Roosevelts second inauguration.Rev. Lorenzo Sewell, pastor of 180 Church Detroit, followed during the second of the benediction, saying, Heavenly father we are so grateful that you gave our 45th and now our 47th president a millimeter miracle.Advocacy groups greet Trumps swearing-in with a lawsuit over DOGEA coalition of veterans, public health professionals, teachers, consumer advocates and watchdog groups has filed a legal challenge in federal court against Trumps special commission on promoting government efficiency.The lawsuit was filed just after Trumps swearing-in. It seeks an injunction against the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.The suit charges that Trump is operating the group without complying with federal transparency laws, and argues that the activities of private commissions must be made public.Trump mentioned DOGE, which is being headed by billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in his inauguration speech.Todays speech was a sharp departure from American carnageTrumps second inaugural speech marked a major departure from his tone the first time he took the Oath of Office.Back in 2017, Trump delivered an inaugural address that put aside the typical optimism and promises of unity with a dark portrait of national life as he spoke of American Carnage.From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, its going to be America first, he had declared then.Trump concludes his speechTrump finished speaking after about 30 minutes.It was a very short speech by Trumps standards.His 2024 campaign rally speeches often went on for more than an hour.Photos of the swearing-in show Trump with his hand at his side, not atop the Bible. Does it matter?Its traditional to use a Bible during the presidential oath of office, but it is not required. Only the oath is mandated by the Constitution.Theodore Roosevelt didnt use a Bible when he was sworn in following the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. John Quincy Adams used a law text for his 1825 inauguration.And, sworn in aboard Air Force One after John Kennedys assassination in 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson used a Catholic missal.Who wants to go to Mars?Trumps enthusiasm for sending astronauts to Mars was shared by some but not all Americans in a 2019 AP-NORC poll.About 3 in 10 US adults said that sending astronauts to Mars was very or extremely important, about one-third said it was moderately important, and about 4 in 10 said it was not too or not at all important.Trump appears to be concluding on a positive noteMany people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback, but as you see here today, here I am, he said.I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do in America, he went on, adding: In America, the impossible is what we do best.Inauguration performer Carrie Underwood doesnt usually get involved with politicsCountry music star Carrie Underwood is performing America the Beautiful at todays inauguration.I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event, Underwood said in a statement shortly after the news broke. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.But Underwood has avoided discussing politics across her career, in 2019 telling The Guardian, I feel like more people try to pin me places politically. I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins. Its crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like its black and white. And its not like that.Trump wants to plant an American flag on MarsTrump says he wants to send American astronauts to Mars, saying he will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars and plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars.Billionaire Elon Musk of SpaceX threw his hands up in the air as Trump announced the U.S. would plant its flag on Mars.Trumps plans for reshaping American asylumTrump said all illegal entry will immediately be halted, with few details on how he will achieve that. He said he would end the practice of releasing migrants in the United States to pursue asylum, known as catch-and-release, but didnt say how he would pay for the enormous costs of detention.Part of his plan relies on resuming the Remain in Mexico policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court, a hallmark of his first term. The Mexican government has agreed, signaling perhaps one of the most concrete and immediate changes that will be seen at the border.Trump said little about his plans for mass deportation, saying only that he would deport millions and millions of criminal aliens.There is more than 1 split-screen in Washington on MondayThe Rev. Al Sharpton and other Black leaders led a standing-room-only congregation in a passionate and political Martin Luther King Jr. Day as Trump was being sworn in.The timing was no accident.We want people to see the tale of two cities in one, Sharpton cried, as Trump was being inaugurated at the Capitol.Sharpton introduced Korey Wise one of the falsely accused Central Park Five Black defendants whose execution Trump had lobbied for to cheers from the crowd, and rattled off a series of actions he said Trump had taken against Black Americans and civil rights.We will fight the next four years no matter what he says, Sharpton said.Everything that Dr. King stood for is at risk with this president, this Congress, Sharpton said.Not-so-record inflationTrump vowed to defeat what was record inflation.Inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 after rising steadily