Donald Trump has officially taken the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States.
Trump, 78, was officially sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, January 20, in Washington, DC.
He swore to “preserve, protect and defend” the Constitution.
Following a contentious campaign in November 2024, the Republican leader defeated his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, securing 312 electoral votes to claim his second presidency.
Winning over 50 percent of the popular vote, Trump’s victory was decisive, cementing his return to the White House after four years.
With this victory, he made history as the first person since Grover Cleveland to serve non-consecutive terms as President of the United States.
The newly-elected president’s inauguration was held inside the Capitol Rotunda due to dangerously cold temperatures forecasted in the nation’s capital.
The ceremony was attended by a high-profile guest list, including incoming First Lady Melania Trump, incoming Vice President JD Vance, President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and former First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Elon Musk, a key Trump ally and the newly appointed head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was also in attendance, alongside tech leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
🚨 #BREAKING: DONALD J. TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. It is done. pic.twitter.com/PsQLKt4Ikp
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 20, 2025
Trump opened his inaugural speech as president by acknowledging the guests in attendance.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” he said. “From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected.”
He vowed to “very simply put America first” as he marked a new chapter for the country, and laid out his vision for the nation.
“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed, our safety will be restored, the scales of justice will be rebalanced,” he says, adding that “the vicious violent, and unfair weaponization” of the US Justice Department will end.
“Our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous, and free,” he continued, stating that America will soon be “greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before”.
The two-time leader remarked that he is “confident and optimistic” about his return to the presidency and said that it is the “start of a thrilling new era of national success”.
“Sunlight is pouring over the entire world and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before,” he concluded.
The Republican leader has already outlined key priorities for his first day as president.
He intends to launch the “largest deportation operation” in US history, kick off a process to end birthright citizenship and declare a national emergency on the US-Mexico border.
He also promised to pardon January 6 prisoners, including some convicted of assaulting law enforcement during the Capitol riots, sweep tariffs on imported goods, end the war in Ukraine, and strip funding from schools teaching critical race theory or implementing transgender policies.
You can read more of Trump’s promises here.
