On Monday, America’s 45th President, Donald J. Trump, was inaugurated as the nation’s 47th President, returning to Washington four years after his first term concluded.
Due to freezing temperatures in Washington, D.C., President Trump directed that the inauguration be held inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda instead of the event’s usual site on the west facade of the Capitol building.
Below are a few excerpts from his inaugural address:
“I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success,” President Trump said in his inaugural address, attended by many Members of Congress, Justices of the Supreme Court, Cabinet nominees, and other dignitaries. “A tide of change is sweeping the country, sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before.”
“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and, indeed, their freedom. From this moment on, America’s decline is over.”
On inflation and energy production:
“I will direct all members of my cabinet to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat record inflation and rapidly bring down costs and prices. The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill. America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have — the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on earth — and we are going to use it. We’ll use it.”
On trade and tariffs:
I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens. For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties, and revenues. It will be massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury, coming from foreign sources. The American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before.
On the Panama Canal:
“President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent — he was a natural businessman — and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama after the United States spent more money than ever spent on a project before and lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal. We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made, and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape, or form. And that includes the United States Navy. And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”
In his address, President Trump also listed a series of actions he intended to take on his first day back in office, including a slate of Executive Orders focused on border security and energy production. A list of those orders can be found here.
The ceremony on Monday concluded a weekend of inaugural balls and festivities around the Washington area.
Vice President JD Vance was also sworn in as America’s 50th Vice President.