in the first 17 months of Bidens presidency from a low of 0.1% in May 2020. The most recent data shows that as of December it had fallen to 2.9%.But other historical periods have seen higher inflation, such as a more than 14% rate in 1980, according to the Federal Reserve.Trumps promised Day 1 executive ordersHere are a few of the executive orders Trump says he plans to issue on his first day:1. Several on immigration, including declaring a national emergency at southern border, reinstating the remain in Mexico policy and sending troops to the southern border.2. Seeking a broad government effort to reduce inflation and reduce prices.3. Declaring a national energy emergency and allowing for more energy production.4. Ending what he has called an electric vehicle mandate.Trump repeats unfounded immigration claim at the crux of his campaignIn his inaugural address, Trump repeated a line he usually brought up during his campaign, saying that immigrants arriving in the country illegally come from prisons and mental institutions.There is no evidence countries are sending their criminals or mentally ill across the border.Trumps inauguration address echoes his rally speechesThe speech Trump is delivering sounds a lot like his rally speeches, with plenty of grievance, including references to those who tried to take my freedom and the weaponization of our Justice Department.Trump, after leaving office, became the first former president to be indicted, convicted and sentenced. But he has long tried to cast his many investigations as politically motivated.Some Democrats join standing ovation over border emergencyTrump is laying out his executive orders, starting with declaring a state of emergency on the southern border, which received a standing ovation from all Republicans and a few swing state Democrats, including Reps. Don Davis and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.Trump wants to make Martin Luther King Jr.s dream a realityTrump marked the fact that his inauguration is occurring on Martin Luther King Jr. Day., saying in his speech that his administration will strive together to make his dream a reality.We will make his dream come true, Trump vowed of the Rev. King.Americas decline is overTrump referred to the assassination attempt against him, saying he was saved by God to make America great again, drawing a standing ovation from Republicans in the room while Democrats, including Biden and Harris, remained seated and still.Trump says the election has given him a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal he says has taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom. From this moment on, Americas decline is over.Trump lays into the federal governmentSpeaking just feet from former Biden, Trump is delivering a forceful critique of the federal government, which he says cannot manage even a simple crisis at home.He cites the wildfires in California and flooding in North Carolina, crises about which he has repeatedly spread incorrect claims. He also points to a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad and illegal immigration.Trump: The golden age of America begins right nowTrump in his first remarks as the 47th president declared that the golden age of America begins right now.From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world, he said.Cheers erupt in Rotunda as Trump is sworn inTrumps family surrounds him after his swearing-in.He kisses his wife, Melania, on the cheek this time making it past the brim of her hat.JD Vance has been sworn in by Justice Brett KavanaughChief Justice John Roberts has sworn in Trump for a second term as presidentInauguration Day on MLK DayThis is the third time a president has been sworn in on the federal holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also were sworn in for their second terms on the holiday.The holiday honoring the civil rights leader was established nearly 40 years ago. It is observed on the third Monday of January every year.The Constitution places Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.Klobuchar said the coincidence is a further reminder we must strive to uphold the values in our Constitution.Speeches highlighting the endurance of American democracyThe bipartisan leaders of the 60th Inaugural Committee kicked off the ceremony by highlighting the importance of American democracy as the country is close to celebrating 250 years.Our great American experiment, grounded in the rule of law, has endured. So as we inaugurate a new president and vice president, let us remember that the power of those in this room comes from the people, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the committee chair, said in her speech.Her Republican counterpart, Sen. Deb Fischer, echoed that sentiment.Our democracy promises the American people the power to change, to chart their own destiny, Fischer said. Thats the beauty that is the importance of democracy. It allows endurance, the permanence of a nation and never change.Lincoln Bible reduxPresident-elect Donald Trump plans to use his own Bible, which was given to him by his mother, and the Lincoln Bible for his swearing-in ceremony.The Lincoln Bible was provided during Lincolns 1861 inauguration by William Thomas Carroll, clerk of the Supreme Court. Thats because Lincolns family Bible was still packed and on its way to Washington from Springfield, Illinois, along with the Lincoln familys other belongings.In 2017, Trump stacked a family Bible atop Lincolns while taking the oath. Hes set to do the same with his own Bible and Lincolns this time.That recalls Barack Obama, who also used the Lincoln Bible during his first swearing-in in 2009. During his second in 2014, he paired it with a Bible that had belonged to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.White House staff turning over the mansion for Trump during inaugurationThe staff of the White House residence starts the work of moving out one president and preparing the mansion for a new president as soon as the outgoing and incoming presidents leave for the inauguration at the Capitol.They have about five hours to do it.The White House chief usher is the staff person who oversees the process and will have worked with Melania Trump to coordinate the move. One former White House usher describes the process as organized chaos.No Bible requiredWhile reciting the presidential oath of office is mandated by the Constitution, using a Bible isnt.Theodore Roosevelt didnt use one when he was sworn in following the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. John Quincy Adams used a law text for his 1825 inauguration.And, sworn in aboard Air Force One after John Kennedys assassination in 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson used a Catholic missal.Also, who holds the Bible during the inaugural ceremony isnt spelled out. Lady Bird Johnson set a tradition that has continued until today when she became the first incoming-first lady to hold the Bible for her husband Lyndons second inauguration in January 1965.Prior to that, the Bibles were often held by an unknown official people not easily identified in historical photographs.Bidens other family pardon proved unpopularOnly about 2 in 10 Americans approved of Bidens previous decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, according to an AP-NORC poll from December suggesting that his last-minute move to issue pardons to his family members may not be received well.That poll found that about 4 in 10 Democrats approved of the pardon, while about 3 in 10 disapproved and about one-quarter did not have an opinion or did not know enough to say. The vast majority of Republicans and about half of independents had a negative opinion. Read more about how Americans reacted to Bidens pardonsTrumps purple tie appears to include a checkered pattern of red and blueIt could be a potential nod to unity and a departure from the fire engine red tie he wore when he was first sworn in back in 2017.Trump attempts to his wifes cheekThe president-elect leaned in to kiss her but appeared to be blocked by the brim of her hat.He greeted President Joe Biden after entering the Capitol Rotunda to roaring applause and cheers.Why does Amy Klobuchar speak first?Klobuchar spoke at the start of the swearing-in, calling the audience to order before the ceremony began.The Minnesota Democrat has a prominent role because she chairs the joint committee overseeing preparations for the inauguration.The decision to move the inauguration inside creates a split screenSenior government officials, tech moguls and donors are gathered inside the Capitol building, attending the swearing-in ceremony in person.Meanwhile, thousands of Trumps supporters, many wearing MAGA gear, are gathered at Capital One Arena to watch on screen.Proud Boys seen marching on Washington streetsA group of Proud Boys carrying pro-Trump signs and anti-antifa marched on the streets in Washington as Trump prepared for the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda.The extremist group was known for street fights with anti-fascist activists when Trump infamously told them to stand back and stand by during his first debate in 2020 with Biden.Dozens of Proud Boys leaders, members and associates have been convicted and sentenced to prison in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Its unclear whether any might receive pardons promised by Trump.Vice President-elect JD Vance enters the Rotunda to roaring applauseTrump will order the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and moreA spokeswoman for the transition team says Donald Trump will order the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and Alaskas Mount Denali in his first executive orders.Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on the social platform X that the Gulf of Mexico will be renamed the Gulf of America and Denali the highest mountain in North America will revert to Mount McKinley, its former name until the Obama administration changed it in 2015.Earlier this month, Trump floated the idea of renaming the body of water that forms the coastline along five southeastern states, saying he felt Gulf of America has a beautiful ring to it.As president, Trump can take the action to rename the body of water, although other countries dont have to adopt the new name.Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff exchange a hug and a smileThe two awaited the arrival of their spouses on the inauguration platform.Audience welcomes former presidentsThe former presidents in attendance Obama, Bush and Clinton drew applause from the audience.Two former first ladies were there, too, but Michelle Obama skipped the inauguration.She wasnt with the former U.S. leaders and their spouses at former President Jimmy Carters state funeral earlier this month either.No explanation has been given for her absences.The former first and second ladies that arent attendingWhile former Vice President Mike Pence is in attendance at Trumps inauguration, his wife, former second lady Karen, is not.Karen Pence snubbed the Trumps earlier this month at former President Jimmy Carters funeral, where she ignored Melania Trumps efforts to shake her hand.Michelle Obama also chose not to attend.Former vice presidents have arrivedDan Quayle and Mike Pence arrived on the platform with a standing ovation from members of both the House and Senate.CEOs have better seats than Trumps Cabinet membersThe CEOs of Meta, X, and Amazon sat in front of the president-elects entire Cabinet a nod to the importance Trump has given the heads of some of the most powerful companies and social media platforms over his agency heads.Some of the nations most powerful tech titans are at the CapitolVocal Trump ally Elon Musk, the CEO of Telsa and the owner social platform X, was seen along with Googles Sundar Pichai and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook were also in the audience.The capacity shrunk significantly when the ceremony was moved indoors due to cold temperatures.Musk has also been tapped by Trump to help lead an outside government group called the Department of Government Efficiency to slash bureaucracy.All 9 Supreme Court justices are at the CapitolThe entire court entered, led by Roberts. Retired Justice Stephen Breyer also is there.Italian, Argentine leaders are in the RotundaArgentine President Javier Milei and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni are in the Rotunda. Trump broke with precedent by inviting foreign leaders to attend his inauguration.Pence and the Clintons get booed in arenaThe crowd in the arena is not discriminate with their cheers anything from a man holding a Joe Biden Youre Fired sign to a shot of Rudy Giuliani has inspired enthusiastic applause but a rare boo erupted from the crowd at the sigh of Mike Pence walking into the rotunda.Soon after a much larger boo came for the Clintons.Trump has entered the Capitol with BidenPodcast host Joe Rogan is taking his seat near the platformPromises Made, Promises KeptThat is the subject line of an email from Trumps transition team touting the executive orders he is expected to sign shortly after being sworn in for a second term.He told voters on Day One, we would Drill, Baby, Drill. President Trump will be doing that, it reads.He told voters on Day One, he would end the invasion at the border. President Trump will be doing that, it goes on.He told voters on Day One, he would restore common sense. President Trump will be doing that, it adds.Congressional leaders arrive at the CapitolAsked how he felt today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said: Feel great about the Bills.The New Yorker had a royal blue cap in hand. The House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said its bright, sunny outside and bright in our heart. Johnson said he expects a lot of executive orders from Trump. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries smiled and waved but declined comment.Feel great, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance arrive at the Capitol ahead of their inaugurationGetting their selfies in while they canRepublicans and Democrats sat amongst each other as lawmakers did not have designated seats and took selfies before the official inaugural ceremony began.Biden and Trump share a limoBoth men shared the same vehicle, along with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, chair of the bipartisan Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.Biden and Trump have been the bitterest of rivals for years. But the outgoing and incoming president taking the same vehicle to the inauguration ceremony keeps with political traditions.President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are exitingThey left the White House after spending about 35 minutes in a private meeting.They got into a limo for the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. Its now less than two hours away.First lady and incoming first lady leave the White HouseFirst lady Jill Biden and incoming first lady Melania Trump have left the White House.They were followed by Vice President Kamala Harris and Vice President-elect JD Vance, who left in a limo for the swearing-in at the Capitol.Very well, thank you, Harris replied to a shouted question as she left the White House and headed to a waiting limo.Flags are up at the CapitolFlags that had been lowered for the passing of former President Jimmy Carter are back up at the U.S. Capitol.House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the flags raised for Trumps inauguration.Second gentleman heads to the CapitolSecond gentleman Doug Emhoff has exited the White House with Usha Vance, wife of vice president-elect JD Vance, to go to the Capitol.Sports celebrities and business figures alike crowd into the Capitols visitor centerThe attendees, which include the CEO of TikTok, made their way into the Capitols visitor center to watch the inauguration ceremonies on a large screen.Evander Holyfield, Danica Patrick, Conor McGregor, Jake Paul and his brother Logan Paul have all made their way into a large area called the Emancipation Hall.The CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, is also there. He struck up a conversation with Logan Paul, who is a social media influencer and professional boxer.As Trump enters the White House a second time, some celebrities and business leaders have sought closer relationships than during Trumps first term.Trump is already proving he is a valuable ally to have the incoming president intervened this weekend in an attempt to halt a ban on TikTok.